Cricket

[Oswyntail]

So is 95 enough to get some of the heat off of Cooks back or did he really need those three figures?

If he'd scored 300 and taken all the wickets in four overs, for some the heat will never come off. There is a certain English delight in kicking captains or managers when they are down.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There is a certain English delight in kicking captains or managers when they are down.

This is now an accredited sport amongst the headline writers of the British "so-called" sports journalists.

 

[Whistler40145]

Some of those "so called" sports journalists seem to forget they once played for England!

 

[Oswyntail]

Some of those "so called" sports journalists seem to forget they once played for England!

Indeed! I remember one current radio pundit who took his bat home from playing for England for a few years, because people said he was a disruptive influence in the dressing room. And another who refused to listen to claims that the captaincy was affecting his batting. Does this stop them?

 

[Johnuk123]

So is 95 enough to get some of the heat off of Cooks back or did he really need those three figures?

Compared to his recent form 95 is well good enough.

 

[ExRes]

Going back to that old story about Ballance and his poor technique ..........

:roll:

 

[ainsworth74]

Compared to his recent form 95 is well good enough.

True enough

Personally if he gets another couple of knocks of similar size (or preferably larger) I'll still have my doubts about his captaincy but at least he'll deserve his place in the side again. But one knock does not a return to form make...

 

[Whistler40145]

ainsworth74, his batting might be improving, but his captaincy lacks experience.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Time 12:15 and England have moved on to 310-2

Ballance 134 not out
Bell 49 not out

 

[Smudger105e]

England just lost Buttler for 85 and have declared on 569 for 7

England 1st Innings569 for 7 declared (163.4 overs)

Cook 95
Robson 26
Ballance 156
Bell 167
Root 3
Moeen 12
Buttler 85
Woakes not out 7

Extras 0nb 2w 5b 11lb 18
Total for 7 (163.4 ovs) 569

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

At least Buttler proved a bulwark in the middle-order batting that has been sadly needed by England in recent Test Matches.

 

[Whistler40145]

I've just been watching since 16:10, both Bell & Buttler batted well & we certainly needed Buttler in the previous Test Matches.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

How many Test Matches have we seen where Anderson makes the first breakthrough, as he has just dismissed Dharwan for 6.

 

[muddythefish]

After the famine comes the feast. Good to see Bell back in form - his cover drive is one of the delights of an English summer.

Anderson served up a lovely chicken and ham to remove the opener and almost got another with a steak and kidney that went between bat and pad. Now let's see if our piemen can collectively serve up something tasty to knock over India's batsmen tomorrow.

On another note, good to see Australia knocked off their perch today by those pleasant chaps from South Africa.

 

[Whistler40145]

I'm not convinced Chris Jordan is a Test Match player, just seemed a little wayward.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

I've just been watching since 16:10, both Bell & Buttler batted well & we certainly needed Buttler in the previous Test Matches.

I agree that Buttler batted well, and he is a smashing prospect, but he did have that little bit of good fortune denied to Matt Prior...let's hope that his keeping is OK, after all, he himself has said he's not yet ready for test cricket. Some of Bell's shots were exquisite, as is normal when he's on top of his game.

 

[Johnuk123]

Some of Bell's shots were exquisite, as is normal when he's on top of his game.

Bell can be a very elegant player but doesn't do it quite often enough to be classed as a truly great player.

I think the game already looks like a draw.

 

[Whistler40145]

Johnuk123, Bell is a decent cricketer, but that's all, as for the game petering out into a draw, I hope not. We've got three good pace bowlers in Anderson, Broad & Woakes, but Jordan doesn't fill me with confidence, but whether Moeen Ali can get some turn, we'll have to see.

 

[Leylandlad]

Won't be easy to bowl India out twice on there, but scoreboard pressure will help.

Buttler could be the next Gilchrist? Hopefully....

 

[ainsworth74]

Some good performances, Buttler's was very entertaining, but I rather suspect that this has 'high scoring draw' written all over it...

 

[muddythefish]

Won't be easy to bowl India out twice on there, but scoreboard pressure will help.

Buttler could be the next Gilchrist? Hopefully....

I hope so too. Unlike his team-mates Gilchrist is one of the very few Australians to play cricket in a sporting manner.

