England Cricket 2022

[planetgeli]

A weird and insulting (to the West Indies) last half hour or so. Has Root forgotten how this game is played? Did Dan Lawrence really need to practice his off-breaks? Did Stokes really need to bowl those last few futile overs?

Bizarre last day.

 

[Petcha]

Utterly stupid. What the hell does Root think he's doing? Stokes, not fully fit, has now bowled 41 overs in the match. Why is he still bowling needing 6 wickets with 5 overs to go in the game?

Because I suspect Root is scared shitless of Stokes. I can't remember which England coach it was but he said there's no fucking way he'd ever disagree with Stokes. Root is very mild mannered little soul.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Mahmood to play in the second test then. Shame it's as a result of yet another injury but I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do. More potential than Overton certainly.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

England win toss again. Again, no brainer to bat first.

Overton out. Fisher in. I admit that I know nothing about Fisher. He's medium pace rather than fast, though, apparently. Good to see Mahmood in, but I fear England may struggle to get 20 wickets again.

For Windies, Anderson Phillip is in. Again, know nothing about him. Shame no Gabriel. He adds a bit of spice.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

And a debut for Matt Fisher as well. Got to admit I don't really know anything about him but at least they're giving some new players a chance.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Hoping for more home support at this one. City-based stadium rather than in the middle of nowhere. It's great that 5,000 England fans travel to support their team, but it would be even better if at least 5,000 home fans turned up to match them.

 

[Petcha]

Hoping for more home support at this one. City-based stadium rather than in the middle of nowhere. It's great that 5,000 England fans travel to support their team, but it would be even better if at least 5,000 home fans turned up to match them.

They can't afford it. Not a matter of not wanting to turn up. These are not wealthy islands for non white people.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

They can't afford it. Not a matter of not wanting to turn up. These are not wealthy islands for non white people.

That is certainly a factor. Less so in Barbados, mind you. And the location of the Viv Stadium in Antigua didn't help.

It's totally bonkers that the locals are priced out, though. They should be allowed in for free. You'd still have the same amount of tourist money coming in.

 

[redsquirrel]

And a debut for Matt Fisher as well. Got to admit I don't really know anything about him but at least they're giving some new players a chance.

Overton out. Fisher in. I admit that I know nothing about Fisher. He's medium pace rather than fast, though, apparently.

Medium fast, he's not an out and out quick but has (or at least had) a decent speed. Main problem with him is that he picks up so many injuries.

 

[planetgeli]

Christ this is slow? I'm not watching (yet), what's stopping the scoring rate? Slow pitch or are we afraid to get out?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Alex Lees is grinding on. He does appear to be yet another obdurate opener of moderate ability.

I actually think Hameed is the best of the obdurate openers of moderate ability that England have available right now. Made unpickable by not being dropped half-way through the Ashes. Couldn't be dropped because Burns needed dropping.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

We all love a grinding 'puts a high price on his wicket' opener in principle don't we. At least until we have to watch them.

Tbf I suspect the message he's getting from Root at the moment is 'don't get out and I'll score the runs here.'

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Not watched so I don't know the answer here. My problem with Sibley was that he didn't put the bad balls away. That was a difference between Sibley and Hameed, for instance. I don't know if the bowling's been tight or if Lees has failed to score off bad balls. If it's the former, I have no problem with it. Shiv Chanderpaul used to bat session after session without scoring much if the bowling was good.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Hmmm. Digs in, faces more than 100 balls, scores 30 runs, gets out to a bad shot.

Reminiscent of a certain J Denly.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

This now shows the value of your opener occupying the crease for a while doesn't it. In the context of today's game it's a successful innings. I don't think you could say Burns, Sibley or Hameed couldn't have played the same innings though.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Yep. Lawrence looks like a very good fit for number four. He does look like the real deal every time he bats, and good for him to let Root sort out whichever of the openers has failed this time.

I think one grinder at the top of the order is good. I wasn't keen on three, which is what it was with Sibley, Burns and Denly.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Watching the highlights, another flat pitch by the looks of it, but Lawrence played really really well. Some gorgeous stuff. Root was Root. Lees dug in. Crawley really isn't an opener, is he? Know what to leave outside off early on. That should be a given for an opener. Crawley doesn't have it. Like Lawrence, he'd be much better off coming in at four after Root. Ah well. Lawrence will make that spot his own if he carries on like this.

 

[planetgeli]

369/3 at lunch, I think the pitch might be a bit flat. Stokes seems to be enjoying himself though.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

No pace in the wicket, which is really disappointing. Lawrence and Stokes did magnificently considering that. Root was Root. Again.

Now we have a bit of nonsense with WI on the defence and England just milking a few more until they declare. 15 overs at them tonight, I would think.

I'm disappointed that WI didn't attack when Stokes got out. At 420-6, with two new batters at the crease and the tail to come, it was a chance to bowl them out for 450 and actually stay in the game. It's gone from them now.

 

[Idaho]

We've got 500. What are leach and fisher going to now? Stupid not declaring.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

There you go.

They've left themselves 27 overs tonight. That's a pretty aggressive declaration tbf. I had no problem letting the bowlers have a little swing.

 

[Idaho]

I think I'd tolerate my first ball in test cricket being eased to the boundary if my second takes a wicket! Well done Fisher.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Looks lively enough, Fisher. mid-130s kph is decent - 137 his fastest that over, which is 85 mph. Good bounce from that height. Impressive.

Worryingly for me, Woakes is down on pace. 130-132. A few years ago, he improved markedly when he got it up to the high 130s. He's not very dangerous when his pace drops.

I'd take him off right now tbh. Get Mahmood into the action early.

 

[Idaho]

Yeah woakes is a bit of shit or bust kind of bowler. He's either having a destructive spell or he's bowling runs.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Wow spin. Puff off the wicket previous over. WI are in deep shit here.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Stokes ahead of Mahmood. Bit surprised by that.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Well played Windies. It's a pretty slow, flat wicket still, but it is spinning. Leach should be able to winkle a few out tomorrow.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Another WI batter self-destructs. Must be a frustrating team to coach.

Root opened up with Leach and first Fisher, now Mahmood.

Good calls, I think. But a bit of a sign wrt where Chris Woakes is at right now. He's been more valuable this winter as a batter than as a bowler.

 

[Idaho]

Comfortable conditions, but England keeping it tight so far.

 

[Idaho]

I was always a lukewarm supporter of Butler in the test side, but I now confess that I was completely wrong