Today at the Test

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 earlsdonwhu 30 Aug 2018

Oh dear!

1
 Welsh Kate 30 Aug 2018
In reply to earlsdonwhu:

Quite!

OP earlsdonwhu 30 Aug 2018
In reply to Welsh Kate:

Some belated resilience  ....thank goodness!

 stevieb 30 Aug 2018
In reply to earlsdonwhu:

In reply to earlsdonwhu:

Well done  to Sam Curran. Third highest scorer on either side in the series so far, even after being dropped for one of the tests 

 GrahamD 31 Aug 2018
In reply to Welsh Kate:

That collapse started even sooner than I'd expected   For a while the running text commentary was on how Ian Bell's score at Glamorgan was keeping ahead of the England combined score.

 Chris the Tall 02 Sep 2018
In reply to earlsdonwhu:

So after all the doom and gloom, England wrap up a series win against the number one side in the world with a game to spare

OP earlsdonwhu 02 Sep 2018
In reply to Chris the Tall:

Amazing twists of fortune and swings of momentum throughout the series. Obviously, the bowlers have dominated..... plenty of issues to resolve with top order batting.

 Pedro50 02 Sep 2018
In reply to Chris the Tall:

Watched the highlights without knowing the result. A great days cricket!

 Chris the Tall 03 Sep 2018
In reply to earlsdonwhu:

Alastair Cook has just announced that he will retire at the end of the series

So now England need to find 2 openers

 stevieb 03 Sep 2018
In reply to Chris the Tall:

> Alastair Cook has just announced that he will retire at the end of the series

> So now England need to find 2 openers

There's a good chance that they'll pick three for the next test, and we'll have a batsmen averaging close to 50 coming in at number 9.

I've never been Cook's greatest fan, I always felt he was found wanting against the best fast bowling attacks (as most people are), but he had incredible stamina, incredible bloody mindedness and he made the very best of the talent he had.

In reply to stevieb:

It was the 2010/11 Ashes series that made him one of the greats.

Being captain of an England team that beats the Aussies 3-1 in their own backyard and posting the highest score in the series and being the leading run scorer in the series was pretty special.

Edit: Details here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%9311_Ashes_series

Post edited at 13:05
 GrahamD 03 Sep 2018
In reply to Chris the Tall:

> Alastair Cook has just announced that he will retire at the end of the series

 

Its good he's retiring on his own terms, at least.  I can see why another tour of Sri Lanka wasn't going to be high on his bucket list !

 

 

 GrahamD 03 Sep 2018
In reply to Chris the Tall:

> Alastair Cook has just announced that he will retire at the end of the series

 

Its good he's retiring on his own terms, at least.  I can see why another tour of Sri Lanka wasn't going to be high on his bucket list !

 

 

 stevieb 03 Sep 2018
In reply to Graeme Alderson:

Alistair Cook is undoubtedly an England great, his performance as batsman in 2010/11 (Strauss was captain), and perhaps even more so in India in 2012/13 as captain and opener assures him of that. He also had a greater ability to just keep batting and accumulating than any other England player I know, and probably has a better record in Asia than any. I know I've chosen a crap time to criticise him, but he did struggle against the great fast bowlers; Johnson, Steyn, Starc, Harris, Amir, Asif. Gooch's reputation is defined by his battles against the best fast bowlers of all time, Vaughan took on the Aussies at their pomp, even Atherton has his battles with Donald etc.

OP earlsdonwhu 03 Sep 2018
In reply to earlsdonwhu:

It is amazing that he has not missed a test for so long.... a triumph of fitness and form.

 GrahamD 04 Sep 2018
In reply to earlsdonwhu:

What always strikes me when I see the list of all time runscorers is just how prolific Jacques Kallis was.  That added to a test bowling average close to 32 as well.

 GrahamD 04 Sep 2018
In reply to earlsdonwhu:

Squad for the Oval announced.  That's a shame - would have made sense, as Michael Vaughn pointed out, to blood Cookies replacement at 3 prior to Sri Lanka and there isn't an obvious name in that squad..

 BnB 04 Sep 2018
In reply to GrahamD:

> What always strikes me when I see the list of all time runscorers is just how prolific Jacques Kallis was.  That added to a test bowling average close to 32 as well.

