comment by bestoftherest2021 (U22523)
posted 17 minutes ago

Sir Alastair Cook

Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

Is this the twist? Is this where the game turns?
_____________________________________

Oh shut the fk up you passive fool. The issues started when you became captain.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The issues came when our top batters like Strauss, Trott, KP etc all came out and we've only had 1 really good bat come in over the last decade in Root to replace them.

Plus a but weird to have a go at him on the back of this, he was just drumming up some excitement on the back of the drama of Stokes getting a reprieve.

Oh Ben Stokes. Absolutely no need for that. Ball getting softer, just play proper cricket shots, no need for ramp shots whilst he's batting with Root.

Why fackin chase it like this just getting on top and feckin blow it.

I just look at Cook and he never criticizes anyone. So basically he takes defeat pretty easy..
I just seen the Stoke dismissal did he kick the floor in frustration or hold his head in his hands?

Just when it looked like there was a glimmer of hope.

And yet again just before/after a break in play.

comment by Snooker_49 (U10665)
posted 30 minutes ago
Just when it looked like there was a glimmer of hope.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There's always hope, but often it's a fool's hope with the England cricket team as the bowling attack get us back into a game only for the batting unit to funk it up.

We always see a good partnership in the second innings regardless of the situation that makes us go, oh hang on, and then the inevitable collapse.

They got more runs in this innings than I thought they would. But you have to think the Kiwis will run through them tomorrow morning.

200 up now. 77 left to get

Well played Root. He's given us a chance that we will inevitably screw up.

Well batted Root. England need 61 more. Still odds against I'd say.

Finely poised. The big worry will be the new ball I think. Both teams have struggled with it as it seems to do something off the pitch, before dying after about 30 overs.

Hopefully we can be within touching distance by the time it comes around.

If we do actually win this it'll be a great win but annoying it's the same old problems.

Once again bowlers + Root and Stokes getting us a win.

Regardless of the outcome, its been such a good test match, its only going to last 3 and a bit days but momentum has swung back and forth to make it a great contest. Regardless of people's thoughts of the batting, it just makes Mitchell and Blundell's innings that much better and this knock from Root is one of his best so far given the match situation. He's never hit a 4th innings century so tomorrow would be timely if he can carry on.

comment by The Welsh Xavi (U15412)
posted 1 minute ago
If we do actually win this it'll be a great win but annoying it's the same old problems.

Once again bowlers + Root and Stokes getting us a win.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
But yes, like the Headingley test when we chased 360, it's a paper over the cracks kind of win but given we've only won 1 of 17 tests, we need to get back to winning test matches.

Credit to Foakes too, felt like the right kind of player to come out with Root. If it was Bairstow he would have gone for counter punching and the tail would have been exposed.

comment by Emile Death Rowe (TCM) (U8959)
posted 38 minutes ago
comment by The Welsh Xavi (U15412)
posted 1 minute ago
If we do actually win this it'll be a great win but annoying it's the same old problems.

Once again bowlers + Root and Stokes getting us a win.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
But yes, like the Headingley test when we chased 360, it's a paper over the cracks kind of win but given we've only won 1 of 17 tests, we need to get back to winning test matches.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

So if we win that will be a step in the right direction.

comment by Blue Heaven (U20912)
posted 1 hour, 25 minutes ago
Well batted Root. England need 61 more. Still odds against I'd say.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Quite honestly if we can't put this to bed we deserve nothing...third highest run chase or not

Still feeling very nervous.

comment by bestoftherest2021 (U22523)
posted 7 hours, 23 minutes ago
Amanda, no matter what position you bat them.. They are just not good enough.Popes had plenty of chances at 5 and 6
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Every time he's not selected, it's been on the premise that he to back to Surrey and get some consistent runs under his belt. Then he's got injured (two shoulder dislocations if I recall correctly), and before he's managed more than a couple of County games he's been injured again, or called back up in a new batting position.

He's never had a full season for Surrey batting above 6. He's had a couple of partial seasons at 4 (having batted there in Tests before he did so for Surrey). He's NEVER batted at 3 in first class cricket.

I get that he hasn't lived up to expectations, but saying he's had plenty of chances is collossally overlooking the full chain of events. He's been facked around by England every bit as much as more famous cases like Moeen. The absolute last thing he needed was to be thrust back into the side up at 3, because it means people start slating him for not being good enough without looking at how badly his career has been handled (and how much cricket he's missed due to injuries).

He needs to be deselected for the rest of 2022 and at least half of 2023, so he can go away and bat at 4 (or 3, whatever) for Surrey, get his technique settled and get runs on the board. If he's scoring and settled, then he should be called back up again when he's earned it on paper.

What should not happen, is having numpties like Key deciding to take a random gamble and chucking the lad in at a position he's not suited to and which makes him an easy scapegoat, and on a facking random hunch to boot.

And for facks sake.

Stokes averages about 3 more at 5 than 6. And yet he's at 6.

Bairstow averages about TEN more at 6 than 5. And yet he's at 5.

Foakes is a grindy innings-builder who bats (and bats long) at 5 for Surrey. He's not a flashy, counter-punching wicket keeper like all our previous keepers have been because for some reason in England we think every keeper has to be our answer to Gilchrist. And yet there he is, at 7, because "that's where keepers bat in England" and it would hurt poor Johnny B's oh-so-brittle pride to shove him down to 7 without the keeping gloves even if it's for the good of the team.

And of course Bairstow can't bat against straight bowling, and we have a talented kid averaging 140 this year who would fit quite nicely in the lower middle order where he could bed in without the pressure of being shoved up to 4 or 3 and expected to immediately bat like a seasoned pro.

And Crawley pretty much averages single facking figures when he's not scoring tons. His County average barely scrapes 30, because no matter how dashing his strokes are, he can't resist a swish and so he always gets out cheaply after a start. But "He's Talented" so here we are again, another Rob Key Big-brain gamble.

This stuff is not rocket science. It's called looking at the facking stats and putting square pegs in square holes.

None of Lees, Crawley, Pope or Foakes are good enough test batsmen, that is 4 of the current top 7 who need upgrading

Pope and Crawley are both good enough. They both got called up too early in their careers and have been facked around. They probably both need a year in first class cricket learning how to build an innings but England rarely let young players do that and now we don't have a wealth of resources to replace them.

Lees probably isn't good enough, but we knew that when he was first called up. Jury is out on Foakes, but he is a good enough keeper and probably deserves a run in the side.

Bairstow isn't good enough to play test cricket as a top order batsmen. Stokes, although he can perform heroics and quickly take a game away from teams, isn't really a consistent enough run scorer for the top five.

Compton and Brook need to come in. Pope needs to be moved from 3. Only one of Bairstow or Foakes should play. I'd go with Foakes as he is the better keeper.

I think England should make it home from here.. Thank goodness for Root.

comment by bestoftherest2021 (U22523)
posted 1 hour, 40 minutes ago
I think England should make it home from here.. Thank goodness for Root.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I will be surprised if they do.