The Official Cricket Thread

[Son of L8]

We didn't lose the series! HOORAY!

[Son of L8]

Every team needs a top quality spinner.  If he can bat a bit then great but first & foremost he needs to be master of the dark arts.  Crap like tredwell & ali simply aren't anywhere near the required level.  The selectors seem obsessed more with having a long tail than having top quality bowlers who can bowl out and/or frighten the opposition.

 

Yeah. Broad and Anderson are the only two who are in the side for their bowling. More than half of the overs England bowled in this match were sent down by men who were picked because they can bat a bit.

 

And they wonder why we can't take 20 wickets...

[George Costanza]

England haven't got any quality spinners though, and haven't throughout my whole life really, bar lucking into Graeme Swann who was a fairly crap all rounder who actually worked out he could bowl quite well by the time he was nearly 30.  I guess they are going for the same route and hoping Moeen suddenly discovers he's a good bowler.

 

I do like Moeen though, I think they've fucked him up a bit.  He looked pretty promising when he came into the side, able to bat for a long time and also able to play on subcontintental pitches.  He's gone backwards though.

 

Maybe unless they are ridiculously talented.... Spinners need years of experience to master the art of slow arm bowling.  Getting the dip, drift & spin.  nathan hauritz isn't a world beater by any means but he's been hugely effective for the resurgent Aus team

[Jose Jones]

Maybe unless they are ridiculously talented.... Spinners need years of experience to master the art of slow arm bowling.  Getting the dip, drift & spin.  nathan hauritz isn't a world beater by any means but he's been hugely effective for the resurgent Aus team

 

Nah, Nathan Hauritz was one of the many on the carousel of mediocre spinners that Australia tried in their losing and panicking, must find the next Warnie phase.

Nathan Lyon is the one who is doing ok in the team at the moment.

[lifetime fan]

Fuck off Moores.

[Brownie]

This summer is going to be brutal.

[lifetime fan]

This summer is going to be brutal.

Start praying for rain now.

[A_S]

As someone who doesn't watch Buttler as often as others on here, how often does he miss a chance like the stumping off Blackwood? That was a big moment. 

 

Impressive from the Windies though. Some young players actually stood up under pressure, especially since Chanderpaul had a rare forgettable series. 

 

The Kiwis playing England away, as well as Australia playing the Windies away should both make for interesting series I think. 

[Jairzinho]

Colin Graves' 'mediocre' comments gave West Indies team talk - Cook

 

Calling West Indies "mediocre" on the eve of the Test series gave them their team talk, claimed England captain Alastair Cook.

 

England were dismissed for 123 in their second innings on the way to losing the final Test by five wickets - and drawing the series 1-1.

 

England and Wales Cricket Board chairman-elect Colin Graves said there would be "some inquiries" if England did not beat the hosts.

"It's not ideal timing," Cook said.

 

"That's a Yorkshireman for you - they're quite happy to talk a good game," Cook told BBC Sport.

 

"A comment's a comment, and it's his right as chairman to say what he wants, but it's never ideal against an opposition you're about to play.

 

"It gives everyone else a team talk, we know that. But we can't control anything about that. If we'd played to our potential and taken our opportunities it would have been irrelevant."

 

West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder also referred to Graves' comments after the final Test, tweeting "not bad for a mediocre side".

 

Cook claimed that Graves' comments had not put any extra pressure on him or coach Peter Moores and that they "don't worry about external stuff any more".

 

"For the majority of the series we did a lot of good stuff but when the pressure came on in the third innings we didn't bat very well," Cook said.

"It was a bit of a common theme in the series in terms of absolutely nailing them when we had the opportunity."

 

However, former England captain Michael Vaughan - who has beenlinked with the new director of English cricket role - tweeted:  "Losing a Test and drawing a series against a very young West Indies team. I can't accept that the team are getting better."

 

And former England opener Geoffrey Boycott, speaking on Test Match Special, called for an inquiry.

 

After a drawn first match, England took the lead in the series with a nine-wicket win in Grenada.

 

Asked about not playing specialist spinner Adil Rashid in the final match in Barbados, Cook said: "The spinning thing will always be an issue when we don't pick a specialist spinner but that's a bit harsh on Moeen Ali with the amount of wickets he has taken.

 

"He hasn't quite got it right. It's another lesson for him and he'll get better for that."

 

 

 

You really are a quite pathetic fucking shithouse, and a truly appalling captain, Cook. You could always try picking some of these Yorkshire players.

[Russ Atmosphere]

Cook Piss Partridge.

[A_S]

 

Colin Graves' 'mediocre' comments gave West Indies team talk - Cook

 

Calling West Indies "mediocre" on the eve of the Test series gave them their team talk, claimed England captain Alastair Cook.

 

England were dismissed for 123 in their second innings on the way to losing the final Test by five wickets - and drawing the series 1-1.

 

England and Wales Cricket Board chairman-elect Colin Graves said there would be "some inquiries" if England did not beat the hosts.

"It's not ideal timing," Cook said.

 

"That's a Yorkshireman for you - they're quite happy to talk a good game," Cook told BBC Sport.

