God help me - the Test Cricket thread

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Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #960 – June 20, 2023, 06:28:20 pm

X2....I'll throw the remote through the telly for sure

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #961 – June 20, 2023, 08:12:24 pm

Looking good so far…
😎

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #962 – June 21, 2023, 06:55:05 am

Tail shouldn't have to wag like that but glad it did. Labuschagne, Smith, Head disgraceful.

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #963 – June 21, 2023, 07:02:06 am

Yep....if Head is so good, why does he keep getting out to rubbish spin. Green the same. Notwithstanding the fragile batting, no. 8 guiding the pie chucker Robinson down to third man to win the match, oh, that was delicious irony.

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #964 – June 21, 2023, 07:08:16 am

Quote from: Professer E on June 21, 2023, 07:02:06 am

Yep....if Head is so good, why does he keep getting out to rubbish spin. Green the same. Notwithstanding the fragile batting, no. 8 guiding the pie chucker Robinson down to third man to win the match, oh, that was delicious irony.

1-0 after what Day 1 looked like is abit of a shock for a nuffie like me. Great result though, skipper showed his metal I guess. Cudo's to Ali for bowling through what looked like a hole in his finger. Broad's a pratt but looked ominous early.

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #965 – June 21, 2023, 08:25:36 am

They best add the ashes of a bazball to the old urn.

It's amazing the difference that 5th day makes when you work hard to play out the test!

I mentioned earlier in the thread Robinson's send off for Usman was a sign they were frustrated by test cricket batting, to me it's a sign that not all the Pommie squad is up for 5 day cricket, they might have gone a bit too far in the ODI aspect.

Great cricket to watch though, but you must have balance, it's going to be interesting to see what happens with the rest of the pitches!

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #966 – June 21, 2023, 09:28:06 am

Great win and I hope Robinson enjoyed it..
Bringing back Ali and leaving out Wood were major blunders from England after they did an India and got the pitch they wanted..Anderson looks like the end is closer too, still accurate but lacks penetration on flat wickets like this test.
If he plays next test they will have to juice up the wicket....

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #967 – June 21, 2023, 02:40:25 pm

Great effort by the team and particularly Ussy and the skipper.

I guess that the rain would have dictated a draw if it hadn't been for Bazball.

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #968 – June 21, 2023, 10:56:23 pm

Admittedly I haven’t watched much of this test.
From what I’ve seen bazball isn’t reinventing the wheel.
Look back to the great windies sides of the 80’s, the Waugh, Ponting teams, India of the same era… they all looked to score quickly and give their bowlers a target that allowed them to bowl to attacking fields.
Some of the bazball fields were pretty unconventional and with two geriatric fast bowlers short spells are the norm but I’m not really seeing the revolution.

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #969 – June 21, 2023, 11:18:37 pm

Quote from: northernblue on June 21, 2023, 10:56:23 pm

Admittedly I haven’t watched much of this test.
From what I’ve seen bazball isn’t reinventing the wheel.
Look back to the great windies sides of the 80’s, the Waugh, Ponting teams, India of the same era… they all looked to score quickly and give their bowlers a target that allowed them to bowl to attacking fields.
Some of the bazball fields were pretty unconventional and with two geriatric fast bowlers short spells are the norm but I’m not really seeing the revolution.

Never seen the Bumbrella field before which is limited behind the wicket fielders but a umbrella arc in front of the batsman with everything pitched up on a driving length trying to get him to lift the ball over the field to score.
The Windies teams played with good technique...eg Greenidge and Haynes were very correct and played authentic shots, no weird fields either.....everyone behind the wicket bar a cover, silly mid on and fine leg or deep square leg. England are trying to bring one day cricket to Test cricket and instead of reinventing the wheel found themselves under it which is what they deserved for trying to be too smart for their own good.
The English fields will only get more weird when they bring the express Wood into the team, I watched Pak vs Eng and Stokes had Anderson bowling 6 bouncers an over at one stage with crazy fields.
The funny thing is we struggle to beat England at home and havent won a series there for ages and thats with them having played normal test cricket because they green the wickets up and have Broad and crew seaming it sideways but Bazball has actually given us a better chance to win a series there.

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #970 – June 21, 2023, 11:59:13 pm

It's interesting - score a big score in the first innings quickly, give yourself time to bowl the other side out twice (without enforcing a follow on) and there is less chance to lose the test. Hence the declaration was a bad one in the first.

Batsmen are able to score more quickly for longer now, and there is more inventiveness in the cricket. Bowlers, however, aren't used to the toil of test matches and this is where the fatigue comes in and a raft of quality bowlers is required. Apart from Wood, I am not sure if England have much in reserve - not way can Broad and Anderson play 5 tests in 6 weeks on flat decks.

But if you prepare pitches so that bowlers don't have to toil as hard, the batsmen can't cope, as they don't have the techniques to play swing/cut, or patience if it gets a little hard, which defeats the purpose of Bazball.

Englands best chance is with the first, but it may well backfire, as we have the bowlers and batsmen that can cope with flat tracks and a better spinner.

Nothing in the first test - be interesting how the nerves hold for both teams - can't see Australia doing much different. England has to tweak their team but don't think they will change their game plan either.

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #971 – June 22, 2023, 05:32:27 pm

It feels like a "Let's not talk about the war moment!", just bring in Starc because Boland was "too expensive!"

Is that Starc the Economical, or Selectors the Comical!

Tough as they may be, just how many chances did they grass off Boland in the 1st innings, was it 2 or 3, and didn't he actually get two blokes out without an appeal from behind the stumps?

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #972 – June 22, 2023, 05:55:47 pm

Quote from: LP on June 22, 2023, 05:32:27 pm

It feels like a "Let's not talk about the war moment!", just bring in Starc because Boland was "too expensive!"

Is that Starc the Economical, or Selectors the Comical!

Tough as they may be, just how many chances did they grass off Boland in the 1st innings, was it 2 or 3, and didn't he actually get two blokes out without an appeal from behind the stumps?

I'd stick with Boland.....England will probably make a change or two with Wood and maybe Foakes as inclusions which will make them better and Starc is the type of bowler that bazball might benefit from given he leaks runs and thats by his own admission.
Boland was handy with the bat as nightwatchman and while his bowling wasnt sensational he is consistent and on a track that offers more which I think the next one will for bowlers like Anderson who also found the going tough Id want to keep the pressure on and not allow easy runs.

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #973 – June 26, 2023, 10:22:08 am

Interesting comment from Anderson about retiring if dead pitches continue to be served up.

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #974 – June 26, 2023, 10:37:46 am

Quote from: DJC on June 26, 2023, 10:22:08 am

Interesting comment from Anderson about retiring if dead pitches continue to be served up.

Reckon the next test wicket might have a bit more life for Sir Jim but I'd also expect him to be rested in rotation.
Think he is nearly done though and should retire at seasons end .I'd expect the new King to bestow a knighthood on him in the near future. Good bowler but I have never rated him as highly as the cricket experts and find him conceited and full of himself....