The Cricket Thread

Loving this, I hope WI win as I feel we have been over confident and disrespectful.

The trash the media said after the first game was utterly embarrassing and arrogant.

Why was Woakes picked for a start? He's obviously not fully fit as he can barely bowl over 80mph! And we dropped Roland Jones who started his test career well.

England's decisions have been laughable over the past few years in test cricket.

 

This is nonsense. The media may have talked rubbish after that first Test, but England were not in the least disrespectful. The West Indies were themselves disrespectful of their own glorious history in the first Test, the way they batted, bowled, and fielded, and it's great they have turned up for this one.

Woakes has played pretty well, anyway, and needed to have a game before the decision is taken about the Ashes.

 

Oh Alistair!

 

Yeah, Woakes should have earned his place back in the county team. His bowling is non comparable than prior to his injury. Roland Jones on the other hand was averaging 19 with ball in hand. Maybe should have dropped Broad who has flattered to deceive this summer. It's worrying when Anderson is by far the best bowler when he's not far off retirement.

Media and ex England professionals were slating West Indies. Arrogance and it will be great see them win, and a deserved win.

West Indies haven't been disrespectful, they just aren't as good as the great team of the 80s. They can't do much about that, unless you want to start slating the kids coming through not working hard enough.

 

I still can't see why England are being arrogant, as you claim.

 

The new ball. The majority of the best sides would have known that victory was off the table. Don't take the new ball, take the pace off the ball and place the field on the boundary. Yes, it's negative but it shows a bit of respect, which we have lacked. This pitch is simply better for batting, apart from the first day it seems and we just have assumed that we could steam through them.

 

It's not arrogant to have confidence in yourself. England thinking they could bowl the Windies out wasn't outside the realms of possibility. Didn't work out that way, but we would have been criticised if we had batted on until a result was unlikely.

 

I still don't see that trying to win a game that we could have lost on the 4th day is disrespectful. You're just trying to make a point that isn't really there. The Windies have played much better in this game, it's as simple as that.

 

I agree , esp Graham " Run away Swann " who said it WOULD be over by tea . He's still talking crap .I like him, but FFS !

 

I agree , esp Graham " Run away Swann " who said it WOULD be over by tea . He's still talking crap .I like him, but FFS !

 

I agree , esp with Graham " Run away Swann " who said it WILL be over by tea .Still saying there will be a twist in the tail

 

But you play for the draw, our bowling isn't anywhere near the standard of our 2005 team. It's not a bowlers pitch, as proved by the pitch over the last 3 days. If England didn't try to slog last night, we could have kept going.

I think the decision to declare was correct, but we should have figured out by tea that we weren't going to win and try for the draw. Look back at history, the most successful sides have known when to shut up shop at play for the draw.

 

The pitch was obviously more suited for batting, so perhaps a declaration was risky, but England have often been accused of declaring too late so I will not criticise them for that decision. I still think England will win the third test....though we may need to find a 2 and 3 who can hang around.

 

Jermaine Blackwood being Jermaine Blackwood there. Shame, he deserved to see the Windies home.

 

History made by Shai Hope, who steals what should have been Kraigg Brathwaite's thunder by being the first player ever to get centuries in both innings at Headingly. Also a monumental performance by the Windies, and an unbelievable improvement from the first Test. All rests on the final match now!

 

I've loved this. After all the ****e about two divisions in Test Cricket; Hope is hopless etc etc, they've turned up and won one of the most exciting Test matches I've seen in a while. Great for Test cricket. But most of all a reminder that in sport. as in life, you shouldn't write people off based on one performance. Brilliant game. Well deserved win. Now let's tonk the buggers next time out!

 

Also a reminder that I'm sport, nothing is a given!

 

Back to the county games and I noticed some games finishing early because of "bad light." And to think there are another 4 rounds, and as we saw last year the last two rounds were affected by "bad light," and this season is a week longer, so that is in effect the last 3 rounds of matches being severely truncated by bad light.

Someone in a senior position within the MCC or on the Test and County Cricket board really needs to look at the scheduling in its entirety. Maybe the 50 over game shoud be a simple knock-out tournament. If this happens, at least two of the 4 day fixtures pencilled in to late September can be played earlier in the season.

I also question the size of the crowds for the group round of matches that are played in May. Maybe Tom and St Brendy are better informed than me about that.

And then in 2019 we have the "city franchise 20/20 running alongside the County 20/20. Quite how that one is going to work out, will be fascinating to witness but one fears it will further impact the 4 day game which seem peripheral to 20/20.

 

Don't watch cricket like I used to, but I recall that the golden rule when declaring is to set a target that is unlikely to be reached.
As exciting as the game may have been, losing will be frowned on by many.