jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 4, 2020 17:24:51 GMT
Couple of cracking finishes and some terrific results for some of the smaller counties, namely Leicester and Derby!
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 4, 2020 15:03:06 GMT
Only possible if the Premier League are willing to divert significant sums of money to the football league in my opinion. If it becomes clear that supporters will not be allowed back into grounds without a vaccine, or effective treatment then is there any option other than to mothball everything except PL and Championship football for the foreseeable future? There is pressure from the Premier League for a rule change so that lower league clubs can take up to 8 loan players. Many of the smallest clubs are reluctantly facing up to the fact that they might have to agree to the new rules to survive thus creating B teams across the lower leagues. I think more loan players is an inevitability. One thing I think the Football League could do with immediate effect is to allow clubs to replace grass surfaces with 3G pitches. They could even offer a grant for clubs that choose to go down that route to cover the initial outlay. I was surprised yesterday to hear the manager of Harrogate Town saying that they were having to dig theirs up as a condition of entry to the league. That must cost them thousands up front, as well as reducing income. Doesn't seem like the right time to force clubs to reducing their revenue.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 4, 2020 13:47:48 GMT
Worcester CC is a very short walk from my house, so it's ideal for me. I am certainly hobbling round today though. I am not sure anything uses the same set of muscles as bowling does.
Members of tennis clubs can be pretty sniffy too. I occasionally go to a club night and some of them take things far too seriously but I agree that cricket could do more to make it easier for new players. It's quite an unforgiving sport to take up though. If you can't land the ball on a reasonable line and length you aren't going to get much match practice and if you get a good ball early on, you aren't going to bat much either. If you shank a couple of tennis shots early on, you get another chance.
League games lower down the structure tend to get dominated by a couple of players in my experience. The rest make up the numbers, which is not a lot of fun. It's a bit of a vicious circle. I have often thought that leagues should offer an inclusive 20 over format on a Saturday or Sunday morning. No teas to make it cheaper and quicker. Make it 10 a side and everyone gets to bat for 4 overs in pairs and you just lose runs if you're out. Everyone has to bowl at least one over, or maybe 4 overs maximum with points given for each extra bowler used.
I think it is much easier for bigger clubs to be more inclusive. If you have a smaller, village side that compete in a league, they tend to have a couple of star players who are basically playing for your team because it's local, their mates are in the team, because they know they will get to bat and bowl, whereas at a bigger club they might do one or the other, and probably because they like being a big fish in a small pond. Then you get a few that are playing at the right standard (I was one of those) and then you get a few that should be playing at a lower standard and don't get much of a game most weeks. New players are a god send, but new players that have barely played before are really tough to incorporate. Do you bat them up the order or give them some overs and upset one of the guys that you cannot afford to lose, or do you bat them at 7 or 8 and basically use them as a specialist fielder and charge them a match fee for the privileged? If you do the latter, they are not likely to want to play for very long. If you don't get it right, you lose players, then the club folds. Half the guys will be lost to the game.
I also think cricket should be more localised where possible. The Birmingham league consists of 4 counties, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Herefordshire. At the level just below county standard, you expect to travel to play competitive cricket. Once you get past the top 25 clubs, it is possible to play competitively in a county based format. I would also argue that once you get through the next 60 / 70 sides, the rest could be localised more than that. Obviously it varies more county by county, but the bottom half of the Gloucestershire county league could definitely be broken down into Stroud, Cotswold and Gloucester based leagues.
I reckon the time of year has helped spinners, but also the depth of some counties squads has dipped without overseas players. They just have fewer options available to them. Probably a bit less at stake too without relegation.
It's actually comical how thin Notts are when it comes to bowlers at the moment. Peter Trego opened the bowling in both innings! Serves them right for not giving players like Luke Wood a bit more of a chance in recent years.
I would hope that Jack Leach will be released to play a few matches for Somerset. He isn't in the squad for the next test. Without any cricket, it would be really unfair to bring him into the Test team at this point, and if the winter tours go ahead, we will need him later in the year.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 3, 2020 14:13:15 GMT
I've seen some of the streaming from Bristol. The wicket seemed very flat. Glos clearly didn't get enough runs and Worcester are batting themselves into a very strong position. I'd put money on the draw there though I think. Ball just isn't really doing very much.
Somerset predictably battering Glamorgan. I think it's interesting that Lancs are struggling a bit against Leicestershire.
