England cricket 2023 & 2024

[Baron Greenback]

From 55/6, wow what a save from Bairstow! Shame cant go for 5th day or will there be a 5th day now a days who knows!

[andyA700]

If anyone wants to catch up on this (I do because I no longer watch the telly), then this gives the highlights a day later, plus a lot more cricket.


https://www.youtube.com/cricket/videos

[Murph7355]

Good display to get a lead at all, and a nice enough one.

But we need to be careful calling this a new dawn.

Have a look at YJB's runs of innings. I'm a fan, but he's susceptible to runs of stinkers.

I want to see us against India and Australia. Am not convinced the same tactics will work.

[RichB]

Is it me or are Sky not transmitting any sound from the pitch or crowd? Can't hear the bat on ball or anything... all sounds very dead.

[Last Visit]

Some impressive beer snakes in the Western Terraces this afternoon, not sure if the cameras ever show such things but they do provide some amusement to watch between overs.

[Last Visit]

[TheAngryDog]

On current form YJB is undroppable. Crawley is done, needs to go back to the county game.

[anonymous-user]

TheAngryDog said:

On current form YJB is undroppable. Crawley is done, needs to go back to the county game.

Crawley keeps making the same mistakes so either needs that coaching out or dropping and replacing with someone else. Bear in mind Bairstow was an absolute walking wicket during the last test series in India iirc he was promoted well up the order during that period. Pope went all to pieces and seemed to struggle against real seam movement.

[Slowboathome]

Must admit, I've been pleasantly surprised by Stokes as Captain. He's pretty expressive, and he just seems to have that 'x' factor as an individual which Root never quite had.

I can't help noticing how Vaughan switches in 24 hours from 'this is no way to play test cricket' to 'I'm loving this new England'.

[Dermot O'Logical]

Last Visit said:

That's fantastic! If you're going to have a beer snake, have a big one!

I imagine that the Western Terrace were well refreshed yesterday.

[spikeyhead]

Slowboathome said:

Must admit, I've been pleasantly surprised by Stokes as Captain. He's pretty expressive, and he just seems to have that 'x' factor as an individual which Root never quite had.

I can't help noticing how Vaughan switches in 24 hours from 'this is no way to play test cricket' to 'I'm loving this new England'.

I'm sure he'll change his mind again just as quickly when it doesn't work a couple of matches in a row.

[Murph7355]

Newarch said:

Crawley keeps making the same mistakes so either needs that coaching out or dropping and replacing with someone else. Bear in mind Bairstow was an absolute walking wicket during the last test series in India iirc he was promoted well up the order during that period. Pope went all to pieces and seemed to struggle against real seam movement.

This.

The one thing the personnel changes made a few weeks ago won't immediately impact is coaching output. Crawley is making the same mistakes every time. He needs to be given proper, targeted coaching (assuming he hasn't been. Which would be a shocker if not) and given some time.

If he doesn't learn, he should be dropped for good and the process started with someone else.

Pope's still young. Needs coaching.

Bairstow... Maybe he's responding well to ginge leadership... Whatever it is, long may it continue. I've always liked him.

Dermot O'Logical said:

That's fantastic! If you're going to have a beer snake, have a big one!

I imagine that the Western Terrace were well refreshed yesterday.

The NE wasn't doing too bad on lubrication (Though the price of drinks and food at events now is nuts. £7.30 for a pint in a paper cup (same at London Stadium the night before). £12 for a large g&t.

The stewards started off trying to stop the frivolity but realised in the afternoon that it was pointless. One bloke in our stand tried to start one, but the curmudgeons (self included) weren't up for being covered in beer by his feeble efforts.

[thegreenhell]

spikeyhead said:

Slowboathome said:

Must admit, I've been pleasantly surprised by Stokes as Captain. He's pretty expressive, and he just seems to have that 'x' factor as an individual which Root never quite had.

I can't help noticing how Vaughan switches in 24 hours from 'this is no way to play test cricket' to 'I'm loving this new England'.

I'm sure he'll change his mind again just as quickly when it doesn't work a couple of matches in a row.

Much like this forum (and the internet in general) then. Everything's great when we're winning, but as soon as we fail using exactly the same tactics we're rubbish and the whole team and management should be replaced.

As long as this way of playing produces more wins than losses then I'm all for it. It's entertaining. If we can get into a winning habit again then we can start to iron out the creases and finesse things more, but we need to find that winning mojo first. This is starting to feel like we might have found something worth pursuing. It will no doubt cause us to lose in a big way now and again, but we mustn't let that cloud things too much. Just remember 1 win from 17 immediately prior to this, and we don't want to go back to that way of playing.

[Smollet]

Foakes didn’t play due to testing +ve to Covid and not a back strain as first mentioned on Sky.

[thegreenhell]

Smollet said:

Foakes didn’t play due to testing +ve to Covid and not a back strain as first mentioned on Sky.

According to BBC the covid diagnosis came later, and he does have a sore back. Convenient that it now allows them to substitute him for another batter for the fourth innings, which his back injury wouldn't have allowed.

[Slowboathome]

thegreenhell said:

spikeyhead said:

Slowboathome said:

Must admit, I've been pleasantly surprised by Stokes as Captain. He's pretty expressive, and he just seems to have that 'x' factor as an individual which Root never quite had.

I can't help noticing how Vaughan switches in 24 hours from 'this is no way to play test cricket' to 'I'm loving this new England'.

I'm sure he'll change his mind again just as quickly when it doesn't work a couple of matches in a row.

Much like this forum (and the internet in general) then. Everything's great when we're winning, but as soon as we fail using exactly the same tactics we're rubbish and the whole team and management should be replaced.

As long as this way of playing produces more wins than losses then I'm all for it. It's entertaining. If we can get into a winning habit again then we can start to iron out the creases and finesse things more, but we need to find that winning mojo first. This is starting to feel like we might have found something worth pursuing. It will no doubt cause us to lose in a big way now and again, but we mustn't let that cloud things too much. Just remember 1 win from 17 immediately prior to this, and we don't want to go back to that way of playing.

Tell me about it. I'm a West Ham fan.

I love the energy of the team at the moment, but I hope they're grafting behind the scenes on flaws in technique (thinking of Crawley here).

[DeejRC]

Middle order aggression I like. Top order uselessness I don’t like. You don’t take too many series wins if your top order constantly fails and can’t play a new ball. A middle order can’t bail you out every time. Top of the line new ball strike bowlers are too good. Maybe you are Gordon Grenage, Desmond Haynes, Matty Hayden, Justin Langer, Virender Sehwag or Mark Taylor and you have good enough technique to blaze away and it work most of the time. The vast majority do not though. English test openers - apart from Banger - certainly don’t. Treat the new ball with respect, play straight, play late. The first two sessions of your innings don’t need to go for 200-300 runs. But get to lunch just 2 or 3 down and you have earned the right to cut loose in the evening session.

[Leithen]

Sangakkara suggesting Buttler as a Crawley replacement as an opener. Interesting option if the team wants to double down on aggression.

[DeejRC]

And why not? He hasn’t worked in the middle for whatever reason with us. If you are going to go for it - then you may as well go hard.

[thegreenhell]

Well we seem to have tried every other batter in the country in that position without finding a permanent opener. He would certainly fit with the current mindset.