The Cricket Thread 2015-16

Fine ta. Thought you were going To lock this one, that's why I commented

 

No chance. Wouldn't do that.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cr...late-Pakistanis-plans-Alastair-Cook-Test.html

As he speaks Urdu, Moeen Ali was able to tell Cook what the Pakistanis had planned Next test starts tomorrow...will be interesting, I had no hopes we could bat on these pitches in the same way as the opposition, but our performance was very promising in the 1st Test. Let's hope we don't regret that near miss.

 

Pakistan win the toss and will bat first.

 

85-2 at lunch.

 

85-3. Third wicket immediately after lunch.

 

166-3

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/34598775
Well said IMHO .

 

178-4

 

All out for 378. Good morning for England.

 

England 242 all out.

 

MLT just beat a cricketer at keepie-uppie on the cricket zone....who'd have thought it?

 

Fair to say that Pakistan are in a good position ................

 

For me, this series was always going to more difficult than Australia at home or SA away (not that I am taking the latter series slightly at all - I'd expect us to lose that too). We're just not capable of playing spin. Last time we had a batting line-up of Strauss, Cook, Trott, KP, Bell and Prior (plus Morgan, Swann and Broad), and were ranked no.1 in the world, and still got whitewashed.

The fact that Moeen and Rashid are so inexperienced doesn't help either. The only away test series vs India, Pakistan and SL that I can recall us winning in the past decade or so was India away in 2013, and Swann and Monty were a massive reason why. Moeen and Rashid have got a way to go yet to reach their levels.

If we could yet come out of with a 1-1 draw (and for there to even be a chance of that, then surely Taylor at the very least has to come in), then it would be a superb outcome.

 

I think Cook should be dropped as Captain, who to replace him though? Root?

 

Game on.

Pakistan lose their 4th wicket and only lead by 389 runs........

 

Didn't want to watch it anyway

 

Pakistan declare . Lead by 490. England need 491 to win and it seems Cook has an injury of some description .

 

Is it the split webbing on his hand which he suffered in their first innings in the first Teat and then ended up getting a double hundred? The only effect it's had on his game so far is that he can't field in the slips.

 

TEA: Eng 285-8; Rashid 47no
31 overs left on day five.
Will England survive........probably not