Other observations;
-Nice to see Hameed scoring runs for Notts. I really hope he makes a success of it because it will show up Paul Allott for the incompetent fool he is - a proper nasty piece of work who should have been sacked 2 years ago when that expensive Lancs team went down and who horribly mismanaged Hameed's development.
-Interesting to see so many relatively new/unknowns about. Clearly the limits this season on signings around kolpaks and veteran contracts etc have had a major effect. Lots of youngsters playing which is quite nice to see although it makes it harder to judge the contests!
I'd like to see a surprise victor this year from one of the less fashionable counties but early going suggests that's unlikely. Essex will always be in the frame while they have Porter and Harmer but I really like the look of Warwickshire. I also thought Lancs had a decent shot at it given the depth they have and the short schedule. But perhaps I need to revise that after their performance against Leicester.
I have also followed the Gloucester v Worcester game as best I can. The extra cameras are OK. There are still blind spots on the pitch but it's an improvement. I read that Worcester spent a lot of time this winter, before Covid, facing a bowling machine set up to deliver a good line and length for 2 to 3 hours. Early days obviously, but it certainly seems to have helped so far. That's the first time I can remember Worcester posting 400 in the first innings during the last couple of seasons. The pitch suggests a draw, but there is plenty of time left in the game, and Worcester had an excellent 45 minutes post lunch. A 160 run first innings deficit is a lot of scoreboard pressure. I also noticed Hammed scored a couple of 50s and I agree with you on Paul Allott. Notts have a fantastic batting line up. Samit Patel is batting at 8! They just look a little light on bowling to me. Another county that could challenge though. It's good to see a few spinners getting some overs too. 9 wickets fell to the Hampshire spinners across two innings (including Mason Crane). I know Hampshire were due to have Nathan Lyon as an overseas player this season, which I guess meant Crane would play white ball only for most of the season. I played my first game for 5 years yesterday for Worcester (which sounds very grand, not the county though, I can assure you). Just a friendly, but comically, I opened the bowling. 2-41 off 8 overs and a catch doesn't sound too bad on paper, but to say I was rusty was an understatement. I probably bowled more long - hops in my spell than I would normally bowl all season! I have to say, other than the occasional break to sanitise hands, not being able to shine the ball and not being able to use the dressing rooms, it wasn't a lot different to normal. I could still get the ball to swing at the end of my spell.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 3, 2020 11:01:47 GMT
I was hoping that season ticket holders at the very least would have been allowed into stadiums again this side of Christmas but with the current negative reports regarding Covd-19 I can't see it happening this year. How the hell can football clubs in the lower leagues survive with no gate income? Only possible if the Premier League are willing to divert significant sums of money to the football league in my opinion. If it becomes clear that supporters will not be allowed back into grounds without a vaccine, or effective treatment then is there any option other than to mothball everything except PL and Championship football for the foreseeable future?
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 1, 2020 9:22:25 GMT
So the domestic season starts today. Somerset start at home to Glamorgan amidst the uncertainty created by Jamie Overton's imminent departure to money bags Surrey. That's the kind of departure that's deviating for a county. Somerset have invested so much in Overton and haven't really got the best from him, ostensibly due to injury. I wonder if Somerset will try and get Connor McKerr from Surrey as a replacement? To me, this reinforces the need to some kind of compensation system in cricket, especially for home grown players.
Gloucestershire host Worcester. Both sides look a bit light in the batting department. I'm looking forward to seeing how the new broadcast set up works.
Hard to look beyond Essex again to win. No bopara, and no Wagner or Siddle, but I'm not sure they've lost anyone else to the England side, unless Lawrence ends up in the test reserves. Hopefully the 5 fixture set up throws out a surprise winner.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 29, 2020 12:53:19 GMT
I think Northants have 3 home fixtures actually, so I guess that softens the blow.
I think all-in-all, it's been a good series for England. The openers have provided some real solidity and I think a 4-6 of Root, Stokes and Pope is about as strong as it gets. Typically, we've struggled a bit for lower order runs recently. It would be nice if Buttler could kick on, but I think it's more likely that he'll continue to struggle. It would also be nice if Woakes could find some form again.
I think Broad is probably bowling better than ever. I am not sure why it took him so long to decide to bowl a bit fuller, but he is reaping the rewards at the moment. I also think Bess demonstrated why they picked him ahead of Leach in this series. Even when his bowling wasn't needed he contributed with a few runs and a brilliant run out.
