The Official Cricket Thread

[Rinkals]

Pakistan 88 to win. The pitch looks difficult but Saffers don't have a Yassir.

We'll see.

The Pakistani quicks were pretty dangerous as well.

I suspect our quick bowlers are a reasonable match for the Pakistani quicks, even if our spinners aren't.

88 is a little light as a target and I suspect the slow bowlers wouldn't get much of an outing anyway: the target will either be achieved or the back of the innings broken before de Kock turns to spin.

Ok, I was wrong.

de Kock has turned to Maharaj.

The field placing seems defensive with only one slip and a forward short leg.

Cover is open and Ali accepts the invitation and drives for consecutive fours.

Seems that de Kock wants this to be over quickly.

Friday prayers?

[Rinkals]

Didn't realise that it was just before lunch, so bringing Maharaj on was fair enough.

I'm still perplexed at the partially defensive field placings, though with nobody around the bat yet the boundaries unprotected.

Nortje gets both openers after the break.

[Rinkals]

Well, that's that.

First innings deficit the difference between the sides.

Winning the toss on a pitch which was always going to be challenging to bat last on, especially against spin, should have been an opportunity to get ahead of the game, but poor batting on the first day (with two run-outs) put the kibosh on that.

I fear we won't have a better opportunity to win a game.

[Torquemada 1420]

Pakistan uncover a new talent. By tomorrow, his birth certificate will say Nauman Ali is 23.

[JPNZ]

NZ will play India in the ICC world test championship in Lords.

Australia has postponed its test series in SA.

[handyman]

NZ will play India in the ICC world test championship in Lords.

Australia has postponed its test series in SA.

That's terrible news for SA.

[Green light echo]

NZ will play India in the ICC world test championship in Lords.

Australia has postponed its test series in SA.

That's terrible news for SA.

Oh well. Professional national sporting teams sometimes have to cancel tours due to unforseen circumstances.

Right South African Rugby........

[handyman]

NZ will play India in the ICC world test championship in Lords.

Australia has postponed its test series in SA.

That's terrible news for SA.

Oh well. Professional national sporting teams sometimes have to cancel tours due to unforseen circumstances.

Right South African Rugby........

Quite right, we're in the middle of a pandemic.

[Sards]

That's terrible news for SA.

Oh well. Professional national sporting teams sometimes have to cancel tours due to unforseen circumstances.

Right South African Rugby........

Quite right, we're in the middle of a pandemic.

Not just a pandemic...its a vokken disaster.....We received funding and our long fingered politicians stole the whole vokken lot just on PPEs....they didnt have the imagination or foresight or were just too vokken greedy to think about leaving enough to pay for vaccines

[And 1 guest]

Shifting continents briefly, Channel 4 have won the rights to the Ind-Eng series. Not sure who they have lined up for commentary, but I would love the return of Mambo No 5.

[Woddy]

That's great news it's on terrestrial. Just have to work out how to access it, as have long ago moved to watching TV through the kids' PS4. No idea how to get normal TV now.

Who's Mambo No.5?

[And 1 guest]

That's great news it's on terrestrial. Just have to work out how to access it, as have long ago moved to watching TV through the kids' PS4. No idea how to get normal TV now.

Who's Mambo No.5?

It was the theme music for the old C4 coverage

[Woddy]

That's great news it's on terrestrial. Just have to work out how to access it, as have long ago moved to watching TV through the kids' PS4. No idea how to get normal TV now.

Who's Mambo No.5?

It was the theme music for the old C4 coverage

So it was, forgotten that in the mists of 2005. Thought you knew something special about Mark Nicholas...

[Woddy]

That's great news it's on terrestrial. Just have to work out how to access it, as have long ago moved to watching TV through the kids' PS4. No idea how to get normal TV now.

Who's Mambo No.5?

It was the theme music for the old C4 coverage

So it was, forgotten that in the mists of 2005. Thought you knew something special about Mark Nicholas...

