Opinion Cricket thread

[DarkPhoenix]

England have batted too long. Making it hard on themselves to get a win.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

They're already far enough in front if Steve Smith fails.

 

[Nate7]

England have batted too long. Making it hard on themselves to get a win.

Many said Steve Smith declared far too late, then of course the win happened, so it was a bit hard in hindsight to say - "poor captaincy ".

Push on, get to 500 and then declare. I'm almost certain of a result and no draw.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Many said Steve Smith declared far too late, then of course the win happened, so it was a bit hard in hindsight to say - "poor captaincy ".

Push on, get to 500 and then declare. I'm almost certain of a result and no draw.

Not saying theres not going to be a result, just feel they've made it harder to get one.

I agree with KP that Cook's knock was fairly selfish, they needed the 200, but he ate up a lot of deliveries to get there, wreaks of a player playing for their spot rather than the team.

 

[kangaspurs]

Not saying theres not going to be a result, just feel they've made it harder to get one.

I agree with KP that Cook's knock was fairly selfish, they needed the 200, but he ate up a lot of deliveries to get there, wreaks of a player playing for their spot rather than the team.

Really? I can't agree with that and it sounds like typical sour grapes from KP.

He's not captain so he doesnt decide when to declare for one, and he went along at 60. It's hardly slow. He batted beautifully and it didnt come across selfish at all to me.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Hardly sour grapes.

His comments were to temper praise as it's fine to score 100 when the series is done and dusted but England needed that scoring in the first 3 games and Cook had come up short.

Has nothing to do with him being the one to declare or not, it's about intent at the crease. In my opinion Cook has played very safe and let a lot more balls go than he needed to. His 200 was great, but he could have put England in an unasailable position. Instead the result is still very much in question

 

[SpiderBurton22]

160 in front, 2 days to play. Pitch will become harder to score on. Hardly selfish at all. Great innings

 

[naturally north]

160 in front, 2 days to play. Pitch will become harder to score on. Hardly selfish at all. Great innings

One day left mate

 

[SpiderBurton22]

One day left mate

2. The Christmas season has stuffed up everyone's time clock.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Poms will come out and bat in the morning again, gotta get through (probably) 2 innings + the remainder of this one in 2 days.

 

[big_e]

Granted he has the lowest average of anyone to score more than 10,000 test runs (which is like being the ugliest Victoria's Secret model, IMO), but Alistair Cook is only 50 runs short of having scored twice as many runs as any other current player. That's one hell of a career.

 

[Rooboys Rool]

Cook? 200 odd. Bats through. Only reason his team is in front. Yeah, nah, shithouse.

Just on the result though, I don't think we are out of it just yet. Get the last wicket straight up ~170 behind. Reckon we could still knock up ~300 and give them a tricky total to chase on the last day. Take out Cook & Broad's cameo and England's batting still looks very ordinary. Wouldn't surprise me if we knock them over very cheaply in the 4th innings. Then again, this is a dead rubber, so we may just cave.

 

[North Viking]

Unless Smith makes a hundred I can’t see our batting line up surviving and building a sufficient platform to defend.

Today is the day for Smith to dig deep again and enter the pages of history as one of the all time greats after he saves this test match. A draw would be a win from our position.

 

[Hojuman]

Melbourne weather.
Cloudy. High (80%) chance of showers, most likely during this afternoon and evening. The chance of thunderstorms during this afternoon and evening, possibly severe. Generally light winds.

 

[naturally north]

2. The Christmas season has stuffed up everyone's time clock.

LOL- too true.......... also this test seems to be going forever.

 

[Groucho]

England cheating again

 

[kangaroo7]

Khawaja must go.

 

[domiroo]

Khawaja must go.

Bancroft must join him . I remember Hodge scored a double and never saw the team again . These 2 spuds just taking some Victorians spot .

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Its incredibly sad that everyone has the opinion of X happens if Steve Smith fails.

Says something about the current line up really.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Rain O'clock

 

[Passmore]

Its incredibly sad that everyone has the opinion of X happens if Steve Smith fails.

Says something about the current line up really.

It's not a flash batting line up. Blokes like Stewart Law must be silently weeping.

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[big_e]

Bancroft must join him . I remember Hodge scored a double and never saw the team again . These 2 spuds just taking some Victorians spot .

Not this shit again.

After the 200, Hodge's next four innings garnered just 64 runs (at 16). It was the end of the series and selectors wanted the experience of Damien Martyn for the next series in South Africa. He did stuff all before the 200, just quietly.

Was he unlucky not to have played more tests? Yep. Should he have been dropped when he was? Absolutely.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

It's not a flash batting line up. Blokes like Stewart Law must be silently weeping.

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Yep, Stewie Law and Jamie Siddons were seriously unlucky.

Not this shit again.

After the 200, Hodge's next four innings garnered just 64 runs (at 16). It was the end of the series and selectors wanted the experience of Damien Martyn for the next series in South Africa. He did stuff all before the 200, just quietly.

Was he unlucky not to have played more tests? Yep. Should he have been dropped when he was? Absolutely.

Agree entirely. Love Hodgey as a Victorian (and Beda boy), but he was just below test level. Unlike Law and Siddons.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

Its incredibly sad that everyone has the opinion of X happens if Steve Smith fails.

Says something about the current line up really.

Sad or realistic? I think many are forgetting the batting collapses we've had over the years. Smith is the one holding it together - if he goes early, we're f***ed. And that is with all due respect to Warner, our second best batsman.

If there is a full day's play tomorrow and Smith goes in the first half hour, England will win.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Sad or realistic? I think many are forgetting the batting collapses we've had over the years. Smith is the one holding it together - if he goes early, we're f***ed. And that is with all due respect to Warner, our second best batsman.

If there is a full day's play tomorrow and Smith goes in the first half hour, England will win.

Sad in that it's true.

Our batting order has been trash for years. yet we win because of Smith and occasionally warner.