The Windies have a really nice group of bowlers, but they just don't score enough runs to win consistently. Without rain around in the last two tests, I think England would have won both inside 4 days. They just need a couple of their batsmen to kick on. If you added Sarwan and Chanerpaul circa 2007 to this side then I reckon they would be a tough proposition.
Looking ahead, I think the Pakistan series could be a good one. They've got some bowlers who will make life difficult for England, and their batting line up is better than the Windies. As ever, the challenge will be whether they can play the moving ball. I am looking forward to it.
First we have the one day series. I think it's a bit of a confusing squad actually. I think we know that Vince isn't good enough and picking Denley is just bizarre. How is he a better option than Liam Livingstone? I am not sure what else Sam Hain has to do to be picked either. I thought he would make an excellent deputy for Root.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 24, 2020 9:47:18 GMT
So Cornwall in for Joseph for the Windies (I think picking Gabriel in a 3 man seam attack is risky) and England have picked an extra bowler - which I think is a sensible move personally. Everyone is saying that Anderson and Broad have to play, but I don't see how you can leave Woakes out either. I think if Stokes was fit you could have picked Anderson, Broad and Woakes and used Stokes as the point of difference, but personally, I would have left out Jimmy and picked Archer. Tough call, but he hasn't played much over the last year. It will be interesting to see who they give the new ball to. I guess they could have left out Bess, but I am never really a big fan of picking a side with no front line spinner.
I see the County fixtures have been released today. Poor Northants are in a group with Somerset, Gloucestershire, Worcester, Glamorgan and Warwickshire. Lots of travelling for them, given their proximity to Nottingham and Leicestershire - although I suppose they will at least miss the trip to Durham. Hopefully the trial matches in front of crowds go well and they can let some people in to watch
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 21, 2020 14:28:44 GMT
Well that was the most encouraging performance I can remember from the England Test team in a while. Sure, there have been wins against more challenging opponents, but, these have usually been based on England scoring 300 in the first innings, and then managing to skittle their opponents for less than 220. I suppose I felt that trying to get runs by being ultra aggressive in difficult batting conditions would only take us so far. I am really pleased that we seem to have accepted that the tried and tested strategy of relying on a sound defense and batting for long periods of time is a more reliable way of winning matches, especially away from home.
I am convinced that the likes of Curran and Woakes would be more effective overseas if we could put scores that are above par on the board on a consistent basis. The 2010/11 ashes winning side had an attack of Anderson, Tremlett and Bresnan for most of the series. No real pace. All right arm seamers, all-be-it, Tremlett got plenty of bounce. We were successful because our batsmen scored a stack of runs. New Zealand have no express pace in their team, but they are successful because they bat for long periods of time.
I think it would be interesting to see what would happen if the Windies batted first and scored 300. Could we score 400 in our first innings, or would the pressure get to us?
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 20, 2020 11:10:00 GMT
I think England's first innings approach has been vindicated. If you discount the days play we lost for rain, the Windies would have been completely out of contention in this test match.
As it is, they need 312 to win, or England need to take 10 wickets in 85 overs. Great innings by Stokes. He really is a cricketer for ever occasion now, and I think he vindicated Root's decision to open with him and Buttler. I would have declared an over earlier, but I don't think Root is far out with his timing. I feel that, if England could get a couple of early ones, they are well on their way. Hopefully we get it right with the new ball, and Bess can control his length a bit more consistently later on.
Just great to have a couple of really competitive matches to start this summer. Would be lovely to go to the 3rd one each.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 17, 2020 14:29:06 GMT
Final point - if Buttler can't make runs from this position, then I am not sure when he will make runs
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 17, 2020 14:15:30 GMT
It has been attritional but I do think there are mitigating factors. The outfield is the slowest I have seen in the UK for ages. There were so many threes scored yesterday. Stokes only hit 3 4s and a 6 in his 50. The conditions have been really tough, and given that the Windies have the same attack as they fielded at Southampton, wearing the bowlers down is a legitimate tactic.
There is too much focus I think on what Sibley can't do, rather than what he can do. He is 24. Has a Test average north of 40, has two hundreds in his first season of test cricket, leaves well and has a couple of low risk scoring shots. That's a terrific starting point. As he begins to feel more comfortable in this set up, I am sure he will start showing us a few more shots. We also have plenty of stroke makers in the side. What a platform for Pope, Buttler, Woakes, Curran and Bess to build on.
