***Official*** Pakistan in England

[tooextracool]

Yeah, but by then Trescothick had started to average 40.

However, this one was a Test where England fielded exactly no batsman averaging above 40. (Butcher 28, Tres 38, Nasser 37, Vaughan 31, Ramprakash 26, Fred 16, White 17, Foster 3...and England still managed a decent result. Was that the Test where Giles bowled to a stacked leg stump field against Tendulkar?)

More so in Bangalore than Ahmedabad. Ended up being the only bowler to have dismissed tendulkar stumped in tests.

 

[tooextracool]

Anyway must be ages since England have 6 players in the team that average above 43 with the bat as they do currently (Strauss is the lowest of the top 6 with 43.66)

Must be ages since the last time England batted well for 2 days in a row. They've usually been prone to getting starts and throwing it all away with careless batting. Given the tripe bowling that was on offer from Pakistan, one would say that 500+ was about par, especially when batting first.
I've been impressed by Collingwood, who has a very sound cricketing brain, something lacking amongst all the other batsmen bar cook, and knows his limitations. More importantly however he provides some well needed grit and determination to this England middle order. His footwork though is definetly an issue, especially to balls just outside the off stump where he gets neither back nor forward.
Ian Bell was probably the biggest positive of this test so far. He batted with pure class and if it wasnt for his temperament he would be a very fine player.
As far as Cook is concerned, his performance has followed a trend. Against India he couldnt read Harbhajan, against SL he couldnt read Muralis doosra and now he seems to be struggling to pick Kanerias doosra. Its phenomenal how hes managed to score so many runs against these bowlers by just playing the ball off the pitch. One fears about his prospects against the most intelligent spin bowler in the world down under this winter.

 

[tooextracool]

Reason enough for him to play for England for the next 5 years.

As far as Jones is concerned, does he ever learn? How many times does he have to get out or nearly get out playing the sweep shot to realise that he is absolutely clueless while playing it? His head is completely out of position and his front foot was completely out of position. The only players who have any idea how to play a sweep shot in the England side are Pietersen and Trescothick and neither are particularly brilliant at it, restricting their efforts mainly to slog sweeps.

 

[tooextracool]

i think if the first 2 days of this game prove anything is that catches win matches. However it appears as though not many teams seem to realise this.

 

[tooextracool]

Its amazing, a year ago Akmal was seen as a good keeper and just a usefull bat now he looks more like a batsman who can keep aswell.

Even the very best of keepers have had problems keeping at Lords with the ball swinging after it passes the bat. of course that is no excuse, but considering hes playing with an injured finger its not really fair to judge him on the basis of this game.

 

[vw78]

England Pakistan highlights

http://jiyocricket.blogspot.com/2006/07/england-pakistan-test-1-day-2.html

 

[social]

The man is 101 not out, in the middle of a huge 221 run partnership, and you call it a 'massive dissapointment'.

That is the biggest WTF statement I've heard in a long time.

Cook looked as though he had an excellent test match technique in the sub-continent.

Yesterday, after his initial trigger movements at the crease, his footwork was almost non-existent, resulting in playing across the line and wafts outside the off stump.

Fair play that he got 100 but it was due more to good luck than anything else.

 

[tooextracool]

There are 2 things impressive about Cook:
1) he knows where his off stump is and has a fine test match temperament
2) he plays with a very straight bat

His footwork has never been particularly brilliant as such, but i think its good enough for him to be able to succeed at the test match level if he plays to his limitations. For bowlers, if it was not incredibly obvious on the tour to india, the best place to bowl to him is to pitch it up to him just wide of the off stump. He is strong off the backfoot and you must make him play on the front foot early on in his innings.

 

[Fusion]

Monty starts off the day. If this match is to be saved, Pakistan need to do it today. Inzi and Yousaf are key obviously. I hope Sami can frustrate England's bowlers a bit in the first session at least.

 

[superkingdave]

decent start by Hoggard, better than yesterday anyway

this partnership is now the key for mine

 

[Fusion]

And off he goes. Never mind then.

 

[Scaly piscine]

5 no-balls from Hoggard in 5 overs today.

 

[superkingdave]

Partnership already looking ominous

 

[GIMH]

These are the two men all England fans fear. I said in my work newsletter that we needed to get them both out early. I have a horrible feeling that this could be a massive partnership.

 

[Fusion]

Great fifty by Yousaf.

 

[grecian]

These two will be batting until tea at least

BTW, did anyone else have problems getting on the site yesterday?

 

[Fusion]

These two will be batting until tea at least

BTW, did anyone else have problems getting on the site yesterday?

I had problems accessing the forums. Kept taking me to the "create a blog on cricketweb" page for some reason.

 

[grecian]

I had problems accessing the forums. Kept taking me to the "create a blog on cricketweb" page for some reason.

Yeah that was the problem I had, glad I wasn't the only one.

Still its all better now.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Yeah that was the problem I had, glad I wasn't the only one.

Still its all better now.

If that happens again, try to use http://www.cricketweb.net/forum instead of http://forum.cricketweb.net . Worked for me.

 

[grecian]

If that happens again, try to use http://www.cricketweb.net/forum instead of http://forum.cricketweb.net . Worked for me.

Thanks, its become my new url on the fave list

These two are quality, we need a run out