[Sandstorm]

No idea how to get normal TV now.

https://www.channel4.com/now/c4

[Woddy]

Cheers Sandy

[Enzedder]

I shouldn't but - in the Spirit of Underarm week

[Gumboot]

[handyman]

Pak 67/3, Maharaj with 2 wickets and Nortje with 1.

[Paddington Bear]

Test Match back on Channel 4 tomorrow morning, very excited. Can already hear Mambo number 5 in my head

[stemoc]

started, after 1 over, england up 1-0 lol

[Jb1981]

Spin from both ends already, and looking at Ashwin’s figures, from about the 8th over of the day. I guess it’s a real home team track.

That said, England have started very well at 57-0.

[Enzedder]

Out from a reverse sweep on Morning 1 of day 1

Then 1 wicket becomes 2

Well done Burns.

[Rinkals]

If anyone's following the Pakistan game, I've started a new fred.

http://notplanetrugby.com/viewtopic.php ... 94d36102f5

[Paddington Bear]

Shame about the pre lunch madness as otherwise that had been a very mature first session

[Saint]

Root and Sibley going REALLY well here. Root now just 2 away from 3 tons in 3 matches

[Saint]

And there we go

227-2

Root 100 from 164, Sibley now 83 from 250

New ball in 2 overs

[Saint]

Gutted for Sibley - that looks very out

[Saint]

263-3, Sibley out for 87 in the last over. Root unbeaten on 128

[Slick]

Test Match back on Channel 4 tomorrow morning, very excited. Can already hear Mambo number 5 in my head

Only heard this was on with an hour of play left

[Hal Jordan]

England seem to be back to their tried and trusted approach to batting of, "End of a session imminent? Better get back to the pavilion early before the others scoff all the cake!“

[Paddington Bear]

Test Match back on Channel 4 tomorrow morning, very excited. Can already hear Mambo number 5 in my head

Only heard this was on with an hour of play left

Yeah C4 could have marketed this more, could get huge audiences.

[Ovals]

Root was superb today - best I've seen him play. Still lots to do though - have to ensure you only bat once in India. Pitch played very well.

[And 1 guest]

England need to bat nigh on all day tomorrow and aim for 550 at least. Maybe give Jimmy and Jofra half an hour at the end of the day. Root is batting beautifully, but needs support from the next three batters.

So cue the inevitable collapse.

[Ovals]

England need to bat nigh on all day tomorrow and aim for 550 at least. Maybe give Jimmy and Jofra half an hour at the end of the day. Root is batting beautifully, but needs support from the next three batters.

So cue the inevitable collapse.

Yep, we need Root to turn his into a daddy ton or a double - 3 good bats to come but neither Stokes or Pope have batted for a while, so we need Buttler to make a good contribution.

[Biffer]

Great knock from Root. He's got to have a diu Le ton in his sights tomorrow. Shame for Sibley. He was plum out though, don't know why he bothered with the review.

Reckon this series might involve a lot of high scoring draws, and batting first is going to be the only way to win.

[Enzedder]

355-3 at lunch. Great Springboard for 500+

However, I do want India to win as they will be easier in the test final later in the year.

[SaintK]

453-4 at tea
Root 208 not out

[mrbrownstone]

Gee that's a rare run of form for Root. 644 runs in his last 5 innings. That's the 18th highest run aggregate in 5 consecutive test innings ever, funnily enough tied with Williamson's 5 most recent innings.

http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Statisti ... nnings.asp

[Ovals]

Gee that's a rare run of form for Root. 644 runs in his last 5 innings. That's the 18th highest run aggregate in 5 consecutive test innings ever, funnily enough tied with Williamson's 5 most recent innings.

http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Statisti ... nnings.asp

Amazing that he didn't score a ton in 2020 but has managed 3 (including 2 doubles) in 2021 by Feb 6th. He's got to be our best ever player of spin - makes it look so simple where others can look like they're facing hand grenades.