England Cricket 2021

[littlebabyjesus]

I can't help thinking that Sri Lanka played Anderson and Broad on reputation and seemed like rabbits in the headlights. No real plan except try and survive. I get that its an inexperienced side and you're facing two of the best seam bowlers ever but this wasn't an English green top in early May and I think they will look back on this and agree they showed too much respect.

It seemed to me that there were plenty of moments when the sides look pretty even and games could go either way but SL had a shocker on day 1 of the series and another one on the final day and ended up losing 0-2. You can afford the odd bad session but bloody hard to win matches if you have bad whole days.

Don't disagree, but I don't think that's what lost them the series. I didn't watch Anderson bowling live, but did watch some of Broad, and he did bowl immaculately. Pace down, full, straight, giving nothing away. Blocking him out in the second innings was a fair enough strategy, imo.

It was losing their heads against the spinners that really did for SL.

 

[planetgeli]

Well that was an unexpected groovy treat.

Besides what's already been covered, you really cannot praise highly enough the people who get the runs in this situation. So hats off to Sibley, who may be learning well, and Buttler who seems to have grown so much over 12 months into test cricket.

There might be a place in the top 3 for Crawley someone said? Might? The man scored 267 barely 6 months ago. Yes, I think I might find a place for him. He got three really good balls in 4 innings to get him out. Shit happens. He's class.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Well that was an unexpected groovy treat.

Besides what's already been covered, you really cannot praise highly enough the people who get the runs in this situation. So hats off to Sibley, who may be learning well, and Buttler who seems to have grown so much over 12 months into test cricket.

There might be a place in the top 3 for Crawley someone said? Might? The man scored 267 barely 6 months ago. Yes, I think I might find a place for him. He got three really good balls in 4 innings to get him out. Shit happens. He's class.

Yeah, I'm not too worried about Crawley yet. I was a bit worried about Sibley, because of the manner he was getting out, so his innings was especially pleasing today.

Just at the point when I'm starting not to mind Buttler behind the stumps, he's about to go home and miss three tests.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

The question over Crawley is more whether he's an opener than if he's in the team isn't it, at this stage anyway. If he'd done really well then they might have been tempted to keep him there and drop one of Burns or Sibley once Burns was available but I guess now he'll be back down with Burns back in.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

England may return to terrestrial TV as Channel 4 closes on India Test series

England’s Test team could be set to return to Channel 4 for their first live appearance on terrestrial TV since the 2005 Ashes

www.theguardian.com

So although the India series starts this week they apparently haven't sorted the broadcasting rights out. Channel 4 are confident though - fingers crossed that comes off, it would be great to have a big test series on terrestrial TV.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Good news. Bugger that tms isn't covering it, though. I find talksport very annoying. they talk about football half the time.

 

[a_chap]

Hurrah!

More Test Matches on home ground...





...then the penny dropped

 

[SpookyFrank]

Hurrah!

More Test Matches on home ground...


View attachment 252297


...then the penny dropped

I come to the cricket thread to get a break from all the covid shit

 

[SpookyFrank]

Looks like Channel4 have got the India series in the bag. Makes no odds to me as I don't have a TV but if it gets the kids at home watching that's good news for the game.

 

[planetgeli]

Looks like Channel4 have got the India series in the bag. Makes no odds to me as I don't have a TV but if it gets the kids at home watching that's good news for the game.

You don't need a TV to watch Ch 4.

Is this happening then? Where are you getting this from? (Not disbelieving you, I want it to be true).

 

[SpookyFrank]

You don't need a TV to watch Ch 4.

Is this happening then? Where are you getting this from? (Not disbelieving you, I want it to be true).

Guardian is saying deal done in principle (no other serious bids) but nothing official yet.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Looks like Channel4 have got the India series in the bag. Makes no odds to me as I don't have a TV but if it gets the kids at home watching that's good news for the game.

It's incredibly important for that. Kids playing the game, esp outside private schools, has dropped since 2005, all for one reason. I saw an incredibly depressing piece three or four years ago interviewing coaches in south London. The kids were kind of interested in coming along to sessions, but most of them had never heard of Joe Root or Ben Stokes. The equivalent in my day would have been Gower and Botham. Even if you weren't a cricket fan, you'd heard of them, especially Botham. It always saddened me to see them working for Sky. If you don't have sports-fan parents (I didn't) you don't have a hope of getting into many sports nowadays.

 

[strung out]

You don't need a TV to watch Ch 4.

Don't count on it - you couldn't watch the World Cup final live on the app a few years back. Fingers crossed that's changed, but live sport often has weird rights.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Channel 4 wins rights for England's cricket tour of India

Test cricket will return to terrestrial television in the UK for the first time since the 2005 Ashes with the England series in India

www.theguardian.com

Looks like it's confirmed then. Seems a bit mad that they can be confirming this at such short notice but very pleased with that. I had just assumed it would be on Sky tbh.

