Re: English Cricket
 

Well being 0 for 0 did not last long sadly.:(

Re: English Cricket
 

I don't think we're going to get the Ashes back.. Overated embers anyway.

Re: English Cricket
 

Where do we start??.

Poor selections.
A very average captain.
Too much reliance on white ball cricket.
Opening batsman problems.
Anderson out for the series.
Etc , etc , etc..

Re: English Cricket
 

Yes and they're better than us, which doesn't help..

Was a bit concerned the players said they'd rather win the World Cup than the Ashes. Test cricket should be first always. Only going to go downhill with the new 100 ball competition, won't resemble cricket any longer.

Rain might save us but the Aussies might only need 2-3 days.

Re: English Cricket
 

No l don't think so as yes they are performing better then us but better then us no l don't think so.

---------- Post added at 15:20 ---------- Previous post was at 15:19 ----------

l doubt it.

---------- Post added at 15:21 ---------- Previous post was at 15:20 ----------

A exaggeration IMO.

---------- Post added at 15:21 ---------- Previous post was at 15:21 ----------

Rain tomorrow and Saturday it seems.

Re: English Cricket
 

Better opening batsmen, better fast bowlers, better spin bowler. Maybe only Stokes/ Butter/Bairstow would get in the Aus team. Anderson has probably played his last test I think and much as I like Root, he's not a captain.

Re: English Cricket
 

More settled yes but better , No l don't think so.

---------- Post added at 15:28 ---------- Previous post was at 15:27 ----------

All bowlers look better when they are in form.

---------- Post added at 15:30 ---------- Previous post was at 15:28 ----------

And how many Aussies would get into a in form more settled England team at their best?.

---------- Post added at 15:32 ---------- Previous post was at 15:30 ----------

l do agree with you on that but England as always go for the predictable selection process as captain...

Re: English Cricket
 

Both openers, Smith, Lyon and a couple of their quicks for a start

Re: English Cricket
 

Warner is a brilliant one day batsman but he is vulnerable if bowlers stick it in the right spot.

Bancroft you sure about that?.

Smith yes l quite agree with that but he is no Don Bradman..

Lyon is no better then our spinners as he has been around for years as its more a case of Englands batsman playing him like frightened rabbits.

Their bowlers are not better then ours but again many of our players are not playing well currently so there is a deception that they are better then Englands bowlers..

Re: English Cricket
 

Bancroft is a better opener than any of ours, Lyon is way above any England spinner in the averages and Cummins currently tops the averages.

Re: English Cricket
 

That is because for 3 years England have chopped and changed their openers more times then one changes their socks.;)

---------- Post added at 16:27 ---------- Previous post was at 16:24 ----------

They are no better then our equivalents as they are in form and ours are not.

Re: English Cricket
 

That's because we don't have any decent openers full stop. They have 4 bowlers in the averages top 20, we have 2 and as they Anderson and Broad they won't be around much longer.

Re: English Cricket
 

l disagree as good openers are there in county cricket but England seem obsessed with playing one day players in test matches.

---------- Post added at 16:33 ---------- Previous post was at 16:30 ----------

We need to pick players who will bowl well in English conditions as as been the cases in previous home ashes series.

Re: English Cricket
 

Decent openers in County cricket says it all, decent openers in TEST cricket, there are none.

Re: English Cricket
 

But if they are not given a good run or are not picked its no wonder we have problems opening currently.

Re: English Cricket
 

Since Strauss retired in 2012, Cook is the only other decent opener we have had in the past 20 years. None of the other people tried have come up with the goods consistently.

Re: English Cricket
 

But when they are picked and if they don't perform pretty much straight away they are out of the side after a couple of test matches.

No continuity springs to mind.

Re: English Cricket
 

When did England last have a number 11 coming in after getting 92 in his last test?

Re: English Cricket
 

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/engl...man/2017-08-13

This slightly out of date(2018) list suggests that apart from obvious stop gap openers such as Root, Trott and Moeen Ali, all the openers tried since Strauss retired have been given more than, to quote you ‘a couple of test matches’.

A broken finger curtailed the young Lancashire batsman Habeeb but since then he has done very little. Reading that article also shows that the other openers tried including Compton who was given two bites at the cherry rarely set the world on fire after returning to the ranks. If you take out Root, Trott and Ali, one of whom has retired and the other two are still in the England squad that leaves just 8 batsmen tried and discarded in the past 8 years. Please name me one of those on that list that deserved or even now deserves another chance?

Re: English Cricket
 

When l say given a fair run l would say at least 10 to 20 test matches and most of those apart from a couple have not been given a long run like that.

l remember several openers for other countries who struggled for a fair while before they made the breakthrough.

l still say we chop and change our openers too much.

Re: English Cricket
 

Bottom line....none of those players are or where good enough to open in test matches, sad but a true reflection of county cricket standards.:(

Re: English Cricket
 

l think personally think you are underestimating the standard of our cricketers Jim as many of them who play in county cricket were good enough to win the World Cup so the county cricket system is still producing quality.

Re: English Cricket
 

It's produced great one day players, but no one that can knuckle down and in a Test Match. Not so long ago we were no 1 at Test cricket but crap at one days, seems you can't have one without the other. Know which I'd prefer and has the most kudos.

