Author Topic: The Cricket Thread (Read 461866 times)

Jack Russell · « **Reply #25 on:** March 18, 2013, 01:20:09 PM »

A bit of a damp squib in the end then

LiamTheBaggie · « **Reply #26 on:** March 18, 2013, 05:10:50 PM »

The weather ruined any hopes of us winning that test match but I do feel it was always going to be a struggle to take the remaining eight wickets.

I expect a similar sort of pitch to the one in Dunedin and Wellington at Auckland where New Zealand can scrape through to earn themselves a creditable 0-0 draw from the series.

WBASPE77 · « **Reply #27 on:** March 21, 2013, 08:28:45 PM »

Final test tonight. Big blow that KP is out however I still feel we can win this one.

leeiswba · « **Reply #28 on:** March 22, 2013, 01:14:04 AM »

Looks lie the groundsman has money on the draw again

Waste of time staying up to watch this I could bat on it!

LiamTheBaggie · « **Reply #29 on:** March 22, 2013, 04:27:26 PM »

Yet another pitch which is not a fair contest for bat and ball. New Zealand will probably post a mammoth score and no doubt we shall do the same in our innings.

LiamTheBaggie · « **Reply #30 on:** March 25, 2013, 05:50:21 PM »

Looks like New Zealand are going to win the series 1-0. They need six wickets to win the final test match and in honesty, I really do not see England batting the whole day tomorrow. We have been outclassed in the field, outclassed with the bat and outclassed with the ball. The first day with the ball wasn't good enough and also, our first innings with the bat was pretty rubbish too. The partnership from Fulton and McCullum last night took the game well behind us with us needing around 480 to win the test.

England however have brought this situation on themselves. Regardless of the way their dismissals have come about, the tactics have also been quite baffling. Joe Root and Matt Prior on Saturday evening seemed to content just to block and block and that theme of blocking has also re-occurred in our second innings. It is important whilst trying to save a test match that you play your normal game and we haven't done that. We've given away cheap wickets due to the pressure we've placed upon ourselves because of our failure to score. The boundary is sixty yards and we're struggling to score runs. Without being disrespectful to New Zealand who have been energetic, determined and played some quality cricket, we have made their bowling attack look very good on a pitch which is still very friendly for the batsman. If we had any chance of saving the test match and drawing the series then it was important that Alastair Cook and/or Jonathan Trott were at the crease tomorrow morning but unfortunately both have given away their wickets with Trott playing a quite ridiculous shot.

I've watched England religiously throughout the last few years and I don't think I've seen a test match where we've been completely outclassed in all departments. New Zealand very much deserve their victory and England have a lot of thinking to do - There is no way we shall save this test match.

WBASPE77 · « **Reply #31 on:** March 25, 2013, 06:52:23 PM »

I always believe that we can save this game, I have been pretty dissapointed with our performances in the series overall.

wbako · « **Reply #32 on:** March 25, 2013, 07:35:21 PM »

Shocking tour all-around. The players lacked the intensity that should accompany international cricket and I'd go as far to question their effort levels. Pathetic.

LiamTheBaggie · « **Reply #33 on:** March 25, 2013, 08:42:35 PM »

Quote from: wbako on March 25, 2013, 07:35:21 PM

Shocking tour all-around. The players lacked the intensity that should accompany international cricket and I'd go as far to question their effort levels. Pathetic.

Agree.

I think we've massively under estimated New Zealand and in return they are going to win the series.

leeiswba · « **Reply #34 on:** March 25, 2013, 09:38:16 PM »

Complacency I think and focusing too much on the Ashes. Losing Swann and Pieterson hasnt helped but we overall I dont think we deserve anything out of the series.

LiamTheBaggie · « **Reply #35 on:** March 26, 2013, 04:44:07 PM »

Well, what a final day that was.

How on earth did we manage to save that? Terrific from Matt Prior to not only take so much time out the game but to play a quite beautiful innings combined with numerous pieces of good fortune as well as his ability to help guide both Stuart Broad and Monty Panesar through their innings. Showed real maturity and showed why he is the best wicket keeper batsman in the world.