I feel exactly the same. Depending on your statistical definition a case could easily be made for him to be considered the best all-rounder of all-time. And by some margin. Yet I don't remember him being nearly as good as Botham or Sobers (or Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Richard Hadlee for that matter). He was an an accumulator of both runs and wickets, not a man to grasp a match single-handed. But what figures he accumulated!

 Pero 05 Sep 2018
In reply to BnB:

Kallis was one of the modem batting greats. In terms of his bowling, he was always 3rd or 4th choice in teams with Donald, Pollock, Ntini, Steyn, Morkel.

If the SA fast bowling had been weaker, who knows how many wickets he could have taken.

Also, at the age of 36, he retired not far off his peak.  Given SA's relative test batting woes since he retired, he could have stayed in the team and caught Tendulkar by now, for both most runs and most test centuries.

He scored a huge number of runs in ODI's as well. And, I just checked, he's in the top 20 for most ODI wickets, ahead of Allan Donald and Jimmy Anderson!

He certainly has a claim to be the greatest cricketer of all time.

Post edited at 14:07
 stevieb 05 Sep 2018
In reply to BnB:

> Yet I don't remember him being nearly as good as Botham or Sobers (or Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Richard Hadlee for that matter). 

It’s a cavaliers and Roundheads thing isn’t it.  Sobers was before my time, but my dad is a Notts local and still speaks with joy at what Sobers could do and how he played the game. And even though he is teetotal, he loves the stories of Sobers rolling out of a night club to play the next morning. he sounds like the ultimate cricketing cavalier.  Botham, Kapil and Imran are the same. Hadlee was a much more boring character but his bowling was every bit as beautiful as Anderson’s. In the UK, Kallis was just a bit characterless and anonymous. 

I’ve cheered on a Brian Lara century against England, and loved watching Azharuddin, Jayawardene, Laxman, Richards, Greenidge etc. for their brio and class.  I’ve had total respect for the sheer belligerence when up against it of Border, Waugh, Gavaskar or Graeme Smith. But I really don’t have any strong feelings about Kallis. 

Edit: not having sky tv probably makes a difference too

Post edited at 14:13
 Pero 05 Sep 2018
In reply to BnB:

> He was an an accumulator of both runs and wickets, not a man to grasp a match single-handed.

In fact, I just looked this up as well, he has the most man-of-the-match awards in tests. 23 in 166 tests.

 

 GrahamD 05 Sep 2018
In reply to earlsdonwhu:

And in other news: I think Michael Vaugh had a point when he said that England should have picked their first opener in Sri Lanka to play at 3 at the Oval (Burns ?).  As it is its same old same old at the Oval and same old same old plus a brand new debutant in Sri Lanka.

 Offwidth 06 Sep 2018
In reply to GrahamD:

I'm not so sure. These Indian bowlers are pretty handy and the series is already won. Two low scores wouldn't be the best prep for a first tour. Confidence is important.

Not getting at you btw on the following (just the opposite): I seem to remember when the average posters on UKC cricket threads were much more knowledgable..  blaming  some of the England batsmen, as some did here, for seemingly losing a match they eventually won and getting out easily when a world class bowling attack was moving the ball at pace was silly. Both sides seemed as dangerous as any bowling attack I've seen in the UK sun on good pitches: conditions that didn't look that especially encouraging to bowlers. This test seemed weird to me for unexpectedly constant bowling threats,  apart from Mohen's purchase in the foot marks (which was predictable).

 GrahamD 07 Sep 2018
In reply to Offwidth:

So what's the betting on this one ? Unchanged side for England with the experiment of Moheen in at 3 looking to continue.  No Ashwin so presumably he really is suffering a bit of a niggle.

 stevieb 07 Sep 2018
In reply to GrahamD:

would hate to jinx us, but batting first, presumably flat and true oval pitch??, cook's last test, good first hour ....

 GrahamD 07 Sep 2018
In reply to stevieb:

Sounds like India are bowling well again. I imagine Joe Root has mixed feelings about the series. Great result but he's struggled a bit with the bat.

 stevieb 07 Sep 2018
In reply to GrahamD:

Ouch, I really thought we might get to 400 for the first time this summer (in tests), Still possible I guess. We still have our two top batters. And I thought cook might make it. Still he’s got the second innings 

 stevieb 07 Sep 2018
In reply to GrahamD:

> Sounds like India are bowling well again. I imagine Joe Root has mixed feelings about the series

yes, remember when Joe Root just couldn’t stop smiling while he batted. 

