Cricket

[Quagmire]

It’s cricket for people that don’t like cricket.

[RedRag]

From 301-3 with Root and Brook still there to losing the test. That's pretty unforgivable really.

Obviously you can't put any blame on the 2 guys who got you centuries.

Smith and Bethell simply had to do more. Both contributed absolutely nothing with the bat in their 2 innings each.

Bethell looked like a lamb to slaughter both times. I know he's only 21, and he's not played much cricket this year, but he looked like he'd never held a bat before in his life.

Understand your exasperation but Bethell was an odd selection and Smith was only eclipsed by Root in the Series batting averages on England's side.

I'd be looking at the unfortunate Woakes injury and the culpable dropped catches as the significant contributors to the match (and therefore Series) outcome.

For entertaining Test cricket, it's been up there with some of the Home Series v the Aussies, imo.

[stfcjack]

The American mind could not comprehend that after a total of 25 days of play, this series has ended in a draw 

[RedRag]

The American mind could not comprehend that after a total of 25 days of play, this series has ended in a draw 

[Nomoreheroes]

Smith and to a lesser extent Overton lost the Test today.

Both panicked.

[adje]

White ball mentality

[Pericardinho]

Understand your exasperation but Bethell was an odd selection and Smith was only eclipsed by Root in the Series batting averages on England's side.

I'd be looking at the unfortunate Woakes injury and the culpable dropped catches as the significant contributors to the match (and therefore Series) outcome.

For entertaining Test cricket, it's been up there with some of the Home Series v the Aussies, imo.

Oh yeah don't get me wrong, Smith is a great find and has done superb this series. It's just in this test, him and Bethell between them in 2 innings shared about 25 runs in total.

Test cricket very much alive and well though. Don't think I moved off the sofa for the entire day yesterday.

[Nemo]

Bethell is a funny one, clearly incredible talented but he's played very little red ball cricket and never scored a FC hundred. And yet he's the anointed one.

I think he'll have a good career, but he'd be better playing Championship at least a bit!

Then you have James Rew with eleven FC tons aged 21 at 21 (Zak Crawley has 12...). I think both will play a lot of tests, but I know which one I'd be picking right now...