I am a huge fan of score board pressure. It's hard enough batting after 50 overs in the field. I find the prospect of batting after almost 2 days in the field almost unimaginable. It's a tactic New Zealand have used to good affect.
I also think it's a bit like when the one day team hit the reset button. They had to recondition by attacking everything even if they ended up all out for less than 150 on occasions. I think the Test team are going through the reverse process. They have to learn to trust their defensive techniques.
We haven't scored 400 in the first innings of a home test match for years. Perhaps today is finally the day!
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 14, 2020 14:48:55 GMT
irishrover did you get a game of cricket in this weekend? I know Kingsholm, the last club I played for in Gloucestershire got up and running with an interclub match last Saturday. I'm guessing it's still a bit early to have arranged a restart to league cricket? What will the truncated fixture list look like? The GCL and I think WEPL are starting on the 25th and playing for 7 weeks. I wondered whether they might extend the season well into September, but I guess clubs that share with football and rugby will not have this option. I guess a league for 7 weeks and then friendlies for clubs that can keep playing is a good option. I also noticed that they are proposing a kind of matrix league structure where leagues are based on geography and ability. Participation this year is on an opt-in basis. No mention that I've seen of that this means for promotion or relegation though.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 13, 2020 13:42:19 GMT
What a great test match! I think the better side won and, in the interests of seeing a competitive series, I'm glad the Windies got over the line. I was really impressed with their discipline with both bat and ball. I think they have a limited batting line up, but, in this test match, they knuckled down, and made the most of what they've got. If you get 300 in your first innings when the ball is swinging around, then you're usually in the game. I do disagree with you slightly actually Wareham, regarding their bowling attack. I think it's really competitive. Roach is a superb leader of the attack. Forget the pace Holder bowls at, he has the ability to extract bounce and nip from the wicket when others are struggling. He is absolutely relentless and gives batsmen nothing. One thing I think England could look at though is how they play Chase. I think it's worth a bit of a calculated gamble to try and hit him out of the attack. This would mean Holder has to bring back one of his quicks before they are properly rested. At the very least, do what Stokes and Crawley did, hit a few over the top, push the field back and take some low risk singles. We can't just do what Sibley did, which is basically look to work him into the onside exclusively, where the Windies had a packed ring of fielders. He ended up going for less than 2 an over at one point. I have had a bit of a downer on the England Test team for a while but, I find myself feeling a bit more optimistic despite the defeat. It was very difficult to see England progressing without a competent top order. The all-rounders were going backwards and I couldn't see where the replacement for Anderson or Broad was going to come from. At least now, I think we have a plan. Sibley and Burns are unlikely to become all time greats, but I thought they left the ball really well on Friday night. They are both getting better and seem to adapt to challenges. I think they have a very well defined role which helps. Compare that to someone like Nick Compton. He had a good start and then his coach started giving interviews to TV and Radio stating that he wanted 2 aggressors in the top 3. Cook was inked in, so Compton must have felt under pressure. That cannot have helped. I wonder whether things might have worked a little differently had he been told that his role in the side was just to bat time and build a platform. I can see the logic in picking Denley for the last test, it would have been harsh to pick Lawrence for one game and then leave him out for Root, but I think now is the time to move on. Crawley isn't the finished article but he seems to be getting better quickly at the moment. Buttler is on borrowed time too but I think he will play the next two Tests. He is such a talent that I can see why they are desperate for him to succeed. If we drop him then I don't think he'll come back in to the Test side again because he doesn't play first class cricket. He has had 20 odd tests in this run to try and figure out how to play the longer format. He's also had a break to see whether burnout had caused his form to dip. Ultimately, I just don't think his defensive technique stands up to the rigorous of Test Cricket, and he can't play the moving ball. I thought Bess did well and was a bit unlucky with a couple of LBW decisions yesterday. He was probably a little under-bowled. He is also learning on the job, but I think his combative nature, batting and fielding make him an attractive prospect. Even if there isn't much in it for a spinner, I feel that he may be capable of influencing Test Matches. I hope they stick with him. I know a lot has been made about Broad's omission, but I am not sure we'd have won the game with him in the side. I though Wood was a bit unlucky and, while Archer wasn't at his best in the first innings, he bowled really well yesterday. Ultimately, I think we were 50 runs short of par in the first innings and missed the chance to set a really competitive total in our 3rd innings. I think we should have bowled first, but we do need to find a way of staying in the game when batting is tough. I would rest Anderson and Wood for the next test. Woakes and Broad to come in. Agree with most of that.
