irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Aug 25, 2016 14:27:54 GMT
What a shame its not a five test series. The ECB should would with the PCB to get a fifth test organised! It's a real shame that it wasn't a 5 Test series. I'd have happily exchanged one of the uncompetitive Sri Lankan Tests for an extra one v Pakistan. On balance though a 2-2 result was about right. For all that there seemed to be an assumption about England being the better team I'm actually not all that convinced we are. I think we have more bowling depth than Pakistan do but our batting didn't really look any better and they showed impressive reserves of fight to come back and hammer us following the Edgbaston dissapointment. An awful lot of sides would have folded at that point. A well matched series between 2 interesting but quite flawed sides is how I would have interpreted that. Pleased for Pakistan that they have mnanaged to rise to number 1 in the world - given the current lack of a standout side I feel they deserve it simply for the amount of graft and the commitment of their players given what they are up again. Misbah made a very good point that people talk about the home advantage loss not being that bad because the conditions are just as favourable in UAE but they miss that it means Pakistan's international cricketers have to spend 10-11 months away from home so it requires a certain mental toughness. I am pretty convinced that India are going to batter us in the winter to reclaim that number 1 spot though. |
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Post by lostinspace on Aug 27, 2016 15:45:51 GMT
browsing the sports with the OD cricket on the TV, and coincidentally the computer, and a time delay of almost 20 seconds between the two!! digital is so fast!!
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warehamgas
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Post by warehamgas on Aug 27, 2016 18:59:01 GMT
Yes Pakistan deserve credit for getting to number one in the world. Was reading in one of the papers this week that they had an attendance of 13 at one of their UAE tests! So to be number one is fantastic for them. I also thought they played with a good attitude and spirit which hasn't always been the case. Very impressed with Misbah as captain and thought he led them very well. Saw James Vince at Taunton on Tuesday, bowled by a left arm spinner! Then out for little in second innings. This, in a match where the Somerset batsmen did well with all players scoring well and the number 9 and 10 both getting centuries and a Hampshire player getting two centuries doesn't bode too well for his selection to India. Poor guy had a lot of time to reflect on missed opportunities. I hope he finds some form because in full flow he is an exciting batsman.
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irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Aug 28, 2016 23:08:11 GMT
Yes Pakistan deserve credit for getting to number one in the world. Was reading in one of the papers this week that they had an attendance of 13 at one of their UAE tests! So to be number one is fantastic for them. I also thought they played with a good attitude and spirit which hasn't always been the case. Very impressed with Misbah as captain and thought he led them very well. Saw James Vince at Taunton on Tuesday, bowled by a left arm spinner! Then out for little in second innings. This, in a match where the Somerset batsmen did well with all players scoring well and the number 9 and 10 both getting centuries and a Hampshire player getting two centuries doesn't bode too well for his selection to India. Poor guy had a lot of time to reflect on missed opportunities. I hope he finds some form because in full flow he is an exciting batsman. I've seen a lot of Vince over the years and I've always thought of him as a kind of poor man's Michael Vaughan. Looks very stylish when he's going but there's something just a little bit too mechanical in the way he plays and, rather like Moeen, he always seems very susceptible to the dozy dismissal in the 30s/40s which is really a criminal error for a top order batsman. That looked a good game by the way - looking forward to watching Somerset up here next week. Hope Trescothick gets in - you never know how long we've got left to appreciate him before he hangs up his boots.
I play cricket with a lot of Pakistani guys - they were pleased because they didn't really expect to get anything out of the Test series and it's a big deal for them to be number 1 in the world in the context of not being able to play home games. What worries many of them is that because Pakistan can't play at home (and no one is under any illusions that's going to change any time soon) young Pakistani's are potentially drifting away from cricket. Personally I doubt it though - I think it's a bit like the occasional panics we occasionally have about the decline of 'jumpers for goalposts'.
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warehamgas
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Post by warehamgas on Aug 29, 2016 8:53:05 GMT
Saw Vince at Taunton got 0 and 14 when there were 4, nearly 5 centuries and all but one of the Somerset batsmen got runs. Must have been frustrating for him. I'm just not sure he is top class. He will always be a good county batsman who teams will be glad to get out but at test level it always looks as if he is about to make a mistake. It's a shame but I think we move on. This summer, against weaker opposition and with James Taylor retiring it was his chance and I don't think he's taken it.
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irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Aug 30, 2016 14:37:15 GMT
Saw Vince at Taunton got 0 and 14 when there were 4, nearly 5 centuries and all but one of the Somerset batsmen got runs. Must have been frustrating for him. I'm just not sure he is top class. He will always be a good county batsman who teams will be glad to get out but at test level it always looks as if he is about to make a mistake. It's a shame but I think we move on. This summer, against weaker opposition and with James Taylor retiring it was his chance and I don't think he's taken it. It's looking increasingly like England are going to go back to Ian Bell. There is a certain logic in that. Bell is a good player of spin, you generally don't want to give players debuts in India and there's not really any other stand out candidate. |
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warehamgas
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Post by warehamgas on Aug 30, 2016 14:42:43 GMT
Mmm you may be right. But his championship form and average doesn't warrant a recall. What he does do is produce form on TV in front of selectors eyes and TV audiences. Clever man!
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irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Aug 30, 2016 14:50:30 GMT
Mmm you may be right. But his championship form and average doesn't warrant a recall. What he does do is produce form on TV in front of selectors eyes and TV audiences. Clever man! Yeah - that's normally enough to do it! |
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2016 16:56:34 GMT
444/3, England have just set a world record in an ODI!
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warehamgas
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Post by warehamgas on Aug 31, 2016 8:04:48 GMT
444/3, England have just set a world record in an ODI! Was great to watch. Glad for Hales after a tough test series and for Buttler after his injuries. Esp when you think that Stokes, Bairstow and Ali didn't even bat. It really is a good line up for one day cricket. Will be tough for Pakistan to come back now in the last two matches although they have shown that they just move on to the next match and start again. Amir for all his mistakes in 2010 when he was young is improving all the time and is going to become a stand out bowler and can bat a bit too. |
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