Off Topic Cricket Thread

So first day was lost to rain, should count, second day to mourning, shouldn’t count, this should be day 2 of a 4 day Test, or a 5 days if they can play on Tuesday, I would have thought. Way it’s going might be day 2 of a 3 day test…..

 

Zondo gone. Might be because it’s just after lunch but Oval looks far from full on a Saturday.

 

I presume there isn't the space in everyone's calendar to extend it.
It's late enough in September as it is.

Should hopefully make for an exciting game.

 

Does it really matter?
A ball hadn't been bowled.
Day 1 of a three day test under these exceptional circumstances is perfectly reasonable imo.

 

South Africa are going home on Tuesday apparently.

 

We asked to extend it to Tuesday but South Africa had already booked flight home due to needing a gap to rest before their upcoming series v Australia. Come on England wrap it up inside 3

 

England flying on 74-2 off 13 overs.

 

Rain. Balls, all set up in the garden (nice and sunny here) with a beer and a cigar and the cricket on the iPad.

Nice start by Brook. I don’t think batting is that easy today.



…..clearly it isn’t. Stokes back to bizarre behaviour after a great knock last time. Could be a twenty wicket day. Bazball not ideal here, England bowled themselves into a position where they could have batted for 5 sessions.

Bad light, could be it for the day.

 

I'm all for entertaining cricket, but that seems a tad reckless even by England standards....... All they needed to do was bat 5 sessions to put the game out of SA's reach, now SA will fancy their chances with 2 full days left.......

 

Agreed. Ridiculous that a batsman as good as Stokes just goes in and slogs like a Club player.

 

Surely the penny must've dropped after the last test, he's good enough to bat sensibly and still score at 4 an over ! Leave the slogging to Broad, just braindead. I'm all for this new brand but McCullum needs to be strong enough and astute enough to tell Ben to bat properly for the good of himself and the team. Crawley really needs to be dropped

 

Just watched the highlights on BBC (very poor compared to Sky's coverage) and I have to say Stokes's innings looked totally brainless. You're our second best batsman mate, just play properly. Robinson superb again and Pope very good too. Crawley's a dead man walking and surely would have been dropped but for Bairstow's injury.

We'll win this.
.

 

Going today , hopefully the weather holds out. Expecting plenty of wickets and lots of drama. Come on England

 

Might as well have given them the last three wickets last night.

40 runs lead might still be useful. If the weather there is anything like here the ball will move a lot this morning.

 

All going South Africa's way this morning.
Riding their luck and are now a few runs ahead.
England again burnig reviews. This is something Stokes needs to improve on.
The LBW was clearly outside leg.

Batting beginning to look easier.

 

Fantastic from Anderson and Broad since lunch.

SA 96-4. Effectively 56-4.

 

It's Test Cricket Jim, but not as we know it..........

 

Apparently Crawley and Lees have somewhere they would prefer to be than the Oval tomorrow…..

 

Hard to criticise England when this approach continues to bring about victories.

 

Umpires take them off when SA already seem to have given up, cricket does itself no favours yet again...