It was a terrific Test match between 2 sides that have distinctly different strengths and weaknesses which made it intriguing. I've already said everything I want to say about Windies I think but it was a very impressive performance that maximised every inch of talent from the team. I think on some level you do have to accept that this is a fairly young and inexperienced England batting lineup so there will be some inconsistancies. Generally I think I like the approach most of them have to the game though. Denly has to go now surely. He could have given the selectors a problem if he'd converted one of those 2 start into at least 60-70 and he had a golden opportunity to do that in the 2nd innings. It's cruel if that's his last shot in Test cricket but it certainly seems like that at this stage.
I'm boring people on Buttler now but I've always said that he's never figured out a method for the red ball game. 2nd innings dismissal was a flat out technical flaw. To me England should move on and set Buttler the challenge of becoming one of the All-Time great white ball players. I think he has that in him and to some extent should embrace that destiny. No shame in that. Personally, I want Bairstow back because I think he has a 2nd act in him but I wouldn't be against turning to Foakes and even Bracey is getting consideration in some quarters now. I don't see why we wouldn't stick with Bess for the forseeable. He played a useful innings as well as looking a threat and that versatility has high value for this particular England side. There's a slight interest in seeing what the wicket at Old Trafford is like. While it's a long way from the turner of old before they turned the ground around it still does take more spin than most and the Windies in particular might be tempted to go with another spinner. It's possible Leach would get a look in too if for no other reason than to protect the seamers a bit.
For me the Broad thing was more about balance of attack and protecting Archer and Wood throughout the summer than anything else. I thought we weren't varied enough in the 1st innings. It's all very well having 2 fast bowlers but if the opposition get used to it then you're attack becomes a bit one paced. Neither Wood nor Archer move it laterally much so if they're not causing problems off the pitch then it's a bit of an issue and we know the Rose Bowl is always slow. That is not where I'd have picked them together.
I always think though that on a quick pitch, most bowlers are in the game. I think that in general, our batsmen have struggled on quick pitches in recent years, but the bowlers have been aright. Until last years Ashes, we hadn't lost a Test at Old Trafford for more than 15 years. It's on a really dead pitch that you need someone like Wood who can bowl fast and very full in order to take the pitch out of the equation. I think I am in the minority with that view though. Archer is really impressive because he can do a bit of everything. I think that's why England will need to manage his workload so carefully, because he will be effective in all conditions. I also think that Stokes is really under-rated with the ball. His average isn't great, but he is always brought into the attack as an after-thought, usually when the situation is starting to look hopeless. He rarely gets to bowl at the tail or in prime conditions. The TV guys were talking about why he is so effective when the ball is reversing yesterday, but he can also bowl fast and he can swing it conventionally too. I can see the appeal of bringing Bairstow back. I really thought he would go on to have a stellar test career until he found his way into the white ball team. I just think he stays leg side of the ball, which is great in an ODI but leaves him susceptible in red ball cricket. He may have worked on that during the break, but of course no one outside of the England set up can take a view on that. I also think Foakes' more controlled game measures up well next to our middle order stroke makers. I do find it a bit strange that the Windies don't pick Holder at 6 and Dowrich at 7, with a specialist spinner at 8. Their top order has been so poor that you might as well pick a bowler who can score a few runs rather than a batsman who rarely scores any runs. I guess England tried moving people up the order though - and look how that turned out!
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 13, 2020 10:22:44 GMT
What a great test match! I think the better side won and, in the interests of seeing a competitive series, I'm glad the Windies got over the line. I was really impressed with their discipline with both bat and ball. I think they have a limited batting line up, but, in this test match, they knuckled down, and made the most of what they've got. If you get 300 in your first innings when the ball is swinging around, then you're usually in the game.
