Cricket

[Xenophon PCDGS]

India are 350-5 with England’s spinners struggling to take wickets on a turning pitch. Their lead is over a hundred, and the match is slowly slipping out of England’ reach!

They were 358-7, but have had no futher losses and after 110 overs had moved on to 421-7.

 

[75A]

W.Indies are 13-1 @ the close of play, a lead of 35.

 

[Purple Train]

They were 358-7, but have had no futher losses and after 110 overs had moved on to 421-7.

According to the BBC, England's most dangerous spinner was Root (Leach went off with an injury).

I think that says all anyone needs to know.

 

[Busaholic]

India are 350-5 with England’s spinners struggling to take wickets on a turning pitch. Their lead is over a hundred, and the match is slowly slipping out of England’ reach!

India have apparently never lost a test at home when their first innings lead was a hundred or more.

 

[Harvester]

India have apparently never lost a test at home when their first innings lead was a hundred or more.

Not much hope then for England at present 175 behind and likely to be at least 200 behind in a best case scenario! So at least 400 will be required in the second innings, against India’s spinners on a turning wicket, to stand any chance of winning.

 

[D1511]

Not much hope then for England at present 175 behind and likely to be at least 200 behind in a best case scenario! So at least 400 will be required in the second innings, against India’s spinners on a turning wicket, to stand any chance of winning.

Best case scenario at this point is for England to make India have to bat again. Can't see it though. Bazball against quality spinners on an Indian "Bunsen burner" was only going to have one outcome......
Did anyone hear the ludicrous interview from Duckett after COP last night?? Wonder what absurd positivity he'll be trying to extract from today's play?!!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I think that Jimmy Anderson will be pleased that he is not involved in bowling on this batting track.

 

[Busaholic]

I think that Jimmy Anderson will be pleased that he is not involved in bowling on this batting track.

It's only been a batting track when India is doing it, despite Stokes's heroics! Bumrah took a couple of English wickets, including the ball of the innings to dismiss Stokes. Wood had never played a test in India, but was chosen as the only quick, with not even a county medium pacer to back him up. Crawley, Duckett, Pope and Bairstow never bowl, Stokes can't bowl at present. Truly astonishing!

 

[Harvester]

Good first session for England today. They took the remaining three India wickets for 15 runs and were 89-1 at lunch, which leaves them 101 runs behind. They should at least avoid an innings defeat!

 

[Peterthegreat]

Good first session for England today. They took the remaining three India wickets for 15 runs and were 89-1 at lunch, which leaves them 101 runs behind. They should at least avoid an innings defeat!

I wouldn't bet on it. England now 149-4 still 40 behind.

 

[43096]

I wouldn't bet on it. England now 149-4 still 40 behind.

Or maybe you should bet on it! England now 270-5, Pope 120*

 

[SteveHFC]

I wouldn't bet on it. England now 149-4 still 40 behind.

Comfortably avoided losing by an innings - mainly thanks to Ollie Pope's excellent innings. England may well lose the test, but they are at least taking it into at least a fourth day.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

I applaud the 11,000 people who showed up to the Gabba today in what can only be described as a sweatfest.

AUS 2/60 with 156 to win.

 

[Howardh]

I think that Jimmy Anderson will be pleased that he is not involved in bowling on this batting track.

Being mainly a swing bowler I wonder if he could have made a difference regardless of the track? Anyhow, this is turning out to be a fine test match, thanks to Ollie Pope, and I hope Wood and Hartley can slog their way to setting a target of 200+; doubt Leach will bat or bowl again in the match (?).

 

[Whistler40145]

Is Joe Root getting past his best and should consider retirement?

 

[SteveHFC]

Is Joe Root getting past his best and should consider retirement?

No! Absolutely not. What on earth are you basing that on?

This is the first test match he's played in 2024 - he averaged 65.58 across 8 tests in 2023, scoring 787 runs. Ignoring 2012 when he only played 1 match, that's his second best batting average in a calendar year in tests. He's clearly got something to offer as a spinner as well.

ODI's are a different story, his stats in recent years have declined. He's not played T20 internationals since 2019.

 

[Whistler40145]

No! Absolutely not. What on earth are you basing that on?

This is the first test match he's played in 2024 - he averaged 65.58 across 8 tests in 2023, scoring 787 runs. Ignoring 2012 when he only played 1 match, that's his second best batting average in a calendar year in tests. He's clearly got something to offer as a spinner as well.