 

[DownSouth]

Alas, it doesn't look like Buttler will be the first to claim that distinction from among the current England team. Is it true that he previously wanted to be a runner until he washed out of the sport because he kept on making false starts, and only then picked cricket as a backup option?

In other sportsmanship-related news, England's retaliatory charging of Jadeja does not seem to have gone too well. He was found guilty of conduct contrary to the spirit, but the match referee downgraded it to a Level 1 offence which is the level reserved for a batsman raising their eyebrows after being dismissed. If he had plead guilty, he would probably have come away with just a reprimand.

 

[Cletus]

I'm not convinced Chris Jordan is a Test Match player, just seemed a little wayward.

I agree, in fact that could be seen from the one-day games he's played that his bowling ins't consistent enough for test cricket.

What was the reasoning behind replacing Plunkett?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

India have now moved on to 182-4 from 60 overs, with Rohane 41 not out.

Anderson and Broad have two wickets each.
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**********************************************************************************************

UPDATE

India now 314-8 from 99.3 overs

Anderson 24-9-52-3
Broad 22-6-61-3

 

[muddythefish]

England's bowlers served up some excellent pies today - particularly Anderson whose ham and egg special was working very well. They need to finish India off early tomorrow though.

With regards to Jimmy's hearing I note the ICC person in charge is Australian, so no doubt he will have the book thrown at him.

 

[ExRes]

I agree, in fact that could be seen from the one-day games he's played that his bowling ins't consistent enough for test cricket.

What was the reasoning behind replacing Plunkett?

He was, it seems, rested after '2 hard matches' and for him to 'recharge his batteries' before the 4th Test at Old Trafford on what is expected to be the 'bounciest pitch' of the series

Yes, I know, what a load of codswallop, the fast bowlers of the past must turn in either their graves or their rest homes

 

[DownSouth]

With regards to Jimmy's hearing I note the ICC person in charge is Australian, so no doubt he will have the book thrown at him.

Really? The last time an Australian heard a misconduct charge (David Boon, hearing the ECB charge against Jadeja), the charge was downgraded to a lower level. The reprimand accompanying the fine would have been fun to hear though, it probably included phrases such as "act your age," "I don't care if he started it" and "little twerp."

The ICC does appoint some rather odd people as match referees at times. I can't imagine anybody charged with dissent surviving a hearing with Chris Broad without getting an addition charge of not managing to keep a straight face…

Maybe appointment as a match referee should be a punishment for certain offences? Having to put up with whiny players and captains who can't keep up with the over rate would be a perfect punishment for such offences as Shane Watson spending more time doing his hair than his girlfriend, Graeme Swann doing the sprinkler, Michael Clarke's former dating of Lara Bingle, Brett Lee's singing (do NOT look it up) or Michael Vaughan's crap commentary.

 

[Cletus]

I predict that England won't enforce the follow-on (if there's a chance). It's not the English way (apparently).

 

[Buttsy]

I predict that England won't enforce the follow-on (if there's a chance). It's not the English way (apparently).

I thought it was more the Aussie way, to bat, bat and bat some more...

 

[DownSouth]

I predict that England won't enforce the follow-on (if there's a chance). It's not the English way (apparently).

They had the chance and they didn't.

It does seem like it would have been the perfect chance to take the momentum and go with it. The bowlers would still be very fresh after the innings ended just 4.1 overs into the day's play, and the weather being mild enough that they would not be still recovering from the previous day's play.

How good are these batsman at shifting gears and going for quick runs? If they can maintain a rate of 5 per over (including sacrificing the first four wickets if necessary) they could have a lead of 400 with enough time to declare and put India in for eight overs of full gas bowling before the tea break.
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I thought it was more the Aussie way, to bat, bat and bat some more...

That's more dependent on the bowlers than the batsmen. The current Aussie strategy when batting in the third innings is all about scoring quickly so the bowlers have a high enough target that they don't need to place defensive fielders in the fourth innings, but still enough time to get ten wickets. Batting with intent in the third innings is where a batsman like David Warner shines, to start attacking he doesn't even need to change gears because that's his natural style.

Can these English batsmen change gears and bat like that to give the bowlers both a high target and enough time to get the wickets?