The cricket thread

Nitefly

Stuart Broad!  Saving the day again...

guitars4you

is Broad on a mission to prove they were wrong to not play him in the 1st match - 6-31 - great spell - I know a different bowler but Archer needs to 'up his game' a bit - Just been quick is not enough and an economy this match that is double that of his 2 senior partners - Great introduction to the game last summer, so not picked up and moved on for one reason or another - Hope he comes good as he can be excellent - Needs to learn how to become lethal

RandallFlagg

guitars4you said:

is Broad on a mission to prove they were wrong to not play him in the 1st match - 6-31 - great spell - I know a different bowler but Archer needs to 'up his game' a bit - Just been quick is not enough and an economy this match that is double that of his 2 senior partners - Great introduction to the game last summer, so not picked up and moved on for one reason or another - Hope he comes good as he can be excellent - Needs to learn how to become lethal

I agree about Archer. His entrance in The Ashes in that Test at Lords where he literally knocked Steve Smith off his feet was exceptionally exciting but since then he hasn't been 'electric' like Broad can be when he has one of those Stuart Broad spells.

NorthernGooner

RandallFlagg said:

guitars4you said:

is Broad on a mission to prove they were wrong to not play him in the 1st match - 6-31 - great spell - I know a different bowler but Archer needs to 'up his game' a bit - Just been quick is not enough and an economy this match that is double that of his 2 senior partners - Great introduction to the game last summer, so not picked up and moved on for one reason or another - Hope he comes good as he can be excellent - Needs to learn how to become lethal

I agree about Archer. His entrance in The Ashes in that Test at Lords where he literally knocked Steve Smith off his feet was exceptionally exciting but since then he hasn't been 'electric' like Broad can be when he has one of those Stuart Broad spells.

Agreed. Archer looks like a one trick pony at the moment. Batsmen seem to be working him out and that he bowls too many  
'leave' balls. 

guitars4you

NorthernGooner said:

RandallFlagg said:

guitars4you said:

is Broad on a mission to prove they were wrong to not play him in the 1st match - 6-31 - great spell - I know a different bowler but Archer needs to 'up his game' a bit - Just been quick is not enough and an economy this match that is double that of his 2 senior partners - Great introduction to the game last summer, so not picked up and moved on for one reason or another - Hope he comes good as he can be excellent - Needs to learn how to become lethal

I agree about Archer. His entrance in The Ashes in that Test at Lords where he literally knocked Steve Smith off his feet was exceptionally exciting but since then he hasn't been 'electric' like Broad can be when he has one of those Stuart Broad spells.

Agreed. Archer looks like a one trick pony at the moment. Batsmen seem to be working him out and that he bowls too many  
'leave' balls. 

Hit the nail on the head when you said 'to many leave' balls - hopefully he'll learn as the potential is there but is the attitude, and the willingness to adapt 

Rich210

Comparing Archer and Broad isn't fair in my book. Bowling takes years and years to develop through experience and patience, and it's something that constantly evolves with subtle changes. 

Broad like the rest of the best always ask questions of the batter. As a batsman I always feel a good leave is a win against a bowler. The leave helps you get your eye in, see the shape of the delivery through the air, get a sense of the pace of the wicket and its wasted effort for the bowler. I think once archer consistently asks questions of the batsmen, and two stock balls, combined with his bouncer, slower and raw pace at the stumps he'll be one of the best bowlers in the world. Just hope the abuse he's getting from the mistake he made doesn't ruin him. What a prospect. 

scrumhalf

Broad may finally have got the message that short-pitched stuff doesn't bring wickets as much as he'd like. 

shrinkwrap

Also great to see Broad getting his batting mojo back.

NorthernGooner

Heads up for all cricket fans ...... watched 'The Edge' last night on i player after it was reviewed in yesterday's Torygraph having been shown over the weekend on BBC2.  Basically about Andy Flowers England team becoming world No 1's (fleetingly) and also the emotional stresses involved for the players.  Very interesting it seems Flower's hard man approach to certain players did their mental health no good at all. There are also some juicy unedited sledges from Ashes games picked up by the stump mic's which are worth watching.    Plus Graeme Swann comes across as a tosser so no surprises there. 

crunchman

Is Jimmy Anderson finally starting to decline?

Average of 25 against the Windies is well below his usual home form in recent years, against a batting line up that was not great.  Wicketless so far today, and economy rate comfortably the worst of England's quick bowlers.

crunchman

3 dropped catches by Buttler.  He has to go.

Edit:  2 catches and a stumping.

scrumhalf

Not the greatest of performances so far today. Bess doesn't seem to offer much as a first-choice spinner, but why did Root bowl him leading up to tea when he was getting carted? 

crunchman

scrumhalf said:

Not the greatest of performances so far today. Bess doesn't seem to offer much as a first-choice spinner, but why did Root bowl him leading up to tea when he was getting carted? 

Keeping calamities don't help.  Dropped catch and missed stumping by Buttler.  His figures would look a lot better with a 3 in the wickets column.

You could argue that Leach is a better bowler, but Bess's runs were important against the Windies.

scrumhalf

They'll be needed now as well. Third over and both openers have gone, not playing particularly test standard strokes. 

It's not right that Root and Stokes are in so early. 

scrumhalf

Stokes gone for a duck, 12-3. 

RandallFlagg

Oh well, there's always the 2nd innings.

crunchman

RandallFlagg said:

Oh well, there's always the 2nd innings.

Buttler will probably choose today to bat well, and give Ed Smith an excuse to keep him in.  If he had taken Shan Masood on 45, Pakistan would probably only have got around 200 (if that) and 92 for 4 wouldn't look so bad.

He cost us that first test against the Windies as well.

guitars4you

RandallFlagg said:

Oh well, there's always the 2nd innings.

That 'bowling' injury to Stokes is having an impact on a 'balanced' team with Root and Stokes both in too early at 3/4 - Have they given up on Crawley ?

No genuine all rounder with out Stokes bowling - But Woakes can do a good job with the bat at times - I feel sorry for Curran and still think he should be part of the side 

To be fair we have 'strong' bowling options at the moment - But they won't all fit into the 4 available places 

Yet all that means little if the opposition can make the ball talk more, as Pakistan did last night and we respond poorly

sixstringsupplies

Yes all a bit strange to be honest. The decision to bowl Root in tandem with Bess straight after lunch yesterday was mind boggling. If two of the bowlers are tired and want to keep them fresh for the new ball due in 5 overs time, bowl the 3rd and 4th seamers!

I assume Foakes will play the next series. I would replace Anderson in the next match with Curran and play Crawley. 

Burns
Sibley
Crawley
Root
Pope
Stokes
Foakes
Curran/Woakes (I tihnk Woakes will get the nod as he is bowling well, but Curran offers something different)
Archer
Broad
Leach

Is Leach in the "bubble" or has he been released (and therefore would have to quarantine before he can enter the bubble( same question for Foakes. Is he even in the squad? if not, I don't think he can play this series.

Then again, very easy to criticise with hindsight.

crunchman

Foakes has to come in.  Not just for this series but looking to the future.  There are tours of places like India coming up, and Buttler cannot keep to anything like test standard standing up to the wicket against spinners.  All three of his missed chances were off Bess.

Andy Zatzmann had an interesting stat on TMS as well.  When Buttler has to keep wicket after batting (2nd, 3rd, 4th innings) he only averages 24.  He's not a proper keeper in the first class game, and isn't used to keeping for a day and half and then batting afterwards.  Foakes is likely to do better than that, so you don't even have the justification of Buttler's batting as a reason to include him.