The England Cricket thread 2019

[crazyp]

Thought best we start the new year with a new thread and it promises to be a bumper year with the World Cup on home soil and the Ashes!

But first, Test match cricket is back!!!!! The England team to face the West Indies in the first Test -



We have 2 spinners which I think is correct, but the crazy thing is the depth of batting - mind-blowing. It does make you question if we really need to fuss over the whole number 3 - yes a solid one would be ideal, but if it doesn't come off one of the all rounders is likely to have a half decent day you'd think.

Anyway lets see what happens today, the Windies will have a bat!

[AndyMilts]

And we have 3 wicket keepers, think we are way too strong for WI but you never know with test cricket

[crazyp]

And we have 3 wicket keepers, think we are way too strong for WI but you never know with test cricket

I would argue only one of them is a wicket keeper who can bat versus the other 2. Foakes is an outstanding keeper.

Im sure we’ll do our best to mess it up.

[Neil.C]

Looking forward to it.

The Windies didn't look that great last time though.

[Bravo73]

Gawd, I’ve only been listening for a few overs but wow, I miss TMS...

[crazyp]

Gawd, I’ve only been listening for a few overs but wow, I miss TMS...

Guerrilla Cricket is the best alternative. Staying away from the other drivel.

[swatch]

I miss TMS...

Ironic that the Talksport have the rights.
Didn't they used to do 'live' commentary directly from the public TV coverage when they didn't have the rights to sporting events!

[sish101]

Just in from work. Thought I'd catch up with the cricket. Wish I hadn't bothered. England are 73-9. Ouch.

[crazyp]

Christ, I've not even gone through the text. But 77, shows we have a LOT to do.

[PickleB]

Christ, I've not even gone through the text. But 77, shows we have a LOT to do.

An awful lot...Stumps day 2 WI lead by 339 runs.

[Wimm]

Watched the afternoon session, excellent bowling from the Windies. Some poor luck (two played on!!) and poor shots (Moeen). All down to the bowlers. Again.

Tapatapatapatapatalk

[Glamdring]

England were cocky yet again, thinking they won't have to work hard having beaten India.

[MrSmith]

England seem to do this every now and again, thing is they have the tools to do better and hopefully this will focus their minds a bit.
At least it’s not the old Atherton days of rolling ones eyes and looking to the heavens for inspiration.
I still think England will be the better team going into the ashes.

[crazyp]

England seem to do this every now and again, thing is they have the tools to do better and hopefully this will focus their minds a bit.
At least it’s not the old Atherton days of rolling ones eyes and looking to the heavens for inspiration.
I still think England will be the better team going into the ashes.

We are a lot better at home. Just look at India in Australia - very easily done by them and we handled them very well last summer.

Our excellent performance in Sri Lanka had led to a sense of walking this series. Guess not!

We were pointing out we need a real fast bowler, but with Sir jimmy it’s not an issue compared to our woeful batting unit.

Relying far too much on our all rounders bailing us out, while we have a serious, serious issue of no decent specialist batsmen apart from Root. 1 decent dedicated batsman in this team....eek!

[Nigel306]

Burns and Keyton Jennings as our openers. Every opposition bowlers must be rubbing their hands in delight.
Are they really the best we've got?

[Wimm]

Are they really the best we've got?

Quite possibly. We seem to have trialled most of the openers in the counties over the last couple of years. Burns is still relatively fresh (there was a large clamour for him to be selected last year) but as for Jennings...

At least they were both still there at the close.



Tapatapatapatapatalk

[AndyMilts]

Quite possibly. We seem to have trialled most of the openers in the counties over the last couple of years. Burns is still relatively fresh (there was a large clamour for him to be selected last year) but as for Jennings...

At least they were both still there at the close.



Tapatapatapatapatalk

Alex Hales and Jason Roy would be better options although they don’t seam keen on having the same players playing red and white ball and there is a lot of cricket. I think Burns will be a good choice in the end, does not help when you partner is a walking wicket.

[crazyp]

Alex Hales and Jason Roy would be better options although they don’t seam keen on having the same players playing red and white ball and there is a lot of cricket. I think Burns will be a good choice in the end, does not help when you partner is a walking wicket.

Test 2 in on, though not sure if that is a good or bad thing if you're an England fan. Burns out to a decent ball (fair enough) but Denly was just SHOCKING - wide long-hop loosener ball and toe'd it. Oh dear. I do agree on Hales or Roy being given a chance.

