The Official Cricket Thread

[Thor Sedan]

It is quite frightening that England could have had Wood and Archer bowling in tandem.

[JM2K6]

Wood, Archer, Stone...

[Hal Jordan]

Seeing a seriously fast bowler destroying the tail is a great Test spectacle (unless it happens to your team).

If only Wood could stay fit.

[Paddington Bear]

90mph plus bowling is truly one of the great spectacles in sport.

[JM2K6]

Hands up everyone who's surprised Harry Brook looked completely out of his depth at 3? Not you, Baz.

[Torquemada 1420]

This is becoming incredibly hard to watch

Big problems for Eng now with Robinson off and Moeen getting slaughtered. Root on next over?

Ali is an absolute liability, as is Bairstow’s keeping. Looks ominous

In keeping with the spirit of the series, the batsmen oblige by giving their wickets away!

[Kawazaki]

90mph plus bowling is truly one of the great spectacles in sport.

Imagine what it must have been like in the 70s and 80s facing the West Indies on dry tracks.

[Torquemada 1420]

It is quite frightening that England could have had Wood and Archer bowling in tandem.

Archer is a perma-sick note so that really is theoretical.

[Torquemada 1420]

90mph plus bowling is truly one of the great spectacles in sport.

Imagine what it must have been like in the 70s and 80s facing the West Indies on dry tracks.

Sabina or Perth in the old days!

[Paddington Bear]

90mph plus bowling is truly one of the great spectacles in sport.

Imagine what it must have been like in the 70s and 80s facing the West Indies on dry tracks.

No or poor quality helmets as well. Genuinely terrifying

[Torquemada 1420]

90mph plus bowling is truly one of the great spectacles in sport.

Imagine what it must have been like in the 70s and 80s facing the West Indies on dry tracks.

No or poor quality helmets as well. Genuinely terrifying

As I repeatedly point out, the likes of Zaheer and Lloyd were both tall men who batted with no helmets, wore glasses and faced the quickest bowlers the world has seen. Ditto helmetless "Magic" Khan who simply smiled at the Windies express men and plundered them for runs. The advent of the helmet was a necessary safety intervention (although not mandatory.......) but since it's arrival, batting techniques have plummeted against genuine quicks. Batsmen no longer keep their eyes on the ball. The old ability to bend inside or outside the line of a bumper has gone. And with it, we see far more batters hit facing equivalent short balls than before. Whilst this doesn't matter physically (rather that than Gatting v Marshall), it means they get out to the short stuff more often and that has been a real theme this series.

[Paddington Bear]

Imagine what it must have been like in the 70s and 80s facing the West Indies on dry tracks.

No or poor quality helmets as well. Genuinely terrifying

As I repeatedly point out, the likes of Zaheer and Lloyd were both tall men who batted with no helmets, wore glasses and faced the quickest bowlers the world has seen. Ditto helmetless "Magic" Khan who simply smiled at the Windies express men and plundered them for runs. The advent of the helmet was a necessary safety intervention (although not mandatory.......) but since it's arrival, batting techniques have plummeted against genuine quicks. Batsmen no longer keep their eyes on the ball. The old ability to bend inside or outside the line of a bumper has gone. And with it, we see far more batters hit facing equivalent short balls than before. Whilst this doesn't matter physically (rather that than Gatting v Marshall), it means they get out to the short stuff more often and that has been a real theme this series.

Yeah I agree with this. Old cricket is far more watchable and recognisable than old football and rugby (if you stuck the West Indians of the 80s into a modern test they’d still be good without having to adjust their game radically. Someone like Barry John or George Best would of course still be top class now but they’d have to adjust everything about how they played). Probably the two biggest changes are ground fielding, if anything slip fielding generally seems better back in the day, and how people play short pitched bowling.

Re: getting out to the short ball, the risk/reward has changed. If you take it on, you’re probably not going to get badly hurt, and you’ve got a much more powerful bat and the boundary is in from the fence, giving you a much better chance of hitting it for 4/6 than was true 40 odd years ago.

[OomStruisbaai]

No or poor quality helmets as well. Genuinely terrifying

As I repeatedly point out, the likes of Zaheer and Lloyd were both tall men who batted with no helmets, wore glasses and faced the quickest bowlers the world has seen. Ditto helmetless "Magic" Khan who simply smiled at the Windies express men and plundered them for runs. The advent of the helmet was a necessary safety intervention (although not mandatory.......) but since it's arrival, batting techniques have plummeted against genuine quicks. Batsmen no longer keep their eyes on the ball. The old ability to bend inside or outside the line of a bumper has gone. And with it, we see far more batters hit facing equivalent short balls than before. Whilst this doesn't matter physically (rather that than Gatting v Marshall), it means they get out to the short stuff more often and that has been a real theme this series.