 

 Offwidth 10 Sep 2018
In reply to stevieb:

Bet he us smiling now!

1
 Ben_Climber 10 Sep 2018
In reply to earlsdonwhu:

Everything crossed for Cook getting his ton today. 50 done already!

1
 GrahamD 10 Sep 2018
In reply to Ben_Climber:

I'm less worried about Cook getting a ton than Root.  I'd really like Root to get a score under his belt.

 the sheep 10 Sep 2018
In reply to GrahamD:

Cook gets his ton, and in a manner to remember too 

 Chris the Tall 10 Sep 2018
In reply to GrahamD:

Cook gets his century with a mis-field !

 

 Cú Chullain 10 Sep 2018

Nice touch with the Indian players shaking his hand as they walked off for lunch.

 GrahamD 10 Sep 2018
In reply to Cú Chullain:

100 for Root as well.  Really pleased about that.

 Chris the Tall 10 Sep 2018
In reply to GrahamD:

I bet he is too.  13 months since he last test century, but with 11 50s in that time.

Now then, will England declare an hour or so after tea, or bat on and let Cook get that elusive 300 ?

 

In reply to Chris the Tall:

They should declare when he gets 401

 Ben_Climber 10 Sep 2018
In reply to Chris the Tall:

Well if they want to win the match then they need to declare and have an hour or so at them under the lights. I doubt they will be batting into tomorrow.

 

 

 Chris the Tall 10 Sep 2018
In reply to Graeme Alderson:

When does the campaign to bring back Cook for the Ashes start ?

1
OP earlsdonwhu 10 Sep 2018
In reply to Chris the Tall:

A fantastic way for Cook to bow out .

England are now effectively looking for a top three. No Cook, Jennings looking very vulnerable and, for all Moeen's strengths he is not a number three. Surprised that Pope and Burns were not given a go in this 'dead' game.

 Skip 10 Sep 2018
In reply to Chris the Tall:

After all the fuss and huge number of ovations, it would be slightly ridiculous if he were to come back.

 Ramblin dave 10 Sep 2018
In reply to earlsdonwhu:

Oh Jimmy Jimmy!

OP earlsdonwhu 10 Sep 2018
In reply to earlsdonwhu:

Jimmy is already performing his magic....how long can he keep going?

India going down without a whimper.

1
 Chris the Tall 10 Sep 2018
In reply to Ramblin dave:

At this rate it will be all over tonight !

1
 Skip 10 Sep 2018
In reply to Chris the Tall:

Sad to see India give up like this, especially after a series that has been much closer than the score suggests.

1
 Sean Kelly 10 Sep 2018
In reply to earlsdonwhu:

Cook, SPotY contender?

Post edited at 18:56
 Pedro50 10 Sep 2018
In reply to Sean Kelly:

> Cook, SPotY contender?

er probably not. 

well a contender maybe but unlikely to win 

Post edited at 18:57
OP earlsdonwhu 10 Sep 2018
In reply to Sean Kelly:

Lifetime achievement?

 Pero 11 Sep 2018
In reply to Skip:

> Sad to see India give up like this, especially after a series that has been much closer than the score suggests.

When exactly did India give up?

 Ramblin dave 11 Sep 2018
In reply to Pero:

About now, I think...

 Pero 11 Sep 2018
In reply to Ramblin dave:

> About now, I think...

There's "giving up" and "going down fighting". Too subtle a distinction for some, perhaps!

Post edited at 17:23
 Skip 11 Sep 2018
In reply to Pero:

Look at when I posted. At that point it looked like they'd given up.

 Welsh Kate 11 Sep 2018
In reply to Ramblin dave:

Just got back from a wet bothy trip to mid Wales, caught the last hour or so on the drive home. Looks like I missed a cracker!

 Pero 11 Sep 2018
In reply to Skip:

> Look at when I posted. At that point it looked like they'd given up.

But they hadn't given up.  That's the point. In sport, you can be trying as hard as you can, but things are going against you.

 


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