Test Cricket 2024

[Belgrove]

After a scintillating Ashes series last year, this year’s home Test series, three matches each against the West Indies and Sri Lanka, is of a lower key. But it will (apparently) mark James Anderson’s retirement after the Lord’s Test in July. His 700 wicket haul will not be exceeded. I first saw him play for England in Australia in 2006, it is remarkable that he’s still playing 18 years on.

Rob Key is clearly thinking of England’s tour to Australia in 2025 through experimenting with the Kookaburra ball at the start of this domestic season, which resulted in a slew of draws in both divisions. Worth a try but English conditions, especially at the start of the season, don’t favour its use. We can expect further experimentation in reconfiguring England’s bowling attack in the coming months.

Of great concern is the latest (and rather cunning) ploy of the egregious ECB to ensure the success of the Hundred format by co-opting venues into becoming stakeholders by ‘gifting’ them a 51% ownership of the team they host. The phrase ‘stuffing their mouths with gold’ comes to mind. How this will affect those counties who are not venues is unclear. Rather than nurturing the game, the ECB is disrupting it by inventing a format no one asked for, sticking it at a prime time in the season to the detriment of every other format, and then inveigling the venues into ensuring it’s future. There is not room, or the demand, for two short match tournaments, indeed the Players Association have stated that the season is too congested and expressed fear for the player’s wellbeing. One can only hope that the counties act in unison, ditch the Hundred and use the ECB’s largesse to revitalise the T20 format, which the rest of the cricketing world plays. Needless to say, I have no confidence in the ECB.

[antongould]

After a scintillating Ashes series last year, this year’s home Test series, three matches each against the West Indies and Sri Lanka, is of a lower key. But it will (apparently) mark James Anderson’s retirement after the Lord’s Test in July. His 700 wicket haul will not be exceeded. I first saw him play for England in Australia in 2006, it is remarkable that he’s still playing 18 years on.

Rob Key is clearly thinking of England’s tour to Australia in 2025 through experimenting with the Kookaburra ball at the start of this domestic season, which resulted in a slew of draws in both divisions. Worth a try but English conditions, especially at the start of the season, don’t favour its use. We can expect further experimentation in reconfiguring England’s bowling attack in the coming months.

Of great concern is the latest (and rather cunning) ploy of the egregious ECB to ensure the success of the Hundred format by co-opting venues into becoming stakeholders by ‘gifting’ them a 51% ownership of the team they host. The phrase ‘stuffing their mouths with gold’ comes to mind. How this will affect those counties who are not venues is unclear. Rather than nurturing the game, the ECB is disrupting it by inventing a format no one asked for, sticking it at a prime time in the season to the detriment of every other format, and then inveigling the venues into ensuring it’s future. There is not room, or the demand, for two short match tournaments, indeed the Players Association have stated that the season is too congested and expressed fear for the player’s wellbeing. One can only hope that the counties act in unison, ditch the Hundred and use the ECB’s largesse to revitalise the T20 format, which the rest of the cricketing world plays. Needless to say, I have no confidence in the ECB.

I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who has confidence in the ECB …..

[DracoM]

Too right!

[Belgrove]

The first Test of the season, and the nights are drawing in (sic). All over in two days and a half a session, which indicates how one sided the match was. But it will be remembered for two things - Gus Atkinson’s debut with a seven wicket haul in the first innings, and a further five in the second. But that phenomenal bowling feat was topped by this being James Anderson’s final Test appearance. His is an extraordinary and historic bowling career which will not be bettered. It was unexpectedly moving and emotional to see him enter the field with a guard of honour formed by both teams, and a standing ovation from the capacity crowd who turned up knowing that the game would be over within a session. I have been lucky to see him throughout his career, and it’s been a privilege to do so.

On to Trent Bridge next week.

[burning dog]

I attended the 1st T20 game and the first T20 International, both at the Rose Bowl. Contrary to what was expected the regulars were quite at ease about the format thinking it could bring in a crowd, especially for mid week games, that couldn't attend "whole day " cricket. Of course the format has become the most succesful club game in the world with the advent of the Indian Premier League,

Now we have two competing versions of "3 hour" cricket, totally pointless in my opinion, the rules are more complicated than the standard game. The sole reason is the cutting down on the number of teams IMO. The idea it's to promote city cricket is a farce. There are North and South London teams, but no Sheffield or Liverpool. I would have thought it more likely a Liverpudlian would travel to Old Trafford to support "Lancashire" than a team called Manchester!

Another factor (apart from money) is the fact that the ECB appears to be suffereing from a long drawn out male menopause. Thinking they werent appealing enough to a younger cohort.
Way back in the early naughties "Misteeq" were playing at the first T20 but most of the young people were boys who were more interested badgering players for autographs

[Darkbloom]

The first Test of the season, and the nights are drawing in (sic). All over in two days and a half a session, which indicates how one sided the match was. But it will be remembered for two things - Gus Atkinson’s debut with a seven wicket haul in the first innings, and a further five in the second. But that phenomenal bowling feat was topped by this being James Anderson’s final Test appearance. His is an extraordinary and historic bowling career which will not be bettered. It was unexpectedly moving and emotional to see him enter the field with a guard of honour formed by both teams, and a standing ovation from the capacity crowd who turned up knowing that the game would be over within a session. I have been lucky to see him throughout his career, and it’s been a privilege to do so.

On to Trent Bridge next week.

