The Cricket Thread. - Page 448

**countjimmoriarty** · December 6th, 2016, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosestone

He probably still does, although interestingly I did once read that Merv Hughes said that Atherton was the toughest character he ever bowled to, that the first time they saw him the aussies all thought he was this effete public school-boy who was liable to burst into tears, but came to realise that he had iron in his soul.

Although also probably my favourite ever sledge was Merv to Atherton, after Atherton had played and missed: "Maybe I should bowl you a grand piano, see if you can play that ya pommie poof." I expect even Atherton laughed at that

Hughes wasn't even original. The accepted story is that that particular sledge originated from the Hill at the SCG in the 1930's.

**victor meldrew** · December 10th, 2016, 07:07 PM

Well Mr boycott if we had some half decent spinners we might not have to play four quicks. When the cupboard is bare...........................

**fulliautomatix** · December 10th, 2016, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by victor meldrew

Well Mr boycott if we had some half decent spinners we might not have to play four quicks. When the cupboard is bare...........................

you know you're screwed when Joe Root is your best spinner.
Rashid bowling a boundary ball almost every over doesn't help either.
It's a shame that they couldn't extract much from a pitch that was already turning square on Day 3.
This match is not over yet but if India can extend their lead by 100, they will win.

**victor meldrew** · December 11th, 2016, 02:31 PM

Perhaps we need some new ashes, given the art of spin bowling in England is stone dead. Time to re think County Cricket? According to some the ball is spinning unplayable, except when England bowl. If Moeen & Rashid are our best, all I can say is we are f***** in the spin bowing department.

Not sure if Stokes is off his face, but even at normal speed the evidence speaks for itself, complete waste of a review. Had India been a little more alert in the field we might have been eight down, even Root, our best batsman, has struggled.

**scoundrel** · December 11th, 2016, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by victor meldrew

Perhaps we need some new ashes, given the art of spin bowling in England is stone dead. Time to re think County Cricket? According to some the ball is spinning unplayable, except when England bowl. If Moeen & Rashid are our best, all I can say is we are f***** in the spin bowing department.

Not sure if Stokes is off his face, but even at normal speed the evidence speaks for itself, complete waste of a review. Had India been a little more alert in the field we might have been eight down, even Root, our best batsman, has struggled.

Moeen and Adil Rashid are certainly our best spinners. It would be nonsense to include either Gareth Batty or Liam Dawson in the eleven, a total squandering of a place. Joe Root is a better bowler than either of these two. In fact I would bowl Joe Root more than we have.

What we are missing now are seamers who can bowl effectively in these conditions. In the past, Andrew Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard took a lot of Indian wickets in similar conditions. Flintoff was genuinely fast and Hoggard a lively fast medium who could both seam and swing the ball. Hoggard was also exceptionally accurate and a fine tactician who did not give runs away. These are not good tracks for seam bowlers but good seam bowlers can still get wickets on them. We are missing Stuart Broad badly and Jimmy Anderson is not doing much good; I think he'd be more effective with Broad on the other end. So far, only Ben Stokes looks to me as though he can bowl well in India, and perhaps Chris Woakes might gain from this tour. But none of our seamers is fast enough and none of them can bowl leg cutters properly or reverse swing the ball well.

As for the spinners, they have a lot to learn. I reckon Moeen and Rashid will both improve from being on this tour, but they sure as hell need to. The only good thing is that they will very rarely face players of spin as accomplished as Kohli anywhere else, ever again. So they should treat this as their Masters Degree course and learn how not to bowl at this man.

**DB83** · December 12th, 2016, 08:35 AM

I think I said this before but why are Waitrose sponsoring the Test team ?. Surely it should be Tesco since they do know how to cook the figures.

I did not expect this to finish so quickly this morning but then I am also hardly surprised.

Score 400 in a first innings and you should not lose. Unless you are playing India at the top of their game.

Cook should now reflect on his over-cautious approach in the first test and his late declaration. They might still not have won that one but had they it would have made India think a little.

