Jump to content

Cricket 39: Playing COVID-19 With a Straight Bat


Jeor

Recommended Posts

That was a really enjoyable day’s play. Whisper it, but I think we’ve actually found a number 3 for about only the third time in my life. Buttler is also finally starting to look the part. Pope’s problems against Shah are a bit of a worry, but if we can get Stokes back as a bowler, and maybe Ali as the spinner, I think we have a team that can compete for the No 1 spot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, you'd have to say that's cemented Crawley's place for the forseeable future. I have to admit I've been in favour of getting Foakes in for a while but Buttler's scored some key runs when he's been needed. He's probably secured his spot in the team for at least another series or two.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was a very assured and confident innings from Crawley. He definitely didn't look a player with only 3 first class centuries to his name. Still a change of a double hundred tomorrow as well.

Impressive batting from Buttler as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Hereward said:

That catch by Buttler is possibly the best one I ever saw.

The Shaheen one? I didn't see that one so I was thinking the Rizwan catch was ok but not that good.

Buttler's definitely had an excellent test anyway.

ETA: The catch off Bess' bowling was pretty good too actually.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, ljkeane said:

The Shaheen one? I didn't see that one so I was thinking the Rizwan catch was ok but not that good.

Buttler's definitely had an excellent test anyway.

ETA: The catch off Bess' bowling was pretty good too actually.

Yes, the Shaheen one. He caught it in his fingertips at full strength and then manipulated it into the muddle of his glove in mid-air to avoid shelling it as he hit the ground. Incredible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like a damp finale and another draw. Still, England thoroughly deserve the series win, Pakistan were a bit flattered by the final result and would have gone on to lose here. A bit of a shame the last two Tests were basically never going to get a result, given the First Test was thoroughly entertaining!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anderson's taken his 600th test wicket. That really is a phenomenal achievement. I thought McGrath's 563 wickets was going to be beyond catching for seam bowlers, to get all the way to 600 wickets is amazing. Especially when you consider he spent a few years out of favour.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, ljkeane said:

Anderson's taken his 600th test wicket. That really is a phenomenal achievement. I thought McGrath's 563 wickets was going to be beyond catching for seam bowlers, to get all the way to 600 wickets is amazing. Especially when you consider he spent a few years out of favour.

It does seem a long time ago now that Anderson was seen as talented but too erratic to be trusted. Back in the 2005 Ashes era he seemed to be quite low down the pecking order, but he ended up being more successful than any of that excellent bowling attack.

I wonder if Broad will eventually get there as well? The way he's been bowling this summer I wouldn't bet against it, although they may have to occasionally tactically drop him just to get him riled up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, williamjm said:

The way he's been bowling this summer I wouldn't bet against it, although they may have to occasionally tactically drop him just to get him riled up.

Hah! It does seem a tried and tested way to get the best out of Broad.

Kudos to Anderson on the 600. Like @ljkeane, I thought it would be tough for a fast bowler to go past McGrath's 563, with the lengthy career and avoidance of injuries that entails. But he's played an unbelievable 156 Tests and been a consistent performer throughout, and England's most reliable bowler for the past decade. He doesn't quite have the menace and unrelenting accuracy of McGrath across all conditions, or the sheer pace and hostility of a Dale Steyn, but you'd have to say that in English-type conditions when the ball's moving, Anderson is arguably the most dangerous bowler in world cricket.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, williamjm said:

I wonder if Broad will eventually get there as well? The way he's been bowling this summer I wouldn't bet against it, although they may have to occasionally tactically drop him just to get him riled up.

Broad's had a bit of a strange career. He's got over 500 test wickets and in almost any other era he'd be the stand out bowler by a huge margin but he's spent his entire career in Anderson's shadow.

I could see him maybe catching McGrath, strange as it is to say that as if it's not a big deal, but I don't think he'll catch Anderson. Anderson's making it look relatively easy but ticking along at such a high level into your late 30s isn't really normal. Broad's got a bit more of a physically demanding style of bowling too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pakistan made a big score in the T20, racking up 196.

England have started well in the chase, so it could be a good match.

EDIT: I have apparently cursed England who have now just lost their first two wickets in consecutive deliveries...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't get to watch the game, but does look like it was a massive choke on the highlights and on the scorecard. Needing 39 from 35 with 9 wickets in hand is a win 99.9% of the time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aussies definitely look out of shape and out of practice. Game 1 could have been forgiven as a collective brain fade in the final 6 overs of the match - up until then everything had gone pretty well. But Game 2 they were behind from the start and never recovered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don’t know what size screen the third umpire was looking at, but Smith definitely touched the rope on that catch.

Atherton on commentary noted that he thought it was out and Smith would have known if he’d touched the rope. Well forgive me if I lack trust in Smith’s honesty in admitting it if he had. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...