***Official*** England vs Sri Lanka 21st August-10th September 2024

[mackembhoy]

Atkinson currently averaging 68 with the bat and 8.83 with ball at Lords.

Makes Woakes record look terrible

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

It seems the hierarchy is getting a shake-up...

Spoiler

"Gus Fring is stepping over Woakes now."

 

[Howe_zat]

Gus' highest first class score is 91 ftr.

It's a dangerous thing to actually have him within reach of a ton. If he gets there he has the entire rest of his career walking out to bat with someone chiming in 'he has a test match hundred you know.' Do you really want that?

 

[wpdavid]

One of my favourite cricket anecdotes was Botham being sent out to run out Boycott in NZ in the late 70s as he was batting too slowly.
After he ran him out Boycott refused to speak to him, he was all about batting for himself and his average rather than batting for the team.

Perhaps worth adding that Botham was only playing his 4th test match and that Boycott was captaining the side.

 

[Silver Silva]

Wow we really messed this day up royally.

 

[ashley bach]

An entertaining day to say the least.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

Wow we really messed this day up royally.

Could have been a lot worse for SL. Some terrible dismissals from England. Root would still be batting if it wasn’t for bazball.

 

[Howe_zat]

Test batting average at the time of writing

Gus Atkinson 34.50
Ollie Pope 34.21

 

[wpdavid]

Gus' highest first class score is 91 ftr.
It's a dangerous thing to actually have him within reach of a ton. If he gets there he has the entire rest of his career walking out to bat with someone chiming in 'he has a test match hundred you know.' Do you really want that?

I think he'd learn to live with it. I suppose there's almost as much pressure on the others if he does get close. Especially Bashir, for whom the bat is largely decorative. What would be worse, doing a JOverton, or doing an Alex Tudor?

 

[King Kane]

A good day's test cricket and Sky playing Champagne Supernova.

Oasis are on the comeback like England were in that last session.

I was at a posh dinner at the end of 1977 when the speaker said that he wanted to celebrate Boycott's 100th hundred (against Australia at Headingley of course) and 1000th run-out (possibly an exaggeration).

I'm not old enough to remember Boycott batting but his slow scoring and his run outs are the stuff of legend.

I remember seeing Tavare bat who scored as slowly as Boycott but I don't remember him running anyone out.

 

[Silver Silva]

Gus' highest first class score is 91 ftr.

It's a dangerous thing to actually have him within reach of a ton. If he gets there he has the entire rest of his career walking out to bat with someone chiming in 'he has a test match hundred you know.' Do you really want that?

Get the hundred first worry about what others say later

 

[wpdavid]

A good day's test cricket and Sky playing Champagne Supernova.
Oasis are on the comeback like England were in that last session.
I'm not old enough to remember Boycott batting but his slow scoring and his run outs are the stuff of legend.
I remember seeing Tavare bat who scored as slowly as Boycott but I don't remember him running anyone out.

Never much likelihood of a quick single with Tav.

Going back to the 1977 quote, that was the year when Boycott, in his comeback test, famously ran out Nottinghamshire's Derek Randall in front of his supporters at Trent Bridge. tbf, I should mention that Boycs did go on the make a hundred in that innings to set up the win.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Wow we really messed this day up royally.

Sri Lanka looking a bit innocuous, 4 of those wickets came without you having to do much

 

[Silver Silva]

Sri Lanka looking a bit innocuous, 4 of those wickets came without you having to do much

Should have been batting at the start

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Test batting average at the time of writing

Gus Atkinson 34.50
Ollie Pope 34.21

Pope might not be around by time ashes comes about. He has a very ordinary record and even the number 3 is better is failing now. Both very similar and neither good enough.

 

[King Kane]

Sei Lanka probably should have batted first but they could have batted worse than than England did early on and be bowled out by now.

Never much likelihood of a quick single with Tav.

Going back to the 1977 quote, that was the year when Boycott, in his comeback test, famously ran out Nottinghamshire's Derek Randall in front of his supporters at Trent Bridge. tbf, I should mention that Boycs did go on the make a hundred in that innings to set up the win.

I've read about that too, I'm not enough old to remember watching cricket in the 70s but I've read a lot of books from cricketers that played in that era.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Pope might not be around by time ashes comes about. He has a very ordinary record and even the number 3 is better is failing now. Both very similar and neither good enough.

There are two things going for him, for one, this is a setup that gives players a chance, secondly, the top 3 is a very difficult place to bat with nobody really banging down the door to replace him. Suspect in time, Harry Brook will make the move up, but it didn’t go well when we tried it last summer

 

[wpdavid]

There are two things going for him, for one, this is a setup that gives players a chance, secondly, the top 3 is a very difficult place to bat with nobody really banging down the door to replace him. Suspect in time, Harry Brook will make the move up, but it didn’t go well when we tried it last summer

Bohannon should be the one putting pressure on Pope, but I don't think he's had a spectacular FC season.

 

[Burgey]

Could have been a lot worse for SL. Some terrible dismissals from England. Root would still be batting if it wasn’t for bazball.

He had a little bit of luck before he’d got to 20 tbf. Makes up for some of the other bad shots from a team pov

 

[GIMH]

Catching up on highlights as missed most of the day despite having it on whilst at my desk. All too familiar tale of late.

Think I read earlier a lot of complaints that Duckett played a reverse sweep but really the issue was how he played it, not the shot he selected. His bat was all over the show!

Harry Brook unlucky. I can confirm I’d be giving that not out, as an experienced official of 4 months