I do disagree with you slightly actually Wareham, regarding their bowling attack. I think it's really competitive. Roach is a superb leader of the attack. Forget the pace Holder bowls at, he has the ability to extract bounce and nip from the wicket when others are struggling. He is absolutely relentless and gives batsmen nothing. One thing I think England could look at though is how they play Chase. I think it's worth a bit of a calculated gamble to try and hit him out of the attack. This would mean Holder has to bring back one of his quicks before they are properly rested. At the very least, do what Stokes and Crawley did, hit a few over the top, push the field back and take some low risk singles. We can't just do what Sibley did, which is basically look to work him into the onside exclusively, where the Windies had a packed ring of fielders. He ended up going for less than 2 an over at one point.
I have had a bit of a downer on the England Test team for a while but, I find myself feeling a bit more optimistic despite the defeat. It was very difficult to see England progressing without a competent top order. The all-rounders were going backwards and I couldn't see where the replacement for Anderson or Broad was going to come from. At least now, I think we have a plan. Sibley and Burns are unlikely to become all time greats, but I thought they left the ball really well on Friday night. They are both getting better and seem to adapt to challenges. I think they have a very well defined role which helps. Compare that to someone like Nick Compton. He had a good start and then his coach started giving interviews to TV and Radio stating that he wanted 2 aggressors in the top 3. Cook was inked in, so Compton must have felt under pressure. That cannot have helped. I wonder whether things might have worked a little differently had he been told that his role in the side was just to bat time and build a platform.
I can see the logic in picking Denley for the last test, it would have been harsh to pick Lawrence for one game and then leave him out for Root, but I think now is the time to move on. Crawley isn't the finished article but he seems to be getting better quickly at the moment.
Buttler is on borrowed time too but I think he will play the next two Tests. He is such a talent that I can see why they are desperate for him to succeed. If we drop him then I don't think he'll come back in to the Test side again because he doesn't play first class cricket. He has had 20 odd tests in this run to try and figure out how to play the longer format. He's also had a break to see whether burnout had caused his form to dip. Ultimately, I just don't think his defensive technique stands up to the rigorous of Test Cricket, and he can't play the moving ball.
I thought Bess did well and was a bit unlucky with a couple of LBW decisions yesterday. He was probably a little under-bowled. He is also learning on the job, but I think his combative nature, batting and fielding make him an attractive prospect. Even if there isn't much in it for a spinner, I feel that he may be capable of influencing Test Matches. I hope they stick with him.
I know a lot has been made about Broad's omission, but I am not sure we'd have won the game with him in the side. I though Wood was a bit unlucky and, while Archer wasn't at his best in the first innings, he bowled really well yesterday. Ultimately, I think we were 50 runs short of par in the first innings and missed the chance to set a really competitive total in our 3rd innings. I think we should have bowled first, but we do need to find a way of staying in the game when batting is tough. I would rest Anderson and Wood for the next test. Woakes and Broad to come in.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 9, 2020 18:02:51 GMT
Jason Holder is a magnificent cricketer and a good leader too. One of my favourites. He is so relentless and he seems to be able to bowl long spells, which makes him difficult to just see off. It is astonishing though, how inept our batsmen are at playing English type bowlers.
Not sure the decision to leave out Broad looks too clever either. Difficult to find the balance between future planning and winning in the here and now though.
Good to have some cricket back though and it could be a decent series. I also think the freshen up sky have had has been good. Rob Key is an especially adept broadcaster. Still plenty of commentators on their roster who are happy to let the pictures speak for themselves from time to time which is becoming increasingly rare.
I hear Gloucestershire are one of the four counties who have serious reservations about covering the cost of playing 4 day cricket. I even read that there is a possibility that some counties might choose to try a bit less hard than they could do to meet the safety protocols so they could pull out without losing face and jeopardising their longer term participation. If they can't make the numbers stack up then I'm not sure you can blame them. Certainly the attitude from bigger clubs which is basically play or else you're uninvited next season is unhelpful. Pretty typical of professional sport though. The big boys are happy to look after themselves but of course, failure to look after smaller sides effects competition in the long run.
Do you have a sense yet Irish whether you've lost any players to things like golf? I am contemplating offering my services to my local club and coming out of retirement at the grand old age of 33!
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 9, 2020 9:45:22 GMT
Well that was frustrating wasn't it. Let's hope the weather is kinder today.
Couple of taking points. Batting first was brave given the forecast for the first couple of days. Probably a good toss to lose and I am sure England will be pleased that play was significantly curtailed yesterday.
I understand why they have picked Denley. He does chew up a lot of deliveries and given how tough batting has been recently, an average of 30 is not a disaster. Tough to bring in Lawrence for one test as well. I don't always agree with Ed Smith but he is a good orator, and it's hard to disagree with his logic.
