5th test the oval

mikemanc said:
Negativity half way through a game is generous, it was like that half way through day 1!!

I worry about Bairstow's keeping but I think and hope it's a lack of practice issue. He did take some stunners and get better but his handling was a bit sloppy throughout. The biggest concern I have is the stunner Root took and a catch Brook took in the previous match. Bairstow didn't go for either when they were both the keeper's catch. That tells me his confidence in his keeping is really low no matter what front he puts on in public. That will come with games and hopefully the things like the Marsh catch lift him up.

As for the bowling, Jimmy and Robinson were below par, albeit Robinson's figures looked good. That happens, but I just don't get why we play those two and Broad together, there's just so little variety.
Click to expand...

Yeah fair points, couple of instances in last few games I guess but I think he was pretty safe and actually kept better than Carey in the last 3. I thought his batting was back to his best. I think people just need to move on as the reality is Stokes is now only a batsman so there’s actually a question about whether pope gets in the team for India. As we need 5 bowlers. I’m excited about our top 7 now I think it looks dynamite. We probs needed some more cricket before first test tho

Yeah agree on bowlers, I rate them all just don’t like them as 1 attack. The lesson was not learnt in the last NZ test where we just couldn’t bowl them out on a flat deck. I get the loyalty thing and I think it works really well with the batsman, who have all delivered as they feel safe. But bowlers get rotated by their nature it seemed over the top stubborn, I doubt Anderson and broad expected to play 4 n 5 tests before the series.
 


MustardAndOnions said:
Yeah fair points, couple of instances in last few games I guess but I think he was pretty safe and actually kept better than Carey in the last 3. I thought his batting was back to his best. I think people just need to move on as the reality is Stokes is now only a batsman so there’s actually a question about whether pope gets in the team for India. As we need 5 bowlers. I’m excited about our top 7 now I think it looks dynamite. We probs needed some more cricket before first test tho

Yeah agree on bowlers, I rate them all just don’t like them as 1 attack. The lesson was not learnt in the last NZ test where we just couldn’t bowl them out on a flat deck. I get the loyalty thing and I think it works really well with the batsman, who have all delivered as they feel safe. But bowlers get rotated by their nature it seemed over the top stubborn, I doubt Anderson and broad expected to play 4 n 5 tests before the series.
Click to expand...
Pope will be back in for sure, top 7 will be him for Ali from the last test. Two spinners, two quicks + Root for the bowling attack. The balance issue will be next summer when you're looking at the bottom 4 being 3 seamers + spinner or 4 seamers + Root. And of the bowlers I only think there's Woakes capable of being #8, that's one place too high for Wood. Could do with J Overton getting fit and firing.
 
mikemanc said:
Pope will be back in for sure, top 7 will be him for Ali from the last test. Two spinners, two quicks + Root for the bowling attack. The balance issue will be next summer when you're looking at the bottom 4 being 3 seamers + spinner or 4 seamers + Root. And of the bowlers I only think there's Woakes capable of being #8, that's one place too high for Wood. Could do with J Overton getting fit and firing.
Click to expand...

You might be right with root being the 5th bowler in India, but it’s kicking the can down the line a bit. Stokes won’t bowl let’s be honest so one of the Top 6 needs to drop out

Our record when playing 5 bowlers plus Stokes is unreal, 11 out of 12 with only the rain in Manchester stopping it

The openers compliment each other so well, abs they aren’t gonna drop Brook, can’t really see who else other than Pope? I feel Ike that’s the balance they should do personally long term maybe with Curran or Jacks as the all rounder
 
MustardAndOnions said:
You might be right with root being the 5th bowler in India, but it’s kicking the can down the line a bit. Stokes won’t bowl let’s be honest so one of the Top 6 needs to drop out

Our record when playing 5 bowlers plus Stokes is unreal, 11 out of 12 with only the rain in Manchester stopping it

The openers compliment each other so well, abs they aren’t gonna drop Brook, can’t really see who else other than Pope? I feel Ike that’s the balance they should do personally long term maybe with Curran or Jacks as the all rounder
Click to expand...
Do you think Bairstow will keep wicket in India where I expect they will prepare Bunsens like they did v Aus and us last time?
 
rentaghost said:
Do you think Bairstow will keep wicket in India where I expect they will prepare Bunsens like they did v Aus and us last time?
Click to expand...

Yeah he will. Thought he kept well to Ali last 3 tests. He was poor early in the series, but he has just had ridiculous surgery. As is the way with the narrative it went way over top

As I said above it’s debatable if Pope can get in the side, never mind another keeper

I think my point was just about justified in the end, only way to get foakes in was to drop Crawley, and that clearly wasn’t the right move.

My own view now is that Foakes won’t be the man to come in next time we need a keeper anyway.
 
MustardAndOnions said:
You might be right with root being the 5th bowler in India, but it’s kicking the can down the line a bit. Stokes won’t bowl let’s be honest so one of the Top 6 needs to drop out

Our record when playing 5 bowlers plus Stokes is unreal, 11 out of 12 with only the rain in Manchester stopping it

The openers compliment each other so well, abs they aren’t gonna drop Brook, can’t really see who else other than Pope? I feel Ike that’s the balance they should do personally long term maybe with Curran or Jacks as the all rounder
Click to expand...
But Pope has done well and is vice captain, I think he'll be back in the team as soon as he's fit. Brook needs to work on his bowling :lol:
 
Jap Stammer said:
Now how could they know that, unless it was written on the box?

To the best of my knowledge cricket balls aren't date-stamped.
Click to expand...

They aren’t, but I believe the compartments in the ball box are. But the problem is that 2 balls of the same age can easily be in different condition depending on the state of this pitch, how many times they’ve been clouted into the car park etc
 
MustardAndOnions said:
Best series I have watched tbh, unbelievable cricket in all 5 tests. I thought we were the better team, but it is revisionism to say we should have won this or that, Australia also had missed opportunities at Leeds and the Oval. It was that type of series where it ebbed and flowed.

I am still surprised by some negativity towards this team, I think the viewing figures and interest series say it all about how England play, people love it, and the test matches, you just cant take their eyes off it. The amount of times I had a look on here half way through a game and it was "Ashes was over"..."You cant play this way" etc

Chuffed for Crawley, always backed the lad, and he finally delivered more consistently for the team, there is not opener in English cricket more suited to how they play.

I thought all the top 7 selections came off well. They were undoubtedly rusty the first game, all of them, which I guess is an issue, Bairstow kept poorly first game I admit but kept really well last 3 games, took some blinders, and he scored the most runs ever by an English keeper in the ashes, averaging 40. people will be too stubborn to admit it tho.

As I say, an all time great series by Crawley, I love his partnership with Duckett, they compliment each other really well, Brook really looked the part in the end and obviously Stokes and Root were magnificent.

My only gripe about the whole series is I thought we were too stubborn with our bowling selections. The batting works, it does work, we have seen that for a year under Stokes n McCullum, but its the only thing that gets attention when we have a bad session. The thing that stopped us winning this series comfortably for me was a lack of penetration at key times with the ball, we still bowled well, the aussies averages shows that....

but on flat pitches, when you bat so quick and spend loads of time in the field, I think you need a more more pace n penetration.

Managed to go to all games, I was absolutely gutted about Manchester, and I think I still will be for a long time, imagine going into the Oval 2-2? would have been the biggest cricket game in a generation. So so unlucky.
Click to expand...
81 was better and was 85 and 2005
 

Back
Top