[JonB]

Great series win as they are no mugs in their own backyard. Also really good to see the depth we are suddenly starting to have in this format and the about turn since that ill fated world cup. Not only have we gone from a side that used to struggle to hit boundaries and get the scores required we're now doing it on a pretty regular basis and even when mainstays of the side that started to turn fortunes around like Morgan, Hales, Roy etc are missing there are guys coming in and showing they are more than capable like Duckett, Billings and potentially Vince if he pulls his finger out. I also suspect there is another side that can field the depth of batting we have....fairly sure we can probably field a side where all 11 have a FC century without damaging the bowling attack althogh sadly most of them will be from Yorkshire!

Also on another bright note....Australia thumped 5-0 in Sth Africa!

[azul]

One of the best cricket test matches for a long while. There's been a trend towards tight series but one sided matches.

Stange you need to go to Bangladesh to get one

[JonB]

No doubt the conditions played a big part. Completely different to what many of our players and it brought them into the game. Their spinners probably bowled better than ours plus our top order struggled. Our better middle and lower order batting and seamers to back up the spinners were the difference. Not sure Ballance will last much longer in the side but not sure what the best way is to change things around. Certainly not a fan of Root batting three.

[Stents]

JonB, on 24 October 2016 - 10:28 AM, said:

No doubt the conditions played a big part. Completely different to what many of our players and it brought them into the game. Their spinners probably bowled better than ours plus our top order struggled. Our better middle and lower order batting and seamers to back up the spinners were the difference. Not sure Ballance will last much longer in the side but not sure what the best way is to change things around. Certainly not a fan of Root batting three.

I don't think I'd of picked Ballance and I'm suprised Hameed wasn't given a go. So on that basis;

Cook
Hameed
Duckett
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Woakes (Ansari maybe?)
Rashid
Broad
Batty

Before this test I'd of said Ansari instead of Batty, but Batty has done alright. Woakes has bowled less overs than Broad/Stokes who could operate as our seemers and include an extra spinner?

[azul]

JonB, on 24 October 2016 - 10:28 AM, said:

No doubt the conditions played a big part. Completely different to what many of our players and it brought them into the game. Their spinners probably bowled better than ours plus our top order struggled. Our better middle and lower order batting and seamers to back up the spinners were the difference. Not sure Ballance will last much longer in the side but not sure what the best way is to change things around. Certainly not a fan of Root batting three.

Whatever!

Far more enjoyable than watching one of the weaker test nations at Durham in early May

[JonB]

azul, on 24 October 2016 - 11:50 AM, said:

Whatever!

Far more enjoyable than watching one of the weaker test nations at Durham in early May

Not something you'll have to worry about now Durham have been bailed out by the ECB and not hosting tests as part of the deal...

[Westbars Spireite]

JonB, on 24 October 2016 - 10:28 AM, said:

No doubt the conditions played a big part. Completely different to what many of our players and it brought them into the game. Their spinners probably bowled better than ours plus our top order struggled. Our better middle and lower order batting and seamers to back up the spinners were the difference. Not sure Ballance will last much longer in the side but not sure what the best way is to change things around. Certainly not a fan of Root batting three.

I'd solve it by putting Hameed in to open and dropping Duckett down the order. Either that or bring in Jos Buttler just to bat.

[azul]

JonB, on 24 October 2016 - 12:17 PM, said:

Not something you'll have to worry about now Durham have been bailed out by the ECB and not hosting tests as part of the deal...

Lucky them.

They weren't half conned by those southern buggars into setting up a test ground and bidding for the scraps in a town of 40,000 in the middle of a football area

[JonB]

Westbars Spireite, on 24 October 2016 - 12:20 PM, said:

I'd solve it by putting Hameed in to open and dropping Duckett down the order. Either that or bring in Jos Buttler just to bat.

I think one concern at the moment is the amount of left handers in the team which really brings the off spinners from Bangladesh and India into the games. I'd play Buttler every day of the week as i think he can turn games in a way Gilchrist used to and also one of our better players of spin.

azul, on 24 October 2016 - 12:25 PM, said:

Lucky them.

