Cricket

[Bald Rick]

I’m coming round to the idea that Bazball (ugh) isn’t the positive change that it’s held up to be.

Be-have!

it’s worked brilliantly, and been terrifically entertaining, for a year. Then in the face of arguably the best test team in the world, it was very close to winning the first test , and now we are doing our best to throw this away in the face of some dull cricket from Australia and poor thinking About taking on the short ball. We’ll learn.

I would much rather have bazball than more of what went before it.

 

[Harvester]

Sad to say that's probably the ashes gone...

Australia are 221 ahead with 8 wickets in hand at close of play. Can’t see them becoming careless and throwing this match away, so it does look like the ashes have gone!

 

[Howardh]

Australia are 221 ahead with 8 wickets in hand at close of play. Can’t see them becoming careless and throwing this match away, so it does look like the ashes have gone!

We'll find out if our lot can do an Atherton and bat out four sessions+. The forecast isn't helping either, clear Saturday and Sunday. Root can stay in all day, but have the others the technique and patience??

 

[Mikey C]

We'll find out if our lot can do an Atherton and bat out four sessions+. The forecast isn't helping either, clear Saturday and Sunday. Root can stay in all day, but have the others the technique and patience??

I'm not sure the 2023 Root thinks like that now.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

Sad to say that's probably the ashes gone...

Mmm...think so too! Don't think this Australian team will let it slip through their fingers!

Incidentally, I wonder when - if ever - it last occurred at the start of an innings in test cricket that two 36 year olds faced a 40 year old and a 37 year old?
(If it has happened, I surmise it would have been in the nineteenth century)

 

[DarloRich]

Bazball is about playing without fear. Sadly England have played without brain in this test.

Poor bowling on day one and that mad hour of batting yesterday might have cost the ashes.

Duckett. Ffs. 99 not out, an ashes ton at lords in his hand and gives it away. It might never come again. A blind man could see the trap and he and the others walked straight into it.

Brainless.

Steve Smith. Best since Bradman.

That's it. That's the post.

More of a cheat than Bradman so that counts against him.

(Really REALLY boils my urine that such a good player felt he had to cheat. Shameful)

 

[HST43257]

I love Bazball, more specifically 100/0 (20) Bazball, but I don’t love 60/4 (8) Bazball. That’s where I think the line has to be drawn. The work done by Crawley, Duckett and Pope is more or less exactly what I want to see, but what we’re seeing from the likes of Root and Stokes just annoys me. The fact that Crawley looks the most composed player in this team should be an idiotic idea given what overall disappointment we’ve seen from him since late 2019.

Root seems to either play perfectly and Stokes declares when Root is still at the crease, or he gets out twice and misses a few stupid reverse ramps. Stokes then just seems to have no gear in between a strike rate of 30 and 120 (getting out fifth ball or so having been dropped a few times in the process). They’re such good players but they’re wasting their talents on going too far.

Brook is slightly erratic by nature but needs to make sure he doesn’t play like Stokes and just hits easy boundaries for fun (ie Travis Head). Bairstow needs to go through the gears like he does so well most of the time.

England should be playing 2 of Anderson, Broad, Robinson and Woakes in these Tests, plus one of Wood and Tongue (good game for him), plus a Spinner. Also Guarantee that an all rounder is at 8. How Woakes isn’t playing at Lord’s I don’t know, and I hope for all our sanity that Liam Dawson is in the squad by next week, alongside Sam Curran ideally.

On a side note, can’t wait for Will Williams to complete his residency period in a couple of years if he’s still going strong. He could be dangerous, especially overseas given his Kookaburra ball experience playing in NZ.

 

[SteveM70]

Bairstow’s dismissal was a case in point today. If the shot he played had come off, he’d have got 4 for it. He could’ve played the same shot along the ground with zero risk for the same reward. It’s as if Bazball demands unnecessary risk, because when it comes off it looks good. Absolutely braindead

 

[Howardh]

On a side note, can’t wait for Will Williams to complete his residency period in a couple of years if he’s still going strong. He could be dangerous, especially overseas given his Kookaburra ball experience playing in NZ.

