Test Cricket 2020

[antongould]

Three more Test matches to look forward to. There is always a frisson with Pakistan. One never knows which team will turn up. At their best they are fiercely competitive and have players of classical finesse. Looking forward to seeing Naseem Shah bowling, who looks to be seriously fast and may give England’s openers their sternest test of the summer.

I’m not one who usually sings the praises of the ECB, but they have done a good job in getting Test cricket played this summer, and huge credit is due to the visitors for coming and playing in such unusual and challenging touring conditions. One hopes that the international cricketing establishment (i.e. Indian big business) will remember and look favourably upon the commitment that the W Indies and Pakistan have shown.

Well said Sir .......

[DracoM]

Given where I live, I am simply astonished they are playing at OT this a.m.

[eighthobstruction]

....Root surrenders initiative....spinner still on to a big hitter tail....

[DracoM]

.........and Buttler must go.
We need serious pro and not a part-timer. Wicket-keepers score runs by taking catches / stumpings.
What a shoddy, sloppy display and it starts at wkt-keeper. How / why the bowlers do not club together to get him sacked, I dunno!

[Rjw]

JT or APE.

Happy days.

[DracoM]

Foakes.

[Belgrove]

What a superb advert for Test cricket. I’ve always thought Buttler should be in the side

[DracoM]

BUT
Woakes scored runs and took wickets.
Buttler by his serious and series of mistakes gave the Pakistanis on or around 100 runs free. Let's call things as they are, eh?

[antongould]

What a superb advert for Test cricket. I’ve always thought Buttler should be in the side

Give him another chance as a batsman and give the gloves to someone who can catch ..... ????

[DracoM]

Yes!!!!

[Belgrove]

Buttler by his serious and series of mistakes gave the Pakistanis on or around 100 runs free. Let's call things as they are, eh?

See #37, and notice the wink!

[DracoM]

[Keraulophone]

Buttler went into one-day mode to get England out of a hole. To have him in the team as a batsman, with Foakes keeping, begs the question of how many one-day types should play in the test side. Bairstow could be included on that basis, while Stokes is unique in his ability to play both batting roles and bowl.

Burns, Sibley, Root, Pope, Stokes, Buttler, Woakes, Foakes, Bess, Archer, Broad - no space for Anderson (bowling av. 30 and 97 v WI and Pak), that Stokes is fit to bowl, and a no.11 averaging 124 and 116 so far in the two test series. This doesn’t look quite right: Root prefers no.4; Foakes who averages 41.5 in (5) tests and 38 in (109) first class could swap places with Woakes (av. 27 in 36 tests, 34 first class); the very promising Pope could eventually swap with Root at no.3.

However it’s configured, England’s batting line-up is always prone to its traditional batting collapse at any point, whether top, middle or low order, particularly against the Aussies. While acknowledging yesterday’s heroics, Woakes had been having a lean time with the bat, with eight single figure scores in his last nine Test innings before this match. Thankfully, England can still surprise us on a good day, with matches like this one underlining the the supremacy of test cricket as the purest form of the game.

[antongould]

Buttler went into one-day mode to get England out of a hole. To have him in the team as a batsman, with Foakes keeping, begs the question of how many one-day types should play in the test side. Bairstow could be included on that basis, while Stokes is unique in his ability to play both batting roles and bowl.

Burns, Sibley, Root, Pope, Stokes, Buttler, Woakes, Foakes, Bess, Archer, Broad - no space for Anderson (bowling av. 30 and 97 v WI and Pak), that Stokes is fit to bowl, and a no.11 averaging 124 and 116 so far in the two test series. This doesn’t look quite right: Root prefers no.4; Foakes who averages 41.5 in (5) tests and 38 in (109) first class could swap places with Woakes (av. 27 in 36 tests, 34 first class); the very promising Pope could eventually swap with Root at no.3.

However it’s configured, England’s batting line-up is always prone to its traditional batting collapse at any point, whether top, middle or low order, particularly against the Aussies. While acknowledging yesterday’s heroics, Woakes had been having a lean time with the bat, with eight single figure scores in his last nine Test innings before this match. Thankfully, England can still surprise us on a good day, with matches like this one underlining the the supremacy of test cricket as the purest form of the game.

I am a big fan of Archer but I feel, on current performances, he probably needs to be dropped for the next match ......

[Keraulophone]

I am a big fan of Archer but I feel, on current performances, he probably needs to be dropped for the next match ......

Someone on TMS yesterday, possibly Vaughan, suggested Broad and Woakes plus Stokes and one quick, i.e. Archer or Wood plus a spinner. If Wood is fit then fine leave out Archer. It’s become clear that his 90-95 mph can’t be sustained, as he had hinted last season. He has said that sometimes he reduces his pace to get more movement, but that might just be an excuse.