International Cricket

[Port Said Red]

1 hour ago, Lrrr said:

horrid luck

As for his replacement they have to be like for like, Parkinson you'd think surely, Ali hasn't been playing for Worcestershire, is he even back? Rashid would be a maybe but as previously said no red ball contract for Yorkshire, not sure how that would be looked at for McCullum, so I'd imagine its the emergency call of how quickly can Parkinson get down to London? Its not like you can just say you'll use Root as spinner for this test and bring someone else in unless they just go with 10 batters and a sub fielder for the rest.

It is Parkinson, like for like in bowling but weakens us a bit in the batting department, although the way this game is going that may not be vital.

[Port Said Red]

Potts must be thinking this International stuff is easy.

[Lrrr]

Do we need to get Morgs to go downstairs and get some whites on? 

[Port Said Red]

2 minutes ago, Lrrr said:

Do we need to get Morgs to go downstairs and get some whites on? 

"8 men, we've only got 8 men" (and 3 subs)  

[B1ackbird]

Great effort so far

The acid test, will we be 30/3?

Let's hope not

[Lrrr]

Not a threatening NZ attack, this should be a big score

[Lanterne Rouge]

1 hour ago, Lrrr said:

Not a threatening NZ attack, this should be a big score

98/5 big enough?

[Red Army 75]

Embarrassing 

[Lrrr]

F****** shambles, opposition 132 all out, 40/0 and 100/7

[Red Army 75]

8-5 truly pathetic 

[Port Said Red]

1 minute ago, Red Army 75 said:

Embarrassing 

Their main bowlers are top quality, not sure why you think this any more embarrassing than the way NZ went about their innings.

[Lrrr]

Could Parkinson have to bat today 

[Lrrr]

Just now, Port Said Red said:

Their main bowlers are top quality, not sure why you think this any more embarrassing than the way NZ went about their innings.

Trying to remember the other dismissals but Lees and Bairstow dismissals aren't embarrassing for test batsman? Alex 'I can't be out LBW if I do this' Lees and what the **** was Bairstow doing playing at a ball that wide when we've been losing wickets? 

[Red Army 75]

Just now, Port Said Red said:

Their main bowlers are top quality, not sure why you think this any more embarrassing than the way NZ went about their innings.

Because it happens time after time. And if you don’t think losing 5 wickets for 8 runs in a test match is Embarrassing, pathetic, abysmal. Then we obviously have very different opinions 

[Kid in the Riot]

1 minute ago, Port Said Red said:

Their main bowlers are top quality, not sure why you think this any more embarrassing than the way NZ went about their innings.

Maybe. Though NZ are very short of match practice. Has it been brilliant bowling from them today? I'm listening, and it doesn't sound like it. 

Once again the mental fortitude of England is non-existent. Got themselves into a good position and then another calamitous collapse. 

Getting pretty boring. Just when you think England hit a new low, there's another one around the corner. 

[Lrrr]

When are we getting the complaints about the Lords pitch then?  Not conducive to producing test cricketers...

[Lanterne Rouge]

Unbelievable that, after bowling them out for 132, we probably won`t go into the second innings with a lead.

[Kid in the Riot]

3 minutes ago, Red Army 75 said:

 And if you don’t think losing 5 wickets for 8 runs in a test match is Embarrassing, pathetic, abysmal.

And 6 of those 8 runs were byes!! 

[Port Said Red]

7 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

And 6 of those 8 runs were byes!! 

Which should tell you something about the way the ball was swinging around.

[Kid in the Riot]

18 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

Which should tell you something about the way the ball was swinging around.

It also tells me that we lost 5 wickets from our upper/middle order for 2 scoring runs. That is utterly pathetic, no matter what excuses you can come up with. 

[Northern Red]

Bairstow has spent the last 2 months playing hit and giggle in the IPL, and the last time he faced a red ball was in the debacle in the Caribbean. So it made perfect sense picking him ahead of Harry Brook who is in the form of his life.

 

[And Its Smith]

1 hour ago, Lrrr said:

Trying to remember the other dismissals but Lees and Bairstow dismissals aren't embarrassing for test batsman? Alex 'I can't be out LBW if I do this' Lees and what the **** was Bairstow doing playing at a ball that wide when we've been losing wickets? 

In Bairstow’s defence he is in the side after playing IPL. Incredible difficult to make the switch in his brain when having 0.5 seconds to play a shot 

[Lrrr]

4 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

In Bairstow’s defence he is in the side after playing IPL. Incredible difficult to make the switch in his brain when having 0.5 seconds to play a shot 

Comes back to the selection for him, its the whole lot who are culpable, you can't say oh well he's been playing IPL as a reason for his underperformance when you picked someone to be in the squad and left them out whose been scoring runs in red ball cricket for fun. 

[And Its Smith]

4 minutes ago, Lrrr said:

Comes back to the selection for him, its the whole lot who are culpable, you can't say oh well he's been playing IPL as a reason for his underperformance when you picked someone to be in the squad and left them out whose been scoring runs in red ball cricket for fun. 

Not his fault he was picked and he took 3 catches so overall he’s had a good day. You asked what he was doing playing at a wide one and I merely answered the question 

[Lrrr]

18 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

Not his fault he was picked and he took 3 catches so overall he’s had a good day. You asked what he was doing playing at a wide one and I merely answered the question 

I meant it wasn't really a question directed at you, one for the selection staff about the point of everyone being culpable, why have they picked a player who was in the IPL so recently with no red ball cricket played with Brook so readily available. He's probably only had a few nets to get himself out of T20 mode. Pundits guessing McCullum probably hasn't had that much input into the selection for this game and gone with others who have a better idea for now.

Separate note something on commentary worried me a little, when talking opening batsman they said something like 'Key doesn't want two blockers, he wants someone who will go out and impose themselves' or words to that effect. Now the part that worries me, shouldn't it be up to the coach/selector to pick the players not Rob Key? you'd imagine he's probably had discussions with McCullum about how he wants to go about playing but I can't see them having seen eye to eye on everything, so whose going to have the say on how England play when it comes down to it? If Key and McCullum disagree is McCullum going to coach the style of play he wants us to play?

[TonyTonyTony]

Weak as piss again today. We don’t know how to bag at test match level. No brains, no graft, no patience. 

[OutstandingMixer]

Still not convinced about Ollie Pope. Does anyone really think he is good enough to bat at number 3 for England at Test match level?

[Lrrr]

26 minutes ago, OutstandingMixer said:

Still not convinced about Ollie Pope. Does anyone really think he is good enough to bat at number 3 for England at Test match level?

Not sure about 3 but I think he will come good at test level

[Kid in the Riot]

58 minutes ago, OutstandingMixer said:

Still not convinced about Ollie Pope. Does anyone really think he is good enough to bat at number 3 for England at Test match level?

Why on earth are they playing him at 3? Would genuinely love to know the rationale for that decision. 

Agree though, he always looks wobbly when he comes in. 

[Northern Red]

Pope is usually quite positive coming in lower down but you could tell he was nervous at 3, couldn't get going at all and with Lees also not going anywhere, it meant that any momentum from Crawley's start was lost.