CartyDurham
International Captain
Possibility of some rain over the weekend but not enough to prevent a positive result
Probably doesn't know Ward played.Ian Ward has a cheek for giving Hodge stick for squealing when he scored his test hundred, he didn't get close to a test hundred in his 5 test career.
You would cop that sort of stick from Nasser and Athers who made test hundreds but not from Wardy. Hodge probably too polite to point that out.
No, he bowled really well just massively unlucky beat the edge 17 times I think they said. Root also dropped a dolly off him too(can't remember when that was now)Didn't catch anything post lunch. Did Wood go any quicker than 97mph? Did he leave injured or something?
Probably not, I had the rare privilege of seeing Ward bat live at Lord's against Australia in 2001 when McGrath ran rampant against England as usual.Probably doesn't know Ward played.
I've been to have chips in a pub, not sure how I'm to react, yes we're better with batting, worse with bowling, similar results except for one great series.England Batting 2 years PRE bazball:
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England batting during the 2 years of Bazball:
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Bowling 2 years before Bazball:
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During Bazball:
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Thought i'de compile these after the earlier discussion. Batting stands out straight away. Root and stokes are pretty much the same, but everyone else is way better. England went from having one, maybe two batsmen when stokes was fit to having a top 6 that are all making runs. It looks like the bowlers are averaging slightly more, but you'd need to do way more in depth analysis to draw any reasonable conclusions around that vs the increased batting averages.
For all the talk about tangible benefits, I think under McCullum and stokes england have clearly assembled a much better batting lineup. Bowling is a bit more worrying, with Anderson and broad retiring, robinson seemingly being thrown to the wayside and leach struggling. I mentioned the scoreline against AUS at home and in India in a previous post, but after running through it in my head a bit more I think that may just be a symptom of those sides improving as much as England have, and not England stagnating. Can't be bothered pulling up the stats, but the 2023 Australian batting lineup was much better in 2023, while we fielded basically the same bowling lineup in 2019 and 2023. India are also just better in 2024 despite pant missing out. Rohit-Jaiswal-Gill is the best top 3 they've fielded in ages, sarfaraz is doing way better at 5 than rahane was, jurel covered for pant and jadeja makes that side much more balanced. Also having bumrah helps a ton.
TLDR; England have put together a much better batting lineup since McCullum took over. Bowling hasn't improved, but that's majorly an injury/retirement thing. Think similar score lines for India and Australia test's are down to those teams improving as much as ENG, can't be bothered checking the numbers to confirm that.
@grecian be interested to hear your thought on this.
They did. It's a road, the outfield is a belter and there's no overhead support. Their conversion rate over the past two home summers currently is atrocious. Tossed the NZ series away too. The style of play lends itself to high variance so there's a "got to take the rough with the smooth" element but the sloppiness is really getting on my nerves. You've got to be greedy in test cricket.Great day for the West Indies. This feels like the mother of all roads now. Maybe England did leave runs out there. I've not seen Da Silva bat this fluently since his dayboo series.
Bairstow's leg break came just before his 33rd birthday which is the time batters traditionally start to decline and he is obviously a proper hand/eye oriented bat. Pity. He would have had a chance of getting his average up to 40 if he played that winter.I've been to have chips in a pub, not sure how I'm to react, yes we're better with batting, worse with bowling, similar results except for one great series.
Actually odd he's hardly mentioned in this but Duckett maybe the biggest success story. Bairstow was great at the start of Bazball, but has been appalling since, hopefully never plays for England again.
Salt and Vinegar, Tomato sauce or something else ?I've been to have chips in a pub, not sure how I'm to react, yes we're better with batting, worse with bowling, similar results except for one great series.
Actually odd he's hardly mentioned in this but Duckett maybe the biggest success story. Bairstow was great at the start of Bazball, but has been appalling since, hopefully never plays for England again.
they really need to not allow medium pacers into the test team though, you get away with it in England but everywhere else in the world it is unsustainableWoakes was one of England's best bowlers in last year's Ashes series, he has some credits in the bank.
He needs a more helpful pitch than this one though at his pace.
just let the Burnley Brian enjoy his time with Lancashire in peace lol
bloody hell wood has been unlucky
Other teams are allowed to score runs too.i'm fuming at England today. 3rd most runs conceded in a day's play since 2011. literally the first match since they skittled twice and now Anderson and Broad are out of the picture the bowling team had a point to prove. At the moment they look so inexperienced and the Ashes is looking a very daunting prospect again.
It has always looked very daunting. Unless Robinson gets fit and motivated, they lack decent bowlersand the Ashes is looking a very daunting prospect again.