No broad was a surprise to me though. I am a bit conflicted. Broad has an incredible record and is unlucky to miss out. I don't agree with those who say you don't need pace to win in England. This is true, but, England have won consistently in this country. We have to do something different to win in all conditions. This attack looks like one that could be good in Australia.
What does worry me is who will do the donkey work. That attack in 05 had real pace but Hoggard could bowl long spells and Giles was good at holding up an end. 5 years ago, Jimmy could have bowled long spells, but I don't think his body will hold up to that. I think you don't want that pace attack bowling much more than 60 overs a day, which means Bess will have a lot of bowling to do. Longer term, I wonder whether they've got an eye on Craig Overton for that role?
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 3, 2020 9:36:58 GMT
Well I think Bess has probably put himself in pole position for the spinners spot come the first test. Leach looked rusty and Moeen hardly bowled in the first innings, so I think it's clear that he is not going to play in the first test. He'll get back in the test side in India though. I would have thought that Mo, Leach and Bess will all play if the pitches take spin. You could even make a case for going back to 6 bowlers if the pitches are flat. I can see the value of Denley in England where seeing off the new ball by consistently scoring 30 off 100 balls is valuable but, there are times in the subcontinent where it's easiest to score against the new ball and so his role is diminished. I really don't think his bowling is good enough with a red ball to be a factor either. In those conditions, surely Root or Pope at 3 with Moeen at 6 or 7 would be a better option? Couple of interesting Gloucestershire related developments I've noticed this week. The first is that Roderick is off to Worcester for the start of the 2021 season. Worcester really need some stability at the top of the order, so my guess is that they have signed Roderick to bat in the top 3 and deputise for Ben Cox if needed. I hope so anyway. Cox barely scored a FC run last season but his keeping is probably the best on the circuit at the moment. I'd hate to see his opportunities limited to white ball cricket. Equally, Gloucestershire must be confident that they can keep hold of Bracey for the foreseeable future. The second thing I've noticed is that Gloucestershire have installed additional cameras around Nevil Road. They will be controlled remotely and will allow viewers to actually see things like catches, and where the ball is once it's hit off the square! Their coverage will be synced with BBC Commentary and will be available free of charge by the sound of it. That could be a terrific innovation and has the potential to be a complete game changer for county cricket. It will be really interesting to see how it works. I can see clubs charging non members for this in the future but I hope that if it does go behind a paywall there is an option to purchase a subscription centrally. One of the bits that is really tantalising about this is that you could ground hop to follow an exciting passage of play. Being able to pay a subscription annually that would allow me to chose which match I watch hour by hour would appeal more to me than paying a fee to a county to allow me to follow a days play. On the other hand, perhaps the ECB could be a bit more long sighted on this. Whilst I think plenty of die-hards would pay for coverage, if it was subsidised by the ECB and kept available online for free (like the BBC Commentary) then perhaps it has the potential to grow the game. It could also open the door for a weekly highlights show on the BBC. www.thecricketer.com/Topics/news/gloucestershire_install_additional_cameras_county_coverage_cricket_returns_covid.html
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 1, 2020 15:35:58 GMT
Bracey C Foakes B Overton(J) 85. Strangled down the leg side. He looked gutted! Can't see him featuring this summer, but he's certainly put himself in the one to keep an eye on category.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 1, 2020 13:15:28 GMT
I can relate to everything you say regarding umpires. There is a video here that you have probably seen. The clip at 31 seconds makes me smile every time I watch it. A few other things I can relate to as well unfortunately! I remember one incident in a beautiful setting in the Cotswolds at a ground next to a lovely old church. The other side of the boundary was a ditch. I was fielding at deep square leg and our opening bowler was fielding at long leg. The ball went in between us and I beat him to the ball, and as I was bending down to pick it up, the bowler, who obviously hadn't seen me kept running and I tripped over his outstretched leg, straight into the ditch Plunkett is unlucky. I guess the other way of looking at it is that, it is probably better in the long run that Plunkett's last game was the world cup final, rather than a low key, behind closed doors affair. Surrey do have a massive catchment area but so do Middlesex and players like Higgins have had to leave to get regular cricket. I think Stewart deserves some credit, but perhaps you are right. Maybe he doesn't fancy the job. I remember him saying publicly that he didn't think he should have to apply and that if the ECB wanted him they would have to make an approach. Not sure I'd get too far if I took that approach when it comes to job hunting, but I guess life is different at the top! Interesting comment regarding cricket in Nottingham. What is lacking at grass routes level? I think to get that level of balance, perhaps you need a journalist which does not describe any of the new TMS pundits. The ABC employed Peter Roebuck for years in this role. The equivalent here is Vic Marks I guess but he is a bit to congenial to be outspoken on the radio. Mike Selvey used to do a good job of being forthright but he was also really dour! I think Agnew often does a good job of providing balance and is usually fair and without agenda, but he is compromised when it comes to the Hundred because he is employed by the BBC who obviously hold the rights. It was ever thus I think. I love that club cricket complication video. The one with the bull on the pitch actually happened at one of the grounds I play at in Manchester. I've played at a few grounds in the Westcountry where there was a slope so prodigious that when you were fielding at the bottom of it then you couldn't see the square. Here is a good Aussie video that sums up club cricket umpiring pretty well.
