Cricket Thread

[supercity88]

The batting is abysml no one apart from Root cares about thier wicket.
Swinging from the hip will not work down under.Cummins,Hazelwood and Starc will be licking thier lips at the prospect of easy wickets.

100%. What would be incredibly refreshing is for Baz and Stokes to give it the biggun and talk about how they're going to stick it to the aussies and then play traditional test cricket where they dig in and punish the bad ball. We're still often trying to seek that fine balance between aggressive attacking cricket, which has undoubtedly improved the overall batting performance of this side, and digging in when wickets are tumbling. Considering Root's yet to score a century in Australia and averages 35 down under, we're going to need everyone to care as much about their wicket. Otherwise he'll be coming in to a new ball and struggling the same as he always has over there.

Bowling attack for the Ashes is still a big unknown as well.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Kept plugging away so credit to them. With the series won you can understand England bringing in Hull and taking a look at a different option, but you can't really understand why there were so many unforced errors. Brook is one who frustrates me at times. He's an exceptional player but when a cool head is required he can often get himself out chasing runs. He doesn't need to do that, just leave the ball. Who cares if they continue to bowl wide. Eventually they'll have to change things up. Much like in the Ashes when the Aussies just kept bowling short and we kept hitting out, it's a bit ridiculous. It's about winning the test match, not scoring as quickly as possible. If you've forced the opposition into a certain way of bowling then just let them waste their energy and force them to change again and reap the rewards from tired bowling.

Agreed on Hull - no issue at all in trying bowlers out sometimes. Woakes is ageing, Wood can't be relied on, so they need 5-6 to choose from.

Not sure that 10 of them can be proud of being skittled in 35 overs. That should get them double training!

 

[MillionMilesAway]

The batting is abysml no one apart from Root cares about thier wicket.
Swinging from the hip will not work down under.Cummins,Hazelwood and Starc will be licking thier lips at the prospect of easy wickets.

It was interesting listening to Moeen saying that he wasn't confident with his defence so he played shots, but at least he wasn't a main batsman (offering to go up to 3 because it allowed others to bat in a normal position was pretty generous of him).

Agree about the Aussie bowlers, they'll not be too bothered by what they've seen.

 

[melrose40yarder]

100%. What would be incredibly refreshing is for Baz and Stokes to give it the biggun and talk about how they're going to stick it to the aussies and then play traditional test cricket where they dig in and punish the bad ball. We're still often trying to seek that fine balance between aggressive attacking cricket, which has undoubtedly improved the overall batting performance of this side, and digging in when wickets are tumbling. Considering Root's yet to score a century in Australia and averages 35 down under, we're going to need everyone to care as much about their wicket. Otherwise he'll be coming in to a new ball and struggling the same as he always has over there.

Bowling attack for the Ashes is still a big unknown as well.

Think Topley has to go as he is tall and quick will do well there.However what series he plays before we go is a mystery.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Bowling attack for the Ashes is still a big unknown as well.

Very true. Hull isnt ready for Australia yet imho. That run up needs cutting by a third or more or he will be fucked and he needs a fast bowling coach to get him putting it through quicker. Definitely one for the future though. Wood is injury prone. Stokes' hammy may not be up to bowling spells.

 

[Gray]

Lancashire struggling again.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Lancashire struggling again.

Tough conditions though. Durham seem to have an Ian Austin regen in Paine.

Military medium with a bit of wobble. They can’t get him off the square.

 

[Gray]

Tough conditions though. Durham seem to have an Ian Austin regen in Paine.

Military medium with a bit of wobble. They can’t get him off the square.

Ian Austin what a player, loved him.

 

[Manc baggie]

The batting is abysml no one apart from Root cares about thier wicket.
Swinging from the hip will not work down under.Cummins,Hazelwood and Starc will be licking thier lips at the prospect of easy wickets.

I agree.
I find watching Duckett going after every delivery & regularly throwing away his wicket particularly annoying.
I saw a stat recently, albeit from last year I think, but showed out of the first 1800 odd deliveries he had faced, he had only left/not played at 38 of them. I don’t think that ratio has changed much this year either.
The aussies will no doubt be hoping Duckett & the rest of them keep playing the same way.
I’m not advocating a return to dull, grinding test cricket & Bas ball can be fantastic entertainment, but it’s not the answer to every test match scenario.
Some of the batters are not playing intelligent cricket & don’t seem to care that throwing away their wicket puts more pressure on the next man in & the rest of the team.

 

[supercity88]

I agree.
I find watching Duckett going after every delivery & regularly throwing away his wicket particularly annoying.
I saw a stat recently, albeit from last year I think, but showed out of the first 1800 odd deliveries he had faced, he had only left/not played at 38 of them. I don’t think that ratio has changed much this year either.
The aussies will no doubt be hoping Duckett & the rest of them keep playing the same way.
I’m not advocating a return to dull, grinding test cricket & Bas ball can be fantastic entertainment, but it’s not the answer to every test match scenario.
Some of the batters are not playing intelligent cricket & don’t seem to care that throwing away their wicket puts more pressure on the next man in & the rest of the team.

His average is very good though, so you just have to accept it with him. There's a balance, but a lot were abysmal at defensive cricket under Root and got bogged down and were out for 15 off 40 balls. Now they're out for 40 off 45 balls and overall things are better.

But there are times you have to accept that batting aggressively isn't working so dig in, you have to have that all round skill set against the better teams.