Re: English Cricket
 

England finally find a way to stop Smith, that did look like a nasty blow though. :(

Re: English Cricket
 

Archers bowling brought back memories of the great late Malcolm Marshall.

Re: English Cricket
 

More Micheal Holding to me, tall, lean, lovely fluid run up, serious pace.

---------- Post added at 16:52 ---------- Previous post was at 16:21 ----------

So how long are you going to give Jason Roy???

Re: English Cricket
 

l would put in down the order more as he ia a great one day batsman but is not a test opener.

Re: English Cricket
 

Won't make any difference he hasn't the technique or patience for Test Matches. Great 1 day players don't necessarily make great Test players.

Time to give this guy a go.
http://m.espncricinfo.com/england/co...er/519082.html
He's in good form and can bat a long time.

Re: English Cricket
 

And what if he fails after a few test matches?.

Re: English Cricket
 

Then we look again. Only one way to find out whether players are up to it.

Re: English Cricket
 

If you are going to pick new openers you have to give them a good long run and have faith in them coming good.

Re: English Cricket
 

In which time we've lost the Ashes again. Promising youngsters are getting blocked out by central contracts. Tendulkar made his Test debut at 16, he'd have been waiting 8 years longer in this country !

Re: English Cricket
 

l don't like central contracts personally.

Re: English Cricket
 

Actually England's best chance of winning here is to get bowled out cheaply, giving enough time for Archer to destroy them tomorrow. It's all a cunning plan I should think. Unfortunately it's also their best chance of losing, what a wonderful game! ;)

Re: English Cricket
 

Hope springs eternal.;)

Re: English Cricket
 

Steve Smith ruled out of rest of Test and could miss third test.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/cricket/47324907

Re: English Cricket
 

This guy is seriously good that is for sure.

Re: English Cricket
 

Just feel England will be 10 overs short, should have declared a little earlier.

Re: English Cricket
 

Yes you are probably right.

Re: English Cricket
 

Steve Smith ruled out of third Ashes Test at Headingley.

https://www.sportinglife.com/cricket...rd-test/170442

Re: English Cricket
 

Not sure if you will need to be a subscriber to read this article, along with the stupid Hundred series it is yet another example of just how stupid crickets administrators are.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/...tens-crickets/

Re: English Cricket
 

l agree as crickets administrators today seem more interested in a fast buck rather then what the game is truly based about.

Re: English Cricket
 

I don’t go on Facebook that often but a couple of days ago I logged in to find a post on my timeline from ‘The Hundred’ inviting me to register my interest on their new web site. I reported the post as offensive.:mad:

Re: English Cricket
 

l have not had that invite yet but l know what will happen if l do receive it..

Re: English Cricket
 

Now that is a terrible shame. Has an Ashes winning ball been bowled ? ;)

Re: English Cricket
 

Well you won't have long to wait Mr K as Headingly is going to be pretty loud and febrile come the start of the third test.

Re: English Cricket
 

Looks like Lancashire are heading back to division 1 of the Championship. Just thrashed 3rd placed Glamorgan by an innings and 150 runs in just over 2.5 days.:cool:

Re: English Cricket
 

Things looking up for you Jim with Lancahire on the up and the Red Devils looking like potential title candidates.;)

Re: English Cricket
 

As long as Rashford takes the pens from now on.:rolleyes:

Re: English Cricket
 

Surely the manager should have sorted that out by now?.

Re: English Cricket
 

today just gets better ;)

Maybe Anderson will come to the rescue , if his England days are over ?

Re: English Cricket
 

Well Lancashire are miles in front of the rest of div 2 and also 4 points clear of the rest of the North T20 group, all done with hardly any input from Anderson so they don’t really need him atm.

Would it be churlish of me to mention who is bottom of the North group.:D

Re: English Cricket
 

:p:

Re: English Cricket
 

There's an old saying - 'form is temporary, class is permanent' ;)

Re: English Cricket
 

3rd test delayed start, it's raining at Headingly over on the dark side.:p:

Re: English Cricket
 

Dark side? surely it ain't that bad as perhaps you can ask one of them to lend you their lightsaber.;)

Re: English Cricket
 

To quote a line from the Oldham Tinkers song Owdham Edge, “and now we *** ter Yorkshers line, a can’t si owt past theer but grime.” :D

Re: English Cricket
 

And to quote a line from the anthem of Yorkshire , "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at".:D

Re: English Cricket
 

Yup - Headingley Cricket Ground is two and half miles from our house, and it's overcast and mizzling at the moment.

Re: English Cricket
 

Yes but having no hat meant certain death on Ilkley Moor.:p:

Re: English Cricket
 

Not if one is invincible..:D

Re: English Cricket
 

Only if you are from "over the Pennines"... ;)

Re: English Cricket
 

Given their directional sense they might get lost on the way...;)

Re: English Cricket
 

:confused:

The Yorkys are over the Pennines from this vastly superior side.:cool:

Re: English Cricket
 

Remind me again what County Cricket Championship League Lancashire are in again? ;)

Re: English Cricket
 

A minor aberration, soon to be rectified. A dismal day in Yorkshire just gets worse, to dark for cricket at 4:00 pm on an August afternoon. :(

Re: English Cricket
 

They have just resumed although how long far is the question.:(

Re: English Cricket
 

And starting to make the (Yorkshire ) captains decision to bowl first a bit suspect.