Very good knocks from Ian Bell and Stuart Broad who despite scoring only six runs did very well to take the time out of the game and successfully eat up deliveries. That's what I love test cricket, the day had everything, fielding brilliance, superb bowling, great batting, dropped catches, over-turned umpiring, missed runs outs and a great atmosphere.

Superb way to the end the series, just a shame we weren't good enough to win a test and hopefully our great escape doesn't over shadow that.

Critical Baggie · « **Reply #36 on:** March 26, 2013, 11:42:43 PM »

What an advert for test cricket. Incredible. England seem to have a habit of being able to save matches from pretty perilous positions and this was up there at the top; especially with some of the wickets they lost at very important times.

Absolute heartache for NZ though. Should of declared half an hour earlier than they did. Think if they had 160 plus overs and 3 new balls we would of been doomed.

Look forward to seeing them in England next month - they're quite an exciting attacking unit and as bad as England have been I've been very impressed with the way they have asserted themselves this series.

WBASPE77 · « **Reply #37 on:** May 17, 2013, 01:51:47 PM »

A really busy summer for us with the Ashes, the ICC and also this series with New Zealand. We have not made a great start for us however Root and Bairstow have been looking good today. It will be intresting to see which batsmen gets picked for the Ashes as it looks like it will be one of Root and Bairstow. Credit to New Zealand a team with limited experiance in the side have done very well against us. Hopefully Finn and Anderson can give as much support to Bairstow and we can get a total of 250.

LiamTheBaggie · « **Reply #38 on:** May 18, 2013, 07:16:38 PM »

The test match is now left evenly poised. England looked in a commanding position with Trott and the impressive Joe Root going along nicely. Unfortunately, after his dismissal England have started to collapse which for the neutral will provide superb entertainment over the next day or two. Hoping Ian Bell can recover from his flu and that he and one of Swann or Broad (preferably both) can support him in scoring runs as I don't anticipate Finn or Anderson troubling the score board much.

WBASPE77 · « **Reply #39 on:** May 18, 2013, 07:23:08 PM »

We have had a very good two and half sessions today. Root was very good today and he also played nicely in the first innings too, still early days for him but the signs are good. Trott also again looking very good. With a lead of just over 200 hopefully Bell can make some runs Finn can frustrate the New Zealand bowlers. Broad and Swann to make some decent scores hopefully get 50 60 runs between them which will hopefully take us too a 300 lead. The pitch is taking more spin now which will be good for Swann, both Anderson and Finn bowled well in the first innings so they have some form now.

LiamTheBaggie · « **Reply #40 on:** May 18, 2013, 07:31:15 PM »

Promising thing about Root is not only the way he's reacted to international cricket, he looks firmly on the stage but also the fact he's in impressive form in the county championship having scored three centuries already scoring in excess of 600 runs averaging around 161. A mate of mine from a Sheffield Wednesday forum had the pleasure of seeing him in action and was thoroughly impressed. Hopefully he can take his form in the county championship and replicate it on the big stage. Given what I've seen so far, he has a promising future at this level.

WBASPE77 · « **Reply #41 on:** May 18, 2013, 07:45:20 PM »

Joe Root has made a great start this season three big hundreds already and nearly 120 runs in this test match.
What a fantastic bowler Jimmy Anderson is 303 wickets now he has been the leader of the bowling attack for a good few years now and his in only thirty years of age so he still has another good three of four years left in him.

Dudleylad · « **Reply #42 on:** May 18, 2013, 07:56:07 PM »

Its great to see Root come through his emergence is reminiscent of when Alistair Cook broke into the Test team, if he goes on to get anywhere near Cooks record then he will have done well.

Theres alot of good players coming through and we need to blood them in to not become stale like Australia did once the older players retired. Our next big job is to find replacements for Anderson, Swann and more importantly an all rounder in the mould of Big Fred.

WBASPE77 · « **Reply #43 on:** May 18, 2013, 08:04:28 PM »

Quote from: Dudleylad on May 18, 2013, 07:56:07 PM

Its great to see Root come through his emergence is reminiscent of when Alistair Cook broke into the Test team, if he goes on to get anywhere near Cooks record then he will have done well.