**scoundrel** · December 17th, 2016, 04:53 PM

After a disappointing performance early on in which England lost three wickets quickly, the debutant Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid came togather with the score on 321-7 and put together 108 runs for the eighth wicket, a very good effort to prevent the waste of all the the good work put in by Joe Root and Moeen Ali on Friday. There was also determined batting from Broad at 10 (though Dawson let him down in the run-out) and Jake Ball at 11, and Dawson did not throw his wicket away in silly shots just because number 11 was in the middle. So; 477 all out and India 60-0 in reply.

Quote:

England all-rounder Moeen Ali, who made 146: "It's going to be very hard and a big challenge. We have three days but they play spin very well. We're going to have to do very well to bowl them out twice. ~ BBC News

Moeen is having a larf.

Last time England made 400 and couldn't defend the score, losing by an innings. They couldn't even make India bat twice on a score of 400 runs. Liam Dawson did bat very creditably today but IMHO he can't turn a key in a lock. If England bowl India out even once for less than 477 runs I will be very surprised indeed. As for bowling them out twice, three days is nowhere near enough time. But India may well rack up a 200 plus lead against this really impotent England bowling and if they do I think England will repeat their previous effort and fold like wet cardboard in the second innings.

**victor meldrew** · December 17th, 2016, 05:41 PM

Both Indian openers look comfortable and no one really troubled them, unless England can change gear tomorrow, we might well find ourselves chasing the Rainbow.

**judy84** · December 17th, 2016, 08:43 PM

R Ashwin is the best bowler in the world as per ICC rankings. He finished with 1-151 off 44 overs. Maybe we shouldn't expect too much of our spinners?

rpsaturnal · December 18th, 2016, 01:40 AM

Meanwhile, in a little place called Brisbane, Australia...

Looking forward to cleaning up 8 Pakistani wickets today. Of course, three of Pakistan's batsmen just happen to be prolific run scorers.

December 10th, 2016, 07:07 PM	#4472
victor meldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: At the bottom of an empty glass Posts: 15,789 Thanks: 532,139 Thanked 180,395 Times in 15,777 Posts	Well Mr boycott if we had some half decent spinners we might not have to play four quicks. When the cupboard is bare...........................

December 11th, 2016, 02:31 PM	#4474
victor meldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: At the bottom of an empty glass Posts: 15,789 Thanks: 532,139 Thanked 180,395 Times in 15,777 Posts	Perhaps we need some new ashes, given the art of spin bowling in England is stone dead. Time to re think County Cricket? According to some the ball is spinning unplayable, except when England bowl. If Moeen & Rashid are our best, all I can say is we are f***** in the spin bowing department. Not sure if Stokes is off his face, but even at normal speed the evidence speaks for itself, complete waste of a review. Had India been a little more alert in the field we might have been eight down, even Root, our best batsman, has struggled.

December 12th, 2016, 08:35 AM	#4476
DB83 Vintage Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,472 Thanks: 1,948 Thanked 12,019 Times in 1,458 Posts	I think I said this before but why are Waitrose sponsoring the Test team ?. Surely it should be Tesco since they do know how to cook the figures. I did not expect this to finish so quickly this morning but then I am also hardly surprised. Score 400 in a first innings and you should not lose. Unless you are playing India at the top of their game. Cook should now reflect on his over-cautious approach in the first test and his late declaration. They might still not have won that one but had they it would have made India think a little.

December 17th, 2016, 05:41 PM	#4478
victor meldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: At the bottom of an empty glass Posts: 15,789 Thanks: 532,139 Thanked 180,395 Times in 15,777 Posts	Both Indian openers look comfortable and no one really troubled them, unless England can change gear tomorrow, we might well find ourselves chasing the Rainbow.

December 17th, 2016, 08:43 PM	#4479
judy84 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Wilts Posts: 2,008 Thanks: 34,481 Thanked 21,442 Times in 2,021 Posts	R Ashwin is the best bowler in the world as per ICC rankings. He finished with 1-151 off 44 overs. Maybe we shouldn't expect too much of our spinners?

December 18th, 2016, 01:40 AM	#4480
rpsaturnal Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 220 Thanks: 90,648 Thanked 2,841 Times in 213 Posts	Meanwhile, in a little place called Brisbane, Australia... Looking forward to cleaning up 8 Pakistani wickets today. Of course, three of Pakistan's batsmen just happen to be prolific run scorers.