Cricket 2014

[Guest Magic]

The summer is here, the county season is well under way and we've already got one heavily rain affected ODI under our belts! Cricket 2014 bitches.

 

Coming up in a weeks time we have England vs Sri Lanka in a T20 international. Given that Sri Lanka are the reigning T20 Champions (I should know, 4/1 I backed them at ;)) it will certainly prove a massive test for the new Peter Moores led regime. Certainly more so than the erm *COUGH* Scottish did...

 

And in county news, Sir Frederick of Flintoff is in talks to come and whack the ball about for a bit for Lancashire, in this years T20 blast competition. I personally would love to see Freddie back having a knock about, even if he more or less can't move these days. Hey, neither can Chris Gayle and he gets on just fine!

[Guest Magic]

Come on then, lets kick this thread into action, I know there's a few of us in here!

 

England vs Sri Lanka. Test Series. First game a draw, England probably declared to late, letting Gary Ballance carry on and take his century, leading to question marks over Cook's captaincy not for the first time. Liam Plunkett has been recalled for the first time in a hundred years, and has actually been pretty good.

 

Second Test is in progress as we speak, and England have managed to throw it away, with all likelihood that Sri Lanka will win their first ever series in England. After taking command after the first innings, England couldn't get them bowled out quickly enough in the second, meaning they're chasing a tough 350 to win. Tough but not unachievable.

 

However, this evening England have, as per usual, capitulated with the bat. Cook has again failed. Ballance and Robson have played well in flashes but have gone cheaply today and Sri Lanka's Prasad has been tremendous, leaving England 50 odd for 5 wickets down. Sri Lanka come back tomorrow just needing five wickets, with only Root, Moen Ali and Prior the recognised batsmen left.

 

So most likely another series defeat, and another series in which England haven't won a single match. What happens now? Surely the questions over Cook have to be raised further than ever. He can't buy a run. The captaincy is surely affecting his ability to score. Something needs done. The parallels with the football team are there. Some positives in Robson, Ballance and Plunkett, but in reality, it's another defeat, yet again.

 

Little word for the genius that is Kumar Sangakkara though. He's equalled the record for consecutive test 50's, with 7 in a row. What a player.

[Guest Magic]

So even though it's just me having a silent disco on my tod in this thread, who the hell cares because ALISTAIR COOK HAS A TEST WICKET.

 

If that don't get you sumbitches chattin' nuttin' will.

 

Also, England and India draw the first test after playing on a pitch deader than than a TNA house show. Every c*nt and their gran scored on this pitch, JIMMY ANDERSON MADE 81, couple of records broken for longest number 11 partnerships/fifties and what not, all except Alistair Cook who still couldn't get himself into nick.

 

Solution for his ailing batting career, PICK UP THE BALL!

 

So, to summarise, Cook takes a wicket and Jimmy scored 81. Anyone else scratching their head?!*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*No, cause it's just me in here.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Magic

[BRM 220]

So for the 2nd test this week Jimmy's opening the batting and Cook the bowling?

[Evil Gringo 279]

England's solution to the dead wickets in England has been to announce that Simon Kerrigan will get another go in the second test. I like the lad and to be honest he and a few other younger players need to get more games at this level if they are going to mature as top cricketers.

 

Since Swann departed we have lacked a good spinning option and part time spin from Root is not the answer so fair enough.

 

Still though Jimmy, what the holy hell?

[Guest Magic]

Damn right! :lol

 

Joking aside though, if he doesn't score in the next test, they seriously need to look at dropping him. No other player on the planet would be allowed his form without being dropped, but because it's Captain Cook he gets given a pass. They won't drop him because that would mean KP was right, and god forbid they can't have that. But a batsman is going to have to make way for a spinner eventually, and at this rate they are all on really good form except Cook.

 

Cook out, Robson and either Root or Ballance to open, a full time spinner in and Stokes up the order, Moen Ali keeping his place. And while we're at it drop Prior for Butler. Why the hell not. Lets go all out and move to the next generation.

