Cricket, lovely cricket (Part 1)

Good point well made. Got any pads? :joy:

I am right handed, unfortunately that is the only qualification I have, I once batted against a 14 year old Surrey County junior ‘fast’ bowler. Not for very long though.:grinning:

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Right, you’re in!

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I once batted for a pub team against a Kent first team fast bowler (ringers were rife back in the 80’s/90’s pub leagues).

Scared the shit out of me, but I managed to get a six and a couple of 4s just by sticking my bat blindly in the way of the ball, such was his pace.

I got to 23 quite quickly, and then he switched to spin and uprooted my stumps quite spectacularly.

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Once opened in a Sunday match against https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Naqvi_(cricketer) who was very much not bowling spin.

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I would go for a decent fielder, if they can bat then it’s a bonus. Currently we have Jennings who can’t catch or score runs.

Aggers has previously suggested Woakes as an opener. He looks too troubled by the short stuff though.

Why not play Roy if he comes off then he is a match winner

:grin: that’s joke, right?

:grin: keep 'em coming

Limited overs games, yes all day. Test matches? :rofl:

Sehwag and Hayden came out swinging and did ok. Could try a change from same old…

I knew I should have had that trade marked.:wink:

At least put the best slip fielders in the slips, Root must know he is a better slip fielder than Jennings or Butler, and the slips is a pretty good place for the skipper to be if he wants to influence the match, at least he is close enough to see what is happening with the bowling

Sehwag averaged a shade under 50 in tests (47 in first class matches), Hayden over 50 in tests (53 in first class matches) , Roy averages 37 in first class cricket. A very similar average to Alex Hales. They’re limited overs specialists, we need an opener who can grind out 40 overs and score 60 runs in the process.

It might not be pretty, but is sure as hell pisses off the opposition bowlers and it makes life a hell of a lot easier for numbers 3, 4 and 5.

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Much as it pains me to say it, what the side needs is a Boycott character (preferably without the wife beating sideline).

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A test match day has never lasted one ball. There have been 2 ball and 3 ball days, but never 1.

Could it be today?

Nope!

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We have tried lots of them and all failed. Compton had the best record with Cook, although Cook was far more reliable then.

Hameed looked good until he was injured and hasn’t recovered,

Bairstow opens in limited overs. Is he worth a try when fit ?

Sehwag and Hayden would be deemed one day specialists if English :smiley:

How about Salt and Pepper ?

Not sure which two should pad-up first though

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Despite, or maybe because of all the flaws on display, this series is shaping up to be a classic. India have a better attack than England, I think, with a couple of bowlers in the hutch. In this last game they bowled better lengths and attacked the stumps a bit more, especially Bumrah and Sharma. In those two, India have a pair of bowlers to challenge both the left and righthanders in England’s line up by angling the ball in and shaping it away (or not), which is something England will need to find an answer to in the next game. However, our bowlers are still well capable, if they can get back to bowling the attacking lengths they managed in the first 2 games and the fielders can stop shelling the catches. I wish we had someone genuinely fast! We miss Wood…
Stokes and Buttler showed yesterday that batting gets easier if you stay in (well, whaddya know?!). Their partnership was very impressive, as much for their restraint as anything else. They both left the ball very well and denied themselves doing anything too adventurous against Ashwin, who ok, wasn’t quite at his best yesterday but still posed a threat. Rashid looked embarrassing against him late on, which showed how well Stokes and Buttler had done before. The entire team should learn from what Stokes and Buttler did.
Ashwin is frighteningly good, he has as many variations as a top class leg-spinner and his subtleties, patience and guile seem to be limitless. I could watch him all day but hope that England don’t allow him enough runs to bowl at!
India are looking increasingly acclimatised and will be a real force in the next game. Get in amongst them though, pressure Kohli, stiffen the batting and their anxieties will re-surface. England are still 2-1 up.
I cant wait. :grinning:

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True, but we need to hold the catches!


1/4 final: Kent currently 24/3 :thinking:

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Lucky it’s not 4. Bad miss by Buttler.

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