5th Test Match

vegster · Dec 20, 2016

LlcoolJ said:
Drop Root? Yeah, cool plan bro.

Just like India should have dropped Kohli after he was completely useless in the series in England.

Any cooler plans " Bro " ?

Cheshire Cat · Dec 20, 2016

Garry Nelson's teacher said:
Bring back the blockers? Boycs, Tavare, Barrington and - king of the lot - deadbat Bailey. Any other suggestions?

Two of them are dead so could be a bit tricky.

Peter Grummit · Dec 20, 2016

Cheshire Cat said:
Two of them are dead so could be a bit tricky.

They are unlikely to do worse than some of those batting today.

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Garry Nelson's teacher · Dec 20, 2016

Cheshire Cat said:
Two of them are dead so could be a bit tricky.

A mere technicality; these boys would play on regardless.

BensGrandad · Dec 20, 2016

The search for cash with the short format games like T20 etc has reduced the capability of batsmen to build an innings. It is now a case of in how few balls can you get a hundred or if not you will be out quickly,

Surf's Up · Dec 20, 2016

spring hall convert said:
And another pertinent question. How convinced are we about Root's suitability for the job? Or is it more the dearth of other candidates?

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Not at all. It follows the sporting pattern of making the best player captain on the assumption that the skill set is the same!!

knocky1 · Dec 20, 2016

I'm knackered. Lets discuss this at 4 in the morning.

OzMike · Dec 21, 2016

Maybe time for new leadership, we have been a bit of a shambles in the bowling dept in India.
Time to refresh the ranks, maybe our spinners should go to India etc. in the close season to learn how it is done.

jakarta · Dec 21, 2016

OzMike said:
Maybe time for new leadership, we have been a bit of a shambles in the bowling dept in India.
Time to refresh the ranks, maybe our spinners should go to India etc. in the close season to learn how it is done.

To be fair to Cook I'm sure he didn't give a team talk along the lines of Alright Boys, we have a match to save but keep on playing your shots and if you smack it to mid-on or chip it back to the bowler that's OK with me :down:

On the subject of spinners, perhaps if we played some 4 day cricket in July and August it might help?

knocky1 · Dec 21, 2016

TMS were talking about Jack Leach yesterday. 65 wickets for Somerset this year but left out of England team as ECB thought he had an illegal bowling action. Has had this corrected and is off to Sri Lanka with the Lions.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/story/1073584.html

LlcoolJ · Dec 21, 2016

vegster said:
Any cooler plans " Bro " ?

Well, not dropping our best player for a start.

spring hall convert · Dec 21, 2016

BensGrandad said:
The search for cash with the short format games like T20 etc has reduced the capability of batsmen to build an innings. It is now a case of in how few balls can you get a hundred or if not you will be out quickly,

Unless they're Indian.

spring hall convert · Dec 21, 2016

jakarta said:
To be fair to Cook I'm sure he didn't give a team talk along the lines of Alright Boys, we have a match to save but keep on playing your shots and if you smack it to mid-on or chip it back to the bowler that's OK with me

As an aside it always makes me laugh that Stokes and Morgan had a huge discussion before Stokes bowled that over full of filth to Brathwaite and cost us the World T20.

I always imagine Morgan saying "Now Ben, if you can bowl three rank leg stump half volleys, followed by a long hop, we'll all be in the pavilion that bit quicker."

Cricket's a funny game. you can have all the plans in the world, executing them under pressure is another thing. That's one of my concerns about this England team, they wilt under pressure.

Rodney Thomas · Dec 21, 2016

knocky1 said:
TMS were talking about Jack Leach yesterday. 65 wickets for Somerset this year but left out of England team as ECB thought he had an illegal bowling action. Has had this corrected and is off to Sri Lanka with the Lions.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/story/1073584.html

Literally no other country would not select a player based on his action. Leech deserved a spot on the tour and personally I feel that Ollie Rayner did too (seeing as he spun Middlesex to the CC). I can only assume they also had concerns about his action too as he was never mentioned.

Edit - Seems his action was actually illegal rather than just concerns. Still not sure other countries would have cared much!

vegster · Dec 21, 2016

LlcoolJ said:
Well, not dropping our best player for a start.

My post suggested dropping batsmen who gave their wickets away " maybe even Root ". Just supposing Root had been dropped for this series, could the results have been any worse?
Could it have made a difference to the rest of the team knowing that they had to constantly play for their place rather than bask in the security or a central contract?

spring hall convert · Dec 21, 2016

vegster said:
My post suggested dropping batsmen who gave their wickets away " maybe even Root ". Just supposing Root had been dropped for this series, could the results have been any worse?
Could it have made a difference to the rest of the team knowing that they had to constantly play for their place rather than back in the security or a central contract?

God it's difficult isn't it?

I'm sure we all remember the 90's and the scattergun selection policy. The dropping and reselecting numerous times of the likes of Hick and Ramprakash. I don't make you wrong, perhaps central contracts have bred an element of complacency but from where I'm sat that's probably better than where we were at before them.

Garry Nelson's teacher · Dec 21, 2016

Today's Independent is advocating the following team for the summer (assuming all fit - and willing - of course):
Cook, Hameed, Jennings, Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler, Moeen, Woakes, Broad. Anderson

Any disagreements? This is a bit counter-intuitive: a team coming off the back of a 4-0 hammering with virtually no changes. But, I for one, can't think of any.

Stumpy Tim · Dec 21, 2016

Garry Nelson's teacher said:
Today's Independent is advocating the following team for the summer (assuming all fit - and willing - of course):
Cook, Hameed, Jennings, Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler, Moeen, Woakes, Broad. Anderson

Any disagreements? This is a bit counter-intuitive: a team coming off the back of a 4-0 hammering with virtually no changes. But, I for one, can't think of any.

I agree with that team. You could make an argument for an extra bastman instead of Buttler, or even Leach as a second spinner.

Simster · Dec 21, 2016

The important thing is that Gary Ballance is nowhere near the squad. He's had far too many chances already.

Gwylan · Dec 21, 2016

Garry Nelson's teacher said:
Any disagreements? This is a bit counter-intuitive: a team coming off the back of a 4-0 hammering with virtually no changes. But, I for one, can't think of any.

A 4-0 hammering where only one bowler put in a decent performance so, naturally enough, he's the one who's dropped. Brilliant.

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5th Test Match

Sanity Clause

The most curious thing..

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Mama said knock you out.

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"the man's an arse"

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