The Cricket Thread

[spongebob toonpants 3996]

Broad at 8 is quite the tail

[Dr Gloom 21924]

14 minutes ago, spongebob toonpants said:

Broad at 8 is quite the tail

 

someone needs to go big. root can't do it on his own

[Gemmill 44881]

McGrath's been on the roids. Neck like a bull. 

[trophyshy 7083]

 

[Alex 35083]

Not like Crawley to give it away after doing the hard work. Brilliant response by England up until that point too

[Dr Gloom 21924]

what a fucking gift man, the stupid cunt 

 

[Dr Gloom 21924]

he's batted beautifully then gifts it away. textbook from the bloke 

[Dr Gloom 21924]

i was just going to post but didn't want to jinx it but everything so far has gone england's way - pretty much been a perfect day.

 

unlike yesterday, we made the most of helpful overheads in the morning to skittle them out relatively cheaply and all of a sudden the sun is out and it looks like a great day for batting.

 

you've got to make the most of it when you the weather gods smile on you like this. these two should both be eyeing a ton but crawley does what he always does and makes a pretty start without converting. meanwhile duckett doesn't fancy leaving anything so could quickly follow. 

[Alex 35083]

2 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

i was just going to post but didn't want to jinx it but everything so far has gone england's way - pretty much been a perfect day.

 

unlike yesterday, we made the most of helpful overheads in the morning to skittle them out relatively cheaply and all of a sudden the sun is out and it looks like a great day for batting.

 

you've got to make the most of it when you the weather gods smile on you like this. these two should both be eyeing a ton but crawley does what he always does and makes a pretty start without converting. meanwhile duckett doesn't fancy leaving anything so could quickly follow. 

 I was the same re: jinxing it. I totally agree re Crawley. The thing is though, that do what the fuck you want, it’s all cool, man is the mentality that is encouraged by Ben and Baz. 

[Dr Gloom 21924]

1 minute ago, Alex said:

 I was the same re: jinxing it. I totally agree re Crawley. The thing is though, that do what the fuck you want, it’s all cool, man is the mentality that is encouraged by Ben and Baz. 

 

i hope that, given the context of where we are in the series and how much is riding on this match, that they play aggressively but sensibly. there's plenty of time left in the game to go through the gears. lyon is the biggest threat so far so why go dancing down the wicket to him? 

[Dr Gloom 21924]

duckett has left 0 out of the 100 deliveries he's faced in the series so far

[Alex 35083]

Just now, Dr Gloom said:

 

i hope that, given the context of where we are in the series and how much is riding on this match, that they play aggressively but sensibly. there's plenty of time left in the game to go through the gears. lyon is the biggest threat so far so why go dancing down the wicket to him? 

Because that’s Bazball. They’re in the entertainment business. Winning is secondary. I’m not even taking the piss either. Crawler’s approach is actively encouraged. He shouldn’t be anywhere near test cricket, because when he dies get in, he still gives it away. But they’ve pretty much said there’s no room for compromise in this ‘philosophy’. So there you are. I hope they prove me wrong but I don’t think it’s sustainable against a team this good 

[Toonpack 9409]

In fairness, proper good take by Carey mind, Bairstow may just not have produced same result.

 

Good start so far mind.

[Dr Gloom 21924]

Just now, Alex said:

Because that’s Bazball. They’re in the entertainment business. Winning is secondary. I’m not even taking the piss either. Crawler’s approach is actively encouraged. He shouldn’t be anywhere near test cricket, because when he dies get in, he still gives it away. But they’ve pretty much said there’s no room for compromise in this ‘philosophy’. So there you are. I hope they prove me wrong but I don’t think it’s sustainable against a team this good 

 

the counter to that is would someone like burn scratching around, trying to see off the new ball, do better? the evidence so far suggests not. we have won 11/14 playing like this. 

[Dr Gloom 21924]

crawley should be nowhere near the team though, i've said it enough times. if you want someone like that at the top of the order, play bairstow and put your best wicket keeper in at 7

Edited June 29, 2023 by Dr Gloom

[Alex 35083]

3 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

 

the counter to that is would someone like burn scratching around, trying to see off the new ball, do better? the evidence so far suggests not. we have won 11/14 playing like this. 

 Well that’s only the counter to that if it’s as black and white as all out attack or an ultra conservative approach. Yet you’ve just said you shouldn’t be giving your wicket away like that. Which is literally where most people are. I.e. the aggressive, attacking approach is great but rein it at times. Instead of throwing your wicket away when you’re just starting to turn the game your way. 

[Alex 35083]

8 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

crawley should be nowhere near the team though, i've said it enough times. if you want someone like that at the top of the order, play bairstow and put your best wicket keeper in at 7

Agreed. Bairstow must be the most indulged English cricketer of the last 20 years though. Even under this management. You can guarantee he’d be opening this series if he fancied doing it. 

[Toonpack 9409]

For me, Bairstow is worth his place as a batsman but it's the fact he gets the gloves as well that's the issue, particularly since the better guy with the gloves is no rabbit with the bat either (and you've got a rabbit opening).

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3894]

If Crawley went to a state school he’d be nowhere near the team

Edited June 29, 2023 by Kevin Carr's Gloves

[Alex 35083]

2 minutes ago, Kevin Carr's Gloves said:

If Crawley went to a state school he’d be nowhere near the team

Because he wouldn’t have took up the game probably. I’m not a fan of them but there’d barely be an England team without them. Which is all about how shit the provision for sport is in most state schools. There’s the odd exception like Wood. But he learnt his cricket at Ashington CC, not school. Even Root got a scholarship 

[Alex 35083]

8 minutes ago, Toonpack said:

For me, Bairstow is worth his place as a batsman but it's the fact he gets the gloves as well that's the issue, particularly since the better guy with the gloves is no rabbit with the bat either (and you've got a rabbit opening).

I think that is particularly galling. I.e. Foakes being more than capable with the bat 

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3894]

3 minutes ago, Alex said:

Because he wouldn’t have took up the game probably. I’m not a fan of them but there’d barely be an England team without them. Which is all about how shit the provision for sport is in most state schools. There’s the odd exception like Wood. But he learnt his cricket at Ashington CC, not school. Even Root got a scholarship 

Foakes is a state school boy and I may be wrong but has a better average than Crawley.

[Dr Gloom 21924]

2 minutes ago, Alex said:

I think that is particularly galling. I.e. Foakes being more than capable with the bat 

 

his average isn't much worse than YJB. unluckiest cricketer of his generation 

[Dr Gloom 21924]

Just now, Kevin Carr's Gloves said:

Foakes is a state school boy and I may be wrong but has a better average than Crawley.

 

you're not wrong. 32 to crawley's 28

[Alex 35083]

Just now, Kevin Carr's Gloves said:

Foakes is a state school boy and I may be wrong but has a better average than Crawley.

He’s not an opening batsman though. Bairstow was preferred to Foakes. That’s a tactical ‘Bazball’ decision.