The Official Cricket Thread

[Guy Smiley]

Or someone will field a team that can bowl tightly all day and contain the attack...

it's not like we haven't seen teams score rapidly before.

[Prembore]

Just prepare greentops every time you host them and see how it works out.

'Appen.

[Gumboot]

That's some rate of scoring , how much is attacking batters, shit bowling or just a flat track?

A bit of everything really. Even on a flat track 500 in 75 needs more than just a flat track.

Absolutely. Very impressive performance by England.

[JM2K6]

Or someone will field a team that can bowl tightly all day and contain the attack...

it's not like we haven't seen teams score rapidly before.

That is somewhat downplaying the magnitude of what's happening here. This is record breaking stuff.

[Guy Smiley]

Or someone will field a team that can bowl tightly all day and contain the attack...

it's not like we haven't seen teams score rapidly before.

That is somewhat downplaying the magnitude of what's happening here. This is record breaking stuff.

Yes, it’s a record breaking performance and I don’t mean to take anything away from that… rather, I’m challenging the notion that it will change the face of cricket.

[JM2K6]

Or someone will field a team that can bowl tightly all day and contain the attack...

it's not like we haven't seen teams score rapidly before.

That is somewhat downplaying the magnitude of what's happening here. This is record breaking stuff.

Yes, it’s a record breaking performance and I don’t mean to take anything away from that… rather, I’m challenging the notion that it will change the face of cricket.

https://wickets.substack.com/p/england- ... ver-on-day

Bowling tight only works if your good balls aren't disappearing repeatedly...

[Insane_Homer]

Another stunning over from Brook,

6,4,4,4,6,3 = 27 from the over and keeps the strike :p

[Kiwias]

153 and out, off a mere 116 balls

[FalseBayFC]

Over 2000 runs scored so far in the two current test matches so far with 3 and a bit days to go!

[FalseBayFC]

Love listening to Gower and Atherton. Good cricket commentary is one of my favourite things.

[Insane_Homer]

Love listening to Gower and Atherton. Good cricket commentary is one of my favourite things.

desperately needed to fill the void of boring cricket thanks the flat track. 2 more days to fill until the draw is declared.

[Mahoney]

Love listening to Gower and Atherton. Good cricket commentary is one of my favourite things.

desperately needed to fill the void of boring cricket thanks the flat track. 2 more days to fill until the draw is declared.

Well played.

[Biffer]

There’s also associate cricket going on in the cricket World Cup league 2. Tri series between Scotland, Namibia and Nepal in Windhoek. Scotland beat Namibia fairly comfortably on Thursday, and Friday’s game between Namibia and Nepal was a no result due to rain. Four more games to come

Sun 4th Scotland v Nepal
Mon 5th Namibia v Scotland
Wed 7th Namibia v Nepal
Thu 8th Scotland v Nepal

In CWC league 2, the top three teams will go through to the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe next year, alongside the bottom 5 teams in the super league, most likely Netherlands, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ireland and one of West Indies or Sri Lanka, and two qualifiers from the league below, which I think are Jersey and Canada. Oman and the USA have now played all 36 games, and are watching other results. USA won’t qualify, they blew it in September by losing one and tying one against Papua New Guinea and then losing twice to Namibia, so they’re currently a couple of points ahead of Namibia who will overtake them. Scotland are probably going to top the group, which I’m obviously pleased about. Oman will probably be ok but could still be caught.

Team - played - points
Oman - 36 - 44
Scotland - 29 - 42
USA - 36 - 35
Namibia - 28 - 33
UAE - 26 - 27
Nepal - 21 - 18
Papua New Guinea - 28 - 5

Two further series to be played this month, Nepal / UAE / PNG have two sets of games, one in Nepal and one in PNG. The final set is in February, Scotland / Namibia / Nepal, in Nepal. There seems to be a couple of UAE v Namibia games missing, not sure what’s happening with them. They might be the difference between UAE catching Oman and not. Scotland and Namibia both look good to qualify.

[Biffer]

Incidentally, the format for the qualifier in Zimbabwe hasn’t been confirmed. Pretty sure that means they’re waiting to see who is in it to make sure the set up the easiest possible route for big countries to qualify. Watch them put in place something that means South Africa only have to play a couple of games instead of the seven or eight everyone else will have to.

