The cricket thread

Gassage

I think Buttler's a great keeper. Bat him 8, take pressure off.

Heartfeltdawn

Jos Buttler wasn't even the best gloveman at Somerset when he left. Now he's at Lancashire and Alex Davies is far superior to him. I'll keep saying it until my mouth breaks down: he should focus on the batting and give up the gloves. If he focused on the batting, then he could be an absolute world beater. Neither he or Bairstow are especially good wicketkeepers particularly against slow bowling. 

The Batty selection is up there with the weirdest England selections in my lifetime. All summer the management have insisted that Ali and Rashid are good enough and then this. If you have confidence in your two main spinners, then you shouldn't be dredging up a 39 year old whose international record in Tests and ODI games is fucking shit. 

Jack Leach should have been picked. Arguments have been put forward that he's too young and inexperienced. It's a bullshit argument when you consider Leach is 25 and made his FC debut in 2012 yet Hamed is 19, made his FC debut last year, and is in the squad. 

crunchman

I would have picked Leach but I can understand the Batty selection.  By all accounts he has improved quite a lot since he last played for England.

It's the Buttler selection I just can't understand.  He was woeful in the UAE - both keeping and batting.  He has incredible ability and has the potential to be great but he needs regular practice.  I read an article earlier today that said he's played one red ball match in the last year.  He needs to learn how to keep wicket for 120 overs and then go out and bat well afterwards.  He can't do that at the moment.

Heartfeltdawn

crunchman said:

I would have picked Leach but I can understand the Batty selection.  By all accounts he has improved quite a lot since he last played for England.

It's the Buttler selection I just can't understand.  He was woeful in the UAE - both keeping and batting.  He has incredible ability and has the potential to be great but he needs regular practice.  I read an article earlier today that said he's played one red ball match in the last year.  He needs to learn how to keep wicket for 120 overs and then go out and bat well afterwards.  He can't do that at the moment.

Some of that improved record came with Surrey in Division 2 for at least two seasons. Leach has never played in Division 2 of the CC and his current career average (100 wickets in 32 games at 26) comes with a home pitch that has hardly been a bowler's paradise over the years (Abdur Rahman didn't have a good second season, George Dockrell collapsed entirely at Taunton). Again, it's strange that a rookie batsman is fine to open the innings for England but we won't even take a successful young spinner on the actual tour. 

If Batty is that much better, then why hasn't he been playing ahead of Ali or Rashid? It smacks of a selection that demonstrates a lack of confidence in both spinners. 

scrumhalf

Oooh, the Bangladesh-England test is poised for an exciting finish tomorrow.

Seriously considering setting the alarm for 5am to watch the end of it.

scrumhalf

Well, that was an interesting first day's play.

Gassage

Oh dear.

Gassage

More appeals than Children In Need.

scrumhalf

Dharmasena's umpiring the first two tests in India, apparently. Lord only knows how this will affect the Indians' attitude to DRS, but you have to think his reputation needs a bit of repairing.

UnclePsychosis

Some great test cricket and a really good win for Bangladesh. Really pleased for them.

Ben Stokes being a tit again too. 

Heartfeltdawn

UnclePsychosis said:

Some great test cricket and a really good win for Bangladesh. Really pleased for them.

Ben Stokes being a tit again too. 

Shakib's salute sendoff was beautifully done

Cricinfo ran an article recently asking why spin bowling had gone from the monster turn of Warne, Murali, and MacGill, to spinners who really don't turn the ball much but rely on tiny variations of spin and more variations of pace. 

Simple: DRS. Even in matches where it isn't being used, umpires are way more inclined to give batsmen out LBW  on the front foot than in times past. India have finally realised that they stand to gain so much from having DRS, far more than they will lose. 

Gassage

Just wanted to congratulate @pj310 who has been selected to represent MCC on their 3 week tour to Nambia.

He's in Jo-burg airport right now, trying to sell a CE-2.

Decent cricketer- good seamer, good bat.

Heartfeltdawn

Nice one

Congrats as well to the West Indies for a fabulous victory over Pakistan and to Kraigg Brathwaite for setting a new Test record. 

crunchman

So Hameed in then.  Why he didn't play in Bangladesh ahead of Ballance I don't know.

Getting an extra right hander in the top order is probably a good idea as well.

cj73

With all this Trump stuff I'd forget about the first Test.

That's not going as predicted either...yet

scrumhalf

Excellent batting from Root and Moeen.

crunchman

Moeen stuck on 99* overnight. Ouch.

scrumhalf

crunchman said:

Moeen stuck on 99* overnight. Ouch.

Well... better than being 99 and out to a stupid shot.

Was Joe Root given out properly or not? Bit late now to argue about it but on a day when we unexpectedly outplayed India we have to find something to moan about.

Teetonetal

I like Moeen - seems to be a strong part of the team these days, contributes with either bat or ball on a regular basis.

scrumhalf

It's one of those troublesome pitches where you get into the 120's and then get out.