They weren't half conned by those southern buggars into setting up a test ground and bidding for the scraps in a town of 40,000 in the middle of a football area

Completely shafted by the ECB into having to build a test standard ground that skinted them and then skinted more by the ECB bidding process to get tests to play in it. I've been to a day of an Ashes test up there and we stopped in Durham so had a great couple of nights either side of the cricket but aside from that Ashes test they've been shafted in what they were given. Last one they had was crap opposition early season straight after a test match at Headingley which took a lot of their target crowd.

[azul]

JonB, on 24 October 2016 - 01:18 PM, said:

I think one concern at the moment is the amount of left handers in the team which really brings the off spinners from Bangladesh and India into the games. I'd play Buttler every day of the week as i think he can turn games in a way Gilchrist used to and also one of our better players of spin.


Completely shafted by the ECB into having to build a test standard ground that skinted them and then skinted more by the ECB bidding process to get tests to play in it. I've been to a day of an Ashes test up there and we stopped in Durham so had a great couple of nights either side of the cricket but aside from that Ashes test they've been shafted in what they were given. Last one they had was crap opposition early season straight after a test match at Headingley which took a lot of their target crowd.

What to the English players learn from knocking over the weaker teams in conditions almost unique in the world. Mind you they don't always manage that! The pitches in Bangladesh are far more mainstream than Northern England in May.

Do they do it to seek advantage or just to shaft the northern counties? Whatever, it is poor stuff.

[JonB]

They play the weaker teams because the international calendar is set so over the space of 4 years, i think,so they play everyone home and away then you just have to beat whats in front of you where ever the game is played. I get the impression that outside of Surrey most of the counties that have to bid for test matches struggle with the finances of doing it and the ECB have now changed the process for how tests are allocated ditching the bidding process that caused those troubles although a bit late for Durham!

We can use playing the poorer teams at home as a chance to rest a few and blood a few new faces in familiar surroundings so they are not pointless. I have no issue with watching us stuff teams at home in our conditions if thats what happens...in the same way we have to adapt to spin friendly conditions abroad other nations have to learn how to play over here. Indian fans cried themselves to sleep when we stuffed them 4-0 over here as they couldnt play the swinging ball and some of their so called top batsmen didnt know what to do but they'll have learnt from it. They will also not stop from producing pitches that turn from ball one, opening with spinners etc which is to their advantage at home. What will be interesting this winter in India is how DRS has an effect now the Indians have stopped crying about it and will use it in the series against us. They should have been told to do it years ago but thats a different issue. That said they'll probably moan about it again the first moment a DRS decision sees Kohli given out!

[azul]

JonB, on 24 October 2016 - 03:13 PM, said:

They play the weaker teams because the international calendar is set so over the space of 4 years, i think,so they play everyone home and away then you just have to beat whats in front of you where ever the game is played. I get the impression that outside of Surrey most of the counties that have to bid for test matches struggle with the finances of doing it and the ECB have now changed the process for how tests are allocated ditching the bidding process that caused those troubles although a bit late for Durham!

We can use playing the poorer teams at home as a chance to rest a few and blood a few new faces in familiar surroundings so they are not pointless. I have no issue with watching us stuff teams at home in our conditions if thats what happens...in the same way we have to adapt to spin friendly conditions abroad other nations have to learn how to play over here. Indian fans cried themselves to sleep when we stuffed them 4-0 over here as they couldnt play the swinging ball and some of their so called top batsmen didnt know what to do but they'll have learnt from it. They will also not stop from producing pitches that turn from ball one, opening with spinners etc which is to their advantage at home. What will be interesting this winter in India is how DRS has an effect now the Indians have stopped crying about it and will use it in the series against us. They should have been told to do it years ago but thats a different issue. That said they'll probably moan about it again the first moment a DRS decision sees Kohli given out!

Doesn't matter whether it is set out over 4 years or not. England chose to play the shorter series (against weaker teams) early spring and the longer series (against the better teams) in summer, almost without exception. How much say the smaller nations have is debatable but my guess is spring in Engand woudln't be first choice.