Theres alot of good players coming through and we need to blood them in to not become stale like Australia did once the older players retired. Our next big job is to find replacements for Anderson, Swann and more importantly an all rounder in the mould of Big Fred.

Replacement for Flintoff, will hopefully be Broad one day although his batting hasn't been that good of late. Interesting to see who will come in when Swann retires will they turn to Panaser, I like the look of Briggs at Hampshire.

LiamTheBaggie · « **Reply #44 on:** May 18, 2013, 09:04:55 PM »

Freddie Flintoff still hasn't been replaced really. That position has always been one up for grabs, despite attempts by Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara and Jonny Bairstow to fill it. I guess the next one to have a real attempt shall be Chris Woakes.

Great point Gaz about not becoming stale. Eventually Kevin Pieterson and Jonathan Trott shall slowly need to be replaced as both are growing in age.

Dudleylad · « **Reply #45 on:** May 18, 2013, 09:38:13 PM »

The next year or so for Woakes is a big point in his career internationally hes now 24 with a first class average of nearly 40 with the bat and the mid twenties with the ball, if the selectors keep overlooking him he could come into Test Cricket far too late.

The problem I see with the bowling department is one the Aussies had with regards to the fact that they just stuck with those established and taking wickets instead of blooding others in.

Australia never looked to blood replacements for Warne and McGrath and just hoped that enough talent would be around when they retired, its this I do not want England to do.

LiamTheBaggie · « **Reply #46 on:** May 18, 2013, 10:15:44 PM »

Australia are having similar problems in the batting department too. Not good enough apart from Michael Clarke who more or less carried them throughout their tour of India. Granted India are difficult conditions, I expect them to come unstuck in England too. I don't think their bowling line up is that bad to be honest, they have enough to cause us problems, however they are woefully short in the spin department. How many spinners have they tried now since Warne left? None have been good enough to cement down a position.

We've got a good group of bowlers currently with the Lions who are looking to improve their game. Chris Woakes, Stuart Meaker, Boyd Rankin and one or two others who I'm sure will compliment Steven Finn and Stuart Broad in a few years time when James Anderson starts to call it a day.

WBASPE77 · « **Reply #47 on:** May 19, 2013, 09:18:43 AM »

Cook 28
Compton 29
Trott 32
Bell 31
Root 22
Bairstow 23
Prior 31
Broad 26
Swann 34
Finn 24
Anderson 30

Hopefully not all of those players who are about thirty will retire all at once like what some of that great Australian team did. Woakes is a very good batsmen, maybe Rashid may come back into the frame he has scored two centuries in county cricket so far this season.

Dan · « **Reply #48 on:** May 19, 2013, 10:26:48 AM »

Swann's the only one properly approaching retiring territory, he'll probably retire after the 2015 world cup if injuries don't hinder him, its not like with the legendary teams anyway where the players in the team were so much better than everyone else in the country, so that shouldn't really stop anyone getting chances. Anderson and Swann are the ones to really be concerned about, Anderson is the only bowler we have who consistently takes top order wickets, and there's not even real competition for Swann, albeit a few promising young spinners coming through.

Can't see Woakes getting much of a chance beyond now either, he definitely won't be risked in the ashes so that's 2013 written off for him. This would have been the perfect time to blood him what with Broad being awful at both batting and bowling, but then it seems only Bresnan, who's failed to impress for England for some time now, is ever considered as an alternative.

Of more immediate concern anyway is our seeming inability to bat without a terrible collapse every single innings. It's amazing anyone below Trott in the order ever averages over 30 because its literally every single game at the moment. Rarely is it due to good bowling either. Yesterday being the prime example of there being no pressure at all, on a respectable score, and suddenly they're going to struggle to avoid defeat.

WBASPE77 · « **Reply #49 on:** May 19, 2013, 10:49:15 AM »

Trott is very consistent and dependable for us, with 24 scores of 50+ in just 42 test matches. Broads and Swann's batting haven't been that great lately they need to get us some runs today hopefully. The wicket is taking a lot of spin and it will be good for Swann but 270 is what we need.