The Cricket Thread 2015-16

20 overs to go, they can't can they? No. They can't pull off the great escape twice. Definitely not.

 

Whatever happens Bell and Buttler have got to go. Taylor deserves a chance, try Hales as opener and move Moeen down the order. Bairstow can keep.

 

16 overs to go..... #tense

 

Oh dear 308-9 Wood out. 11 overs left

 

Well that's that then.

 

Great efforts from Rashid (despite the dismissal), Broad and Wood. The most balls ever faced by the last four batsmen in the 4th innings. The top order batsmen should be ashamed of themselves though.

I think Bell has to go, probably for good given his age. Buttler needs a spell out of the team as well. I'm not convinced by Bairstow either as a batsman or wicket keeper but he has to stay in the team for the next game because there's nobody else in the squad.

This England team is just odd. There are five very good players, the core of a really good team (Cook, Root, Stokes, Broad and Anderson) but the rest aren't doing their bit. The bowlers are okay but with the bat they're just poor. Stokes is an all-rounder so is going to be hit and miss with the bat, which means you need good performances from the top five batsmen and keeper. Ali isn't an opener, Bell has basically been poor since the 2013 Ashes, Buttler needs to go away, sort himself out and come back while Bairstow has played 18 Tests and averages in the mid-20s.

 

Pakistan 103-4

 

116-5

 

148-5 at tea.

 

182-5. Mustn't let them get away...this pitch could be hard to bat on last.

 

234 all out. Excellent from England...now the batsmen have to negotiate the last few overs of the day.

 

Excellent day for us no doubt. But realistically, looking at how much the ball was turning and considering that we're almost certainly going to have to bat one-man down (albeit Patel coming into the side means that we still can field seven front-line batsmen), then I'm struggling to see anything but a Pakistan win.

I think at least one batsman will have to look to after the spinners (and have success in doing so), if we're to have a chance. Someone smashing a first innings 40 or 50, whilst Cook, Root and possibly Taylor all grind it out in making 40+s of their own. Just a shame that probably the most obvious candidate for that role was Stokes.

 

England only 12 runs behind and 4 wickets down at the end of day 2. Going well.

 

Great to see Taylor doing so well. He's a great player. I find it incredible that England have refused to pick him on the tour until now, yet have opened the batting with Moeen Ali in test matches..

 

Agreed on Taylor. Hopefully he can go on to his hundred and push England to a lead of 100-150.

 

Not so good today....England lead by 51 with 7 wickets down, but remember Stokes is injured. Apparently he could bat in an emergency....really?? May not end up as good as we would have liked, but a lead is a lead on a turning wicket. Will all come down to the bowlers...shame we are batting* last. The ECB really need to investigate our inability to win the toss...special training needed.

*corrected

 

"We are England - we don't win the toss" could be the Barmy Army's song. Suitably slightly risque for post beer chanting.

 

So which is it.....

 

Batting....damn, people actually read what I write.

 

You know that theory that this pitch was changing and that every subsequent innings score would be smaller.......