Opinion Cricket thread

[Hearts to hearts]

Yep, looks like he's got all the time in the world and can make batting look easy but constantly lets himself down with loose, lazy shots.

Labuschagne is a real chance of taking his spot when Smith returns.

He’s taking someone’s spot. Top scorer three innings in a row, couldn’t have been more impressive.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Spent some enjoyable time last night browsing the #ashes and #ashes19 threads on Twitter. Absolute pile-on from Indian fans gloating about England, mocking their win at the Boundary Count Cup, and endlessly retweeting Michael Vaughan’s January comments on India being bowled out for under 100 (England have now done it three times since).

 

[Hojuman]

Lead 283.
Another 67 ( haha 67 ! ) would be nice but anything over 300 a bonus.

Looking forward to catching up with you all tonight.

 

[Themanbun]

England still have a lineup where any one of their top 8 can make a big, big score. But bloody hell we've bowled our way into a dominant position.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Another 30 runs should seal it.

 

[Hojuman]

England still have a lineup where any one of their top 8 can make a big, big score. But bloody hell we've bowled our way into a dominant position.

Think our bowlers can repeat their performance. Pommy batsmen will be very cautious and we have Gary the G.O.A.T.

 

[Themanbun]

Another 30 runs should seal it.

Should, but I'd like another 70.

Any of Burns, Roy, Root, Denly, Stokes, Bairstow, Buttler are capable of making a huge score.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Should, but I'd like another 70.

Any of Burns, Roy, Root, Denly, Stokes, Bairstow, Buttler are capable of making a huge score.

Wait until Lyon gets on this deck again.

 

[Hojuman]

Then again if Labushagne gets a ton and Patto & Cummins knock a few about.....
Big Barbadian a bit proppy with cramp, Stokes look rooted ( no pun )

 

[SpiderBurton22]

He’s taking someone’s spot. Top scorer three innings in a row, couldn’t have been more impressive.

Yep. It was a gutsy innings.

Though he had a bit of luck. Root dropped a sitter, Bairstow a tough one, and given not out caught behind, only to discover he nicked it on review but Stokes overstepped the front line and it was a no ball.

 

[SpiderBurton22]

Then again if Labushagne gets a ton and Patto & Cummins knock a few about.....
Big Barbadian a bit proppy with cramp, Stokes look rooted ( no pun )

Archer went off with cramp after bowling 4 balls in his last spell. When he came back on, the official word from the Poms was cramp in the quad, however, when he pulled up short he reached for his hamstring.

Seeing him try and chase a couple to the boundary ,he was very ginger. Wouldn't surprise me if he didn't bowl again this Test.

 

[Hojuman]

Root - 1st ball duck, 2nd ball duck, dropped catch, team crumbling around him.

Confidence must be sky-high

 

[Samsquanch]

given not out caught behind, only to discover he nicked it on review but Stokes overstepped the front line and it was a no ball

Monumental!

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Should, but I'd like another 70.

Any of Burns, Roy, Root, Denly, Stokes, Bairstow, Buttler are capable of making a huge score.

Three of them barely average 35 in first class cricket ffs. Think you're being fooled by their one day form.

 

[Themanbun]

Three of them barely average 35 in first class cricket ffs. Think you're being fooled by their one day form.

I'm not. I follow county religiously. I know dangerous batsmen when I see them. Doesn't mean that they're consistent but they only need one or two of those blokes to turn up.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

Yep. It was a gutsy innings.

Though he had a bit of luck. Root dropped a sitter, Bairstow a tough one, and given not out caught behind, only to discover he nicked it on review but Stokes overstepped the front line and it was a no ball.

Plus the replay of the non-reviewed LBW shout from Leach showed it was pad first and hitting off. Bairstow was very keen to review, Root was too gutless after the wasted one earlier.

 

[Del191229]

England still have a lineup where any one of their top 8 can make a big, big score. But bloody hell we've bowled our way into a dominant position.

In a one dayer against one day bowling.

This is NOT a Test batting line up.

 

[Themanbun]

In a one dayer against one day bowling.

This is NOT a Test batting line up.

Disagree.