 

[two sheds]

Friday it is then Not watched any cricket in years.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Friday it is then Not watched any cricket in years.

Up for 4am?

 

[two sheds]

ah

they'll presumably have on catch-up? If not then it'll be highlights to show willing.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

ah

they'll presumably have on catch-up? If not then it'll be highlights to show willing.

Add seven (or more likely seven and a half). So you can watch to 11am at least.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Yeah I'm not planning on watching all day but I'll probably get up early to watch a bit before work.

And then possibly some while I'm working...

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Illegal streaming only really works properly on my phone. I'll be able to watch this on the big screen.

(May still watch on my phone from bed, though.)

 

[planetgeli]

Wonderful. It'll be great to see England...getting hammered. Hmm...

Be nice if it's a contest but I don't have high hopes. Simple fact is they are better than us. But it'll be nice to see some Test cricket without relying on illegal streaming.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

If India prepare sporting wickets, I think there's a chance England could cause an upset in at least one match. Would need Leach and Bess/Moeen to turn it on, though.

However, the noises coming from India are that they are going to do what they did last time and prepare wickets that are roads for the first three days before breaking up for the last two. With their team - solid batting, pace and spin - that's what I'd do. Why risk the lottery of a minefield? So we can expect some big scores from Gill, Pujara, Kohli, Rahane. Rohit's due. Then there's Pant...

 

[planetgeli]

I looked up Chennai at the weekend. England's last Test there 4 years ago.

Guess what? We scored 477 in the 1st innings!!!!!

Then India scored 759/7 dec

IND vs ENG Cricket Scorecard, 5th Test at Chennai, December 16 - 20, 2016

Get cricket scorecard of 5th Test, IND vs ENG, England tour of India 2016/17 at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai dated December 16 - 20, 2016.

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[littlebabyjesus]

There was a time in the late-90s when you could make a decent case for Australia B as the second-best team in the world. I think India could be on their way towards that kind of position now. The depth they showed in Aus was scary.

 

[planetgeli]

FFS. Suspected broken wrist after slipping in the nets.

England's Zak Crawley doubtful for first Test with India after slipping at training

England’s Zak Crawley could be ruled out of Friday’s first Test against India after slipping in the nets

www.theguardian.com

I think that's really bad news for England. Though looking at things really cynically for him personally it might not turn out to be a bad few Tests to miss. (I hope I'm wrong, I just think England might be in for a mauling here).

Regardless, he'll be pissed off and you've got to feel for him.

What's Keaton up to atm?

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

FFS. Suspected broken wrist after slipping in the nets.

England's Zak Crawley doubtful for first Test with India after slipping at training

England’s Zak Crawley could be ruled out of Friday’s first Test against India after slipping in the nets

www.theguardian.com

I think that's really bad news for England. Though looking at things really cynically for him personally it might not turn out to be a bad few Tests to miss. (I hope I'm wrong, I just think England might be in for a mauling here).

Regardless, he'll be pissed off and you've got to feel for him.

What's Keaton up to atm?

That's crappy news. I know Pope has been added to the squad before that, but where does that leave us for openers? Sibley is the only specialist.

 

[two sheds]

I just panicked because it's 10 o'clock and there's only an hour of the first day's play left and I missed it all and then I looked at the calendar

 

[littlebabyjesus]

That's crappy news. I know Pope has been added to the squad before that, but where does that leave us for openers? Sibley is the only specialist.

Burns is back.

There are some interesting selection choices to be made if they're all fit, but if Crawley's out, presumably Burns just slots back in at the top. Does Lawrence play? They'll probably want Pope back in, but he's more a 5 or 6 than a 3. Root presumably won't want to move from 4.

Then the bowling options aren't straightforward either. I would really want Archer in the first test. But then do you pick Anderson and Broad and two spinners with Stokes back? Bess or Moeen? If Moeen, do you pack the bowling and bat him at 7 or treat him as a bowler whose runs are a bonus if they come and play him at 8?

My hunch is that Moeen's going to come in for Bess, but bat at 8. Archer will play. So either Anderson or Broad misses out, with the expectation that they'll rotate through the series. Which one should miss out? Dunno.

Counter-intuitively, I think packing the batting probably won't work precisely because England need 450+ in the first innings to compete. If you bat deep, that can get you out of a hole on difficult wickets, so 150-5 can be dragged up to 300 all out. But if England are 150-5 in this series, they're doomed. The top order has to bat big or they're done for. So I can see an argument for playing six bowlers (including Stokes).

 

[planetgeli]

Stokes will bat at 3 won't he?

Burns
Sibley
7-1
Stokes
Root
Lawrence/Pope
Buttler
Moeen
Bess
Archer
Leach
Broad

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I'd be a bit nervous if they went with Moeen. Moeen of 4 or 5 years ago would be a definite pick but Moeen of the last couple of years would be like starting with ten men. Hopefully they're seeing enough of him to be confident he's over those issues but it's still incredibly risky against a team like India.