Interesting comment about India crying about the swinging ball when we do that about a spinning ball almost like someone is cheating us

[JonB]

azul, on 24 October 2016 - 03:26 PM, said:

Doesn't matter whether it is set out over 4 years or not. England chose to play the shorter series (against weaker teams) early spring and the longer series (against the better teams) in summer, almost without exception. How much say the smaller nations have is debatable but my guess is spring in Engand woudln't be first choice.

Interesting comment about India crying about the swinging ball when we do that about a spinning ball almost like someone is cheating us

Although next summer we host the Windies in some ODIs\T20s early then the Champions Trophy with test cricket back after that with Sth Africa, the stronger team, before the Windies in August including that day\night test at Edgbaston. Year after that its Pakistan prior to India...arent Pakistan currently ranked number 1?

The full layout up to 2019 is here - http://icc-live.s3.a...0Nov%202014.pdf

Home advantage is there to be used....i dont think anyone in world cricket moans as much as Indian cricket fans when things go against them outside of their own back yard. I think you should use home advantage as much as possible if i'm honest. If green pitches and the ball swinging around suits us then go for it.

[azul]

JonB, on 24 October 2016 - 03:37 PM, said:

Although next summer we host the Windies in some ODIs\T20s early then the Champions Trophy with test cricket back after that with Sth Africa, the stronger team, before the Windies in August including that day\night test at Edgbaston. Year after that its Pakistan prior to India...arent Pakistan currently ranked number 1?

The full layout up to 2019 is here - http://icc-live.s3.a...0Nov%202014.pdf

Home advantage is there to be used....i dont think anyone in world cricket moans as much as Indian cricket fans when things go against them outside of their own back yard. I think you should use home advantage as much as possible if i'm honest. If green pitches and the ball swinging around suits us then go for it.

The big three are England, Australia and your friends Inda, followed by South Africa. They are the financial big hitters, they have the most influence in the game and control the cricketing calender. Pakistan may be top of the rankings but in real terms that means very little and is very transitory anyway. West Indies is an anomoly as thet tend to get the early series these days.

Maybe things are already changing in the world of the ICC....

http://www.thetimes....icle4682857.ece

As for using local conditions to your advatage I agree with you, why not. But then the pundits shouldn't start questioning why are we playing these "rubbish nations" in home test matches while being mealy mouthed about having to face spinning pitches abroad. Having to listen to the likes of Knight makes be choke on cornflakes.

[SpireiteFitzy]

Blown away by Bangladesh in the second test. I know the pitch is probably to blame a lot but it doesn't bode well going into a series with India who's batting lineup is a lot stronger

[Westbars Spireite]

We're going to get absolutely humped in India unless things change.

We've not helped ourselves in these two games by playing the wrong sides.

[azul]

Westbars Spireite, on 30 October 2016 - 11:51 AM, said:

We're going to get absolutely humped in India unless things change.

We've not helped ourselves in these two games by playing the wrong sides.

Thought Ansari is worth another try

[Westbars Spireite]

azul, on 30 October 2016 - 12:24 PM, said:

Thought Ansari is worth another try

Possibly. Thought I've not seen any of England's bowling in this game. Ballance needs to be dropped without question. Finn shouldn't have been playing in this game at all.

This post has been edited by Westbars Spireite: 30 October 2016 - 12:28 PM

[JonB]

Not convinced Rashid should be in the team other than his batting down the order. Moeen aside our spinners have been pants dug out of holes broad Broad and Stokes.

Ballance has to go so probably going to see hameed come in and Duckett drop down although I'd be tempted to play Buttler and maybe move a few up. That said the sooner we shift Root from three the better...that's been a poor decision.

[whittman]

JonB, on 30 October 2016 - 04:19 PM, said:

Not convinced Rashid should be in the team other than his batting down the order. Moeen aside our spinners have been pants dug out of holes broad Broad and Stokes.

Ballance has to go so probably going to see hameed come in and Duckett drop down although I'd be tempted to play Buttler and maybe move a few up. That said the sooner we shift Root from three the better...that's been a poor decision.

Ballance has to go

Do not know why he was brought back in the first place