*Official* First Test (Edgbaston, Birmingham) 16–20 June

[Son Of Coco]

As I said grudging praise. Root is a world class player. It’s allowed to admit

As all Australians know, he has to score 100 in Australia to be truly great. This is definitely not an arbitrary rule to rob him of greatness. It's just the law.

 

[Nintendo]

I don't think this is accurate. It's whether they could score quickly in helpful bowling conditions in particular. On that front we very much don't know, because aside from that half an hour yesterday we haven't had those.

Could they score like this in the sort of conditions that were present on the first two days at Headingley last time around? That's an open question.

They did pretty well in NZ in the pink ball match when the conditions where harder and beat SA 2-1 on some absolute green tops, tbf.

 

[CartyDurham]

Mate, didn't you say you had to go? You should try to be a man of your word

I am but alerts are flashing

I leave you all to moan about bowling

have fun doing it, just ignore the great batting

 

[Socerer 01]

bro get the other England fans to appreciate your own players and cream over their shots than ask that from Australian fans lol

 

[Son Of Coco]

Reckon that was a no ball.

 

[CartyDurham]

As all Australians know, he has to score 100 in Australia to be truly great. This is definitely not an arbitrary rule to begrudge him of greatness. It's just the law.

I’ll give you that one

 

[_Ed_]

They did pretty well in NZ in the pink ball match when the conditions where harder

Against the might of Scott Kuggeleijn, Blair Tickner and Michael Bracewell.

 

[CartyDurham]

bro get the other England fans to appreciate your own players and cream over their shots than ask that from Australian fans lol

Cricket lovers should be capable of seeing good in other teams. If you can’t that’s your problem

 

[ataraxia]

Nah this is just cope for the fact that batting teams have left runs out there for no reason other than tradition. Just like how guys keep getting out driving in England when they'd 100% be better off shelving that shot, they've left huge gaps unexploited just because things aren't done a certain way.

I mean yeah so I partially agree, in that tradition plays a great role in that that is how test cricket is played. To counter playing like you want to requires specific bowling plans and unflustered bowlers. But I disagree that it's actually superior. I like to think (here is the element of cope) that non-Bazball batting is the mode that will still reign supreme.

It's extraordinarily enjoyable. But at some point it will end, despite the incompetence of every cricket organisation ever. And that will be extraordinarily enjoyable too. McCullum is certainly changing the game of test cricket, but not to total slogfest levels.

 

[Son Of Coco]

That’s an awful over

It was top class rubbish. Took it up a notch.

 

[Burgey]

Friendly and non confrontational yet can comment about cricket. Very fishy. I smell a Russian bot.


Just kidding. Seems a good addition.

Durham has a terrible record when it comes to producing even moderately bearable CW posters. Small sample size thus far, but I'm not convinced that record is about to improve.

 

[Zinzan]

They did pretty well in NZ in the pink ball match when the conditions where harder and beat SA 2-1 on some absolute green tops, tbf.

Yep, & I do recall several articles from Australia media in the last 12 months questioning the positive approach vs. Australia and without qualifying it being on bowler friendly tracks.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

McCullum is certainly changing the game of test cricket

:/

 

[GotSpin]

Yep. I have no problem with defensive bowling in the circumstances but you have to bowl one side of the wicket.

Yep. Spreading the field on either side isn’t the answer

 

[Spark]

I mean yeah so I partially agree, in that tradition plays a great role in that that is how test cricket is played. To counter playing like you want to requires specific bowling plans and unflustered bowlers. But I disagree that it's actually superior. I like to think (here is the element of cope) that non-Bazball batting is the mode that will still reign supreme.

It's extraordinarily enjoyable. But at some point it will end, despite the incompetence of every cricket organisation ever. And that will be extraordinarily enjoyable too. McCullum is certainly changing the game of test cricket, but not to total slogfest levels.

I do think the shift to significantly higher run rates on flat pitches will be permanent. This is just a translation of the 2015 WC and since then English-led revolution in white ball batting to the Test arena; batsmen are realising that without pitch assistance for the bowlers, there really is nothing to stop them scoring at a truly rapid pace. The range of strokes is just too broad and the field too large to defend for the array of shots modern batsmen can play to any given ball.

 

[wpdavid]

That was superb from Book. Don't get how he looked so **** against spin in India.

Probably because he was playing it from his lounge in Yorkshire? Unless there's some Lions tour of India that I've forgotten, I don't think he's ever played there.

 

[mustardcharlie]

Stokes should've promoted himself. He's a real fighter in those conditions.

Duh! We've got rid of the southern softies so the Yorkshire Mafia can go to work

 

[trundler]

Probably because he was playing it from his lounge in Yorkshire? Unless there's some Lions tour of India that I've forgotten, I don't think he's ever played there.

IPL

 

[Socerer 01]

Probably because he was playing it from his lounge in Yorkshire? Unless there's some Lions tour of India that I've forgotten, I don't think he's ever played there.

probably meant ipl

 

[morgieb]

They did pretty well in NZ in the pink ball match when the conditions where harder and beat SA 2-1 on some absolute green tops, tbf.

Though as I've pointed out a bit, in the South Africa series England only scored over 200 once.