The Official Cricket Thread

[lifetime fan]

Survives a review now.

[lifetime fan]

Bairstow 50.

[lifetime fan]

171 - 5 at tea.

[Spy Bee]

Raining!

[sir roger]

Don't see anything special with Compton at all & it's not like he's a promising kid is it ?

[Total Longo]

Don't see anything special with Compton at all & it's not like he's a promising kid is it ?

 

Zero mental strength. 

[Frankenhooker]

Yay another collapse. Barstow still there on 97, one of Finn or Anderson better see him over the line.

[lifetime fan]

Been listening to TMS this morning, Boycott is going apeshit.

[Frankenhooker]

Cracking knock from Bairstow, especially under the circumstances. 236-8

[lifetime fan]

Bairstow century.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Good knock by Bairstow, poor shots from both Ali and Broad, Ali has been utter shit with the bat at test level lately, maybe batting so far down the order has affected his shot selection. 

 

That cloud cover isn't going anywhere though and I can see us getting SL all out for under 200. I also can't see Root fucking up in his second innings. Match is evenly poised imo and maybe England slightly ahead. 

[Jairzinho]

Sri Lanka's batting line up is appalling.

[Total Longo]

Been listening to TMS this morning, Boycott is going apeshit.

 

Why? Is his ex there?

[rubble-rouser]

TMS' tribute to Cozier ended up with Michael Holding literally in tears on air. 

[Spy Bee]

Good knock. He's in great form... interesting few overs now!

[lifetime fan]

12-2

[lifetime fan]

TMS' tribute to Cozier ended up with Michael Holding literally in tears on air.

He wasn't the only one with 'something in his eye'.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Nice spell from Anderson and Broad, 2 quick wickets, 1 apiece. I think I'll revise my score of getting them all out for under 200 to 150. 

[lifetime fan]

12-3

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Broad strikes again, 12/3. 

[Frankenhooker]

Hot knife through butter at the moment, every delivery looks dangerous. Bairstow with three catches.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Hot knife through butter at the moment, every delivery looks dangerous. Bairstow with three catches.

 

They are hitting the perfect line and length for Headingley, especially when cloud cover is about. Bowl to your slips and let the swing take the edge. 

 

Forget my revised score of all out for under 150, at this rate it could be under a 120 or better. 

[Jairzinho]

This top four is worse than Zimbabwe's. Bit cowardly from Thirimanne and Mathews (comfortably their two best batsman) to stay at five and six with Jayawardene and Sangakkara gone. They'll be 20/4 in most games so they'll have to bat early anyway.

[Vincent Vega]

England's batting has plenty of questions about it, only Cook, Root and Bairstow look to be mainstays to me, but the seam bowling is world class, especially on green pitches. Anderson, Broad and Finn are top class, and with Ball looking a very good prospect and hopefully Wood to return to full fitness, there is quality back up too. 

 

The Aussies can practice all they like with the Duke ball, but they won't be able to replicate the conditions or the quality of the bowling. I can still see them being at sixes and sevens in conditions like this. It isn't even a contest against the weaker test nations and those that can't win away from home like India. Hopefully Pakistan will put up some resistance and they will have very good pace bowlers of their own as well as a world class spinner. 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

That was a very good first over from Stokes, unlucky not to get a wicket.