 

Edit: Do you not think Moen Ali has done a decent job with the ball in the three tests this summer? I do, he's taking some big wickets. I'd still like to see a full time spinner in the side no question, but at the moment they don't seem to be churning them out from all angles in the counties and Moen Ali is a very useful player to have given his ability with the bat.

 

Kerrigan hasn't had much of a chance bar that one test, so I'm looking forward to seeing how he can do but I don't think he'll have masses more to offer than Moen Ali. England have been spoiled for so long with a player of Swann's class and it could take years to properly replace him.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Magic

[Evil Gringo 279]

The thing is though Cook has been that successful as captain there comes a worry that if you drop him who then will take up that leadership mantel?

 

Who really is ready to step up and lead this team apart from maybe Stuart Broad who unfortunately is just too injury prone to do it full time despite his wonderful talent.

 

I agree though that if he fails to make at least a 50 in one of the innings next test then it is shocking, if Jimmy can make 81 then how can a man who batted Australia to death in Australia fail to register a meaningful score.

[Guest Magic]

I honestly don't believe Cooks been that good a captain. He got some results early on but I'm not sure it was down to good captaincy. He's been out captained by Clarke and Mathews. If Dhoni takes this India side to victory over here then he has to go based on captaincy, before we even look at his shoddy batting. I think he's possibly been made to look better than he is by an awful Australia side last summer and a gifted generation with the ball in Swann and Anderson.

 

I agree Broad is probably the beat candidate should he go, you're right though its a short talent pool. Sign of the times though, its a transitional perioud. But when they get through it I think there's a core of a really handy side there.

 

I think Cooks batting has been undeniably affected by the captaincy and would rather see him focus on getting into form. If that means dropping him and making Broad the skipper then so be it. Then Cook can come back in as a specialist batsman if he gets into form.

[Guest Yodahew]

Why not jimmy for captain? Lead bowler, night watchman and a leader on the field as well. And i agree his 81 was amazing!

[Guest Magic]

I'm not sure about Jimmy for captain. I'm basing on this on absolutely nothing other than my own guesswork, but he just strikes me as the kind of guy that would rather be slightly more in the background, doing a lot of very important work but without the spotlight on him. Whereas I feel like Broad would meet everything thrown at him like a raging bull.

 

Interesting day today. That Lords pitch is green as goose shit, couldn't be more opposite from the Trent Bridge pitch if they tried. Tough toss decision for Captain Cook, on paper a bowlers pitch but Lords would normally be a bat first. Going for bowling first, looked liked he'd made good decision until India fought back to 290 - 9. Nice tonne for Rahane.

 

It's finely poised. I can't really call it from here. I think there'll definitely be a result, but which way? If pushed I think I'd maybe just go for India. It's still a good bowlers pitch and they have a decent seam attack. Add to that England's potential for a batting horrow show, could be a very interesting day. I'm looking forward to seeing how Cook bats on that grassy surface. Because he's out of nick I think he's gonna be very cagey and tentative, and if he is I can see him falling cheaply again, further increasing the pressure on him. I think he needs to try and be a bit aggressive, even though its not really in his nature. If he's overly cautious I can see him dragging one on or going for a cheap catch.

[Chris2K 176]

I don't think anyone expected us to be able to chase 319 but it sure as hell ain't happening at 105-4.

 

We're simply not good enough regardless of the captain or coach or spin option as we've proven with these defeats to a very average Sri Lanka and a hardly spectacular India side whose main batsman hasn't even needed to score runs yet.

[Guest Magic]

Cook failing again with the bat. Chris, you're someone with a cricket opinion I respect alot, what would you do with Cook?

 

They were never gonna chase 319 though. The bowlers got made to look silly by Jadeja a little bit. Good aggressive cricket we don't see enough in Tests. Englands middle order could learn a little from that.

[Chris2K 176]

Well you're the only one that respects my opinion :P.

 

It's a ridiculously difficult situation. Any batsman in the form he's in would be dropped, in fact both Nick Compton and Michael Carberry have been dropped for far lesser performances in the last year, almost as if they've been blamed for Cook's failures. There's a lot of people who say his batting is affected by being captain, and there are even some that believe his captaincy is being affected by his lack of runs. As a captain he's been pretty bad both tactically and motivationally, people say that Kevin Pietersen caused problems but both Vaughan and Strauss kept Pietersen under control even though its obvious at least Strauss hates him. Ravi Jadeja is not that much better a spinner than Moeen Ali and we've seen what he's done this afternoon, Ali got 7 overs today, took two wickets and then got ignored.

