Jump to content

Cricket 41: "Test World Cup equivalent, purists and noobs (like me)!"


TheLastWolf

Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, Hereward said:

I’ve been struggling with the shame of admitting I watched a T20, but did you see that Livingstone six yesterday? Biggest hit I ever saw.

I was flicking in and out so I missed most of Livingstone's innings and the big sixes but I did quite enjoy England going with two legspinners in basically any format of the game. It even worked!

I think Livingstone's probably cemented his place in the middle order for the T20 World Cup.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Hereward said:

I’ve been struggling with the shame of admitting I watched a T20

Where is the real Hereward and what have you done with him?

but did you see that Livingstone six yesterday? Biggest hit I ever saw.

That was ridiculous. I think it might have landed in Lancashire.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some stray thoughts on recent events:

  • The Hundred is fine. I don't think it needed to be different to T20, but there are certainly a lot of benefits in a leaner, meaner city-based comp vs 18 counties playing endless matches. Ratings and attendance for the Women's Hundred have justified the entire thing.
  • No Stokes, no Archer and (likely) no Pope for at least the first India test. Gill is also out of the series so India will have a new opening pair. Going to be a grueling series for both teams. Plus about a million column inches will be used up in the next few months speculating about Stokes' Ashes availability. 
  • The India/Sri Lanka T20s...India had exactly 11 players available for the last match due to isolation requirements. Easy match for the selectors!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Paxter said:
  • No Stokes, no Archer and (likely) no Pope for at least the first India test. Gill is also out of the series so India will have a new opening pair. Going to be a grueling series for both teams. Plus about a million column inches will be used up in the next few months speculating about Stokes' Ashes availability. 

I hope Stokes takes as long as he feels he needs to. Hopefully he will be able to be back for the Ashes, although a tour of Australia might not be the best choice for a comeback if he's not feeling 100%.

For the India tests it does leave a bit gap in the team, particularly since I don't think there's a replacement all-rounder available with Woakes injured and Moeen not being picked, which does cause problems for the balance of the team. Archer is also a loss but there's not a shortage of seam bowling alternatives so not as crucial.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, williamjm said:

I hope Stokes takes as long as he feels he needs to. Hopefully he will be able to be back for the Ashes, although a tour of Australia might not be the best choice for a comeback if he's not feeling 100%.

For the India tests it does leave a bit gap in the team, particularly since I don't think there's a replacement all-rounder available with Woakes injured and Moeen not being picked, which does cause problems for the balance of the team. Archer is also a loss but there's not a shortage of seam bowling alternatives so not as crucial.

I will be even be more disappointed if they don't pick Leach now that Stokes is out. The NZ series showed the folly of playing four specialist fastmen and no spin option to add variety and manage workloads. But I have a feeling they will play either Overton or Curran at 8 and leave Leach out. 

Would love to see Hameed have a go although it's wishful thinking in many ways. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So far The Hundred seems to favour bowlers a little more than T20, which I find interesting. I’m thinking that shorter overs favour bowlers, as the batsmen get fewer sighters to line the bowlers up. Any other ideas?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And now Agarwal is injured too…so we will likely see Rahul make an unexpected return at the top of the order with Rohit. It’s not ideal, as I’d imagine Rahul is about fourth or fifth choice for opener behind Gill, Agarwal and perhaps Shaw.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quadruple post! No-one excited about England v India?!

Difficult series to predict. England are the bookies' favourites based on:

  • Swing friendly conditions
  • India's poor record in England (two wins from the last three tours)
  • Virat and Puj (and arguably Rahane) in poor test form
  • The strength and depth of England's pace battery

But I think India could easily win this as:

  • England are at a low ebb in tests, following big defeats against India and NZ
  • Sibley and Crawley are both close to getting dropped, so there are some potentially easy scalps for the Indian seamers
  • There's no Stokes, Woakes or Archer (or Pope for the first match)
  • India have historically amazing pace and spin attacks

So let's call it a draw: 2-2 like the last Ashes. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ll bite. You’ll be unsurprised to learn I expect us to get tanked. We have brilliant ODI and T20 players, a good bowling attack if the ball moves and the pitch isn’t flat, but probably the worst batting order in Test cricket. I fully expect us to be 50 to 100 for 3 every first innings and a collapse waiting to happen in both innings, but particularly in the second when the pressure is on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So India learned their lesson from the WTC final and picked just the one spinner.

England have done the opposite and omitted Leach again. His last home test was in the ‘19 Ashes - poor guy. Clearly Silverwood does not rate spin highly in test cricket.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Hereward said:

I’ll bite. You’ll be unsurprised to learn I expect us to get tanked. We have brilliant ODI and T20 players, a good bowling attack if the ball moves and the pitch isn’t flat, but probably the worst batting order in Test cricket. I fully expect us to be 50 to 100 for 3 every first innings and a collapse waiting to happen in both innings, but particularly in the second when the pressure is on.

Bang on at 100/3!

Let's see how the middle order goes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, Paxter said:

So India learned their lesson from the WTC final and picked just the one spinner.

England have done the opposite and omitted Leach again. His last home test was in the ‘19 Ashes - poor guy. Clearly Silverwood does not rate spin highly in test cricket.

That and the regular absences of Stokes and Woakes. Without those two, the tail is too long with Leach or Bess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aaaaand there's the collapse.

Great to see Shami back in the side and performing well. 

ETA: Shardul chiming in with two scalps now. The decision not to play two spinners in these conditions looking to be a very good one. 

I do feel sorry for Root having to play these lone hands all the time. He looked good today. It's starting to remind of Chanderpaul's plight after Lara retired. He would average like 70 in a series and the next highest would be Ganga or Sarwan averaging 25. 

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...