Really lovely match for a dead rubber and a cracking series. Maybe a toss or two going another way and of course the lower middle order bailing us out a couple of times made the difference.
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Really lovely match for a dead rubber and a cracking series. Maybe a toss or two going another way and of course the lower middle order bailing us out a couple of times made the difference.
And I am now absolutely bang up for Rangy Herath, who is FORTY YEARS OLD, destroying us in Sri Lanka.
There's aim number one ticked off for Jimmy, officially better than Glenn McGrath. 600 should be a doddle from here, it's how far he goes after that that will determine his true trolling potential.
The roly poly bank clerk will be ending some careers thats for sure. Jennings for sure and my call is that Bairstow will not be involved in the Test side next summer. Buttler will have the gloves and Pope/A.N.Other will be in the middle order. Unfortunately I think his technique is all over the place atm and just screams failure in Sri Lanka.
Think they shat on Pope by picking him far too soon and in the wrong position. Wouldn't surprise me if they manage to get Liam Livingstone involved by then.
Buttler avec les gants does make a lot of sense.
jennings being retained on the basis that he's "good against spin", aye? with due respect to the county championship piemen, how has he actually proven that? i mean he scored a century on debut in India, but followed that up with two failures and a fifty, it's hardly enough to justify that. i just can't understand the logic. opening the batting in county games with an average of 30 i can't imagine he's even faced that much spin. reminds me of the reason they picked duckett.
Presumably Jennings is also being retained because it's easier to find one new opener than two?
Pretty much. Einstein Ed has been falling over himself to find any excuse to keep picking him.
Of equal concern is Australia picking their team on a newfound '% of times passed 30' stat. Do these people not understand what numbers are or why they exist?
Did I see that Burns' county partner is Stoneman? If so... Given Jennings is rubbish why not just call those two up together? Alright Stoneman wasn't amazing but surely having a pair familiar with each other would help a bit.
Stoneman had a truly horrendous run after being dropped earlier in the summer, to the point where Surrey dropped him for a few games or at least he 'took a break from cricket'. He has come back strongly in the latter part of the season though, culminating in the mighty brown hats WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP today :cool:
Last time we won it, Ian Ward scored a thousand, which tells you it's been a while.
Congrats to those plucky brownhatters eh? How much have you seen of Burns Jim? Whats the honest and true assessment beyond the runs?
Also, great interview with my favourite British sportsman: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/s...iked-wlptsxxvk
Its in the spoiler if you cant get past the paywall
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I've seen more of Burns probably than every major commentator and pundit combined, especially Simon Hughes. The reason they haven't picked him until now is a) Cook has been there, and they've only ever wanted one natural stodger (even with Hameed they tried Duckett first) and b) Burns has a funny trigger movement, a monster backlift and tends to plant the front dog in front of all three, so the theory probably goes that in TEST MATCH CRICKET, at THE HIGHEST LEVEL someone like Mitchell Starc could exocet them in at 94mph and get him lbw. I shouldn't think he has much to fear from Lahiru Gamage, mind.
There's no way that you can ignore someone scoring that number of runs, though, and he seems to become more consistent every year.
The only other Burns fact worth knowing is that his dad once called me a cheat (I was an umpire on the day in question), and I told him to fuck off.
Getting out to 95mph Starc yorkers doesnt seem the worst weakness all things considered
I'm with you on Moeen as well, absolute legend. I am deeply in love with various member of this team for different reasons, he is one of them.
As I said the other day, such an odd team I really don't what to make of them. Loads of great guys, loads of talented players, it just doesnt fully work at the moment or does it?
I think I like this mental bunch of collapsing all rounders managed by an Australian sunhat and selected by the most jazziest of jazzers more than the unbelievably successful Strauss/Flower bunch. Not sure though. Maybe I'm not appreciating those days as much as i should.
I used to hate that team as well. There was no joy in it, there is joy in this lot.
Cook (RIP) - legend and winds people up
xxxx - gap in the market here for a hard-drinking, Sehwag-style madcap opener
Moeen Ali - hero and legend
Root - quality player, preferred him in the ranks though
Bairstow - total weirdo in a nice way
Stokes - obligatory thuggish all-rounder
Buttler - freak show talent with a funny voice that doesn't suit him
Curran - my favourite nephew
Woakes - I'm reliably informed, by someone who spends time around the England team, that he is the nicest man ever to be born
Broad - all time great wind up merchant
Anderson - another all time great wind up merchant, but specialises in reeling in seething Australians
They were just so cold and dull as well. This mob are hot headed Mavericks - I love it.