I'd prefer him playing for Lancs than England!! For a thirty-yr-old he's quite a late developer, and I don't think he would be considered for England when/if qualified, but I'd sure like to watch him alongside Anderson in the County Championship.

Question is, will Anderson, on quitting Test cricket, want a few more seasons bowling medium off a shortened run, and if so, who for, Lancs or maybe a second division team? On saying that, theye does appear to be a seat on the TMS commentary bench waiting for him. Anyone but Tufnell/Vaughan.

 

[SteveM70]

Anyone but Tufnell/Vaughan

I don’t mind Tufnell when he talks about cricket, the problem is the whole cheeky chappie schtick he’s developed

Vaughan, on the other hand, is plain awful

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Day 4 sees Australia move from 187-2 to 279 all out, with four wickets for Broad.

 

[Purple Train]

Please, England, bat with brain...

 

[Darandio]

And that was that......

Edit*

Reprieve!

Finding so much movement though, gonna be a tough session.

 

[Howardh]

Amongst the Lancashire faithful on Twitbook and the rest, there's a worry that with all this bouncy stuff going on, it simply isn't Anderson's game and that he won't be selected for the next Tests, and therefore bring an end to his exceptional Test career without a decent send-off (Like Steward at the Oval years ago). Lancashire will have him back in a flash...
Fixtures =
Third Test, Headingley where Jimmy would do OK but after two in a row he'll probably be "rested"
Fourth Test, Old Trafford, may well be selected unless England's bowlers performed miracles at Headingley and can't be dropped; so will that be his last hurrah?
Fifth test, Oval, another probable hard bouncy wicket that won't suit him, unlikely to be picked, especially as it's four days after the previous Test if he plays.

 

[ainsworth74]

Be-have!

it’s worked brilliantly, and been terrifically entertaining, for a year. Then in the face of arguably the best test team in the world, it was very close to winning the first test , and now we are doing our best to throw this away in the face of some dull cricket from Australia and poor thinking About taking on the short ball. We’ll learn.

I would much rather have bazball than more of what went before it.

Absolutely agreed. The last Test could easily have gone the other way. Some brainless batting is not reason to give up the whole concept which has until now been a tremendous success. People need a little more staying power!

 

[DarloRich]

Cummins superb. Has he just won the ashes?

 

[Howardh]

Absolutely agreed. The last Test could easily have gone the other way. Some brainless batting is not reason to give up the whole concept which has until now been a tremendous success. People need a little more staying power!

There are times when you just have to put your head down and block, tonight was one of them, although to be fair the problem is - the Aussies have pitched it up/found a length as they spotted there are three bits of wood sticking out of the ground, whereas England thought the stumps were 7' in the air.

 

[Harvester]

Cummins superb. Has he just won the ashes?

Looks like it, with Root and Brook gone. What was surprising was Lyon limping out to bat. No generous declaration from Australia!

 

[Purple Train]

I've switched to the Women's Ashes!
Decent first innings from England, posting 153-7 from their 20 overs thanks to 56 from Dunkley and brilliant last-ditch hitting from Jones (40* off 21, having been given out lbw with nothing but bat involved, and dropped by the usually dependable Wareham off Schutt's final over). Jonassen the pick of the Aussie bowlers with 3-25 from her four overs.

 

[Mikey C]

Amongst the Lancashire faithful on Twitbook and the rest, there's a worry that with all this bouncy stuff going on, it simply isn't Anderson's game and that he won't be selected for the next Tests, and therefore bring an end to his exceptional Test career without a decent send-off (Like Steward at the Oval years ago). Lancashire will have him back in a flash...
Fixtures =
Third Test, Headingley where Jimmy would do OK but after two in a row he'll probably be "rested"
Fourth Test, Old Trafford, may well be selected unless England's bowlers performed miracles at Headingley and can't be dropped; so will that be his last hurrah?
Fifth test, Oval, another probable hard bouncy wicket that won't suit him, unlikely to be picked, especially as it's four days after the previous Test if he plays.

