The Official Cricket Thread

[A_S]

I think the absolute quality of a couple of Woods' wickets in this series (ball moving away to clip the top of off) suggest there is a decent bowler there if his consistency can improve a bit, but then he is still young. Mitchell Starc will bowl a few spells of both shite and unplayable deliveries in the upcoming Ashes, but then he is still a baby too. 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

He's been our best bowler by quite some distance. Broad has bowled a load of shite and Anderson has been largely ineffective. Stokes and Ali aren't front line bowlers.

 

Lyth and Wood have been positives from this series. Lyth has been quite unlucky, getting out to some great deliveries and obviously that ridiculous run out.

I agree fully. 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

You also have to factor in where and when the bowlers are operating. New ball, set batsmen etc etc. 

[Guest LFD]

You clearly haven't watched most of the match if you think Wood is a problem. All the bowlers have been expensive.

 

I clearly have.

 

Agreed that all the bowlers have been expensive.  But I'm not judging someone like Anderson in one game, we know he's a quality bowler.

 

Wood, Stokes and even Broad given his recent form have more to prove.  

 

Not saying he's poor, as I agree with Aussie Scouser, I have seen some quality deliveries.  But then again I saw quality deliveries from Bresnan, Finn, Onions etc.  Think they are all much of a muchness and I think it is still a question mark which of them are better than the others.  That's my point.

[Major Tom]

Wood is capable of bowling good deliveries at 90mph+. That's great going and will test the best batsmen.

 

I'd be looking at Broad before I looked at Wood.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

You said he was a question mark when he has bowled better than the rest. You are basically judging him on the two tests played yet you fail to accept he has bowled well. Anderson is obviously a class act but his form of late has been as poor as Broad's. He looked half arsed on the Windies tour and has only looked up for it in this series when he had the new ball in his hand. 

[Guest LFD]

You said he was a question mark when he has bowled better than the rest. You are basically judging him on the two tests played yet you fail to accept he has bowled well.  

 

I don't think any of our bowlers have bowled well.

 

He's shown promise, but he's had two tests and that's why he's still a question mark for me.  He has much to prove.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Wood is capable of bowling good deliveries at 90mph+. That's great going and will test the best batsmen.

 

I'd be looking at Broad before I looked at Wood.

 

The trouble is Broad will never get dropped unless injured under the current set up. 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Cook out for 56, Eng 141/6, game over. 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

I find it hilarious that Williamson has taken 2 wickets. Down to good captaincy and aggressive field placing when the spinners are on for NZ. 

[A_S]

I find it hilarious that Williamson has taken 2 wickets. Down to good captaincy and aggressive field placing when the spinners are on for NZ. 

 

He's that good that even after a shite game with the bat he has a massive contribution to what is looking like a win for NZ. 

 

That said, after seeing Monty Panesar and James Anderson bat for a fucking hour or more to save the 1st Test at Cardiff in 2009, it really isn't over until it is. 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Well Ali is out for a massive 2. Is there any point whatsoever trying to shoehorn him into this team? His bowling is mediocre at best and batting down the order is a waste of time. 

[Jairzinho]

Well Ali is out for a massive 2. Is there any point whatsoever trying to shoehorn him into this team? His bowling is mediocre at best and batting down the order is a waste of time. 

 

We're going to have to keep pushing him down the order gradually until it's at 12. Hoping that's what we're doing with Broad as well.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

We're going to have to keep pushing him down the order gradually until it's at 12. Hoping that's what we're doing with Broad as well.

 

We need a front-line spinner like Rashid or Borthwick in the team, both can bat as well. Ali is not Test Match standard. 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Williamson now has 3/6 off 5.2 overs!! Broad out to a pathetic shot. England 192/8

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Deserved victory for NZ to level the series. I think 1-1 was a fair result although NZ played the better cricket on a whole. 

[Jairzinho]

Bummed. 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Yep, losing by 199 is quite a bumming. Cook should have batted first after winning the toss, get the runs on the board and put pressure on the opposition, he was just shit scared of opening the batting due to cloud cover and rain in the air, it was always going to be difficult to bat fourth on this wicket. 

 

Nice to see Cook back in good nick with the bat but his captaincy is fucking pants. 

[Major Tom]

Deserved victory for NZ to level the series. I think 1-1 was a fair result although NZ played the better cricket on a whole. 

 

Agree. We had a chance in that first test but didn't take it and were outplayed in the end. 1-1 pretty reflective of the two tests. A decider would have been great. Hopefully we get more than 2 tests next time.

 

Very pleased with NZ cricket at the moment. Our most talented team lead by one of our better captains who likes to play cricket on the front foot. Worth the years of in-fighting and turgid cricket. Though, saying that, I see our Director of Cricket has fallen out with the board and has left.

[Yozzer]

Deserved win for New Zealand. An excellent series overall with a draw a fair result, shame it's a 2 match series as it deserved a decider.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

3 test matches should be a minimum in any series. 

[Son of L8]

Bell and Ballance should both be left out the ODIs, go play a couple county games and score some runs in the longer form, then come back for Cardiff in July. They're both good players who we'll need to have in good touch if we're to stand a chance against the Aussies, and trying to play one-day innings is not going to help either of them get into Test form.

 

On the other hand, Rashid or Borthwick should have a go in the one-day series to see if they can stake a claim to come in for the Ashes because Ali juts doesn't make sense right now. Is he in the side for his batting or his bowling? Coming in at number eight is a waste if he's picked to score runs, and his bowling figures don't justify selection on their own.

 

edit: just seen the ODI squad announced. Ballance, Bell, Broad, Anderson and Ali all left out. Rashid is in there, so hopefully he gets a chance to bat and bowl.

[mouse1989]

Borthwick doesn't even bowl that much for Durham

 

Should've taken a chance on Rashid in WI

 

If we don't play Rashid then Moeen is the second best option we have

[Jairzinho]

He's fucking shit.

[Vincent Vega]

I know it's been cold and shitty, but the attendances at Headingley were pitiful. They don't help make the case for taking more test matches away from London. I can't imagine they'll be awarded an Ashes test any time soon if they can't be arsed turning up against a very good New Zealand team, with some top players who play an attractive attacking style of cricket, in a test match that looked close until day four.