I recorded that Inside Track: 2005 Ashes thing Sky had on and am watching it 5-10 minutes at a time before work. I'm not sure how old the programme is but the ones they've had as talking heads so far all comes across as a bit earnest and bereft of personality.
I'd also forgotten just how much the first test followed a proper England template.
I hate the 2005 team in retrospect, and everything about them. Vaughan and Flintoff now just career around being colossal wankers.
That series also led to terrible cultural damage such as the punditry career of Simon Hughes, the ruining of Jerusalem, Billy the fucking Trumpeter, the list goes on. Awful.
The trumpeter is one of the talking heads on this.
Just been at Finals Day, it was basically like an eleven hour Moeen Ali tribute concert.
Turns out he is also a brilliant captain.
That Pat Brown kid returned some impressive bowling figures in both the semi and the final, although I find it very hard to judge T20 bowling. Is he genuinely any good, or are too many modern players unable to adjust (quickly enough) to someone rolling down 67mph pies? I suppose it's not as if he was a completely unknown quantity coming into the finals. If Ian Austin had had quicker ball . . .
He was incredible. He is by nature a mid 80s quick, but was spitting out these late dipping knuckle balls like a veteran and no one in either Lancs or Sussex had any answer whatsoever. Rarely seen anything so impressive under pressure.
https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/20...mpression=true
The fact that people are doubting Moeen's account of this tells you that they just pay no attention to what goes on around them. Moeen doesn't make shit up.
Yeah alright, Joe, he didn't lose a finger or anything.Quote:
"It's not right in any way that that is said on the cricket field," Root told BBC Look North.
"Most importantly, Moeen's OK and has found a way to carry on playing"
My Ed Smith bullshit radar has just detected a Jason Roy Test squad inclusion. Stay tuned.
I saw that on cricinfo. If we don’t pick Burns :face:
Fortunately they decided against it. They have however selected Joe Denly. I've been scratching my head for some weeks trying to work out the reason why his form as a T20 leg spinner has catapulted him into the frame for selection as a Test opening bat (long term championship form ok to modest), and having had the true reason pointed out to me by the Evening Standard I can't believe I've been so dense.
Quote:
Denly’s legspin provides a handy option, he plays spin and seam adeptly and he has shown fine temperament in high-pressure T20 leagues. Smith played with him and, a decade on, clearly feels the slow road to success has suited him.
M. Marsh as the Australian test vice captain. Along with Hazelwood, who is presumably in the role to prevent Marsh being undroppable when his form inevitably drops.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhDqij-WnDQ
Tresco :cool:
Bit ECB-ish.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/45734441
Good? Bad? Irrelevant?
He's a decent man and I slightly fear they will put some total idiot there in his place, but I think we need a, how can I put this, less posh director.
Who would you be going for?
Nasser. That's all.
I'd give Nasser the keys overnight, but assuming he doesn't want it, and notwithstanding my status as a Surrey fan, I would give it to Alec Stewart, who in the same role at Surrey has been nothing short of magnificent.
They are just going to give it to Flower full time.
I know we have been here before, but is this the worst Australian test team ever? On paper it looks dire.
And who the hell is Papa Shango?
Having been 142/0 that's up there with some of our efforts against Ajmal in 11/12.
Mohammad Abbas is the best bowler in the world and right under the radar with it.
His presence made Leicestershire seem a competent four day side so he must be fucking close.
Labuschagne.
I are confuse.
I have no idea how they're pronouncing it, Australians are capable of anything in that department. 'Marnus Labbah-Shane' has a nice ring to it but no doubt that's not how they say it.
This is the worst Australian team I've ever seen, no question. It's hard to be too cut up about it, but in the past we've been carried by Smith, Starc, and Hazlewood. Warner and Lyon on their best days.
Everyone else is basically occupying a space. Finch is alright I guess.
To be fair, that was a hell of an innings from Khawaja.
I love a great redemptive knock, and that was one.
Finch-Khawaja a decent opening pairing. Hopefully means no international return ever for that vile cunt Warner.
I would put money on him getting into a pub fight here during his suspension.