The Official Cricket Thread

[Tj hooker]

That is one very green pitch at Wellington for the 2nd test , no wonder the Kiwis opted to bowl first 

[Captain Howdy]

How long has Sid Little been umpiring?

[Captain Howdy]

21-3 England all over the place

[Tj hooker]

This is not a 5 day test pitch 2 maybe 2 and a bit England are 21 for 3 from nearly 7 overs , Maximum of 120 or 130 for me 

[lifetime fan]

Doesn’t help trying to play fucking Bazzball on a wicket like that. 

[Tj hooker]

England won't change now Col it's the way they play,  but this pitch is the ultimate bowler friendly track I've seen at test level for a very long time I bet Jimmy and Broady were praying for Stokes to win the toss 

[sir roger]

This Crawley running joke has run its course.

[Jose Jones]

13 minutes ago, sir roger said:

This Crawley running joke has run its course.

 

Definitely seem to have found one in Harry Brook though.  I wonder if Bairstow will get moved to opener when he gets back fit?

[sir roger]

It's a possibility, I wondered if Root might be considered for the opening spot, he was practically opening anyway for about 3 years.

[Captain Howdy]

Didn’t expect to wake up to that like 

[Mudface]

25 minutes ago, Captain Howdy said:

Didn’t expect to wake up to that like 

 

Same, they were 60 odd for 3 when I went to bed. Amazing stuff. 

[Jairzinho]

Game finished after day one.

 

Superb batting, but this NZ bowling line up looks quite a long way past it. Southee and Wagner look County Championship level now, Henry averages over 40 with the ball and Mitchell is a batting all rounder. They miss Boult a lot, and presumably with a population of 237 they're struggling to replace him.

 

 

[lifetime fan]

2 hours ago, Mudface said:

 

Same, they were 60 odd for 3 when I went to bed. Amazing stuff. 

 

2 hours ago, Captain Howdy said:

Didn’t expect to wake up to that like 

It’s amazing what can happen if you see off the first hour, the ball gets a little softer and the new ball bowlers are off.
 

Has this ever happened in test cricket before? 

[Gooch]

England’s batting is now on another level to anything else in world cricket. Combine that with the bowling which has always been quality there’s no one out there apart from India away on a dust bowl and possibly Australia away that can compete.

 

Incredible turnaround and I was someone who was against Stokes as captain but it’s proved to be a masterstroke.

[sir roger]

8 hours ago, Jairzinho said:

Game finished after day one.

 

Superb batting, but this NZ bowling line up looks quite a long way past it. Southee and Wagner look County Championship level now, Henry averages over 40 with the ball and Mitchell is a batting all rounder. They miss Boult a lot, and presumably with a population of 237 they're struggling to replace him.

 

 

 

Read that Boult was actually available for the series but NZ decided against using him as he had avoided a central contract because of IPL and whatever.

[Jairzinho]

39 minutes ago, sir roger said:

 

Read that Boult was actually available for the series but NZ decided against using him as he had avoided a central contract because of IPL and whatever.

 

Difficult position for the national board of any nation not called England, Australia or India. You don't want to send out the message that players can pick and choose when they play, fucking off to the circus leagues whenever they want. At the same time...their national teams are shite.

 

At one point a couple of weeks ago there were four of these competitions going on at the same time. One in Pakistan, one in Bangladesh, one in South Africa, and one in the one of the oil states. Utter, utter fucking shite.

[Captain Howdy]

6 hours ago, Gooch said:

England’s batting is now on another level to anything else in world cricket. Combine that with the bowling which has always been quality there’s no one out there apart from India away on a dust bowl and possibly Australia away that can compete.

 

Incredible turnaround and I was someone who was against Stokes as captain but it’s proved to be a masterstroke.

I was the same mate. Thought it was a ridiculously predictable appointment, to be fair I’m still not sold on white ball being transplanted into test cricket but the results are speaking for themselves. Still maintain it would crash and burn against the great test sides of the past but as it stands Stokes can quite rightly point to the results. It is quite the turnaround 

[Rico1304]

Women beaten in the semi final of T20 WC. Gutted. 

[Jairzinho]

2 hours ago, Captain Howdy said:

I was the same mate. Thought it was a ridiculously predictable appointment, to be fair I’m still not sold on white ball being transplanted into test cricket but the results are speaking for themselves. Still maintain it would crash and burn against the great test sides of the past but as it stands Stokes can quite rightly point to the results. It is quite the turnaround 

 

Really looking forward to India away, whenever that is. Be a proper test of the way we play.

[Captain Howdy]

18 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

 

Really looking forward to India away, whenever that is. Be a proper test of the way we play.

Ha, definitely 

[lifetime fan]

3 hours ago, Captain Howdy said:

I was the same mate. Thought it was a ridiculously predictable appointment, to be fair I’m still not sold on white ball being transplanted into test cricket but the results are speaking for themselves. Still maintain it would crash and burn against the great test sides of the past but as it stands Stokes can quite rightly point to the results. It is quite the turnaround 

Funnily enough I watched The Rise last night waiting for the test to start. 
 

Even that conservative England side would walk over this lot in my opinion. 
 

The results are impressive but the current level of test cricket is nowhere near what it was. 

[lifetime fan]

3 hours ago, Rico1304 said:

Women beaten in the semi final of T20 WC. Gutted. 

Aiden was crying. He’s loved watching the women’s side since we saw them at the commonwealth games.
 

He’s got a massive crush on Issy Wong. 

[Captain Howdy]

15 minutes ago, lifetime fan said:

Aiden was crying. He’s loved watching the women’s side since we saw them at the commonwealth games.
 

He’s got a massive crush on Issy Wong. 

Yeah I can see that

[Rico1304]

24 minutes ago, lifetime fan said:

Aiden was crying. He’s loved watching the women’s side since we saw them at the commonwealth games.
 

He’s got a massive crush on Issy Wong. 

I think I’ve mentioned before I find the women’s game so much more relatable. The blokes are just fucking machines - they bowl at 100mph and hit it further than I go on holiday.  

[lifetime fan]

1 hour ago, Captain Howdy said:

Yeah I can see that

I gently tried to point out he was barking up the wrong tree when she was kissing her partner at Edgbaston but he got even more excited! 
 

Dirty pervert is only 10.