Cricket Thread - England v West Indies | Page 3 | Vital Football

Cricket Thread - England v West Indies

England needed to be impeccable in the field and dropping Jermaine Blackwood on 20 was the tipping point in a finely matched game. It sets the series up well; onwards to Old Trafford.

Didn't bat well enough in the first innings. All the talk of dropping Broad is irrelevant. Batsmen let the side down again
 
Didn't bat well enough in the first innings. All the talk of dropping Broad is irrelevant. Batsmen let the side down again
Stokes traded off unfavourable weather (batting) 1st innings v favourable pitch conditions (bowling) 4th innings. I don't know whether it was because Bess didn't produce on day 5 or they misread how the pitch would degrade. The strategy didn't work out.
 
I'm no groundsman, but If no one has actually played cricket all season the pitches may presumably be less likely to degrade as fast, if at all. After all, the groundsman had a year to prepare that pitch, it hasn't been re-used during the season, and had no boots tramping over it during games.
 
I'm no groundsman, but If no one has actually played cricket all season the pitches may presumably be less likely to degrade as fast, if at all. After all, the groundsman had a year to prepare that pitch, it hasn't been re-used during the season, and had no boots tramping over it during games.
It's a factor but often the test strips are kept for that 'one' international fixture per year anyway. Prevailing weather conditions, how the pitch is prepared (e.g. green top or very dry) and the type of soil base are more likely to have an impact. The Rose Bowl was reportedly very dry so was expected to crumble and produce spin plus variable bounce on day 5.
 
Jofra Archer banned from upcoming test for breaking Covid protocols. He’s apologised to the whole bio secure bubble and will have to isolate for the test match and have two Covid tests before he can return. He’s apologised but no other details given apart from the breach occurring during the move from Southampton to Manchester. Will be a big miss
 
Jofra Archer banned from upcoming test for breaking Covid protocols. He’s apologised to the whole bio secure bubble and will have to isolate for the test match and have two Covid tests before he can return. He’s apologised but no other details given apart from the breach occurring during the move from Southampton to Manchester. Will be a big miss

"Pour encourage les autres"
 
Looking a bit like it was for the toss in Southampton, bat or bowl or pray Root loses the toss and doesn’t have to make the decision ? Who comes in for Archer & Wood - Olie Robinson, Sam Curran or Chris Woakes ??????
 
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Bumble reckons it won't be that quick as it's under cooked and he knows a bit about The Old Trafford strip so fingers crossed he's right. Anyway if Broad is the all conquering hero he thinks he is then he'll be on for a 10 wicket match surely.
 
What is it with elite sportsmen who, in the build up to one of the season's biggest events, plays silly buggers?

Not just this case - in the tennis tournament that Djokovic organised they went partying at night, and some ended up testing positive.

Is it just the attitude of invincibility of youth? Obviously we don't know all the circumstances, but Archer would be lucky to play again this season from my point of view - he let down the team
 
Windies won the test and put England in. Pitch isn't quick and the opening bowlers have been spraying it wide down both sides - extras top score as a result so far.
 
Slow track, slow outfield, batsmen not timing the ball yet. Windies really not settled into their line and length an hour in.
 
I doubt we're even close to solving the top-order problems we've had for years.
Haseeb Hameed should have been the answer, I watched him develop at Lancs and he had everything - technique, patience, shot selection, temperament, courage, stamina, could pace his innings, knew where his off stump was. First Lancs. batsman ever to score tons in both innings at Old Trafford against a (very good) Yorkshire side. Made his test debut aged 19 in India and averaged over 40.
Then WTF. He just fell off a cliff edge. Every innings the same, would face a few balls and either get clean bowled or nick off. He couldn't have bought a run if he had the keys to The Bank of England vaults.
It was actually upsetting to see how badly it fell apart. No one either knows or will say what happened. The ECB suggested quite publicly that he should stop listening to his Dad and listen to their coaches but to balance that it was his Dad that coached him into the teenage prodigy he was.
Lancs. gave him every chance and it was tragic after repeated failures that he just slipped out of the back door on a 'free' to Notts. On the plus side he's still incredibly young and IF Notts. can rehabilitate him they have got the bargain of the century.
 
What is it with elite sportsmen who, in the build up to one of the season's biggest events, plays silly buggers?

Not just this case - in the tennis tournament that Djokovic organised they went partying at night, and some ended up testing positive.

Is it just the attitude of invincibility of youth? Obviously we don't know all the circumstances, but Archer would be lucky to play again this season from my point of view - he let down the team
I'm guessing a cocktail of supreme arrogance and outright stupidity.