 

But then there's the flip side, and the main flip is that there is literally nobody to replace him in either role. The opening batsmen have changed enough as it is without removing the one constant from the glory days, and there's not really a captain ready to take over. Broad is the only possible option but his temperament has got him into too many problems before, Prior is vice-captain but he's only just clinging on to his place in the team. There's also the reality that Cook simply doesn't have the team around him to get results, that doesn't excuse his own performances but it does perhaps shed some light on it.

 

So in summary I have no idea what we need to do, other than just grit our teeth to get through this era and hope there's a new dawn around the corner. Preferably with a good spinner.

[Guest Magic]

I more or less agree with what everything you say. In an ideal world I'd drop Cook, but you can only make the change if you're confident it would definitely be an improvement and it this stage its probably still a 50/50 call as to whether you would actually improve for it. I agree, it's just so ridiculously hard to decide what to do.

 

I think there's a definitely a mental side to the whole team poor performances at the moment. They have become so used to batting collapses in the last 12 months that its getting into a lot of their heads and they end up getting cheaply out, further increasing the pressure and its just a horrible spiral. Too often only one person is scoring and everyone else is out cheaply. Ballance will get a 100 and the nobody else will make 20-30, or it'll be Root but no one else, or Robson. There's no consistency, no long term partnerships at the crease. I don't know whether that perhaps comes from Cook's lack of batting confidence filtering through the team. He's regularly failing at the top of the order so then the pressure is immediately on for those coming in. They're always playing catch up, they're never in control at the moment with Cook opening and its costing the whole side from a batting point of view. You're right though, if Cook goes who opens? There isn't anyone who jumps off the page immediately, although I would be taking a close look at Jason Roy over the next 6-12 months.

 

Agreed on Moen Ali also, I think people down play his ability with the ball. He's a good spinner. He's not Graeme Swann, no, nothing close, but Swann was world class and they don't grow on trees. Right now Moen Ali is a decent option.

 

India were 4/1 to win this test on Day 2. Should have been all over that.

 

Edit: And that's game over. Terrible batting down the order, no idea how to play the short ball and Isant Sharma has had a field day taking 7 wickets. The solution? Who knows. Michael Vaughan thinks Cook out and Morgan in to bat at six and captain. I'm not sure about that, but I can't see them ever recovering under Cook. There's no winning mentality at all, they're beat before they start under him.

Edited July 21, 2014 by Magic

[Guest Magic]

Matt Prior is taking an indefinite break from cricket, sighting fitness and injury reasons and admitting he hasn't been fully fit and its affecting his performances. Has a little bit of the jumped before pushed air to it and I can't help but feel he's taking a fall for his buddy captain Cook. How many more people are going to lose their place in an effort to turn the team around before the ECB admit that Cook is the real problem.

 

Can't wait for Jos Butler to get a Test chance though, assuming it is him they select. He's exciting and aggressive and they definitely need that in the middle order. He has the potential to be what Prior used to be.

[Guest Magic]

Well would you look at that, runs for Alistair Cook. A solid 95 and looked much better. Still no century though, which will no doubt bother him getting out in the 90's but I'm sure he'll be pleased just to get something on the board. Gary Ballance has gone even better and gotten his tonne, he's really starting to impress me, coming in at 3 and being super reliable, a bit like Trotty used to be.

 

Cook's runs has taken him to third in the all time England Test run scorers, ahead of David Gower and a certain Mr. K. Pieterson. He's still behind Alex Stewert and Graham Gooch, but I expect he'll pass them within the next year, assuming he doesn't get the sack which doesn't look likely.

 

Bowling wise, Plunket and Stokes out for Jordan and Woakes. Can't really argue with Stokes getting dropped but I think Liam Plunkett will have every reason to feel hard done by. He'd probably like this pitch too. I can't see Chris Woakes fairing any better than either of them.

