Cricket thread (Summer edition)

Strauss has recently introduced scouts into the ECB system to get a more standardised approach to reviewing players rather than relying on the old days. James Taylor is one of those. The pitches are a big issue over here, with the lack of 4 day cricket coming up in the schedule. Haseeb has been on a tear in 2nd XI cricket recently, but the schedule doesn't get him much First XI 4 day cricket.

At the moment the team is a cake with good ingredients, but there is something missing to bring it together.
Im not sure that I agree with the good ingredients bit Gary.
I have worries about Jennings, Malan, Bess (as a bowler), Cook and as for the seamers.
Half of the team at least have to prove themselves.
Oh plus Bayliss and Root as Captain
 
Equally you have Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Anderson, Broad - enough goodness to keep the team competitive, with Cook assuming to be ok. The fact openers come in and are shuffled right back out highlights one of the issues.

I see Vaughan wants to drop Broad and Anderson for Headingley.
 
Broad I can see the calls for dropping, but Anderson? Who comes in? Woakes should be playing, but that's instead of Wood. Curran (T)? Jordan?
 
It would be Woakes for Broad - Woakes home record is excellent. Losing a senior player would send a strong message to the rest of the team
 
Well, a better start today from England. Anderson still not bowling the right length, but Woakes and Broad have done the biz. They need to get on with it with the weather around tomorrow. Bit concerned that Curran is a little slow
 
If this Pakistan test team continue to bat like their playing T20 today, could end up skittling em out before close of play today
 
An odd couple of matches. I thought we were very poor in the first one and Pakistan have been equally ineffective in this. I suppose that when you have a young inexperienced team (Pakistan) or one that is going through a very bad patch (England), in both cases confidence can be pretty fragile. Much better to see us on top of course, but a pity that neither game has really given us the ratcheting tension that a close test match can.
 
An odd couple of matches. I thought we were very poor in the first one and Pakistan have been equally ineffective in this. I suppose that when you have a young inexperienced team (Pakistan) or one that is going through a very bad patch (England), in both cases confidence can be pretty fragile. Much better to see us on top of course, but a pity that neither game has really given us the ratcheting tension that a close test match can.
The advent of ODI's and T20 have, especially with the input of good old Rupert (n his filthy TV moulah), IMO , been to the detriment of Test Cricket
 
If this Pakistan test team continue to bat like their playing T20 today, could end up skittling em out before close of play today
Blimey! might be all over by Tea?

Dominic Bess shaping up to be a decent young allrounder (albeit early days) 3-27 bowling, so far, & 49 from 95 balls in the first innings (as night watchman)
 
Seems Michael Vaughan's continued digs at the team got them going and he isn't backing down. Broad bowled the fullest he had in years and look what happened.
 
Seems Michael Vaughan's continued digs at the team got them going and he isn't backing down. Broad bowled the fullest he had in years and look what happened.
I would be more interested in how the betting went for this match than the protestation of Vaughan.
 
The thing is with England they are playing a 2 test series against a team who like all others are massively up for playing at Lords. Our record there is poor to put it mildly against anybody decent whereas we have now got a 7-1-3 record against Pakistan at Headingly.
On the domestic front what a fantastic game between the roses rivals today with742 runs in 99 overs.
 
A two test series is ridiculous. If there were a third 'decider' it would have been quite exciting, but with a two test series, you lose the first one and you can't win the series - daft.
Now we've got five ODIs and one Twenty20 against Australia and 3 Twenty20s and 3 ODIs against India before a 5 match test series against India that doesn't start until August! It's no good the ECB moaning about the demise of test match cricket when they schedule virtually none of it for June and none at all for July.
 
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