Sport Cricket - Summer 2021

[unification]

Want the truth about the Hundred? It's smoke, mirrors and gimmickry

The ECB's new format seems to work but we may still be counting its cost for years to come

www.espncricinfo.com

A good piece from George Dobell about The Hundred. It reflects the thinking on here about it.

What I have noticed is that the ECB want to attract new fans to this game. They may well do that but they aren’t taking existing cricket fans with them. When the gratis tickets run out that have evidently been bolstering the crowds, who will be there to take their place and pay money to watch this?

 

[Northstandboy]

Cracking game just now!

 

[boogaloo]

I'm guessing the reason behind the franchise model is to limit the number of teams. IPL and Big Bash are limited to about 8 teams, and I don't think the ECB can get away with excluding ten first-class counties without being taken to court.

Speaking of too many formats - I first got into cricket in the early 80's. Back then we had 3-day county championship matches, the Gillette Cup (60 overs a side), Benson and Hedges Cup (55 overs) and the John Player Sunday League trophy (40 overs). That's four different formats, so I guess it's back to as we were!

 

[SteMerritt]

Ben Stokes to take "indefinite" break from cricket...

Stokes to take break from cricket

Ben Stokes "will take an indefinite break from all cricket with immediate effect" and has withdrawn from England's Test squad for the series against India.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Sarge]

Ben Stokes to take "indefinite" break from cricket...

Stokes to take break from cricket

Ben Stokes "will take an indefinite break from all cricket with immediate effect" and has withdrawn from England's Test squad for the series against India.

www.bbc.co.uk

frees up a space for 'someone' to step up

 

[Foley]

England v India starts tomorrow.
Let's hope that the series is COVID free.
Obviously hope that I am wrong, but I just can't see England scoring enough runs to win the series.
Does anybody think that we will do it?

 

[Lincoln.yellow1]

England v India starts tomorrow.
Let's hope that the series is COVID free.
Obviously hope that I am wrong, but I just can't see England scoring enough runs to win the series.
Does anybody think that we will do it?

The Lincoln Yellow is at Trent Bridge on Friday for the test match then on to Cambridge for our first game of the season on Saturday, to say I’m pretty excited about the two days is like having two Christmas Eve’s back to back when I was a kid.
England at Trent Bridge is one thing, however watching Oxford United after 18 months in the wilderness without fans can not be bettered....
COME ON YOU YELLOWS.............

 

[SteMerritt]

Obviously hope that I am wrong, but I just can't see England scoring enough runs to win the series.

Not long to wait to find out if you are right with that, England win the toss and bat. The batting does look extremely fragile, so much pressure on Root to deliver.

Burns, Sibley , Crawley, Root, Bairstow, Lawrence, Buttler, Curran (S), Robinson, Broad, Anderson.

 

[Foley]

Not long to wait to find out if you are right with that, England win the toss and bat. The batting does look extremely fragile, so much pressure on Root to deliver.

Burns, Sibley , Crawley, Root, Bairstow, Lawrence, Buttler, Curran (S), Robinson, Broad, Anderson.

Relying on Root for the spinning option as well..
I am not sure that the bowling looks particularly threatening (unless it seams and swings)
This first innings is huge.

 

[SteMerritt]

Trent Bridge does swing a lot when conditions are right, think that was where Broad destroyed the Aussies a few years back. So fingers crossed for clear skies together, with cloud coming in tomorrow afternoon... (assuming we can bat for 5 sessions that is...)

 

[SteMerritt]

Tuffers joking about 40-3 on TMS, don't even go there...

 

[SteMerritt]

First one gone, England 0-1. Burns out LBW.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

WE'VE GOT A RUN!

 

[SteMerritt]

TMS just said we have set the record for the most 0-1 scores in a calendar year, and we are only halfway through. Good job we don't have another 4 games against India and then Australia in their own backyard to come then...

 

[Sarge]

TMS just said we have set the record for the most 0-1 scores in a calendar year, and we are only halfway through. Good job we don't have another 4 games against India and then Australia in their own backyard to come then...

to be fair that was a good delivery that got Burns out, think it would've taken the wicket of many top batsmen ( or should that now be 'batters'? )

 

[ZeroTheHero]

What on earth are they doing taking risky singles? It's not the bloody Hundred!

 

[Sarge]

What on earth are they doing taking risky singles? It's not the bloody Hundred!

well said .... damn white ball pre packaged for TV nonsense seems to already be having a bad effect on Test cricket

 

[makv]

What on earth are they doing taking risky singles? It's not the bloody Hundred!

We’ll need all the runs we can get at this rate [emoji23]

 

[Sarge]

61-2 at lunch ..... England very lucky to have only lost two wickets IMO

 

[Leysboy]

We are all over the place with our batting, and have been for along time. I can’t believe we didn’t pick a spinner either just to rest the seamers, and slow the run rate etc.