 

"A comment's a comment, and it's his right as chairman to say what he wants, but it's never ideal against an opposition you're about to play.

 

"It gives everyone else a team talk, we know that. But we can't control anything about that. If we'd played to our potential and taken our opportunities it would have been irrelevant."

 

West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder also referred to Graves' comments after the final Test, tweeting "not bad for a mediocre side".

 

Cook claimed that Graves' comments had not put any extra pressure on him or coach Peter Moores and that they "don't worry about external stuff any more".

 

"For the majority of the series we did a lot of good stuff but when the pressure came on in the third innings we didn't bat very well," Cook said.

"It was a bit of a common theme in the series in terms of absolutely nailing them when we had the opportunity."

 

However, former England captain Michael Vaughan - who has beenlinked with the new director of English cricket role - tweeted:  "Losing a Test and drawing a series against a very young West Indies team. I can't accept that the team are getting better."

 

And former England opener Geoffrey Boycott, speaking on Test Match Special, called for an inquiry.

 

After a drawn first match, England took the lead in the series with a nine-wicket win in Grenada.

 

Asked about not playing specialist spinner Adil Rashid in the final match in Barbados, Cook said: "The spinning thing will always be an issue when we don't pick a specialist spinner but that's a bit harsh on Moeen Ali with the amount of wickets he has taken.

 

"He hasn't quite got it right. It's another lesson for him and he'll get better for that."

 

 

 

You really are a quite pathetic fucking shithouse, and a truly appalling captain, Cook. You could always try picking some of these Yorkshire players.

 

 

Who are you referring to there, mate?

 

As for the article, I still think the comment from the chairman is simply ridiculous. If it gives the opposition ANY kind of spur on, then shut the fuck up. Arrogance at its finest. 

[Jairzinho]

Who are you referring to there, mate?

 

As for the article, I still think the comment from the chairman is simply ridiculous. If it gives the opposition ANY kind of spur on, then shut the fuck up. Arrogance at its finest. 

 

The four Yorkshire players he took on tour as fucking waiters. Lyth, Plunkett, Rashid, and Bairstow. I wouldn't have bothered with Bairstow, but the other three would have comfortably improved the side.

 

We were playing the West Indies B team, we should have battered them in all three games. I don't really care what Graves said, and for Cook to hide behind his comments is absolutely pathetic. 

 

Lots of politicking going on surrounding the Yorkshire players at the moment, and this is just part of it.

[Russ Atmosphere]

The cosy England set-up are pissed off with Graves already, good, I like him.

[Jose Jones]

You would think anyone with a bit of intelligence would not blame their new boss for their own rather obvious failings just as he started the job.

[Son of L8]

As someone who doesn't watch Buttler as often as others on here, how often does he miss a chance like the stumping off Blackwood? That was a big moment. 

 

His keeping still needs work to reach international level. Wonderful batsman, but he will cock up some of the basics behind the stumps.

 

In other news, the Beeb are talking as if the new ECB job is definitely going to Strauss now. Fucks to that. Fantastic player and successful captain, love him for what he did at the crease against the likes of Australia, but he is not the man to move English cricket forward. With Strauss, Cook and Moores, it'll be full steam stay-right-where-the-fuck-we-are.

[Jairzinho]

A troika of boring, shit cunts.

[lifetime fan]

Whilst I like Strauss as a batsman, if the ECB are going down the untested route and pick him above Vaughan, then they're an even bigger group of know nothing cunts than even I thought.

[Vincent Vega]

Vaughan is too outspoken and too much his own man for the ECB, Strauss is very much one of theirs, privately educated, privileged background, Home Counties upbringing, and most importantly won't want to rock the boat. I was really hoping Vaughan would be appointed as I'd have been optimistic he would shake things up.

[King Emlyn]

Trott retires from International cricket, sad but the right decision, he's shot to bits.

[lifetime fan]

Gutted for the bloke but can't argue with his decision.

[Son of L8]

Yeah. Such an important player when he was at his best, but it's hard to see a future for him even if he got everything sorted. He's not a proper opener, even at his best, and the #3 spot looks locked down for years with Ballance doing... Well, basically what Trott used to do at 3. Play like a rock, defend his wicket, and steadily accumulate big scores.

 

He played some brilliant innings though, and was a huge part of some of the most successful cricket England have played in my lifetime. That's what he'll be remembered for.

[Navman]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/story/869279.html

 

A good few of these players need to step up to the longer format

[Jairzinho]

Just stick Root, Ballance, Buttler and Anderson in with that lot and it can be the test squad for the New Zealand games.

[A_S]

Though I didn't see every one of his innings for England, I'd challenge anyone to find a better Trott knock than the 2nd innings of his debut Test at The Oval. It set him up to have a decent international career in the end, despite his relatively late start. 

[lifetime fan]

Vaughan is too outspoken and too much his own man for the ECB, Strauss is very much one of theirs, privately educated, privileged background, Home Counties upbringing, and most importantly won't want to rock the boat. I was really hoping Vaughan would be appointed as I'd have been optimistic he would shake things up.

Vaughan 'out of the running' according to the beeb.

 

Boycs is right, nothing will change unless Strauss sacks Moores and appoints an aggressive head coach.