Daeric Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 Pieterson really is really lucky to get that 50, but at least hes getting what he needed. Time out in the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 Grargh, the bastards at Fox Sports are showing the 2005 Edgbaston Ashes Test highlights while the rain delay is going on. In some terrible way I cannot tear my eyes from the screen despite knowing the horror that the Test becomes at the end. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljkeane Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 Pieterson really is really lucky to get that 50, but at least hes getting what he needed. Time out in the middle.Very very lucky, he's been dropped three times, edged the ball off Ajmal straight to where first slip should have been standing and been caught once and could have been given out. It's not often you get five chances in test cricket so he really needs to take this opportunity. We've had highlights of 2005 as well during the rain and it is noticable how much Pietersen is struggling now in comparison, he really is a long way off his best at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 Ajmal's selection paid-off, so at least the PCB got something right...but Pakistan are straight back to their usual tricks with Butt out early on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 Ajmal's selection paid-off, so at least the PCB got something right...but Pakistan are straight back to their usual tricks with Butt out early on.Yes, great performance from Ajmal, looks like I was wrong about them keeping Kaneria. Getting so many overs out of your spinner gives a bit more relief to your main fast bowlers. However Butt is gone again - his batting is tailing off dramatically, and I worry that he's going to suffer the selectorial axe if he gets out cheaply again in the Third Test and we'll have a new captain again by the end of the series. I wouldn't put it past the chaotic PCB to do that.Jimmy Anderson with figures of 1/1 from 6 overs, with 5 maidens. Unbelievable. You just can't allow teams to bowl to you like that. 19 runs off 17 overs really is not going to save this match. I can understand their new attitude to grinding in and stickability at the crease, and it's admirable, but you still have to score runs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 Shane Warne's response to the announcement that John Buchanan has been enlisted by England to help them prepare for the upcoming Ashes:He'll bring something to the table. Cluedo, perhaps.ETA: 82-5 now. And to think that I was actually looking forward to this series after Pakistan's performance against Australia :worried:. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 Well done to Haider, Ajmal and Aamer. Finally Pakistan's batting has found some backbone, albeit in a situation where England are still well in command of the match. Haider's innings in particular has been fantastic so far - he was given out first ball (would have been a king pair on debut) but he successfully referred the decision and hasn't looked back. And he's really gotten under the skin of the English fielders with his little eccentricities - cutting the ball off the stumps, holding his poses after playing a drive and strolling down the pitch to Stuart Broad. He makes Jack Russell look placid ;). And dispersed between all of his antics have been some brilliant shots. Great stuff.ETA: Damn, Haider falls short of a century. Still a memorable knock though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljkeane Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 Great performance by Haider and the lower order, Ajmal in particular. It's good to see some Pakistani batsmen showing some determination and I think it's safe to say that the selection of the two new players for this game has been vindicated. England are obviously still favourites but they're going to have a nervy chase tomorrow, especially if they still struggle to read Ajmal's doosra.ETA: Also reading cricinfo today Matt Prior is 4th in all time averages for wicket keepers with over 1500 runs. :stunned: Wow he's been good for England but I wouldn't have predicted anything like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IheartTesla Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Is Stuart Broad ever going to get cited? I'm beginning to think there is something to Gavaskar's allegations after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stubby Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Is Stuart Broad ever going to get cited? I'm beginning to think there is something to Gavaskar's allegations after all.Is there such an offence as "behaving like a spoiled, petulant little tit"? If I was Cook, I'd have told Broad to pull his head in and grow up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Is Stuart Broad ever going to get cited? I'm beginning to think there is something to Gavaskar's allegations after all.I don't think Gavaskar's comments have much merit TBH - the ICC/Match Referees just tend to be too soft on player behaviour across the board. If Steyn isn't getting banned for spitting at a player or Johnson for initiating physical contact, then there is no hope of seeing Broad getting pulled up for a throwing a tantrum.ETA: Well, Broad has lost 50% of his match fee. You still have to wonder though how effective a deterrent these fines really are.ETA: England need 118 to win. Pakistan's dropped catches will come back to haunt them - 200-220 would have been a tricky chase, whereas 118 should be a mere formality (but you never really know with England...