Robinson is hardly undroppable.

I can see Jimmy being rested for Headingley, then playing at Old Trafford.

 

[Busaholic]

Amongst the Lancashire faithful on Twitbook and the rest, there's a worry that with all this bouncy stuff going on, it simply isn't Anderson's game and that he won't be selected for the next Tests, and therefore bring an end to his exceptional Test career without a decent send-off (Like Steward at the Oval years ago). Lancashire will have him back in a flash...
Fixtures =
Third Test, Headingley where Jimmy would do OK but after two in a row he'll probably be "rested"
Fourth Test, Old Trafford, may well be selected unless England's bowlers performed miracles at Headingley and can't be dropped; so will that be his last hurrah?
Fifth test, Oval, another probable hard bouncy wicket that won't suit him, unlikely to be picked, especially as it's four days after the previous Test if he plays.

So many very good and even outstanding cricketers never get the opportunity of a send-off for various reasons including deselection and injury. Sometimes it happens in multiples e.g. Harmison and Hoggard lost their test places on a New Zealand tour and never regained them. There is always a risk of top players refusing to recognise the fading of their powers before it is too late, though Anderson seems to me to have realised it now. Others who went on too long in test cricket imo have been Cook, Gooch, Botham and Thorpe, some would say Flintoff too. Warner has been in danger but the jury's out!

 

[Whistler40145]

Will 2023 be the final year for Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson playing for England?

 

[Mikey C]

So many very good and even outstanding cricketers never get the opportunity of a send-off for various reasons including deselection and injury. Sometimes it happens in multiples e.g. Harmison and Hoggard lost their test places on a New Zealand tour and never regained them. There is always a risk of top players refusing to recognise the fading of their powers before it is too late, though Anderson seems to me to have realised it now. Others who went on too long in test cricket imo have been Cook, Gooch, Botham and Thorpe, some would say Flintoff too. Warner has been in danger but the jury's out!

Cook got a ton in his final England innings, and is still playing 5 years after he retired from England, so I'm not sure he's a good example!

Jimmy, until this series, has had superb figures, so it's not as if he's been living on past glories for a couple of years.

 

[Bald Rick]

Will 2023 be the final year for Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson playing for England?

Jimmy, probably, unless he doesn’t get to 700 in which case he’ll keep going.

Broady has 4 years on Jimmy, and major injury aside, I expect him to keep going for another couple of years at least.

 

[Whistler40145]

Jimmy, probably, unless he doesn’t get to 700 in which case he’ll keep going.

Broady has 4 years on Jimmy, and major injury aside, I expect him to keep going for another couple of years at least.

Stuart Broad is as fast as ever, maybe he'll be around to guide the newer bowlers

 

[HST43257]

I don’t see much issue with the short ball tactic today. It was clearly getting batters out on both sides, whether it be through impatience or stupidity, or somewhere inbetween. It dramatically slowed runs today where the game could’ve been lost before we got a bat, but instead we got them out relatively well.

Cummins superb. Has he just won the ashes?

Who knows now, but I agree he was excellent. England’s wickets in this innings can go to high quality deliveries for once, contrary to the beliefs of the anti-Bazball-ers who will attribute any English dismissal to a rash shot and a rash shot only.

I'd prefer him playing for Lancs than England!! For a thirty-yr-old he's quite a late developer, and I don't think he would be considered for England when/if qualified

Perhaps it is wishful thinking to suggest him playing for England at 33, especially with emerging/re-emerging faces like SCook, Potts, SCurran, Mahmood and Fisher to consider first.

Question is, will Anderson, on quitting Test cricket, want a few more seasons bowling medium off a shortened run, and if so, who for, Lancs or maybe a second division team? On saying that, theye does appear to be a seat on the TMS commentary bench waiting for him.

I highly doubt Anderson would even consider another county, but at the same time I couldn’t really see him playing if he isn’t playing for England, here at age 41 or whatever. If, perish the thought, he retired after the Ashes, he could have up to 3/4 farewell games in September for Lancashire. I can’t see him playing any extra seasons for Lancs after International retirement as I feel he wouldn’t want to be picked playing at 80%, given he can’t give his all for much longer. I could very well see him in the TMS circles, as well of course as picking a seat in the LancsTV setup alongside Bumble and Co.

