CRICKET - at last

[wetkingcanute]

Jamie Overton - out for 97


Fantastic and sad all in one go

[flatandy]

Now I accept that the partnership changed the match. England will finish no worse than effectively level after the first innings.

[wetkingcanute]

360 all out - 31 ahead

[flatandy]

What a crazy series. If England chase this down - or even if they fail, given where they've already got to - you have to wonder what sort of totals opposing captains would be willing to set against this England team on English pitches with the Dukes ball. I suspect we might start seeing much more conservative declarations during tests in England for the next few years. Even if England are clearly vulnerable, it's now going to look like a massive risk.

[wetkingcanute]

nothing for seventeen tests - then three come along all at once.

[flatandy]

I feel bad for NZ who've been good throughout but kept losing the critical sessions. But also they do appear to have dramatically come off their perch as the world's best test team.

Meanwhile, it's been f**k**g great to watch and long may it continue. Also, I don't really understand how Leach is MotM and not Bairstow. Someone is trying to find a way to keep Leach in the team so England don't have an actual spinner. Despite the three wins I'd jettison Leach and Crawley tomorrow.

The test against India will be interesting. See if they continue the very attacking approach against a better team, but a team that's coming straight out of IPL rather than being warmed up for test cricket.

[flatandy]

Jun 10, 2022 20:24:29 GMT wetkingcanute said:

If you win the toss, unless it's a very overcast rainy day, 9 out of 10 times Bat First.

on the 10th. time - think about it ...and then Bat First.

I know we're only in the second session of this match, but I already feel like I need to remind you of this statement.

[wetkingcanute]

We shall see - Pant's on fire!

[flatandy]

Yeah. I was looking a bit premature there. Lots of talk about the Dukes ball, it seems. Takes a ton of wickets in the first 20 to 30 overs and then is a slappable pudding for the rest of its life. As soon as you see the weird ball-shape-measuring device from the umpires come out you can usually feel sure that no wickets are going to fall for a while.

[wetkingcanute]

It's interesting that India are only playing one Test in England.

I'm looking forward to the ODI at Lord's on Thursday 14th.

[flatandy]

Isn't it the final test of last year's series?

[wetkingcanute]

Yes - of course it is.
My bad.

However, India - having decided to BAT FIRST are 338 for 7 at the close of play on day one.

[flatandy]

As I always say, if you win the toss, bat first!

More importantly and less sarcastically, as I always say, never, ever, ever, ever use a night watchman. Never. It is an absolutely moronic tactic. Pure superstition. I don’t understand how it still persists.

Often the player doesn’t survive the evening, as with last night. And even then if they do survive, it just gives the opposition an easy wicket the next morning which creates an artificial looking scoreboard pressure that gets to the rest of the team (Oh! I’m batting at 7 down, I must bat differently!), gets the tails of the bowlers up and gives them confidence to start the day, and creates real pressure late in the innings for a real batsman like Sam Billings who has lost one of the players who can stay with him for a few overs and means he has to attack more and lose his wicket as a result.

It’s a dreadful strategy. When the make me emperor I will ban its use.

[flatandy]

If this summer has taught us anything it's taught us: (Insert most appropriate phrase from the list below)

(a) it's OK to bat second in a test match
(b) you really don't need a top order at all
(c) nightwatchmen/nightwatchers (don't like the change in language, but clearly the former only makes sense for men's tests and the theory applies to women's tests too) are still a daft idea
(d) England aren't actually rubbish
(e) Johnny Bairstow's test career has not come to an end
(f) the Dukes ball is a useless pudding
(g) I know f**k all when it comes to cricket

[flatandy]

Even yesterday I wasn't counting chickens. Blimey.

Is any team going to win the toss and dare to bat first against England?

[Minge är en jävla besserwisser]

Somebody told me that the issue with the Dukes ball was that the bloke who was responsible for making them had died and nobody really knows quite how to do it now.

[wetkingcanute]

As I've always maintained, and I am unanimous in this, if one wins the toss one should never bat first...especially against England.

What a match!

Root and Bairstow magnificent.

[ootlg]

I don't know what you're talking about but I'll give you a like anyway.

[voice]

England off to a good start, got 2 out for 27.

[voice]

make that 29 for 3