Other than Broad being in, same England. Let's see how it goes.....

[Der Amf]

Triple century for Root next couple of days, sorted.

[MrSmith]

Anyone else get lucky in the ticket ballot?
Day 2 at Lords for the Ashes test.

[Backward point]

Anyone else get lucky in the ticket ballot?
Day 2 at Lords for the Ashes test.

Well done, enjoy it! The only possible downside might be England's rather poor form against Australia at Lord's. Although we probably won't lose it by Day 2.

As for the events of the last few days, 18 wickets fell on Day 2, none at all yesterday, which was even more surprising as Jennings and Burns were at the crease for the last 20 overs or so.

One of the Sky commentators, probably Bumble, said on Thursday that if this had been a Division 1 game in England the ECB would have sent in the pitch inspectors.

If we can somehow get through the next two days it will be nothing short of a miracle, but whatever happens the England selectors will have learned a valuable lesson this week.

England should use the next two days as an extended net session, and get some of our much-vaunted extended middle order into form. This is only the start of a very big year indeed.

[Wimm]

It's all gone a bit quiet here since Friday. Not surprising really.

We'll done with those tickets MrSmith, it should be a good day out. Took the boy there to the India one dayer last year which was really good.

[Nigel306]

Oh dear, is all started badly again.
26 balls to get the scoreboard ticking over, then next but one ball 1st wicket falls.
Openers fail again.
34 for 3.

[Backward point]

Oh dear, is all started badly again.
26 balls to get the scoreboard ticking over, then next but one ball 1st wicket falls.
Openers fail again.
34 for 3.

It's all ended badly as well.

A 10-wicket hammering. With a batting lineup that appears to go as deep as Curran at 9, and largely the same team which beat India during the summer.

The pitches might be less than perfect, but they're the same for both sides. If we don't improve quickly, even a disorganised and dispirited Australia will beat us later in the year.

And we don't want that happening, do we?

[crazyp]

Squad for the final Test announced - https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/47175439

First thoughts - I have no idea what’s going on. I think limitations of the squad - but I guess the idea is of utilising specialist batsmen. Except Jennings isn’t very good. I guess he will open with Burns.

Poor Foakes is one to get chppped - but 3 keepers is too much and I prefer Bairstow at 6 than 3. Expect him to make a 100. Now what are the odds we are 10-3 after 5 overs....

Wood probably has to play - we were desperately shot of a proper fast bowler last Test. Curran is a fine player but these pitches are not for him.

Mercifully the last Teat - it’s been tough watching.

[Backward point]

It's not too late to get rid of Mark Ramprakash as batting coach before the Ashes is it?

[crazyp]

It's not too late to get rid of Mark Ramprakash as batting coach before the Ashes is it?

I can't see us getting worse and easier to get rid of him than Bayliss before then. Not really sure how Ramprakash is still in the job tbh.

[Nigel306]

You could say it bowling wasn't up to scratch, but the pitch was made for batting.
Very good chase.

[Andyg]

Not a huge fan of the one day game, but that certainly was rather entertaining. Nice to see Joy and Root getting runs.

[PickleB]

Hmm...30-overs-a-side.

Update...more rain.

Edit And now...'Match Abandoned.'

[crazyp]

Hmm...30-overs-a-side.

Update...more rain.

Edit And now...'Match Abandoned.'

4th ODI is on, we've been put in to bat. Hales in for injured Roy. Series well poised!

[PickleB]

4th ODI is on, we've been put in to bat. Hales in for injured Roy. Series well poised!

Spinners are on...and the run rate is climbing.

[MrSmith]

From the BBC sports pages

Smith and Warner were given a hostile reception at the Hampshire Bowl, with both booed at the start of their innings and after being dismissed, while former captain Smith was also booed after making 50 and again when reaching a fine century.

Sections of the crowd chanted "cheat" at both players and fans wore costumes referencing sandpaper.

Smith and Warner, along with Cameron Bancroft, were found to have played a role in using sandpaper to tamper with the ball against South Africa in March 2018.

"After the experience of Hampshire, we have a pretty good idea what to expect - we've talked about it a lot and we can put strategies in place," said Langer.

"That said, when it happens it doesn't make it any easier. They are human beings, that's the truth - and that's what I find the hardest.

"I'm a dad and a lot of the time the kids see it. You feel for them personally and they are going to have to have thick skins.

"But I'd be disappointed by any player being booed at any cricket ground, regardless of what country they play for. It's never a good look when that happens."