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted August 9, 2010 Author Share Posted August 9, 2010 As has been said, great performance by Haider, Amir and Ajmal in the lower order. Haider's knock was obviously the best and Ajmal made a fifty but don't overlook Amir's stonewalling for 100+ balls, that was also crucial. It's a shame that Pakistan only started batting at 6 down, otherwise this match really could have been quite interesting.PCB can't be faulted for their selection; the two changes (Haider and Ajmal) have been by far the best two Pakistani players in this match. I hope Haider holds onto the wicketkeeping spot. Kamran Akmal really needs a wakeup call; his 'keeping is atrocious and his batting has not made a significant impact on games for a while. Zulqarnain (great name) has shown he is a passable, if not great, wicketkeeper (but that's still a significant improvement over Kamran) and his batting immediately has had an impact. It's not a great technique, and in the long run his Test batting average probably won't go above 30, but already he's showing he may have a bit more potential for reliability and stickability. I guess we'll see if they hang onto him for the rest of the series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeric Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Cook really is out of form, and I doubt hes going to get a chance to play himself in with the new ball against this current Pakistan attack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljkeane Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 So England chased down the total without too much difficulty in the end. From a Pakistani point of view despite the fact that they lost fairly comfortably in the end I think they'll take some heart from how they fought back, if Mohammed Yousef can stiffen up their top order a bit and they take a few more catches they might be more competitive in the next test. From an England perspective I really think it's got to the stage where they should be dropping Cook, he looks completely at sea at the moment and if they leave it any longer they won't be able to drop him as I'm sure they don't want to be bringing in a new opener during the Ashes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stubby Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 From an England perspective I really think it's got to the stage where they should be dropping Cook, he looks completely at sea at the moment and if they leave it any longer they won't be able to drop him as I'm sure they don't want to be bringing in a new opener during the Ashes.Is there a test-ready replacement in form in the County comp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljkeane Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Is there a test-ready replacement in form in the County comp?Apparently Carberry has got the most hundreds of any batsmen in county cricket this season, I haven't really seen a lot of him playing but he can't do much more than that. With Bell injured I'd think that's pretty much the only option at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Is there a test-ready replacement in form in the County comp?Yeah, there's no shortage of in-form openers in County Cricket ATM. Michael Carberry would be the frontrunner - he's already played test cricket and has 1033 runs @ 53 this season (including two centuries in a recent match against a Durham attack that includes Steve Harmison). Stephen Peters is also having a pretty good season for Worcester, but at 31 years of age he is probably a non-starter. A better roughie would be Adam Lyth, who's only 22 (although he looks rather older than that) and is topping the batting charts in Div 1 of the County Champs. Then of course there's Tresco who's making hay in County Cricket but looks highly unlikely to be seen again on the international stage. Maybe England should just try and get this guy qualified to play for England? Three South Africans, an Aussie and an Irishman sounds like the ideal top 5 for England's Ashes campaign :P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stubby Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Given the choices available then, I would have to agree that dropping Cook before the Ashes would be a sound plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamjm Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 I'd say Carberry would be the obvious candidate if they did go for a replacement for Cook, since he has already played a Test this year and is apparently in good form. Is there such an offence as "behaving like a spoiled, petulant little tit"? If I was Cook, I'd have told Broad to pull his head in and grow up.I remember last year there were a few comments about Broad's facial similarity to Draco Malfoy, he seems to have decided to start acting like him as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted August 10, 2010 Author Share Posted August 10, 2010 I'd say Carberry would be the obvious candidate if they did go for a replacement for Cook, since he has already played a Test this year and is apparently in good form. I remember last year there were a few comments about Broad's facial similarity to Draco Malfoy, he seems to have decided to start acting like him as well.How's his appealing going? I seem to remember that was a problem as well although I can't say I've seen it in this series so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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