English cricket thread

JohnnyKills

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Nah Anderson is out there, they just think that Wood's pace makes him a better pick. I don't know if I agree but that's the thinking.

Archer and Stokes might be back for India, but the spin bowling cupboard is a bit bare.
Yeah pace bowling is fine, but spin is really limited.

That's why Bess is in the team. He wasn't even considered the main spinner at Somerset, but England wanted to get him in young in the hope that he learns on the job.

This is why I prattle on about turning the Championship into a regional comp, totally controlled by the ECB. They can control the pitches, they can pick the teams and they can ensure that pace bowlers and spinners get the right amount of game time.
 

JohnnyKills

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Looking forward to the india England test series. Jadeja will be a huge miss as Ashwin-Jadeja combination at home especially is deadly. Seriously hope Ashwin is fit.
Who is the backup spinner Ash? Kuldeep?
 

AshRK

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Who is the backup spinner Ash? Kuldeep?
Kuldeep most likely. Sundar has performed decent this test against Australia so he may replace Jadeja. Kuldeep is good but is no ash. Although looks like ashwin will be fit and was just rested as a precaution.
 

NinjaFletch

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Yeah pace bowling is fine, but spin is really limited.

That's why Bess is in the team. He wasn't even considered the main spinner at Somerset, but England wanted to get him in young in the hope that he learns on the job.

This is why I prattle on about turning the Championship into a regional comp, totally controlled by the ECB. They can control the pitches, they can pick the teams and they can ensure that pace bowlers and spinners get the right amount of game time.
I don't know if that will solve the issue tbh. To me it seems there's such a dearth of spinners that batsmen don't learn how to play spin. That means that any half decent spinner will take bundles of wickets, and doesn't learn how to get decent players of spin out.

I'll give Leach a pass because I think he's got something about him and just hasn't played that much.
 

JohnnyKills

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I don't know if that will solve the issue tbh. To me it seems there's such a dearth of spinners that batsmen don't learn how to play spin. That means that any half decent spinner will take bundles of wickets, and doesn't learn how to get decent players of spin out.

I'll give Leach a pass because I think he's got something about him and just hasn't played that much.
I think the spinners are around, but they don't get enough practice.

Parkinson is a good example. Lancs often overlook him in favour of medium pacers or more defensive spinners. The same happens to Crane at Hampshire. Borthwick had to turn himself into a batsman at Durham.

If those teams were centrally controlled, all three of those spinners would get more game time IMO.

As you say, hard to have a go at Leach because he's played so infrequently - although maybe that backs up my point.
 

ArmchairCritic

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I think the spinners are around, but they don't get enough practice.

Parkinson is a good example. Lancs often overlook him in favour of medium pacers or more defensive spinners. The same happens to Crane at Hampshire. Borthwick had to turn himself into a batsman at Durham.

If those teams were centrally controlled, all three of those spinners would get more game time IMO.

As you say, hard to have a go at Leach because he's played so infrequently - although maybe that backs up my point.
I'd like to see England give Virdi a few tests this winter. Moeen is still England's best spinner if they figure out how to get into his head.
 

JohnnyKills

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I'd like to see England give Virdi a few tests this winter. Moeen is still England's best spinner if they figure out how to get into his head.
Yeah me too. Trouble is he bats 11 doesn't he, and if you're trying to get Broad and Leach into the side as well it becomes a long tail.
 

TheGame

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Yeah me too. Trouble is he bats 11 doesn't he, and if you're trying to get Broad and Leach into the side as well it becomes a long tail.
If England decide to go with Stokes as the 3rd seamer and play two spinners. It would allow an extra batsmen to be played and therefore it could work. Bess probably done enough at the moment to keep his place though.
 

JohnnyKills

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Leach and Bess have bowled much better today haven't they. Hitting that magic length much more often
 

ArmchairCritic

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I think it's much more preferable for the development of this team in the long run for Sri Lanka to have been as stubborn as they have. You're not going to learn how to get batsmen who are comfortable against spin out if they don't hang around long enough for you to have to figure it out.
 

JohnnyKills

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I think it's much more preferable for the development of this team in the long run for Sri Lanka to have been as stubborn as they have. You're not going to learn how to get batsmen who are comfortable against spin out if they don't hang around long enough for you to have to figure it out.
Agreed
 

paulscholes18

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Buttler gets his first test stumping, thought there wasn’t anything over the line, but couldn’t be 100% sure
 

NinjaFletch

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I agree with Bumble, that's not a particularly difficult decision - although not one that should be given out on field.

Also, how many times have we picked Wood to provide 'extra pace on a slow track' and how many times has it made a difference?

He's an automatic pick on quick pitches, but I think all we've seen is that slow pitches nullify his qualities.
 

Snowjoe

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I agree with Bumble, that's not a particularly difficult decision - although not one that should be given out on field.
agreed, maybe I have bad eyes but on the replay it looked obvious to me there was nothing behind the line
 

JohnnyKills

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I agree with Bumble, that's not a particularly difficult decision - although not one that should be given out on field.

Also, how many times have we picked Wood to provide 'extra pace on a slow track' and how many times has it made a difference?

He's an automatic pick on quick pitches, but I think all we've seen is that slow pitches nullify his qualities.
He's been unlucky I think, but yeah I get the point. He isn't as skilful as Archer is he.

Bumble said that Mahmood is on the tour. Might be a good option for the second test.
 

Counterfactual

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Oh boy! Who would've thought this would be the situation after we scored 421!

"Only the 11th time in test history both England openers have been out for single figures in both innings".

Did I hear that right?
 

KM

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The feck is England doing. Bairstow could've been run out too.
 

JohnnyKills

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Jesus Christ! Don't get as tense as this when United are playing!

We should be ok though now, right? Even if we lose a clatter of wickets tomorrow morning, someone should be able to club a few to get us over the line. But bloody hell...