[Torquemada 1420]

Love listening to Gower and Atherton. Good cricket commentary is one of my favourite things.

desperately needed to fill the void of boring cricket thanks the flat track. 2 more days to fill until the draw is declared.

Pakistan pitches are a joke. Something Ramiz Raja as acknowledged by stating "they are in the dark ages". Let's hope he's listened to.

[Guy Smiley]

Two further series to be played this month, Nepal / UAE / PNG have two sets of games, one in Nepal and one in PNG. The final set is in February, Scotland / Namibia / Nepal, in Nepal. There seems to be a couple of UAE v Namibia games missing, not sure what’s happening with them. They might be the difference between UAE catching Oman and not. Scotland and Namibia both look good to qualify.

I imagine a bowling attack capable of adapting to dramatically changing conditions would be an advantage.

[Insane_Homer]

Bangladesh need 8 runs in 30 balls, with 1 wicket in hand to beat India in ODI

[Biffer]

Nepal 137 all out, Scotland 143/7. Not sure these wickets in Namibia are of the highest quality, scoring seems to be difficult for all three teams in this series.

I think that means Scotland are now guaranteed a spot in the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe next year. Either of Namibia and Nepal could, in theory catch them but they have to play each other so they can’t both catch up.

Edit, hang on, forgot about UAE. Stand by your beds.

Back of the envelope says if Scotland win their two games this week they’re in as neither Nepal or Namibia could catch them.

[Torquemada 1420]

Much credit due to Eng for an extremely sporting declaration

[Enzedder]

Much credit due to Eng for an extremely sporting declaration

Totally - given themselves the time but without a huge runs cushion. That'll keep the bowlers focused.

[Insane_Homer]

169/3 at lunch, slow first hour but Pakistan aggressive against the spinners. Strong position but 2 wkts will change everything.

Nicely poised.

[Kiwias]

And there goes the 2nd of the two. Pakistan now 198/5.

[Insane_Homer]

Wicket!

198/5

145 needed, 55* overs remaining in the day.

[Kiwias]

Salman and Azhar batting very sensibly and Pakistan need 101, at 242/5 now and 44 overs left.

[Insane_Homer]

90

[Insane_Homer]

run out review should be loss of fielding team player review. nowhere near it, pure time wasting.

[Insane_Homer]

LBW review. Looks.gone!

Over the top!!!

and dropped catch.

drama

[Insane_Homer]

wicket, ump gets another one wrong.

ball hits the wicket, bails stay on.

84 needed.

[Paddington Bear]

Robinson makes a breakthrough and then next ball hits the stumps, bails unmoved. Hell of a finish coming.

Echo what's been said about this changing test cricket, this is unmissable and a lot of long form cricket on the sub-continent is unwatchable.

[Insane_Homer]

Ollie gets another! caught at leg slip.

7 down

[Kiwias]

Azhar caught in the leg slip trap. All over for Pakistan now, I reckon

[Paddington Bear]

Catch at leg slip - you absolutely love to see it. Advantage England

[SaintK]

Last man in!

[Biffer]

Edge of the seat stuff

[Paddington Bear]

Last pair look well set here

[Paddington Bear]

Ben Stokes take a bow. Gutsy but correct declaration.

What a game! England are changing test cricket and certainly for the better. Interested to see how long it takes others to copy.
Also should reference the excitement in Rawalpindi, packed crowd on Day 5, kids leaning over the sides of stands to get in and by all accounts a royal welcome for the whole England side and fans. Hopefully will give some in this squad and others outside it pause for thought about why they refused to travel last year because Pakistan doesn't offer as many opportunities for beers and Tinder as Australia does.

[FalseBayFC]

That turned out to be a fascinating test. Great declaration by the Poms.

[Kiwias]

Declaration was proven to be spot on. Good call by Christchurch-born Stokes.

[Insane_Homer]

that was awesome, had to go out, so had to listen to the last couple of wickets on the radio

[Biffer]

Well, Scotland properly shat the bed against Namibia. Poor score of 208 batting first, had Namibia at 111/7 but somehow managed to let them power on from there to 210/7. Shite.