No mention of them cheating though, that’s why they get booed, and how does cheating set an example?
I’ll be giving them what they are due while I’m watching them at lords.

[Wimm]

Looks like the Windies are being similarly restrained.....

Tapatapatapatapatalk

[KingKitega]

Gayle playing very conservatively. Might be a close game.

[CriticalMass]

What a finish!

[Wimm]

Had to turn the radio off with ten overs to go as the wife wanted us to watch a film.

Tapatapatapatapatalk

[KingKitega]

Yep great finish and what keeps me interested in the game. So unpredictable!

[Backward point]

Jos Buttler is a phenomenon. He went from 51 to 100 in 15 balls (if my memory is correct, he took 45 balls to score his first 50) and then to 150 off 77 balls.

So that's 51 to 150 in 32 balls. Although the BBC say that it was 31.

I'm looking forward to the World Cup.

[PickleB]

Five overs in and the Windies required run rate is 1.53.

Oh well...might it rain?

PS I've no idea what the rules are if the match were to be rained off.

[Glamdring]

Ye gods. You just can't trust them. I didn't know the game was on today and now it's finished and lost and in the most humiliating fashion.

[Backward point]

Five overs in and the Windies required run rate is 1.53.

Oh well...might it rain?

PS I've no idea what the rules are if the match were to be rained off.

DLS would apply. And we would still have lost.

Ye gods. You just can't trust them. I didn't know the game was on today and now it's finished and lost and in the most humiliating fashion.

I'm hoping that they're "managing expectations" ahead of the World Cup.

Does anybody else think that the wickets prepared for the ODI's looked rather better than those served up for the Test series? They certainly seemed to behave differently.

[AndyMilts]

They will pick him, he has to be worth the risk and gives another Dimension. But who will they drop Willey, Curren or Plunket

[crazyp]

He's not been picked in the provisional squad, but is selected for the games against Pakistan and Ireland.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/47959217

And the provisional squad is pretty much meaningless as it can all be changed up to 23 May. I think they did it this way to 'keep the peace' in the current squad. I just see it as a way to appease some players who are not performing or afraid to compete against Archer. No one has the right to a place and to be 'comfortable'.

[Wimm]

For me this has too many similarities to the Sam Burgess - Rugby World Cup 2015 palava with the added pressure of being the favourites at the moment. I was hoping that it would be handled a bit better but it is being hyped up in the press (they love to get their teeth into a story like this) asking questions to which awkward and potentially regrettable answers are given. All this attention unsettles the team which isn't the best thing in the run up to the WC.

It's an impossible position for the selectors, damned if they do and damned if they don't. Although it may be an easy decision to make, contenders have started dropping like flies. I look forward to seeing what he can do in the warm up matches.

And what has Hales been up to now FFS?

[Bravo73]

And what has Hales been up to now FFS?

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...ional-drug-use

[crazyp]

Well as we put Hales behind us, the golden summer of cricket has arrived! Bowling out Ireland for under 200 it should have been an easy enough chase - but alas 3 wickets down! Vince gets a start and gets out (again) and we lose Morgan and Root too. Good for the team to be kept on their toes....

Edit: for 5 now. Get the bad results out of the way early, right?

[Wimm]

Well we managed to get over the line. In some ways I am reassured that, with the strength in depth we have, there is someone there to get the runs. On the other hand it would have good for someone in the upper order to get a score.

I hope they take away the lessons from today and iron out the wrinkles.

Pakistan should be interesting.

[crazyp]

Well chaps, England's warm ups are in the bag and we now look forward to the World Cup!

Overall some pretty good games against Pakistan, rather high scoring games as well with some rather flat pitches. This is very much the expectation for the World Cup, so expect in most games 320-350 as being par (and for teams to be taking the pace off the ball).

The final 15 man squad is now out as well https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/48347499

Archer is in, Willey out the main things. Vince takes Hales place (once again Vince was damn frustrating in the warm up games) and lastly Dawson is in over Denly which I think is imminently sensible. If Ali or Rashid get injured we need a front line spinner who can fill in, not a part timer. Overall I think our best possible squad (minus Hales).

I'm getting excited!

[AndyMilts]

Me too, we certainly have a chance. Did think they would take Willey and not bother with Dawson, as if someone is injured they can replace that player.

Being left arm offers another option. Very tough on him too, but he has really set his stall out swinging the ball early and I think Archer and Woakes will get that job.

Exciting indeed