Will 2023 be the final year for Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson playing for England?

Jimmy probably yes, it’s probably time for him to hand over to Sam Cook. I don’t like to see Broad placed with him all the time in the retirement category - he’s only just turned 37 and he still has some zip in him as far as I’m concerned. He bowled at 88.6mph at one point in NZ I think! Broad has something still to give, even if only for Notts, for a good year or two to come.

Jimmy, probably, unless he doesn’t get to 700 in which case he’ll keep going.

Broady has 4 years on Jimmy, and major injury aside, I expect him to keep going for another couple of years at least.

The only issue for both of these is, do you take them to India? If not, they become home specialists and we literally just take injury prone 89mph-ers to India.

I've switched to the Women's Ashes!
Decent first innings from England, posting 153-7 from their 20 overs thanks to 56 from Dunkley and brilliant last-ditch hitting from Jones (40* off 21, having been given out lbw with nothing but bat involved, and dropped by the usually dependable Wareham off Schutt's final over). Jonassen the pick of the Aussie bowlers with 3-25 from her four overs.

Very sensible given the goings on elsewhere! Good to see Dunkley return to form after a poor Test. I’ve never really rated Jones with the bat so I’m glad that she got a good finisher’s score.

When I compare the Eng and Aus Women’s teams, I say that England have a few 10/10 players and lots of 7/10 players, whilst Australia have a team of 9/10 players, and this for me means that they have highly consistent high quality players. They may not be 10/10 players but they perform more than well enough consistently, where England can be absolute top class or somewhere much worse if the top players don’t perform.

 

[Whistler40145]

Will Joffra Archer and Ollie Stone return to the England squad in the future?

 

[Purple Train]

When I compare the Eng and Aus Women’s teams, I say that England have a few 10/10 players and lots of 7/10 players, whilst Australia have a team of 9/10 players, and this for me means that they have highly consistent high quality players. They may not be 10/10 players but they perform more than well enough consistently, where England can be absolute top class or somewhere much worse if the top players don’t perform.

Agreed.

 

[SteveM70]

Broady has 4 years on Jimmy, and major injury aside, I expect him to keep going for another couple of years at least.

I don’t like to see Broad placed with him all the time in the retirement category - he’s only just turned 37 and he still has some zip in him as far as I’m concerned. He bowled at 88.6mph at one point in NZ I think!

That’s the issue though. Yes, he’s 4 years younger than Anderson, but 37 by any other measure is old for an opening bowler in a modern day test team. I think people risk assessing Broad in the context of Anderson being something of a freak still playing at 41.

Broad isn’t quick these days, either. Most of his stuff is low 80s now, with the occasional faster ball, but like Anderson he relies more on skill than out and out speed.

As long as he doesn’t get a job as a DRS decision coach when he retires

 

[Busaholic]

Cook got a ton in his final England innings, and is still playing 5 years after he retired from England, so I'm not sure he's a good example!

Jimmy, until this series, has had superb figures, so it's not as if he's been living on past glories for a couple of years.

I deliberately made the point that I was talking about test cricket, because I'm quite aware he's still grinding out the runs for Essex. His last test innings was, indeed, a high point but wasn't typical of the ones that immediately preceded it.

You're quite right about Jimmy, but I'm saying that it seems to me he now realises time is up, he obviously is no longer enjoying his test cricket, his fielding is deteriorating and better to go out before dragging himself through any more of the series. Perhaps he can join Stokes in a magnificent last wicket stand today which levels the series, and he can go out on the highest of highs before announcing his immediate retirement. Like Cook, he might well continue playing for his county, if chosen. I'm a big, big fan of his and always have been. Broad still has something under the bonnet: a shame there's not a Trent Bridge test this time.

Will Joffra Archer and Ollie Stone return to the England squad in the future?

Stone bowled three balls on his return to to county cricket the other evening!