Cricket - Matches & General Discussion Thread

[gingerjon]

Ireland becoming a full Test nation was thoroughly deserved.

But they have now played no domestic red ball cricket in three years.

Tempting to dump them back to associate status.

[gingerjon]

Sky's Blast coverage remains awful.

Thankfully, the White Rose finally beating Lancashire made their nonsense irrelevant.

[phiggins]

16 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Sky's Blast coverage remains awful.

Thankfully, the White Rose finally beating Lancashire made their nonsense irrelevant.

Shambolic performance from Lancashire. Making Livingstone captain could cost Lancs the best chance of winning the competition in a long time as there seems to be zero plans.

[gingerjon]

13 minutes ago, phiggins said:

Shambolic performance from Lancashire. Making Livingstone captain could cost Lancs the best chance of winning the competition in a long time as there seems to be zero plans.

I thought it was a really weird run chase from them. Yorkshire were at least 30 runs light of par having fluffed their own lines when batting.

[phiggins]

2 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I thought it was a really weird run chase from them. Yorkshire were at least 30 runs light of par having fluffed their own lines when batting.

I thought it was strange from start to finish. Livingstone and Wells bowling six overs between them. Hartley, Parkinson and Bailey bowling one each. Hartley being held back until the second half of the innings.

Then some truly awful batting. 9 times out of 10, Buttler slaps that ball through covers for 4, yet seemed hell bent on hitting for a straight 6, while Salt just couldn't time a single shot. I thought Wells was going to do well, playing normal shots, as Malan did. Then had a brainfade, flicking a ball straight to a fielder on the long boundary.

Just poor all round. No sense of players having specific roles to play, and just an expectation that one or two of the international batters will fire a big score.

[Gerrumonside ref]

On 01/06/2023 at 22:51, gingerjon said:

Ireland becoming a full Test nation was thoroughly deserved.

But they have now played no domestic red ball cricket in three years.

Tempting to dump them back to associate status.

Agreed sadly - is it a sign o’ the times?

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Ho hum. A Test that taught the watching public very little. Once the ball goes soft only Tongue, who I have sightly altered my opinion about, bowling at 85mph plus makes any impression. Leach, who may have been ill, got carted as did Joe Root, on what was a flat wicket. And Engfland allegedly,want Flat wickets against Australia...

Credit to the Irish boys for making this point with Mark Adair doing a Lance Klusener impression. But he is supposed to be in the side for his bowling.

My question is this, If Ireland were a County Side which division would they be in ?

[gingerjon]

14 minutes ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

Ho hum. A Test that taught the watching public very little. Once the ball goes soft only Tongue, who I have sightly altered my opinion about, bowling at 85mph plus makes any impression. Leach, who may have been ill, got carted as did Joe Root, on what was a flat wicket. And Engfland allegedly,want Flat wickets against Australia...

Credit to the Irish boys for making this point with Mark Adair doing a Lance Klusener impression. But he is supposed to be in the side for his bowling.

My question is this, If Ireland were a County Side which division would they be in ?

They'd give any side in the Championship a game.

TBH, given their lack of interest in domestic red ball, having an Irish Provinces XI as county 19 wouldn't be such a shockingly bad idea for both countries.

[DavidM]

Leachy joins the casualty list

[bbfaz]

On 04/06/2023 at 07:25, gingerjon said:

They'd give any side in the Championship a game.

TBH, given their lack of interest in domestic red ball, having an Irish Provinces XI as county 19 wouldn't be such a shockingly bad idea for both countries.

England are trying to help Ireland but we need Ireland to help themselves.

[ATLANTISMAN]

Have given up on the blast this year and will stick to the championship and 1 day cup (Still havant watched 1 hundred match) but might be tempted if Harrison and cost cutter Graves were burnt at the stake during the interval:)

Edited June 6, 2023 by ATLANTISMAN

[Futtocks]

Just a reminder: the World Test Championship Final starts tomorrow. Australia v India at the Oval, with the first three days at least looking to have decent weather.

If nothing else, a chance to suss out the Aussies before the Ashes begin.

[Gerrumonside ref]

12 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Just a reminder: the World Test Championship Final starts tomorrow. Australia v India at the Oval, with the first three days at least looking to have decent weather.

