Fair enough matey I still think it's a great batting track and but for some loose shots, we should only be 4 or 5 wickets down.
I'm guessing your glass is usually half empty mate. Its just day 1. It ain't just the Cardiff wicket, its the first game of the first Test of the Ashes. Don't assume the Aussies will be any less nervous come tomorrow. There's a long way to go. Every test is going to be very close!
ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTT! Awesome player - next England Captain? My boss turned to me at 43-3 and said "if we get skittled and lose 5-0 I reckon Cook is gone" - I said "I agree - but we're 43-3 and have another 4 very capable batsmen after the two that are in - and you can never tell how good or bad a wicket is until 2 sides have batted/bowled on it" That said - I half expected us to get skittled and was delighted with the end of the day's score! Great stuff by Root and Stokes (local lad doing well - all good in my book) and Buttler and Moeen moving things along nicely as well. Broad's experience shone on the penultimate ball of the day when moeen wanted a single and he sent him back - the most required batsman should always be away from strike if he can be for the last ball of the day!!
Ballance, Stokes & Buttler were good. Moeen Ali is playing well even though he looks a weird ****. But Root was ****ing world class. No ****ting, I actually knew his dad - Beet.
Awesome player - next England Captain? Marcus that has been said many times over the years and to be honest you need to look at the likes of Botham and Gower - both were awesome players who were center pins of the teams at the time. They were made captains and not only did the captaincy not work but they lost form so it turned out that you had a failing captain and also lost runs/wickets from key players. For me captaincy is about being a decent/good player who has man management skills not make them captains just because they are good players. Joe might well have those qualities I don't know but good players do not necessarily make good captains.
Kind of agree but he's skipper when Cook isn't there isn't he? He is the "vice captain" at the moment and natural progression is for that. A number of players also flourished under the captaincy (Strauss and Cook both did)! He's awesome to watch - not only because of how good he is but because he smiles at the oppo when they sledge him and it winds them up even more - he enjoys himself out there! Like a kid playing his favourite game but, unlike a lot of kids playing said game, he's ****ing awesome at it!! Although - had Haddin took what was, let's be honest, quite a simple catch, this innings would've been so different!!
Yes forgot about him being VCaptain which suggests that he has the qualities - love to watch him batting (except when he's playing Durham!) he seems to wind the Oppo up without even trying!
Agreed totally! What I can;t understand is how Ian Bell played in the T20 against Durham and scored 80 odd runs - has scored 56 in his last 9 inning's for England? I rate Bell - don;t get me wrong - but think he needs to be moved down the order or given a rest from the England set up. It's sadly not looking food for Lyth either! But time will tell and we'll see if the Cricket selectors are as stubborn as England are with footballers!!
All out 430. Jimmy will swing it round corners and end up with 5-for. Aussies all out for 260. You heard it here first.
In the past England used to chop and change the team when someone was out of form (except for Graeme Hick !) but they now seem to have adopted a new policy whereby it does not matter how bad your form is you stay in the team for an extended period - personaly I don't mind that thinking because it takes pressure off the players but the key is knowing when you doing more harm than good to the player by leaving him in especially a young player like Lyth. I agree that Bell may need to be dropped down the order to maybe 6 but I do think eventually he will come good again
So you'd change Stokes' position in the order to accommodate the faltering Ian Bell? IMO our middle/lower order is very strong so I wouldn't be looking to change that. If he's out of form - take him out and bring someone else in to bat number 4.
It was said a little bit tongue in cheek tbh. Thought Broad bowled well before lunch. Looks like it might take some turn as well.