I've seen Atkinson a bit for Surrey and haven't been all that impressed, but you can't argue with the figures from the match. It will be interesting to see how he does against genuine opposition. I've seen Jamie Smith score two hundreds this year, and he's ridiculously talented. If he beds down in this side, and keeping wicket doesn't damage him, it will be interesting watching him in Australia. He can hit the ball very hard off the back foot through the covers, which is not something you see very often, and is going to cause problems for even the best pace bowlers.

[Darkbloom]

I've always had mixed feelings about Anderson. He's a wonderful bowler in many ways but I doubt he'd make many people's World XI, or even the Top 10 bowlers. I'd put him right at the top of the second tier but well behind people like Hadlee, Marshall, Lillee etc. But you have to give him enormous credit for sustaining his performance and remaining consistent through two decades. He's still bowling at a livelier pace than many bowlers half his age.

[DracoM]

Yes, Smith is the revelation for me. Delighted by his glove work.

[antongould]

I've always had mixed feelings about Anderson. He's a wonderful bowler in many ways but I doubt he'd make many people's World XI, or even the Top 10 bowlers. I'd put him right at the top of the second tier but well behind people like Hadlee, Marshall, Lillee etc. But you have to give him enormous credit for sustaining his performance and remaining consistent through two decades. He's still bowling at a livelier pace than many bowlers half his age.

i agree with your assessment ….. and going further back …. Trueman, Lindwall, Larwood and beyond …. but a career to be proud of and to be applauded IMMVHO ….

[Belgrove]

Fourteen hundred plus runs and a result in a respectable four days - what’s not to like? England were in a strong position by the end of the third day, and it looked as though it could plausibly go into the fifth, but the WIndies collapsed throughout the final session on the fourth.

It was an entertaining match, played on a pitch that gave batters and bowlers equal advantage - true and flat when the sun shone, and transformed when the cloud and humidity came. It was a fascinating contest that ebbed and flowed, and it was great to see the WIndies come back fighting from their attempt in the previous week. I did not understand Stokes’ fielding strategy for attempting to break the stalwart last wicket stand in the WIndies’ first innings, but hopefully he will learn from that. The extremities of ‘Bazball’ seems to have been reined in - Root’s century started circumspectly, with the pace being taken by Brook, before he resumed his characteristically rapid ticking over of the scoreboard. The reconfiguring England side, with Smith keeping wicket tidily and Bashir confirming his prowess as a strike spinner, is clearly on the right track. It indicates that Bazball has become a process rather than a dogma.

An arcane, and surprising, statistic of this match - it’s the first time that England have posted 400+ in each innings in a Test Match - good to have witnessed it.

[Darkbloom]

I really struggled to muster much enthusiasm for this match after the last one and didn't hear much of it after the first day. It sounds like it was an entertaining game but there was an inevitability to the final result, unfortunately. I don't know where Test cricket is going these days if we are going to have, in effect, a two-tier system where only games featuring India and Australia are competitive any more. Things like the World Test Championship are nothing more than a sticking plater to conceal the neglect of Test cricket that has been occurring for well over a decade now. This summer feels like a placeholder before the Ashes and then India next year. I don't expect Sri Lanka to offer any more opposition than the Windies and there must be some doubt how long even South Africa will remain a viable Test nation if all their players are being gobbled up by T20.

[teamsaint]

An arcane, and surprising, statistic of this match - it’s the first time that England have posted 400+ in each innings in a Test Match - good to have witnessed it.

Yep, I was really surprised by that stat. Glad you enjoyed witnessing it !!

[Historian]

Nice of Stokes (and Duckett) to knock off the runs before I head off to Evensong.

West Indies showing some flashes of promise, but an inexperienced side was overwhelmed by a confident England playing in home conditions. Hopefully some of the West Indies will kick on, Hodge and Da Silva looked good for example. However, for too many years West Indian Test cricket has suffered from being a poor relation compared to other sporting opportunities. Why slog learning your trade when you can make much more money playing in one (or more) of the T20 leagues? Their administrators have not always done them any favours either. All a far cry from the 5-0 'Blackwash' of 1984 which I remember well (hard to forget that sort of one-sided hammering).

Maybe England, Australia and (especially) India will decide to share a bit more of the money they make with other nations otherwise Test Cricket will be on the way out sooner than later.

On the bright side, lovely to see Mark Wood getting some reward after an excellent exhibition of fast bowling.

[antongould]

Nice of Stokes (and Duckett) to knock off the runs before I head off to Evensong.

West Indies showing some flashes of promise, but an inexperienced side was overwhelmed by a confident England playing in home conditions. Hopefully some of the West Indies will kick on, Hodge and Da Silva looked good for example. However, for too many years West Indian Test cricket has suffered from being a poor relation compared to other sporting opportunities. Why slog learning your trade when you can make much more money playing in one (or more) of the T20 leagues? Their administrators have not always done them any favours either. All a far cry from the 5-0 'Blackwash' of 1984 which I remember well (hard to forget that sort of one-sided hammering).

Maybe England, Australia and (especially) India will decide to share a bit more of the money they make with other nations otherwise Test Cricket will be on the way out sooner than later.

On the bright side, lovely to see Mark Wood getting some reward after an excellent exhibition of fast bowling.

thanks for the report ….. our local hero Wood should IMVVHO bowl at the stumps more …..

[cria]

More importantly, Ireland came from 35 - 5 to win their first full test on home soil Och aye the noo as they say