Was Bairstow using binoculars to scout out fit women in the crowd, or has the editing stitched him up?. Either way the commentary enjoyed it.
English cricket thread
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Sibley is looking more and more like a test player which is good to see, with Burns improving until his unfortunate injury, could well be set for the next few years
Burns is set to miss the Sri Lanka tour and may require surgery on his ankle
Amazing stuff from Stokes. Really think he and Smith are the two best test players in the world at the moment.
Anderson bowling 85mph at the moment. Remarkable.
Ben Stokes is great but he surely can't be considered to be the best test player around. On current form it is Marnus Labuschagne who has been absolutely amazing for Australia this Winter. Smith is still the best I've seen but he's had an awful couple of series (for him) averaging just over 36. Stokes is at his best when one day batting is required in the test arena. If you need quick runs in a test match he is your man. However IMLTHO it is really a stretch to call him the best when he barely averages over 35.
I definitely think he is at least in the discussion for best one day player in the game though.
Labuschagne has been excellent, sure, but he's been playing on some pretty belting tracks in a dominant team. Plus if you're basing it on current form (as would be the case with Labuschagne), I'd imagine Stokes' recent stats are pretty good too, bearing in mind he's scored two centuries and plenty of 50s over the last six months.
As a batsman he's not quite up there with the best in the world, but when you add in the bowling and fielding he's an amazing all-round package.
Don't get me wrong I think Stokes is an amazing player but I still think he is at his absolute best in the one day game. As to Labuschagne he is now averaging over 63 in test cricket from 23 matches so it is a reasonable sample size. He might have seen a few flat tracks this Winter but the New Zealanders/Pakistanis seemed to have had trouble batting on them. As did Steve Smith for that matter. I'm not knocking Stokes by any means, I believe he's the best we've got possibly in all forms of cricket.
All fair points mate.
Hope we don't end up sweating on this. We could easily have scored 30-40 more runs before declaring.
England desperately need to break this 2nd wicket partnership before close of play. Wickets always come in 2s or 3s, so need the break through to initiate a mini collapse.
Though Im also confident 5th day wicket will present SA insurmountable issues.
Though Im also confident 5th day wicket will present SA insurmountable issues.
I jinxed it!!!! I am the master of all I survey
Time for 2 more before close of play?
Just a wonderful amazing sportsman. I really think We'd have done the Aussies if Anderson was available over summer.
Desperate to see Anderson and Archer both bowl at top form for hours play; would roll over every top order in world cricket.
Yeah we could really have done with Archer today, with that extra pace. Harsh on Curran but he should come back into the side for the next game, just for that X-Factor.
Just as a matter of interest, what do you guys think of Tom Banton? I don't get a chance to see any county cricket here in the US and he's never played test cricket so I haven't really had a chance to see him in a longer format type game. He does seem to look extraordinarily good at T10 and T20 when I've seen him though.
Any thoughts?
Any thoughts?
I think I saw he's averaged over 50 in 2019, he wasn't always such a good batsmen its a fairly recent thing, so his career average should end up in the 40s soon enough at this rate.
Kohli is the best 1 day player by far. Amazing how far he and Rohit carry the crappy Indian batting.
I've been following him via watching all of the BBL highlights of the matches. He's looked quite good - smashing 50 off 16 balls yesterday, iirc.
Had no idea he was English.
I agree but that's why I phrased it the way I did re. Ben Stokes. "he is at least in the discussion for best one day player..." Like I said I also think its Kohli but I think Stokes at least belongs in the discussion.
Huge talent. Will crack the shorter format international stuff, hope he can figure out a way to transition his game into the longer formats.
Looks like he has developed his game and technique specifically for T20. Not sure he would be able to make step upto ODI 50 overs, let alone test cricket. Not to say that cant happen over time, but its very unlikely, as he doesn't have the pure instinctive talent of a Kohli or Root.
But this should be his T20 breakout year and he has 2 major windows: IPL and upcoming ICC T20 world cup in November to show us what he has.
6 wickets to get to win.
Hmmm, Might be a struggle.
Need to start well after lunch. Don't let the game drift.
Hmmm, Might be a struggle.
Need to start well after lunch. Don't let the game drift.
Should be close. If Faf didn't throw away his wicket, I would've had it at 50/50. I'm leaning towards England at the moment.
They only have to survive 40 overs 
Don't see us getting 5 wickets in the final session.
I know test matches like this have become rare but I will not have the 5 day tests covert to 4 day. The purpose of a test match is to show your real talent and skill and by shortening it you are just taking away the magic of test matches.
Some good cricket played by both the teams.
Some good cricket played by both the teams.
Love the attacking field!! Don't see these that often!
Anderson injured? Why didn't he take the second new ball?
Just started listening to hear De Kock clipping a nothing ball to mid wicket. Come on the boys.
Start of Squeaky Bum time
De Kock's dismissal was the worst thing I had seen this year until that review from England.
Dussen gone. Just the tail left.
3 more wickets in 20 overs
3 more wickets in 20 overs
England should win this now.
It's England...
10 maidens in a row
We look in real trouble here, would love us to hold out though. How many more overs are left in the day?
Stokesy
Ben Stokes is fecking ridiculous.
9 down.
Stokes 2 in row.
On a hat trick to win the game .. rabada on a king pair!
Stokes 2 in row.
On a hat trick to win the game .. rabada on a king pair!