England Cricket 2022

[littlebabyjesus]

Stokes it is then.

And he wants Anderson and Broad back.

So that West Indies tour was just a massive self-inflicted fuck up for nothing. Well done Strauss.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I don't think you can feel confident that Stokes as captain will be a great improvement can you. He's not got a huge amount of captaincy credentials, he carries a massive amount of weight already, and he's still massively hamstrung by the lack of actual test quality batsmen. And he doesn't really seem to be that keen on the job. There wasn't anywhere else to go through was there, there weren't any other even vaguely credible candidates.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

He might be ok in a 'follow me lads' kind of way.

But yeah doesn't matter who's captain if you're defending 150.

 

[two sheds]

Stokes it is then.

And he wants Anderson and Broad back.

A fine start Disgusting how Anderson particularly has been treated after the service he's given

confirmed in Stokes starts England Test captaincy by demanding Broad and Anderson return

 

[Petcha]

Good thing about him being Indian is that ipl is the only t20 league he needs to play in. And Indian test team will always have a proper window for that. Commentators were talking about chucking him into the test team. Could even play in the one off in England this summer? Bumrah does it after all. Batters maybe a bit different but I don't see why a pace bowler couldn't step straight into tests from t20.

I don't know why he'd want to play test cricket, that's the point. Ferguson seems to avoid it in favour of the T20 circus when you'd think he'd walk into the test side. I assume this guy will be the same. You never know though. I hope he does.

 

[Petcha]

Stokes it is then.

And he wants Anderson and Broad back.

So that West Indies tour was just a massive self-inflicted fuck up for nothing. Well done Strauss.

TBF to Strauss I can see what he was trying to do. Both of them are still in fairly good nick but trying to blood some new younger players on a short tour like that wasn't such a bad idea. Unfortunately there aren't really any younger players anywhere near the quality of the old boys.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

TBF to Strauss I can see what he was trying to do. Both of them are still in fairly good nick but trying to blood some new younger players on a short tour like that wasn't such a bad idea. Unfortunately there aren't really any younger players anywhere near the quality of the old boys.

England lost that series because the batting failed in the final test. And the new blood looked ok.

So they might still have lost with b&a. But woakes and Overton as the opening pair? That was just a bizarre decision.

 

[Petcha]

I know there was no other option than Stokes but I don't think he's captaincy material and will definitely spread himself too thin across all three formats. I hope Key looks at the larger picture here and questions why there is nobody coming through who can play at the top level. From his commentary he seems quite switched on. I'd like Hussain to have a role as well at some point but it's a poisoned chalice.

 

[WhyLikeThis]

I know there was no other option than Stokes but I don't think he's captaincy material and will definitely spread himself too thin across all three formats. I hope Key looks at the larger picture here and questions why there is nobody coming through who can play at the top level. From his commentary he seems quite switched on. I'd like Hussain to have a role as well at some point but it's a poisoned chalice.

There’s talk of limiting Stokes’s role in white ball games down to only the most important matches. Even with that mitigation I fear it may be too much.

 

[planetgeli]

Burns and Sibley both scored dull centuries today. As did some bloke called Alastair Cook.

The future is bright.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Burns and Sibley both scored dull centuries today. As did some bloke called Alastair Cook.

The future is bright.

Cap'n Stokes had a rather more interesting day with the bat today, hitting 17 sixes.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Nearly a Sobers! Five sixes then just a four off the final ball. 34 in one over.

According to cricinfo, he slapped himself with annoyance.

 

[two sheds]

I remember seeing the Sobers 36 on the news in black & white tv at the time

 

[SpookyFrank]

Nearly a Sobers! Five sixes then just a four off the final ball. 34 in one over.

According to cricinfo, he slapped himself with annoyance.

He did also remind everyone that he's has five sixes hit off his bowling in an over before, and in a slightly more important match.

 

[SpookyFrank]

I remember seeing the Sobers 36 on the news in black & white tv at the time

Cardiff wasn't it? He hit one of them into the River Taff IIRC.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Cardiff wasn't it? He hit one of them into the River Taff IIRC.

Swansea.



Live on Welsh TV, hence the highlights exist. Very decent crowd for a county championship match.

 

[two sheds]

and having a bit of a giggle with the keeper half way through

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Really should have been caught, mind. He jumped over the boundary.

 

[planetgeli]

As did some bloke called Alastair Cook.

The future is bright.

Cook scored another in the second innings.

 

[Petcha]

Is Cook available for selection? If so, we could end up with Cook, Broad and Jimmy being the three best players in the side. Proper timewarp.

