International cricket thread

Strumms

Mysterypunter wrote: »

Nasser Hussein in the commentary box telling others to get on with it, then fellas forgot how they played themselves. He would put you to sleep most of the time with his batting, slow as a funeral

Very much so, he was thoroughly dour and conservative...in his defense maybe it has been 16 years since Nasser retired and all forms of cricket have advanced into more attacking and skillful games thanks to the onset of limited overs and 20-20 in particular.

Happy4all

2 down

Mysterypunter

Strumms wrote: »

Very much so, he was thoroughly dour and conservative...in his defense maybe it has been 16 years since Nasser retired and all forms of cricket have advanced into more attacking and skillful games thanks to the onset of limited overs and 20-20 in particular.

I'm not absolutely critical of him, but that pointing to the Jersey thing against India when he got a one day hundred annoyed me, and they lost that day to a great comeback. I do remember him getting a double hundred against Australia as well, but not much else. 17-2 now, England trying to score quickly on a difficulty batting wicket

Strumms

These two have faced 29 balls between them... a good few quite conservative leaves... and a swing from Stokes, intent at last.

Mysterypunter

West Indies will bowl about 10 overs an hour tomorrow, lots of open shoelaces and niggling injuries, funny thing is 250 looks enough, 280 for sure, England should declare within the first hour and a half tomorrow.

Strumms

Yes, you saw there, despite coming straight from the dressing room to the pitch, WI bowlers making umpteen attempts to fix their shoes, remove / fiddle with clothing, get back to their marks which seemed to be even further away from the pitch then we are used to seeing, especially Gabriel who could have almost pulled himself a pint back in the bar between deliveries, his run up was that long.

dfx-

I didn't get the excitement of Buttler (in particular) and Stokes opening. It's not T20 and a very thinly veiled plan. WI put everyone on the boundary, scoring is a lot slower with less wides and no free hits. Bowled with a swipe...

+ it was clear that the new ball was doing something and a lot of batsmen on both sides had struggled to get in.

Strumms

I hope Root and Stokes tonight just decide tonight that in the morning they go out and throw the fücking bat at everything for 45 minutes, take a risk, there is ZERO possibility with 219 runs of a lead and 8 wickets remaining that they can loose on the 5th day. ZERO chance. The only enemy or opponent is the clock. You are 1-0 down in a 3 match series. Have the gumption when things are going your way to try and win. If it was West Indies who employed these tactics today and rolls were reversed they’d be slaughtered back home, quite rightly in my view.

I don’t like Root as a captain, far too conservative in his thinking and attitude, 1-0 down, playing the second game of a 3 game series ... evidently not willing to take a risk, his own game... his feet were like lead out there in the crease.

England should have finished up with a lead tonight of about 250. In the 8 overs bowled there was 1 boundary. Needed to try win, sacrifice wickets in the process... Joe Root, 13 balls, no 4s or 6s....captain come on !

Strumms

Brilliant 14 off the first over.. English in one day mode, a six from Stokes nearly over the stand.

Strumms

I wonder did Stokes get Root run out on purpose there. He was doing fûck all at his end... Stokes calls him for a single that was NEVER there...

Mysterypunter

Strumms wrote: »

I wonder did Stokes get Root run out on purpose there. He was doing fûck all at his end... Stokes calls him for a single that was NEVER there...

Probably did, 129-3 Dec, target 312 off 85 overs, can they open with Gordon Greenidge?

Royale with Cheese

I'll be disappointed if England win this, I'd rather not see the dour approach in days 1 and 2 be rewarded.

Mysterypunter

Top 3 gone in a flash, will struggle to make the tea break.

Strumms

Another hour or so and this partnership holds its odds on a draw... a quick wicket, or two and West Indies are in the shît again .. a big hour in the game.

VillaMad

Definitely a new-ball pitch as once the ball gets older, it looks a good deal easier to bat.

Blackwood and Brooks looking good at the moment. England will need something magic or a brain-fade to get back into it, you would think.

dfx-

these two have to get to the new ball or Dowrich.

final 5 overs with the new ball vs how many of these two, Dowrich and Holder is what will decide it

y0ssar1an22

137/5 at tea. last ball before tea for the wicket. a pity, it was a good partnership.

Strumms

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

I'll be disappointed if England win this, I'd rather not see the dour approach in days 1 and 2 be rewarded.

I’d rather England win than have all the time wasting and shenanigans the West Indies were at, rewarded.

Mysterypunter

100 stand, but Blackwood out just on tea, 137-5, good game

Strumms

That was a brilliant delivery by Bess, the two tail enders had just began to look like they were eyeing him up then a quick turning dead eye accurate spinner sliding in between bat and pad. Perfect.

y0ssar1an22

Strumms wrote: »

I’d rather England win than have all the time wasting and shenanigans the West Indies were at, rewarded.

looks like they will now with 8 down

20 overs left.

Strumms

9 now, stupid shot in the context of the game by Joseph. Brain dead stuff.

Slim Charles

Strumms wrote: »

9 now, stupid shot in the context of the game by Joseph. Brain dead stuff.

Whispering Death was trying desperately to hold back his criticism of Alzarri

Strumms

All over, that’s all she wrote, England deserving the win. Pope made a superb catch there to claim the match. Can look forward with a great deal with interest to the final test again at Old Trafford.

That said, I’ve just had a look at the weather forecast and it’s not very encouraging. Friday should see a full days play, but the rest of the test is very mixed. Friday, Monday and Tuesday are forecasted to be free of rain but play will be limited on Saturday and Sunday. The forecast as is is suggesting any play on those days at all will be improbable. Hopefully in the next day or two the forecast improves so a result is possible.

Tom Mann Centuria

Have they said whether Stokes will be okay? Or did he come off near the end just as a precaution? He made all the difference this test.

Strumms

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Have they said whether Stokes will be okay? Or did he come off near the end just as a precaution? He made all the difference this test.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/07/20/cricket-ben-stokes-injury-update-england-west-indies-second-test-series-13015660/

Saying in this interview that he’s grand..

“To be honest, it was just the body – I felt very old during this Test match. It was a bit of body stiffness. ‘There’s absolutely nothing to worry about. I was feeling stiff and Broady [Stuart Broad] told me to stop. ‘I had a similar thing a few years ago and ended up blowing my calf so I didn’t want to take the risk.”

Tom Mann Centuria

Excellent advert for test cricket again anyway.

Mysterypunter

Was a good game, West Indies didn't bat for long enough in their first innings and would have been more comprehensively beaten without the washout on Saturday. Great to have cricket back in any case, and an evenly matched series between these two

Strumms

The West Indies top 6 batsmen averaged 24 in their second innings.

4 West Indian batsmen made it to double figures.

7 made a score of 9 or lower.

You ain’t winning or saving test matches playing like that.

A lot of work to be done before Friday. If I’m an English cricketer I’m pretty satisfied with the win and the manner of that win. Advantage England.

Strumms

Well, only hours until the start of what could have been an entertaining series decider. Unfortunately the weather forecast has significantly dis-improved. At the time of typing tomorrow looks very warm and dry, should get a full days play in, but the subsequent days show pretty consistent rainfall throughout the scheduled play.

Have to say getting a result looks pretty improbable unless the forecast improves.