Summer Cricket 2019

[kirky69]

Labuschagne showed the way.... remember he's been playing CC cricket for Glamorgan this summer, locate your off pole, and leave anything beyond there, wait for the bowler to go straighter and knock it way on the leg side. Smith does the same.

We know Bayliss is going, and he has done what they got him in for.... but was never a Test coach. I think Root should go, for his own sake.  The new coach should be looking to build towards the return Ashes, trying to make it at least a bit competitive has to be the aim

Agree about Root. He is our best batsman and captaincy isn't helping that side of his game. Need to find some grafters from somewhere. The Roy experiment has failed and Root needs to go back to 4. Denley doesn't look a long term solution, would persevere with Burns, so require a new opener and number 3 as a minimum. If, as seems likely, we lose this test, we should try Sibley and Crawley for the remaining tests. Buttler would be my choice as captain.

[Red Frog]

We can pick 'n' mix all we like, but the fact is that we just can't produce test batsmen any more. We've been moaning about it for years, but as the one-day game gains ascendancy, it just gets worse. We've made three sub-100 test scores this year already. Sadly, there aren't even that many test batsmen left in the world - Australia only have one, for instance. It's a shame to see a great format fading inexorably.

[kirky69]

We can pick 'n' mix all we like, but the fact is that we just can't produce test batsmen any more. We've been moaning about it for years, but as the one-day game gains ascendancy, it just gets worse. We've made three sub-100 test scores this year already. Sadly, there aren't even that many test batsmen left in the world - Australia only have one, for instance. It's a shame to see a great format fading inexorably.

Point taken although need to plan by introducing some fresh faces now and also change captain - it's just not working out at present . Labuschange is a proper test batsman as well btw.

[RobertT]

Agree about Root. He is our best batsman and captaincy isn't helping that side of his game. Need to find some grafters from somewhere. The Roy experiment has failed and Root needs to go back to 4. Denley doesn't look a long term solution, would persevere with Burns, so require a new opener and number 3 as a minimum. If, as seems likely, we lose this test, we should try Sibley and Crawley for the remaining tests. Buttler would be my choice as captain.

Buttler shouldn't even be in a Test team, let alone being in a position to be considered a captain.  The fact he is, well, that just sums it up.

Burns is worth continuing with, Root can probably be a batsman again, Stokes should be the teams all rounder.  Nobody else should even remotely be missed by a Test side when it comes to the batting line-up, and Root would have batted himself out of the team in any other set of circumstances.

[Reg Smeeton]

Buttler shouldn't even be in a Test team, let alone being in a position to be considered a captain.  The fact he is, well, that just sums it up.

Burns is worth continuing with, Root can probably be a batsman again, Stokes should be the teams all rounder.  Nobody else should even remotely be missed by a Test side when it comes to the batting line-up, and Root would have batted himself out of the team in any other set of circumstances.

I do have a certain sympathy with a lot of these lads, as the work load being put on them is ludicrous. Certainly the WC winners, have mostly been shite, and given a lot of them will have done Sri Lanka in Nov, then WI in Jan, followed by for some the IPL, then WC and Ashes.  Of course as players now there's good money to be made, so hard to say no.... but you can see the likes of Moeen, completely shot. Stokes who looks th only one coping, of course did have a lengthy break, after Bristol.

[Red Frog]

Well bugger me. That was incredible. 

[Samdy Gray]

Wow.

Unbelievable.

[@mwooly63]

Well bugger me. That was incredible. 

Edge of seat stuff that.
Lyons fumble, no reviews left when out then go on to win it

 

[Red Frog]

Edge of seat stuff that.
Lyons fumble, no reviews left when out then go on to win it

 

Plus the drop in the deep. Extraordinary drama. Ben Stokes Balls of Titanium!

[RobertT]

Incredible performance by Stokes.  There are a few in the England dressing room that owe him a lifetime of drinks.  The worry I have after that is England thinking everything is ok.  But, for today, just soak that one up.

[RedRag]

Best Ashes Innings ever, at Headingley (in order)

Jack Leach    1
Botham     149
Stokes      135
Butcher     173

[Reg Smeeton]

 Amazing stuff. Hopefully this might inspire the other lads to go on and win the series.

[suttonred]

Anyone who says test cricket is boring after that needs their heads examined. Awesome stuff.

[Pax Romana]

England & Wales did everything they could to win the game and Australia panicked and threw away the game.

Wonderful to watch.

Equally..... in a game where E&W had far away the best of the conditions plus Australia were missing the best batsman in the world, we still should have lost.

This is no 2005-style momentum shift.  Betting at 2-3 (as currently) on E&W not to win the series is easy money.

[Pax Romana]

Also Australia, through Smith's injury, have inadvertently unearthed another fine test batsman.