Someone should give Trott a buzz to see what he's up to these days. Swanny's busy being the new Danny Morrison in the commentary booth at the IPL sadly.

 

[WhyLikeThis]

If I was Stokes I would be paying Cook a visit with an eye for one last push against the Aussies next summer. Cook’s presence may ease the awkwardness of Root’s post captaincy position as well as providing mentorship to Crawley.

Root is now back at No. 4 (his most productive position) and Stokes No. 6 (for a bit of breathing space).

Potential candidates for No. 3?

-Malan (formed dropped in the Ashes for understandable reasons)
-Bracey (had a shocking intro to the test side but has been doing well elsewhere)
-Bohannon (looking very good indeed)

Some speculation from the Mirror: 5 players who could bat at three for England after Stokes confirms Root switch

They mention Bairstow at 3 but that would be dicking him about too much. If Foakes continues his uncharacteristically ordinary performance with he gloves I’d sooner see Bairstow back behind the stumps at 7.

1. Cook
2. Crawley
3. Malan
4. Root
5. Lawrence
6. Stokes
7. Bairstow

2 youngsters supported by experience.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

No, Cook shouldn't come back.

Yes, he's been in good form this year (after quite a lean year last year by his standards), but his three hundreds have all come at Chelmsford on featherbeds as part of high-scoring snore-draws in which lots of other batters have also scored lots of runs.

 

[WhyLikeThis]

No, Cook shouldn't come back.

Yes, he's been in good form this year (after quite a lean year last year by his standards), but his three hundreds have all come at Chelmsford on featherbeds as part of high-scoring snore-draws in which lots of other batters have also scored lots of runs.

Most opening options are a case of going back to those that already been trialled and had, at best, mediocre performances…

…a swan song for Cook at age 37 is not pushing the realms of sanity, especially when looking back to a certain opening pair of Brian Close (aged 45) with Edrich (39). I wonder if Cook regrets retiring relatively early, now looking back.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Cook is still the best opener in England. He's the second best batter in England. But he's past his best. That's why he retired in the first place. I think a comeback would be a mistake.

 

[planetgeli]

Graham Thorpe ‘seriously ill’ and receiving treatment in hospital

The former England cricketer and coach Graham Thorpe is ‘seriously ill’ and receiving treatment in hospital, his family has announced

www.theguardian.com

He might be a twat of a bloke but he's still one of my favourite batsmen from the team he was in (because he was good). Wouldn't wish this on him.

 

[planetgeli]

I think Cook would say 'no' himself wouldn't he? Regardless, I'm not sure they would ask him. I can see an argument for it, young ones might learn from him and he'd be a plus point in avoiding some of the many defeats that are coming (and nobody gets off on playing in a losing team all the time) but it won't happen.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Cook is still the best opener in England. He's the second best batter in England. But he's past his best. That's why he retired in the first place. I think a comeback would be a mistake.

It's very likely that Cook is playing well because he doesn't do England stuff any more. His form before retiring from England duty was pretty meh.

There was talk of luring Trescothick back to England at one point. England picked an uncapped Jonathon Trott instead, which worked out pretty well.

 

[planetgeli]

It's very likely that Cook is playing well because he doesn't do England stuff any more. His form before retiring from England duty was pretty meh.

Harsh. Depends where you draw the line. In his last 4 months he averaged nearly 40, including 71 and 147 in his last test, and shortly before that he scored 244 not out in Australia.

Not quite Rory Burns/Keaton Jennings is it?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Harsh. Depends where you draw the line. In his last 4 months he averaged nearly 40, including 71 and 147 in his last test, and shortly before that he scored 244 not out in Australia.

Not quite Rory Burns/Keaton Jennings is it?

In his final two years, he peppered lots of very low scores with the odd very high one. By his own admission, he had declined.

He's still the best opener in England because, as we know, there isn't a single other opener who has proved even passably decent in the last 10 years.

 

[Petcha]

Oh dear. Not sure what to make of this. From what I've gathered watching IPL and also his commentary stints in other formats, the guy's a bit of a dick. But maybe that's what the side needs? He does back youth in his sides so maybe that would actually be it for Jimmy and Broad. There's definitely a bit of Warne about him, ie incredibly arrogant, but without the charm.

He loves to describe the game as a 'product' and a 'brand' on commentary.

Brendon McCullum favourite to become England’s Test head coach

Brendon McCullum, the pioneering former New Zealand captain, has emerged as the favourite to become England’s Test head coach with an announcement on the successful candidate due this week

www.theguardian.com

And as the article points out, he's never coached a first class side whatsoever so it would be a massive gamble. Gotta be better options out there than someone running a side that's not even doing well in the IPL.