If nothing else, a chance to suss out the Aussies before the Ashes begin.

I like the concept but not the format of the World Test Championship so far.

I would prefer it to be more defined.  A seeded knockout draw of the best test playing nations playing a best of seven series.

I find the meandering current structure of test cricket doesn’t really lend itself to producing a championship game/series at the end.

The current format of the World Test Championship is a bolted on compromise.

 

Edited June 7, 2023 by Gerrumonside ref

[Futtocks]

On 04/06/2023 at 19:36, DavidM said:

Leachy joins the casualty list

Moeen Ali returns from international retirement as his replacement.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/65831002

[DavidM]

53 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Moeen Ali returns from international retirement as his replacement.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/65831002

Interesting . We’ll see how that goes , must say I’m underwhelmed 

[DavidM]

I just can’t stand Labuschagne . He’s so good he can bat and umpire . He was hit on the pad and signalled it was to high to the umpire in a really arrogant way 

[Futtocks]

 

[Gerrumonside ref]

Looks like the mace is going to Australia for sure now in the World Test Championship finale.

Obviously Boland has been the stand out with his line and length consistency.

Any short predictions on England’s hopes this summer?

Edited June 11, 2023 by Gerrumonside ref

[DavidM]

5 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Looks like the mace is going to Australia for sure now in the World Test Championship finale.

Obviously Boland has been the stand out with his line and length consistency.

Any short predictions on England’s hopes this summer?

I think this maybe the best Aussie test side since the Warne / McGrath era ended in 2007 . Their bowling is super strong - I’m a big Boland fan , everything looks so simple and repetitive and you feel he’s ideal for these conditions . Allied to Cummins Starc Hazelwood that is impressive . Add Lyon to that . Green gives them the quality all rounder they haven’t add . The only potential weakness is the opening pair . 
I worry about our bowling stocks with five tests so condensed and also our attack ending up a bit samey . I think Archer is still a big loss . Bazball batting could be genius or harikari . Who knows 
Given all that they haven’t won here in 22 years so I’ll back us 3-2

Edited June 11, 2023 by DavidM

[Futtocks]

2 hours ago, DavidM said:

I think this maybe the best Aussie test side since the Warne / McGrath era ended in 2007 . Their bowling is super strong - I’m a big Boland fan , everything looks so simple and repetitive and you feel he’s ideal for these conditions . Allied to Cummins Starc Hazelwood that is impressive . Add Lyon to that . Green gives them the quality all rounder they haven’t add . The only potential weakness is the opening pair . 
I worry about our bowling stocks with five tests so condensed and also our attack ending up a bit samey . I think Archer is still a big loss . Bazball batting could be genius or harikari . Who knows 
Given all that they haven’t won here in 22 years so I’ll back us 3-2

Even if they manage to pay off Glenn McGrath's gambling debts with the 5:0 he always says is a certainty, at least England will go down swinging, as opposed to some of the timid capitulations I remember from my youth.

Edited June 11, 2023 by Futtocks

[gingerjon]

10 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Even if they manage to pay off Glenn McGrath's gambling debts with the 5:0 he always says is a certainty, at least England will go down swinging, as opposed to some of the timid capitulations I remember from my youth.

The bats will be swinging. We may even post some decent totals. But the bowling attack - right now - simply does not look capable of taking 20 Australian wickets in a match.

[Gerrumonside ref]

Looks like some rain showers in Birmingham are being forecast for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Hope to be wrong about this.

[Gerrumonside ref]

England (confirmed): Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Jimmy Anderson.

[DavidM]

I’m getting nervous already . Hopefully win the toss to start , have a bat and let the fun begin 

[gingerjon]

3 hours ago, DavidM said:

I’m getting nervous already . Hopefully win the toss to start , have a bat and let the fun begin 

Really not sure why but I haven't been less interested in home Ashes for ... well, I'm not sure I've ever been less interested.

I know it's me not the cricket because the England Test team are at least playing the game as positively as it's possible to do but I'm just not there yet.

Seems to have been just too much panto villain build up and not enough cricket.

I'm sure my mood will be different come Friday.

And, anyway, Yorks beat Derby.