Yeah I agree with this. Old cricket is far more watchable and recognisable than old football and rugby (if you stuck the West Indians of the 80s into a modern test they’d still be good without having to adjust their game radically. Someone like Barry John or George Best would of course still be top class now but they’d have to adjust everything about how they played). Probably the two biggest changes are ground fielding, if anything slip fielding generally seems better back in the day, and how people play short pitched bowling.

Re: getting out to the short ball, the risk/reward has changed. If you take it on, you’re probably not going to get badly hurt, and you’ve got a much more powerful bat and the boundary is in from the fence, giving you a much better chance of hitting it for 4/6 than was true 40 odd years ago.

That bring us to the short ball tactic previous test. Batting without a helmet forced you to play the hook and pull well.

[JM2K6]

Sky discussing Bairstow with a montage labelled "Bairstow mixed series". Mixed? It was about 18 different fuckups.

[Gumboot]

Sky discussing Bairstow with a montage labelled "Bairstow mixed series". Mixed? It was about 18 different fuckups.

As expected, leaving Foakes out has come back to bite them on the arse. The gulf in talent between Carey and Bairstow has been costly.

[Kiwias]

Root gets England off to the worst possible start.

[Gumboot]

Catches win matches.

[Kiwias]

Sky discussing Bairstow with a montage labelled "Bairstow mixed series". Mixed? It was about 18 different fuckups.

Make that 19

[Paddington Bear]

We’re not getting close here, are we

[Sandstorm]

We’re not getting close here, are we

Follow-on beckons......

[Thor Sedan]

We’re not getting close here, are we

Follow-on beckons......

Superman Stokes is in.....you'll be 100 ahead by Tea.

[Sandstorm]

Cricinfo ad feeds are showing lots of teenage girls wearing tiny outfits from Newlook (I went looking for a sunhat for the wife on there yesterday) - not a good look in the office today.....

[JM2K6]

Been busy since 11 so assuming we've kicked on and are looking to hammer home our advanta- oh. I see.

Bairstow is averaging 27 this series with the bat btw.

[JM2K6]

[Thor Sedan]

Hee.

[Big D]

Been busy since 11 so assuming we've kicked on and are looking to hammer home our advanta- oh. I see.

Bairstow is averaging 27 this series with the bat btw.

His place would be untenable if they weren't so stubborn.

[Insane_Homer]

Where is Bazball now

[JM2K6]

Been busy since 11 so assuming we've kicked on and are looking to hammer home our advanta- oh. I see.

Bairstow is averaging 27 this series with the bat btw.

His place would be untenable if they weren't so stubborn.

Yup. And that average is heavily boosted by the 77 he scored before he had to do any keeping.

[Paddington Bear]

Apologies to the table on the West Coast Main Line I have just punched, but FUCK ME is there any danger of us putting any thought into our cricket this series? Just a massive fuck you from the side to everyone who is emotionally invested in it

[Hal Jordan]

And now Woakes has been hit on the head.

It's the 90s all over again! Win other series, shit our pants in The Ashes.

[Thor Sedan]

Let the Stokes fireworks commence.

[Insane_Homer]

Aus could end up with a 100 run lead

[Sandstorm]

Let the Stokes fireworks commence.

He can barely walk.

[Thor Sedan]

Let the Stokes fireworks commence.

He can barely walk.

Danger of wounded animals and all that.

[Sandstorm]

Wood caught going for a hook shot too. He's only just re-joined the team.

These Poms are not well-coached.

[Sandstorm]

Let the Stokes fireworks commence.

He can barely walk.

Danger of wounded animals and all that.

3 x 4s in a row from the big bat of the Ginger Poach

[clydecloggie]

Wood caught going for a hook shot too. He's only just re-joined the team.

These Poms are not well-coached.

24 off 8. Trying to hit everything out of the park. Maybe we should just give up and play the Ashes over 5 T20's?

[JM2K6]

Not going to criticise Wood - he can hit quick runs and he hit quick runs. First bit of momentum we've had since the Aussies were batting.

[clydecloggie]

Not going to criticise Wood - he can hit quick runs and he hit quick runs. First bit of momentum we've had since the Aussies were batting.

It's the quintessential cameo but is it really what's needed just now? It's a hard and true pitch, sun's shining - maybe hang around and support Stokes for an hour or so?

[JM2K6]

Not going to criticise Wood - he can hit quick runs and he hit quick runs. First bit of momentum we've had since the Aussies were batting.

It's the quintessential cameo but is it really what's needed just now? It's a hard and true pitch, sun's shining - maybe hang around and support Stokes for an hour or so?

Wood isn't a batsman who can hang around, he doesn't have the defence for it. He's a hitter. And he's not batted for a long time. All of a sudden we're up to nearly 200 and within sight of their score.

No guarantee an injured Stokes can carry the innings, either. Although if the Aussies drop him like that...


edit: Woakes and Ali have a lot more blame to carry for their shots. They can bat properly and can hang around.