The Cricket Thread

[officepest]

Mods: perhaps rename this the Cricket Thread?

[arseofacrow]

Mods: perhaps rename this the Cricket Thread?

oi, throwing your weight around again, mate!

[northbank123]

Agreed re Ali. Not an opening batsman and should be batting 6 or 7. Never will be an opener but as you say who else is there?

Hales is not a test match opener. Shame about Lyth but he was so poor that he had to go.

[officepest]

Mods: perhaps rename this the Cricket Thread?

oi, throwing your weight around again, mate!

Just trying to keep the thread alive, brother.

How about: arseofacrow's cricket thread?

[officepest]

Dropping Buttler for Taylor for the third test has been vindicated, with the latter scoring a handy 70-odd. England will be disappointed to have benn dismissed for 306 though as it is only a 70 run lead.

[northbank123]

England's spin options are just piss-poor and it's no surprise that Pakistan got off to a flyer.

The fact that England have been within touching distance in this series is testament to the absolutely awesome performances of Anderson and Broad in dreadful conditions.

Can't see England chasing anything over 200

[arseofacrow]

Looking like an uphill task now.

[northbank123]

Looking like an uphill task now.

Anything over 200 would always be a tough task. Couldn't see them chasing anything over 250.

England's spinners are a fucking joke. Anderson and Broad have bowled out of their skins all tour and even with this weak batting line-up had England's spinners done a half decent job they would have won this series with the wickets they have had. It's not just lack of wickets - it's so amateurish bowling half trackers and full tosses every fucking over, pisses away valuable runs and prevents any sort of pressure being built.

In less favourable conditions they will have to do a defensive job whilst the seamers steam in at full burst. That'll be interesting to watch as Mooen and Rashid go at 5 or 6 an over.

[officepest]

We have left ourselves far too much to do to win the test (and draw the series) tomorrow. If I include Root, then we have four spinners on friendly pitches and we have been carved all over the shop - totally dismal.

Best we can hope for is to bat the day out, but we won't.

[northbank123]

Pakistan's spinners' figures in 2nd innings: 6-70 @ 1.7

England's spinners' figures in 2nd innings: 3-248 @ 3.5+

How about we stop trying to cram the team full of all-rounders who are not good enough to get selected on batting or bowling (or keeping) alone and pick the best spinner and the best wicketkeeper we have?

We have Stokes as a genuine all-rounder learning his trade - we don't need to have a batting line-up where we have Samit Patel at 8 and Adil Rashid at 9. You're always going to struggle in the sub-continent with poor spin options but at the very least England need to decide on a decent defensive spin bowler who will be able to hold up an end in South Africa (and home conditions).

The batsmen haven't been good enough and less than 10 runs between 3 and 7 is appalling, but this was too many to leave them to chase in the 4th innings in Pakistan. Against a world class spinner like Shah you are basically starting 2 or 3 wickets down, plus Stokes' injury - unless Cook and Root both scored massive runs then England didn't have a cat in hell's chance, and even then Pakistan would have probably cheated their way to a draw with a disgraceful over rate.

[arseofacrow]

Second test in Cape Twat

Stokes has put the test out of SA's reach already.

Some observations:

1. Bairstow on 99.

Commentator to David Lloyd: "David, even you're feeling emotional"

David Lloyd: "I'm thinking about his mother..."

ok then.


2. Step forward for SA cricket. Now there are black players on the pitch as well as serving the drinks.

3. Supersport, the SA broadcaster, are blatant when lingering on shots of tall attractive women with big tits.

4. Sky are so PC they have to apologise for some cry of joy/expletive by Bairstow on his first century for England, by saying that they are not responsible for the coverage.

[officepest]

Magnificent, record-breaking stuff from Stokes and Bairstow; England delcaring on 630-6 in Cape Town.

Unbelievable, Geoff.

[northbank123]

An inspiration to gingers everywhere

[officepest]

The pitch is a total road and I'd heavily back a draw, if I were a betting man.

[arseofacrow]

The pitch is a total road and I'd heavily back a draw, if I were a betting man.

Robin_L has just gone all in on a SA win