The last five times a team has been inserted at Headingley in a test match they have gone on to win.

Re: English Cricket
 

Maybe its just me but for a while l have been increasingly unimpressed with Joe Roots tactical nous as captain.

Re: English Cricket
 

It seems he must have heard us.:D:D

Re: English Cricket
 

As long as England don’t need above 200 in the 4th innings it’s now looking like Roots decision may well be vindicated. They will need to be very careful not to over bowl Archer though.

Re: English Cricket
 

I think he should just bowl Archer from both ends. He looks fit enough :)

---------- Post added at 19:46 ---------- Previous post was at 19:42 ----------

Good to see the Yorkshire weather onside too, gloom for Australia, sun for England tomorrow, if only we could bat ;)

Re: English Cricket
 

Absolutely as he must be nurtered as he is a great talent.

Re: English Cricket
 

Same question again Den, how many more chances do you give Roy?

Re: English Cricket
 

But then if you drop Roy then you need to drop 3 or 4 other batsman and that upheavel is no good for team cohesion.

Re: English Cricket
 

They ain't got any cohesion anyway Den. They should open with Leach, he's got more talent than any of the top order.

Re: English Cricket
 

At the moment this England batting line up would not get into a pub team but you can't suddenly bring in 4 new batsman during a Ashes series.

This Ashes was lost 2 years ago with a clear lack of any cohesive strategy afrer we lost the Ashes in Australia.

Re: English Cricket
 

if the Ashes have been lost which they probably now have, then of course you can bring in 4 new batsman. (And sack the captain). An new strategy won't work well with the status quo.

Was thinking about going on the fifth day if there was a game on -silly me !

Re: English Cricket
 

l have watched cricket since l was a young nipper and never have l seen such a dismal batting performance by England.:mad::mad:

Re: English Cricket
 

Australia could declare now, they already have enough runs.:(

Re: English Cricket
 

Poorly led by a captain who was made England captain more on his name rather then on any tactical nous he possesses.

Re: English Cricket
 

I'd have swapped Roy and Denley round in the batting order. May not make a difference but worth a go.

Re: English Cricket
 

Well seeing we have lost the Ashes they might as well try that now.

Re: English Cricket
 

It won't make a difference as it won't happen given that Roy is likely to get dropped for the next test after another low score today..

Re: English Cricket
 

Blimey went out to watch a local footy game ( last minute winner, it's a beautiful game :)) come back and we haven't lost any wickets ! How's that happened? Has there been a thunderstorm in Leeds? ;)

Re: English Cricket
 

A small miracle has happened but the trouble is it won't last long.;)

Re: English Cricket
 

More poor shot selecting from Captain Root.:(

Re: English Cricket
 

It’s getting a bit nail-biting at the moment...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/cricket/47325095

359-9

England need 8 to win, Australia one wicket from retaining Ashes.

Got a six, 2 to win...

Australians just dropped a run out.

LBW not out

358-9, so it’s a draw so far - Stokes on strike, 1 to win.

Hits a 4....

England win!!!

Re: English Cricket
 

Wow, just,wow......

Re: English Cricket
 

Arise Sir Ben Stokes as what l witnessed today was what the great Sir Ian Botham did in 1981 at Headingley.

It was truly magnificent..:clap::clap::clap:

Re: English Cricket
 

I am going to claim some of the credit. At the half way stage of Australia's second innings I stopped watching and purposely avoided seeing the score. Every time I watched before that England lost a wicket. I did look at the overnight score and gave them a 10% chance. It also means the next game at Old Trafford for which I have tickets is not now a dead rubber.:cool:

In fact I was watching a live stream from Lancs v Worcs T20 Blast, Lancs creamed second in the table Worcs bowlers for 218 for 5 and Worcs are currently 50 odd for 5, a good day just keeps getting better.

Re: English Cricket
 

Anderson ruled out for rest of series. :(

Re: English Cricket
 

The end of his illustrious test career perhaps?.

Re: English Cricket
 

He's increasingly been doing media stuff over the last couple of years, so retirement is on the cards. Guess he hoped he'd go out winning the Ashes. Tbh don't think we'd miss him that much, bowling we've got, the problem is the batting. Surprised they've made no changes there, they've surely got to put Roy down the order and open with Denly.

Re: English Cricket
 

Just leaving Old Trafford as Lancs win to secure top spot. Sadly I can't get to the T20 quarter finals as Lancs are playing their 'home' game at Durham due to test match at Old Trafford.

Re: English Cricket
 

The best game last night was between Somerset and Middlesex may l say.:p:

Re: English Cricket
 

So you managed to watch all of the games then?:p:

Re: English Cricket
 

Just the one that was important...:p:

Re: English Cricket
 

So, how many games did Sky actually televise last night then?

Re: English Cricket
 

Just the one and boy what a match it was..