Cricket

[Boy About Town]

Cricket is a funny old game. England seemingly could've batted forever if they wanted, yet India were 0-2 and Woakes on a hatrick. Momentum is a massive thing. India are completely checked out. This could be finished today.

Certainly if Pants done for batting duties. In the minds of India, I think they know full well that they are beaten and can save themselves a day by playing at these low standards.

[RobertT]

Has nobody mentioned how nice it is to have a Swindon lad and former Wilts County player in the test team again.

I still use Jon Lewis as an example of how I must have been a decent standard to have played in the same team as him until age 16/17.  I wasn't much kop to be fair.

[Batch]

I still use Jon Lewis as an example of how I must have been a decent standard to have played in the same team as him until age 16/17.  I wasn't much kop to be fair.

His name is a biscuit,
His name is a biscuit,
Robert T,
His name is a biscuit.

See, it was never going to work out for you

[Pericardinho]

Well. I said India had all but thrown in the towel. Oops.

[Qunk]

Well. I said India had all but thrown in the towel. Oops.

Oi. It’s my job to put the mockers on things.

[Qunk]

This is looking like a draw, which is a real shame, but fair play to India for weathering that early storm. If this ends a draw you’d have to say India have earned it.

Looking ahead, my main concern before we go to Oz is spin. Dawson has control but doesn’t take wickets and Bashir (sometimes) takes wickets but goes for a lot. For the first time since before Ashley Giles it feels like we don’t have an obvious choice. Could Leach come back?

[oxonrobin]

Not too convinced by the bowling attack in general. Can expect Stokes to be partly injured for a chunk of the series. Archer only just come back. Woakes very conditions dependent, and average outside of England is around the 50 mark. Big drop-off in pedigree from those three.

Agree also re the spinners. Hoping to be proved thoroughly wrong on all counts.

[Nemo]

There's a bit of a problem in England at the moment I think where pitches just aren't breaking up later in games. Batting on day 5 often isn't harder than Day 1, sometimes even easier as the groundsmen try to counter it not breaking up by leaving a bit of grass on the pitch to begin with.

Not really sure there's much to be done about it, but I'm not sure I'd pick a spinner at all in England right now.

[reeves4england]

Has nobody mentioned how nice it is to have a Swindon lad and former Wilts County player in the test team again.

Only if you class Calne as being in Swindon

[Pericardinho]

0-2 to 347-4 on any pitch is a bit shit from England.

[Qunk]

What a shit finish.

[dagrumpymunki]

Only if you class Calne as being in Swindon

Ok I know he lived and played cricket outside Town, was it Chippenham he developed at?

But he was born at PMH dammit!

[Ƭ̵̬̊: The Artist Formerly Known as CWIG]

What a shit finish.

Terrible. Some good cricket in the game but that is about as bad as a draw gets.

[adje]

Brook bowling didn't help. Shocking and pointless, just gifting centuries

[Nemo]

Ok I know he lived and played cricket outside Town, was it Chippenham he developed at?

But he was born at PMH dammit!

Goatacre CC is his family club, his dad and brother are handy too.