Their issue at FC and Test level is consistency, not capability. They've been able to replicate their huge performances in the short form, but that doesn't mean that these blokes aren't capable of putting up a huge individual score if things start to roll their way.

I'm much more comfortable talking about 'inner sanctum' stuff with cricket rather than footy.

There was a lot of work put in from our boys into how to get their top 8 out early, precisely for that reason. More so than usual. Once they get a score they have the ability to go on big and take the game away from you (compared to some of ours, like Usman and Head who are notorious for providing chances well into the 40-70 range). We are aware of the threat and have prepared for it, of course. But the threat is very real.

 

[Del191229]

Disagree.

Their issue at FC and Test level is consistency, not capability. They've been able to replicate their huge performances in the short form, but that doesn't mean that these blokes aren't capable of putting up a huge individual score if things start to roll their way.

I'm much more comfortable talking about 'inner sanctum' stuff with cricket rather than footy.

There was a lot of work put in from our boys into how to get their top 8 out early, precisely for that reason. More so than usual. Once they get a score they have the ability to go on big and take the game away from you. We are aware of the threat and have prepared for it, of course. But the threat is very real.

Well, so it should be, this is Test cricket we're talking about. Blokes shouldn't be walking out at 6 or higher unless they're capable of big scores.

Roy doesn't have the temperament for Test opener, Stewart has a ton but his technique is suspect. Root's a quality batsman, world class, but horribly out of form. Denly's not Test quality, Buttler and Bairstow not Test batsmen but one day sloggers.

Stokes is a gun in any form.

 

[Themanbun]

I guess to clarify: I'm not saying these blokes are consistent. Just that there's 7-8 of them who, when things start to go their way, have the ability to put in a big 100.

One of them fires and gets a 140-180, they get some handy runs from Woakes, Archer, Broad, and all of a sudden the 300 run lead is looking in danger.

Ironically their best bat, Root, is probably the one of their main bats who are notorious for providing chances after a start.

Some players are more notable for being able to pile on runs. Smith an obvious example, Clarke from yesteryear too.

Of our side, you'd say Warner, Wade at FC level (but only just recently) and Harris at FC level are notorious for getting really big hundreds after a start. The rest are suspect from 40-80.

When coaches strategise they take this into consideration when talking bowling plans.

 

[SpiderBurton22]

I guess to clarify: I'm not saying these blokes are consistent. Just that there's 7-8 of them who, when things start to go their way, have the ability to put in a big 100.

One of them fires and gets a 140-180, they get some handy runs from Woakes, Archer, Broad, and all of a sudden the 300 run lead is looking in danger.

Ironically their best bat, Root, is probably the one of their main bats who are notorious for providing chances after a start.

Don't disagree with this in theory, but we're all over them at the moment and the mental disintergration of some of their players is almost complete. Their batting is hemorrhaging.

We broke Ali, we've broken Roy. Denly and Root are almost gone and after being a bit timid in the 1st Test, we've broken the Poms lower order with quick short pitched bowling.

 

[Themanbun]

Don't disagree with this in theory, but we're all over them at the moment and the mental disintergration of some of their players is almost complete. Their batting is hemorrhaging.

We broke Ali, we've broken Roy. Denly and Root are almost gone and after being a bit timid in the 1st Test, we've broken the Poms lower order with quick short pitched bowling.

Yeah, I'd say another collapse is the most likely event. A 350 lead though would mean two of those bastards have to fire and then some handy runs from the others. A 300 run lead and we'd wanna make sure we are all over each and every one of them.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

^ Like you, I always worry that an opponent does something extraordinary to take a winnable game away from us.

We probably already have enough, but even if we make another hundred, there's still that outside chance of it happening to us.

 

[SpiderBurton22]

^ Like you, I always worry that an opponent does something extraordinary to take a winnable game away from us.

We probably already have enough, but even if we make another hundred, there's still that outside chance of it happening to us.

Yep, you can never make to many runs in this situation.

 

[muttley45]

If possible, bat until tea, hopefuly a lead of at least 450+, just to add further sense of hopelessness, then chuck everything at 'em in last session of the day and see what damage can be done before final day.