The Cricket Thread

[Alex 42163]

A real Chezzer.

:lol:

[Tooj 17]

@@Alex

 

it's a featherbed, with little in it for the bowlers, designed to go the full five days, bringing in as much money as possible for the chief executive at the expense of the game a spectacle.

It's not that type of pitch at all. Cracks are starting to appear and there's certainly some nibble in their for the seamers.

[Dr Gloom 26385]

It's not that type of pitch at all. Cracks are starting to appear and there's certainly some nibble in their for the seamers.

I was just explaining to Alex what a CEO pitch is. Been away at a conference so haven't seen any of it

[Dickie 0]

Aye looks like the rumours of them preparing raging turners weren't true. I was speaking to an Indian mate last night who said the trend in the last few years for touring teams is that they've managed to post good first innings scores but then got steamrollered in the second innings when it starts taking spin. If England get a lead it could be an interesting match - still loads of time left in it

[Dr Gloom 26385]

Sounds like a dull match but England have been known to lose from such positions

[David Kelly 1839]

It's not really a dull game, there have been a few close things this morning, but a draw is certainly looking like the most likely result now.

[Dickie 0]

I still wouldn't rule out India declaring tomorrow with a small lead and England getting skittled on the last day mind!

[David Kelly 1839]

I still wouldn't rule out India declaring tomorrow with a small lead and England getting skittled on the last day mind!

Oh aye, we love a good collapse.

[David Kelly 1839]

Two late wickets there might just change things a little.

[Dickie 0]

Two late wickets there might just change things a little.

 

Yes that's a cracking effort by England to keep going and get them 4 down. 2-3 wickets in the morning session and England might well end up with a lead. However I think that would rule out the possibility of a result cos I can't see Cook going for a sporting declaration. I reckon the only chance of a result now is if India's batsmen give it some cakey tomorrow and end up with a slim lead sometime around  tea, followed by an England collapse on what might be a more helpful pitch by then.

[David Kelly 1839]

Aye Cook doesn't like to risk the loss.  Hopefully it's an Indian collapse we see this time though. 

[David Kelly 1839]

Hameed is looking very decent.

 

And I see Australia had another collapse last night.

[Dr Gloom 26385]

Great position. Draw still he most likely result

But you never know if we bat till tea tomorrow. When was the last time our openers made a century stand?

[toonotl 4698]

Holy crap. This young opener is nineteen. Its a year for nineteen-year-old's after that young Bangladeshi spinner tore the crap out of your lot a few weeks ago. Hope he gets a hundred. Can't be many teenage debutants to score a hundred in Test cricket.

 

(Please; no comments on Australia. Woeful)

[David Kelly 1839]

Shame he didn't get his century but I think he was trying to up the run rate for the team.

Could have had three wickets already here. Still think there's next to no chance of a result but they're keeping it interesting.

[Dr Gloom 26385]

Excellent first test from England. Shame they ran out of time in the end but should put a bit of doubt in some of the Indian players' minds that this series won't be a walkover. Good to see the young kid opening get a few runs. Rashid looked quality from what I saw. Much more consistent than against Bangladesh

[Tooj 17]

I'm glad to see Rashid making a big impact. Hopefully he feels like he's trusted now and can crack on from here. Certainly gives us something different.

 

Was tense as fuck watching it this morning like.

[Tooj 17]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/1065980.html

[David Kelly 1839]

Another piss poor performance from Australia I see. Their batsmen look terrified. It'd be nice to see them continue in that fashion for another year or so.

SA'a bowlers look superb mind. And that's without Steyn or Morkel.

[Alex 42163]

Aye, I had a check on the Aussie score this morning. They went from 120-2 overnight to 161 all out!

[Dr Gloom 26385]

a england-esque collpase. there's talk of wholesale changes for the final test, with only smith, warner, hazelwood and starc guaranteed to start. 

[David Kelly 1839]

Over the last couple of years they've probably had more collapses than us.  Their batting line up looks really shaky.  Smith and Warner are clearly quality players but there's question marks over Khawaja (although he's looked a good player of the last year or so when I've seen him in various formats) and likes of the two Marsh's, Voges, Nevil and Burns don't look good enough to me.  They gave a debut to a 31 year old in this last match too and he averaged 2 I think.  They've lost a lot of good players in the last few years (Clarke, Rogers, Johnson, Harris, Haddin, Watson etc) and they seem like they're struggling to replace them and it doesn't look like a great sign that they're bringing in players in their 30's as their replacements.  Think they might bring a few younger players in for the third test.

[Dr Gloom 26385]

i think the fact you list watson as one of their better players of the past few years says it all about how far they've fallen. 

[David Kelly 1839]

Well yes he wasn't great but he was a genuine all rounder for them with a decent test average batting and bowling over  a decade and he was a player who had a bit of fight.  Their players now look more timid than I've ever seen them.

[Alex 42163]

Watson was quality, but he was shifted around too much in the batting line-up. He averaged about 40 as an opener in tests which shows he could bat. He was a really useful tight bowler as well. Not to mention his ability in the shorter formats of the game. He wasn't very good at reviewing though