Great day, great match, great series. Credit to both teams for the spirit the series was played in.
All 4 actually
England win
India win
Draw
Tie
Build it higher!
Doesnât show well, but third panel added as âroofâ.
A test series for the ages! Two flawed sides, toe to toe for 6 weeks or so. Itâs had everything; young tyros, legends, resurrection⌠My favourite I think, was the crucial forth test, when the game was in the balance for about 3 days, with that delicious tension that only test cricket throws up. I was in ecstasy! Even yesterday India looked like they were preparing an assault at the most ridiculous run chase ever and having fun doing it. It made for a fantastic final day on maybe the flattest pitch of the summer. Jimmyâs loooong spell either side of tea dryed up an end and Rashid removed the centurians. Anderson going on to take the final wicket, and thereby breaking Glenn McGrathâs all-time fast bowlerâs wicket record was Perfect and a fitting end to this match.
The game is changing: Iâm still asking the question whether the advent of t20 is good or bad for the longer form. This has been maybe the most enthralling series since 2005. The teams are packed with players who are solid in the limited overs stuff. The ground fielding is uniformly excellent these days with perhaps only Ishant Sharma being a trad fast bowler type fielder in this series. The shorter form of the game seems to be throwing up (counter intuitively, to me anyway) wrist spin as a viable weapon and there are a number of great prospects around in England, let alone the rest of the world - Rashid Khan is incredible and could make Afganistan a force in tests.
But, the way the game is being promoted here is a disgrace. Yesterday was an epic dayâs cricket but played to a near empty stadium because the game is after the school holidays are done and everyone has gone back to work. Next yearâs final Ashes test starts I think, today or tomorrow. Doh!
So, the shorter form is influencing the game in not altogether negative ways on the pitch but the administrators are cramming the test series into the end of the summer, which is affecting ticket sales and forcing the game into the autumn when no-one can/wants to watch it. It really needs to be watched because the money men will use the lack of ticket sales to beat test cricket over the head with. It makes me very sad.
Surrey win the County Championship.
Morne Morkle: 50 wickets in 8 games at under 14 a piece. A bit of a signing!
You bet. Hope he is there next season.
In case people didnât see this from yesterday.
Me: Alexa, show me village.
Alexa:
Test squad to tour Sri Lanka in November
Joe Root (Yorkshire, capt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Joe Denly (Kent), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Jack Leach (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).
Not sure what else Porter can do?
I guess itâs a horses for courses thing-spin biased squad for this tour. Mind you, I canât really see him getting in the team at home next season either.
Last chance saloon for Jennings.
Cook retiring and the fact that heâs a good player of spin has given him that last chance. A good tour might just give him the confidence he needs to establish himself.
Poorly missus.
Do I want more people with personalities like Pietersen in cricket? No.
Do I want people like him anywhere near coaching? No.
Anywhere near the boundary? Yes, butâŚ
Ha! Yes, have seen that. Funny.
Dumb fucker.
Astonishing run out - wasnât even looking at the stumps