I think over the years Middlesex have probably done a better job of bringing on local talent than Surrey have but they don't have anything like the amount of resources Surrey do. They're just nowhere near as loaded as Yorkshire/Surrey/Notts/Warwcks/Lancs. I think in modern county cricket those are the big 5. Nottinghamshire is a strange place. There's just not that much cricket played in the county compared with other places and it's of a noticeably lower quality than that played in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Yorks. I really don't the reasons for that. Nottingham itself has fewer teams than other similarly sized cities and the facilities in that part of the World were quite average. Notts are a pretty well supported county and the City definitely gets behind its team. But it's grassroots is just not very impressive. Historically there was a strong link to the mining communities with cricket played at the welfare clubs. That's where the likes of Larwood came from so maybe the decline of those areas has something to do with it. But you'd still think Nottingham would shape up better in this regard than it does.
My guess with Stewart is that he probably wanted them to pay him relative to what he would lose from giving up his other interests and the ECB wasn't interested in that. As I understand it they have several more very promising talents in the production line though so the rest of us might have to brace ourselves for yet another period of Surrey dominance. Shame -I quite enjouyed their decade of relative mediocrity.
I feel like TMS has the balance of the commentary right on the whole. I like the new people they've introduced in recent years. They've kept it fresh. The pundity side needs a bit of work. You don't need both Tuffnell and Graeme Swann as they basically have the same act. Personally I prefer Tuffnell but I think I'm unusual in that - when he talks about cricket I think he is really good. Likewise you won't need Vaughan and Cook who will likely both be ECB friendly. Looks like they are pensioning of Boycott - that seems like a good idea. They've dodged the bullet of him saying something appalling for years and it won't go on forever.. I like Vic Marks but there must surely be additional cricketing journalists out there that fit the bill of being independent surely? Agnew is a superb broadcaster but does have a few hang-ups that get a bit repetitive. He's generally a Hundred sceptic - it will be interesting to see if he has to rain that in.
Not just you. I much prefer Tuffnell to Swann. Good to see James Bracey going well at the top of the order in the inter-squad match. 48* although he was dropped early on by Stokes at second slip. I don't think he looks out of place though. He will have some decisions to make over the next year or two I would think. Does he want to continue to open the batting and cede the gloves to Roderick, or does he want to develop his keeping? His best way into the England squad in the short term is clearly by making runs in the top 3 but he is a generation younger than Foakes, Buttler and Bairstow. I am not sure that there are plans to keep the ODI squad separate from the Test squad any more which will make selection for the first test interesting. It's clear that Buttler will keep but there are a number of other questions. Root is sitting the test match out so who comes in for him. I think I would bat Crawley at 3 and maybe have a look at Lawrence at 4. Denley hasn't really let England down, but age is not on his side, and it is such a low key summer that I think I would choose to move on. Broad and Anderson are nailed on for the first test, so we need to pick a spinner and a quick bowler. I think I would go with Archer and Moeen. Leach is the better bowler, but he has had a really torrid winter health wise and I would be worried about throwing him back into the side before he's ready. I also don't fancy a tail of Archer, Leach, Broad & Anderson! Leach has bowled before Moeen though which probably indicates the selectors thinking at this point. Wood would also be unlucky to miss out but I would be inclined to alternate Archer and Wood this summer. I think Woakes and Anderson could play alternate tests too.
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