England cricket, summer 2021

[Cheib]

speedy_thrills said:

Cheib said:

No idea what the back story is with Conway, wonder why he never got a look in with SA ?

Quota system restricts the number of places available for white players, they earn better money playing abroad and generally it's safer with better quality of life overseas. Lots of white South African sportspeople end up moving within the Anglosphere.

Yes understand all that but he left it very late in his career to make the move

[Cheib]

Newarch said:

Colin De Grandhomme is an underrated player, (in a team full of underrated players) he'd easily get into the England side on form alone.

He’s a very good player and without doubt maximises his potential but I don’t think he’d get near the England test team. Chris Woakes is a superior bowler (and decent bat) and struggles for game time.

Anderson
Broad
Archer
Wood
Woakes
Stokes

He’s not getting picked before any of them.

One of the great things about this NZ team is that they are better than the sum of their parts. Not many English batsmen would get in the NZ team.......that is for sure !

[jet_noise]

Bugger

[spikeyhead]

36 more needed to avoid the follow on.

Once again, England start a test series poorly

[FiF]

FiF said:

Gets ready to activate the shortcut key that automatically types "England batting collapse" FFS

Finger hovering....


As they say in those police interviews. "No comment"

[spikeyhead]

Follow on avoided.

This is heading for a draw.

[speedy_thrills]

Newarch said:

Colin De Grandhomme is an underrated player, (in a team full of underrated players) he'd easily get into the England side on form alone.

Let's be fair, it's his outstanding hair that's carrying him.


If he only had the accompanying mustache for maximum bonus.

[spikeyhead]

A century for Burns, now joined at the other end by the Burnley Lara.

Surely now is the time for Burns to make a double ton and for Jimmy to make his first century.

[Cheib]

So we have Burns, Root, Stokes and Buttler as batsman for India and hopefully The Ashes in the winter....I wonder who will get their heads down and make a place their own. The one that worries me is opener....just don't think Sibley's technique is good enough for the Aussie quicks.

[spikeyhead]

Burns out, leaving the Burnley Lara once again stranded shy of his first test century.

275 all out, 103 behind, it's going to be a draw unless we do something very stupid.

[spikeyhead]

A brave declaration by NZ

It's a rare thing in test matches

[Gargamel]

Stab me dead we are just so dull to watch.

I can't see Morgans onde day side just settling in for a bore draw. Think Root has forgotten his job is to entertain and sell tickets. Its a sport, play the game.

Dull dull dull.

Burns making Tavare and Boycott look like expansive players.

[SydneyBridge]

Sounds like NZ only declared because they knew we would not chase a target

[Cheib]

SydneyBridge said:

Sounds like NZ only declared because they knew we would not chase a target

Couldn’t rather than wouldn’t I would say. Doubt they’d have declared quite so quickly is Stokes and Buttler were in the team.

[pequod]

England playing out a draw in the 1st Test against a good NZ team, is a fair result albeit, helped by missing a days' play due to the weather.

Maybe it would have been better to start this Summer with a few T20's?

The limited number of spectators, combined with a 'dull' draw, will do little towards attracting folk to watch, and pay to support, Test cricket.

Shame really, as this is not the worst draw I've ever seen.

Edited by pequod on Sunday 6th June 18:56

[Stan the Bat]

Cheib said:

SydneyBridge said:

Sounds like NZ only declared because they knew we would not chase a target

Couldn’t rather than wouldn’t I would say. Doubt they’d have declared quite so quickly is Stokes and Buttler were in the team.

I'm a bit out of touch, is there a reason Stokes wasn't in the team ?

[Leicester Loyal]

Stan the Bat said:

I'm a bit out of touch, is there a reason Stokes wasn't in the team ?

All the players who were involved in the IPL are quarantining I believe.

I've got tickets for Edgbaston on Saturday, my first ever England match, looking forward to it.

[zetec]

Ben Stokes is currently nursing a broken finger I believe.

[Bradgate]

That really was a disappointingly poor show by England today.

Williamson made a very sporting declaration, and Joe should have responded in the spirit of the game by chasing the target. I would prefer to have lost after giving it a go than just batting out the day. Maybe we would have taken a different approach if Ben & Jos had been playing.

[thegreenhell]

Leicester Loyal said:

Stan the Bat said:

I'm a bit out of touch, is there a reason Stokes wasn't in the team ?

All the players who were involved in the IPL are quarantining I believe.

True, but Stokes missed much of IPL to have surgery on a fractured finger, from which he is still recovering. I think he's due to play for his county next week.