Thetownend.com

First of eight (8) tests before Christmas against Bangladesh and then India starting today.

England 128/5 batting first on what could politely be described as a raging bunsen. In amusing news, Moeen Ali has survived five DRS reviews, three of his own when given out and two from the Bangladeshi bowlers.

5am starts aren't going to be good for me over the next few months.

 I've been advocating Moeen at 5, so playing as a batting all rounder, with Batty as the stock bowler, but wanted Duckett at 4 with Hameed opening.

Don't see the point of Ballance, as he's badly out of form and a leftie.

I cannot see the point of him either.

Agreed, he's had enough chances!

The selectors make far fewer errors than they used to....but they went against their own thoughts that you need to score Championsip runs, Gary played 13 games last season and ended up 55th in the averages.

Fully agree...backwards step. It's not like he's been scoring the runs to earn a recall.

Well, we're about to lose to Bangladesh for the first time ever, young Mehedi has us in a total state. Ashwin and Jadeja in India are going to be brutal. Playing on turning wickets is not exactly our forte at the moment.

Congrats to Bangladesh.  Hopefully, we may have learned something from these 2 games, at least enough to be competitive in India.

India series starts tomorrow after a very short turnaround. Hameed to make a belated debut two tests late, Duckett moving to four.

It could be a long winter.

I watched a bit of the last Indian series v Saffas, and it should be relatively short. They open the bowling with Ashwin, it turns square, and most games last 3 days or so, monsoon permitting.

Roots doing well. I only really know 3 of the Indian team, looks like they have had major changes since I last looked at their line up.

It's a strong team, particularly the middle order batting (Rahane, Kohli, Pujara) and spin (Ashwin and Jadeja). This is a very encouraging start from England.

Great day. Brilliant from Root, Moeen impresses more and more by each game. He's come on leaps and bounds.

As an aside, the Convicts are on a good run  :)  easily swatted away a like malaria infected mozzy, by the Steynless Saffas. Long may it last.

Swindon (Goatacre specifically I believe) lad Liam Dawson called up to the test squad for the first time, replacing injured Haseeb Hameed and Zafar Ansari. As a right handed bat and a left arm spinner he has to have a very decent chance of getting a game.

Keaton Jennings makes a century on debut.  Nice work.  Away in the subcontinent on pitches like that thats very impressive.

Very enjoyable. My Indian colleagues are decidedly less chirpy today...

Great ovation from the Indian crowd as well, that is quite an honour.

A little off topic, but looks as if the red card will be introduced to cricket.

Applicable at all levels but aimed primarily at combating increasing levels of aggression at club level apparently.

This will leave Aussie rules football as the only organized team sport without recourse to send a player off at the top level.

50 on debut for Liam Dawson

Calne lad, not Swindon  :girlgiggle:

66 not out in the end, highest ever score by an England debutant at 8.

Final test lost by an innings and 75 runs having scored 477 in the first innings; the highest total ever in a first innings to lead to an innings defeat. A 4-0 series loss. Really quite rubbish that.

 I thought we'd lose 5-0.  So 4 is about par.  There have been a few positives, but the series has slowly unravelled.

 What really annoys me, is that after having bits and pieces boys from Surrey and Hants, the ECB say that didn't pick Leach as he's a suspect action  >:(

 OK it may be so, but why put it out there at a time when we've just conceded a record score? 

Yeah, the Leach thing infuriated me. Throw a young kid under the bus and ruin his career to save a bit of face for the selectors, really classless move.

Like most England teams, they crumble under pressure.

Had they have had a bit more bottles ltgey probably would have lost the series 2-0

 I tend to think Cook has done his stint. Time to go back to the ranks and try and score some runs. Joe Root will get the nod, hopefully it doesn't affect his batting....with that in mind, I'd take him out of the ODI stuff.

 So confirmed....Cook has walked the plank.

 I read t'other day that Keaton Jennings is highly thought of as potential captaincy material.....spose being a Saffa helps.