[Cricket] Test Series- England in India- January & February 2024

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Sid and the Sharknados

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 4, 2022
4,366
Darlington
Seems an insane decision, tbh.

Not only the risk that he breaks down in this Test, but the risk to his longer term fitness, from over-bowling him. That or they risk Stokes' knee by trying to squeeze a few overs out of him.

The team is incredibly unbalanced in that regard - partly because the 'part time skills' of the batters they've chosen do not include any seam bowling (save for the injured Stokes). A Collingwood, or even a Trott (or Harry Brook) would have helped a little.

By my reckoning they have chosen:

FOUR (specialist or occasional) wicket-keepers, in Foakes, Bairstow, Pope and Duckett
SIX (specialist or occasional) spinners, in Leach, Ahmed, Hartley, Root, Crawley (R Off), Duckett (R Leg)
ONE fit seamer, in Mark Wood.

Bizarre
I can only assume they've looked at the pitch and decided they're simply not going to be bowling any seam at all. Which I'd have more faith in if our spinners had any sort of track record to base that faith on.

That said, I think there's far more value (and entertainment) on a turning pitch in having an actual spinner bowling than some bang average medium pacer wang down a few just for the sake of filling in a few overs.

I stand to be corrected, but I don't remember Wood's in match fitness ever being much of an issue (unlike Robinson, for example).

Obviously easy to say with hindsight, but I'm sure lots of people thought/said at the time that Stokes should have missed the world Cup in order to have his operation earlier so there might have been a chance of him bowling in this series.
 




Sid and the Sharknados

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 4, 2022
4,366
Darlington
Piece of trivia. Which umpire, who stood in two World Cup Finals, also scored a goal against Manchester United in a shock FA Cup win ?
Adjacent bit of fun trivia: Dickie Bird was the only one of the umpires for the first 3 world cup finals to not have played in the Football League.
I gather Tom Spencer (1975 final) grew up in Hastings.
 












Sid and the Sharknados

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 4, 2022
4,366
Darlington
Ball turning after 10th over. Not sure what this proves?
That it's a test match in India. Both teams have picked 3 spinners (and two wicketkeepers, amusingly), it's not like anybody's surprised by this.
Frankly, I'll take this over 4days on a pitch as flat as a pancake that suddenly disintegrates on the last day.
 










vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,933
Woke up a bit early this morning to check the score and listen to a bit of commentary....only to find 5Live Sports Extra has West Indies v Australia and NO TMS ? What a joke... Then I find I have to put up with Talkshite including Darren Gough...then looking at the score it seems the BBC may have played a blinder by not buying the commentary rights.

Have the BBC given up on the ridiculous disaster that is Cricket Social too ?
 








vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,933
How long before the next Ashes ? That seems to be the only series we actually try to lift our game for.
 


















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