View Full Version : England V Pakistan
Just watching the Test match on Fox.
Sopqlain Mushtaq is bowling early on day 1 and turning it a mile both ways.
Curators on the payroll again.
GoEagles
17 Nov 2000, 18:07
Glad to see the poms play Pakistan in Pakistan, I think I read that this is the first series in Pakistan for them in over 9 years. But can you really rate England when they dont have any quality spinners? Mushtaq, Saqlain (sp) and Afridi in the sub-continent make all the difference.
So the Pohms declared at 8/480 and saqlain took all 8. Woulda been good to see if he coulda got all 10.
Its gunna be a draw though.
In fact it's 13 years since we were in Pakistan,but you can't blame us for not going there after the way the b@astards cheated us last time.
It's true that we don't have any quality spinners but I was more worried about how our batsmen were going to play the their spinners,but on a pitch which turned from the start(although it is quite slow) I was pleased with how we went-I mean we haven't made 480 in the 1st innings for ages,we made Afridi & Mustaq look ordinary & I'm glad we declared with 8 down so that Saqlain couldn't get all 10 though it would have been better to do it if he'd picked up the 9th wicket.
It's the Ashes over here next year & though you have a much better side than us the way the pitches played this summer(the bowled moved a lot for the fast bowlers) & the fact that were improving I believe we'll give your blokes a good game-I'd be interested to see whta any of you think.
Go the Hawks!
We are a bit worried about our ageing lineup. Another 18 months and we may be in trouble.
GoEagles
18 Nov 2000, 17:52
Yep It's heading towards a draw. At stumps on day 3, pakistan were 2/119.
Dipper - I'm sure you'll agree that the English bowling department is much more respectable than it was say 5 years ago. Gough, Caddick and Cork are excellent bowlers and I'm sure the Australians will be following their progress in Pakistan, likewise with McGrath and Lee against the West Indies http://www.bigfooty.com/ubb/smile.gif
GoEagles
20 Nov 2000, 05:02
Even if they played for 7 days they probably wouldn't even get a result!
Stumps on Day 4 - Pakistan 8/333 (they still trail by 147 runs with 2 wickets remaining
in the 1st innings)
DIPPER - What can you tell me about Ashley Giles? From what I've read he's improved a lot since his debut in 98.
England at the end of day two were 6/393 then declared at lunch day 3 on 480. They lost a bit if time to bad light but how can they expect to win a test match with that sort of attitude. Can someone explain what they were trying to acheive. Why bat seven sessions for 480.
No wonder people are staying away from test cricket.
Spogs the reason they only made 480 in 7 sessions was i) the pitch was very slow,although the ball was turning a long way it was coming on so slowly that it was very difficult to get it away
ii)when England batted the outfield was extremely slow,over here most commentators agrred that the score was worth another 50-70 because of this(mysteriously the outfield sped up on the 4 th day when Pakistan batted(maybe the curator had the mower out!)
iii)England are out of practice in playing in the sub-continent & we knew that if we got rolled over in the 1st test that they would just produce batsmen's pitches so it was very important that we didn't lose this game
iv)due to daylight hours in Pakistan at this time of year the number of overs bowled each day were very low(I think they were managing less than 80 most days)
but I take your point people want to be entertained,I think that test pitches in most countries are becoming lower & slower when it is a much better game when they're bouncy & fast as this helps the quicks & the spinners & allows the stroke makers to get on with it.Personally I would be happy if most pitches were like the WACA which always seems to produce good cricke
GoEagles
I saw your earlier point about England having no quality spinners & you couldn't be more right.Giles is a tall left armer who doesn't turn it a lot & who had a bit of a rep for being a one-day bowler who just speared it in flat (although he bowled quite well in this test) but I think they like him because he's a good bat(he has hit a couple of 1st class centuries) has a good attitude & fields well-the exact opposite to Tufnell who I feel is a much better bowler but I doubt will ever play for England again.Sailisbury is a leg spinner who go's over to Aussie most winters to play grade cricket in Sydney & comes back saying how much the Aussies rate him & how no one in England understands leg spin-but the bloke's bowling is a joke he can't pich the ball on a length if the batsmen get after him he bowls half-volley,long hop,full toss basically he's gutless.We've got a young leg spinner (Chris Scholfield) who is one of our contracted players (the other 2 aren't)he's only 21,he's a good batsmen (he made a test match 50 )but once again the selectors showed how p@ss weak they are by not picking him for the Pakistan tour & going with the same old cr@p.
But we've got some good pace bowlers,the one everyone's raving about is Craig White who was born in Yorkshire but was brought up in Bendigo,he went to your academy where he was a wicketkeeper-batsman then he played a couple of times for Victoria as a spinner before they accused him of chucking but now he bowls really quick with a slingy action(he's been timed at over 90mph)reverse swings it & he made 93 in this match.
I was surprised that you think your blokes are getting old & that no-one is coming through as over here we just think that you have a never ending supply of good players (over here your test rejects are top run scorers most seasons Law,Hayden,Lehamn,Bevan,Elliot)I just think with a good top six,the most amazing wicketkeeper-batsman in the world a couple of good spinners(even if warney isn't the player he was) & 3 of the best fast bowlers in the world in McGrath,Lee & Gillespie it's going to be hard for anyone to beat your blokes.