*Official* Pakistan in England 2010

[zaremba]

Good bowling by Gul. Nice one to get rid of KP, and a beast to get rid of Trott.

You can't beat a Test where there are wickets falling.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Pietersen averaging 42.88 since the captaincy debacle. He averages 39.28 since returning from the injury he had during the Ashes, and 37.60 this home season. Granted, there are a few innings against Bangladesh in and amongst that lot but if he hadn't set his own bar so high would we call for him to be dropped? We're happy for most of our batsmen to get by averaging 40, he hasn't done much worse in the worst period of his career.

If you just let him keep playing like an idiot, well he'll keep playing like an idiot.

Bell was dropped averaging ~40. Cook is under pressure. KP seems to need pressure and a contest to bother to turn up.

 

[zaremba]

Warnie is a really excellent commentator. Slightly rough round the edges but in an entertaining way, and has really perceptive insights to offer.

 

[zaremba]

If you just let him keep playing like an idiot, well he'll keep playing like an idiot.

Calm down, Scaly. That was a good ball to get rid of him this time, and an extraordinary catch.

 

[GIMH]

If you just let him keep playing like an idiot, well he'll keep playing like an idiot.

Bell was dropped averaging ~40. Cook is under pressure. KP seems to need pressure and a contest to bother to turn up.

Look, his form bothers me and he doesn't look himself, no doubt. But I don't mind that he needs pressure to turn up - how much stick have the likes of Bell and Anderson got for their body language under pressure in the past?

 

[pasag]

We'll have KP if you don't want him.

 

[social]

Look, his form bothers me and he doesn't look himself, no doubt. But I don't mind that he needs pressure to turn up - how much stick have the likes of Bell and Anderson got for their body language under pressure in the past?

So facing arguably the best pace attack in good bowling conditions is not pressure?

Reckon you're giving the bloke too much credit

He's playing like **** and his technique is being exposed for what it is by good bowlers

 

[GIMH]

I didn't say he wasn't playing like ****

But when you're batting with a lead that's probably already enough to win you the game then I don't believe that is pressure.

Pietersen has proved himself against top-class bowlers time and time again but whatever.

 

[grecian]

Hmm, if there had been a run out there I'd of been joining Scaly in a rant. Don't mind good play getting us out in testing conditions, but that would have been excruciating.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Trott was bowled off a marginal no ball. I'm suprised they don't check every one of Gul's deliveries.

 

[Jacknife]

Looks like Trott got out to a Gul no ball.

 

[vcs]

Gul is bowling no-balls all over the place.

 

[King Pietersen]

I don't think it's a matter of Pietersen's technique finally being exposed by quality bowling either, more that he's in poor form, is struggling to stay fit and in the side for prolonged periods of time and is lacking in confidence due to that dip in form. He proved in the World T20 that he's still one of the best players in the world, and proved that with prolonged periods of cricket he can regain that form, but he picked up another injury against Bangladesh which kept him out of cricket for a few weeks again. If he goes the whole series without making a big score I'll be genuinely worried, but ATM I've still got faith in him. We've given Bell, Cook and Collingwood plenty of chances when out of form, so it's only fair that Pietersen gets the same.

Collingwood given. Looked a bit high for me, should review it I think.

Hmm, lucky he didn't review it, would have been given out.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I didn't say he wasn't playing like ****

But when you're batting with a lead that's probably already enough to win you the game then I don't believe that is pressure.

Pietersen has proved himself against top-class bowlers time and time again but whatever.

If you allow him to just half-arse his way into a rut then when the occasion comes that is sufficiently important for his royal highness KP to turn up then perhaps he'll not be in enough form to do anything.

Oh and when we get a game like this once in a while KP's waft will be the difference between winning and losing.

 

[GIMH]

Gotta review this IMO

 

[TT Boy]

Interesting. Would have reviewed it on first impression.

 

[Jacknife]

Can't believe Colly didn't review that ,didn't look out in real time.

 

[zaremba]

Re Akmal's wonder catch to get rid of KP:

2. Gloves
If, as permitted under 1 above, the wicket-keeper wears gloves, they shall have no webbing between the fingers except joining index finger and thumb, where webbing may be inserted as a means of support. If used, the webbing shall be
(a) ...
(b) such that the top edge of the webbing
(i) ...
(ii) is taut when a hand wearing the glove has the thumb fully extended.

I wonder who checks these things. The webbing in his case didn't look as though it was there for support, and I'd be a bit surprised if it were taut when the thumb is fully extended.

I'm not having a go at Kamran particularly, because all keepers seem to have equally generous webbing on their gloves, but either we play cricket with baseball mitts or we don't.

 

[mohammad16]

BAHAHAHA LOVE TEST CRICKET

I agree Warne is great to listen to, he picks up things so quickly but he does get a bit annoying with his humor sometimes. Nasir, Atherton, Holding and David are just top notch.

 

[mohammad16]

Wow, England have lost 11 for 89 since Collingwood fell in the first innings. That's worse than 88 all out. Almost. --- cricinfo