ODI's are a different story, his stats in recent years have declined. He's not played T20 internationals since 2019.

Let's hope he scores better in the 2nd innings

 

[Peterthegreat]

Let's hope he scores better in the 2nd innings

Er that was the 2nd innings.....

 

[Whistler40145]

Er that was the 2nd innings.....

I should've said rest of the series

 

[Busaholic]

I should've said rest of the series

Methinks there's a test player a bit nearer your home territory who has more cause to be reflecting on retirement.

 

[43096]

Being mainly a swing bowler I wonder if he could have made a difference regardless of the track? Anyhow, this is turning out to be a fine test match, thanks to Ollie Pope, and I hope Wood and Hartley can slog their way to setting a target of 200+; doubt Leach will bat or bowl again in the match (?).

The thing that Jimmy offers - and the spinners don't - is control. Even if he's not taking wickets he will normally not concede many runs - although that's not very BazBall, I'll admit. Of course if there's swing and/or reverse swing on offer, then there's a good chance he'd also take wickets.

 

[ian1944]

I'd agree with that, i'm 6 feet 7 and was a member @ Hove when he was there and we were about the same heght.

If height is a criterion for a spinner, could Peter Crouch be a better bet?

I may be proved wrong, but I fear that Tom Hartley will have the success of past Lancashire hopefuls Matthew Parkinson and Simon Kerrigan.

 

[Whistler40145]

If height is a criterion for a spinner, could Peter Crouch be a better bet?

I may be proved wrong, but I fear that Tom Hartley will have the success of past Lancashire hopefuls Matthew Parkinson and Simon Kerrigan.

As I remember, it undid the career of Chris Schofield too

 

[HST43257]

I may be proved wrong, but I fear that Tom Hartley will have the success of past Lancashire hopefuls Matthew Parkinson and Simon Kerrigan.

I hope Hartley will have a decent future in limited overs. Picture a scene with Ahmed and Jacks as spinners every match, and Hartley coming into the team for a pacer on a spinning track. He will have to develop his skills to reach decent heights in long format cricket though.

 

[Busaholic]

If height is a criterion for a spinner, could Peter Crouch be a better bet?

I may be proved wrong, but I fear that Tom Hartley will have the success of past Lancashire hopefuls Matthew Parkinson and Simon Kerrigan.

Maybe it explains why Alfred Percy 'Tich' Freeman didn't play more Test matches. He played for Kent and, in his first class career as a leg spinner took more wickets than any other bowler ever, other than Wilfred Rhodes who played many more matches. He also took five wickets in an innings and ten wickets in a match on more occasions than anyone else has ever done, and 302 and 298 wickets in two English seasons! He was a relative failure in Tests, though, only achieving ten wickets in a match twice, once at Old Trafford where he had twelve. He also took 10 wickets in an innings on three occasions, two of them against Lancashire with Old Trafford hosting one of them, so he was a precursor to Jim Laker! Just think what he might have achieved with a little more height.

At the time of writing this Alex Hartley is proving rather a better batter than bowler in assisting Ollie Pope to make a game of it.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

At the time of writing this Alex Hartley is proving rather a better batter than bowler in assisting Ollie Pope to make a game of it.

He scored 23 in the first innings and 34 in the second innings (joint 3rd highest scorer)

Pope b Bumrah 196. England 420 all out.

Bumrah 16.1 - 4 - 41 - 4.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

The windies have won a test match! Defeating Australia by 8 runs

 

[Harvester]

The windies have won a test match! Defeating Australia by 8 runs

Smith opened and “carried his bat” scoring 91 in the 2nd innings, with Hazlewood the last man out.

Meanwhile India are 63-3, with Hartley taking all three wickets.

 

[D1511]

The windies have won a test match! Defeating Australia by 8 runs

Joseph 7-68 from 11.5 overs today. And he got smashed on the big toe by a Starc yorker yesterday, and he wasn't even going to come to the ground today! And 2 years ago he was working as a security guard playing cricket in the street with a tape ball, and today he's won a test for the WI in Australia for the first time since 1997.
Proper sporting fairytale stuff!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

After 45 overs, India are 123-7 in their second innings, still needing a further 106 runs to win.

Hartley ..... 18 - 4 - 41 - 4