 

Fancy the draw in this Test though.

[Evil Gringo 279]

Well, well, well.... what a performance by Anderson, Broad and Ali.

 

England bowled well and got the most out of the pitch and made India think about their batting, which they failed horribly in executing. The fact that they didn't score more runs in their first innings when Jordon and Woakes were bowling too full and wide was silly - it was like they never recovered from the mauling Anderson and Broad gave them early on with the ball doing all sorts under the overcast skies in Manchester as usual. Jimmy was even getting his bouncers to swing for gods sake.

 

Then thank god for Bell, Root and Buttler again. Some loose shots from the top three once more and Ali needs someone to just scream bouncers at him until he gets it. Broad had a spectacular cameo which lasted three balls, ending in two sixes and a broken nose which looked horribly painful. India managed to get two wickets from bouncers due to some loose shots and that was all they threw at England at the end despite the fact that England proved that good to full length and tight on off stump was how to get results on this pitch. Still, England should have score even more, despite not needing it in the end.

 

Then came the session after tea and India forgot to watch the flight of the ball when facing spinners, forgot to not play at Jimmy unless he is bowling short or lets the odd wide one slip out and just ended up hanging out the white flag once they were four down or so.

 

This is the worst India side I have seen tour England since the late 90's when Mark Ealham made them suffer with swing for gods sake. But you have to beat what is in front of you and England did a very good job of that. Now they have to finish the job off at the Oval which usually gives a lot of assistance to the spinners from day three onwards so Ali is probably licking his lips right now.

[Chris2K 176]

India.

 

 

lol.

[Evil Gringo 279]

Never seen an Indian side just give up like they did today, both in the field and later with the bat.

 

Jimmy is now only three wickets away from becoming England's leadin test wicket taker and in less tests too.

[Guest Magic]

Its ODI time.

 

India look actually like winning something.

 

Chris Jordan bowled five wides in an over. Oh dear.

[Guest Magic]

England actually managed to win an ODI today. Conditions favoured their bowlers and Joe Root made a nice century. I would suggest though that despite this win, only Root and Moen Ali have come out of the series with any real credit and pressure continues to mount on Cook's One Day captaincy ahead of the world cup.

[Chris2K 176]

That was an entertaining finish, so glad that egotistical c*nt MS Dhoni didn't win the game himself after refusing to run singles for the last 9 balls to make sure he kept on strike, because you see he's the only player who can hit a six.

 

Also it's nice that India lost in front of all their fans born in England. Booing people from the same country as yours because your grandfather was Indian is just beyond my understanding.

[Evil Gringo 279]

Australia Test batsman Phil Hughes, 25, has died in hospital, two days after being hit on the head by a delivery during a domestic match in Sydney.

 

During a Sheffield Shield match he was struck by a delivery from Sean Abbott, slumped over on the pitch and had to be taken to hospital with the match being cancelled. According to doctors, Hughes sadly never regained consciousness from that point and tragically passed away.

 

After being stuck, he feel to the ground face first, had CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at the ground before being taken to St Vincent's Hospital, where he had a 90-minute operation to relieve pressure on his brain. The cause of death has been given as Vertebral artery dissection which is incredibly rare. There has only ever been 100 cases reported, and only one previous example caused by a cricket ball.

 

All I can say is, I was actually gutted when heard this news, he was always a good professional and respectful to fans during the test matches I saw him play for Australia and he seemed to be a genuinely nice guy off the pitch as well. Michael Clarke, the Aussie captain read out a statement from Hughes family as well as passing on the thoughts of the ACB and had to leave the room he was so emotional, this guy meant that much to his team mates and friends.

 

RIP Phil, no one deserves to go that young and that unexpectedly.

[Guest Yodahew]

Really sad news. He always seemed to enjoy his cricket and appreciate that he couod play for his country. I remember him being miced up before the game at the mcg or scg in the ashes in 2010/11. He talked about how he had goosbumps and it was a dream come true.

 

RIP phil

[Guest bigmatt]

Incredibly sad news. Such a young guy with talent and a bright future. Ach. Horrible. It was absolutely shocking when I read that this morning.