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Post by sheikhmomo on Jan 7, 2020 20:36:40 GMT
At a stage when 4 day tests are looking a real likelihood, a timely reminder that this is the best form of the game. Brilliant stuff.
Hands off it!
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Post by 3putts on Jan 8, 2020 4:59:08 GMT
brilliant stuff from England ben stokes fantastic[again] special praise for the barmy army who kept the lads going when it looked like they were flagging I want to do an ashes tour[bucket list] im thinking of the next one we could have a team capable of beating the cheats in their own back yard.
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Post by GeneralFaye on Jan 8, 2020 8:54:37 GMT
brilliant stuff from England ben stokes fantastic[again] special praise for the barmy army who kept the lads going when it looked like they were flagging I want to do an ashes tour[bucket list] im thinking of the next one we could have a team capable of beating the cheats in their own back yard. With the way they're playing at home I doubt it but the trip to witness an Ashes series would be worth it whatever the result.
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Post by Staffsoatcake on Jan 8, 2020 10:26:56 GMT
On the Cricket debate,they are asking if Stokes is better than Botham. I think he just may be. What do you think?
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Post by partickpotter on Jan 8, 2020 11:02:15 GMT
On the Cricket debate,they are asking if Stokes is better than Botham. I think he just may be. What do you think? He’s up there. I don’t think anything else needs to be said!
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Post by jarvinski on Jan 8, 2020 11:46:56 GMT
Hard to say they were both incredible players, both serious match winners
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Post by 3putts on Jan 8, 2020 13:48:55 GMT
brilliant stuff from England ben stokes fantastic[again] special praise for the barmy army who kept the lads going when it looked like they were flagging I want to do an ashes tour[bucket list] im thinking of the next one we could have a team capable of beating the cheats in their own back yard. With the way they're playing at home I doubt it but the trip to witness an Ashes series would be worth it whatever the result. At least I have 2 years to plan it, I k ow o e thing I won't be flying for 20 hours I will have to stop off en route lol
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Post by thequietman on Jan 9, 2020 12:58:36 GMT
On the Cricket debate,they are asking if Stokes is better than Botham. I think he just may be. What do you think? He’s up there. I don’t think anything else needs to be said! What a quality match that was. I was lucky enough to be discharged from hospital after day 4 so I got to see all of the final day's play. Test cricket rocks.
Stokes better than Botham? Hard to say, there are so many similarities.
12 months ago I'd have said they were virtually the same player. Stokes has proved since not only his rugged determination (both batting and bowling) but his athleticism. A long way to go yet in his career to say he's better than Botham but he's certainly got the potential to get there.
One thing they both have / had - that rare ability to appear when all seems flat & make something happen.
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Post by sheikhmomo on Jan 9, 2020 13:04:04 GMT
Stokes much better batsman than Botham. Botham a better bowler than Stokes. Both brilliant fielders.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2020 13:04:53 GMT
So Anderson out of the series, no doubt Archer will step in. Other than that no changes are needed......
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Post by partickpotter on Jan 9, 2020 13:53:03 GMT
So Anderson out of the series, no doubt Archer will step in. Other than that no changes are needed...... Archer was coming back regardless. The only question is who would make way. The most likely candidate was Curran before Anderson’s injury. But, as Mark Wood is also (apparently) fit I’d go for him as well with Curran missing out. This should be a no brainer - that is if you ask yourself the question who is the better bowler. Basically, Curran is not a good enough bowler to be the third seamer which is the position currently available to him.
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Post by AlliG on Jan 9, 2020 15:58:04 GMT
Stokes much better batsman than Botham. Botham a better bowler than Stokes. Both brilliant fielders. I consider myself very fortunate to have lived long enough to have seen 3 of the greatest all-rounders of all time (Gary Sobers, Botham & Stokes), though even the latter 2 don't also bowl spin (orthodox and wrist) in addition to pace and swing. Botham was a much better batsman in the first part of his Test career than he is sometimes given credit for. For example, after the same number of Tests as Stokes has now played, he had 11 Test centuries to Stokes' 8. The key point is that both Beefy & Stokes are players who can just explode into life and turn a game on its head (and they also seem to have had fairly similar issues with authority. ) Hopefully with Stokes he will be better managed and will not be flogged into the ground. It was rather sad to see the last few years of Beefy's career where he was struggling in to bowl (even though he was still capable of taking wickets with some of the most dreadful old filth!) I agree with Alec Stewart the other day. If you had an England team with Stokes at 6 and Botham at 7 it would be almost unbeatble.
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Post by partickpotter on Jan 9, 2020 21:33:25 GMT
It’s scandalous we haven’t yet mentioned Butler’s outburst at Phillander... One of the best sustained uses of the F word since John Cooper Clarke. Ok it lacked subtlety, but that last line was pretty good. I mention it because today he was only found to have breached Article 2.3 (Use of an audible obscenity) of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, rather than Article 2.13 (Personal abuse of a player).
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2020 21:37:40 GMT
It’s scandalous we haven’t yet mentioned Butler’s outburst at Phillander... One of the best sustained uses of the F word since John Cooper Clarke. Ok it lacked subtlety, but that last line was pretty good. I mention it because today he was only found to have breached Article 2.3 (Use of an audible obscenity) of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, rather than Article 2.13 (Personal abuse of a player). Lucky for Buttler Philander is a laid back character, he’s a right unit......
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Post by partickpotter on Jan 9, 2020 22:11:57 GMT
It’s scandalous we haven’t yet mentioned Butler’s outburst at Phillander... One of the best sustained uses of the F word since John Cooper Clarke. Ok it lacked subtlety, but that last line was pretty good. I mention it because today he was only found to have breached Article 2.3 (Use of an audible obscenity) of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, rather than Article 2.13 (Personal abuse of a player). Lucky for Buttler Philander is a laid back character, he’s a right unit...... I think Philander is great. Brilliant for Somerset that they have him next year. He’ll do very well with bat and ball for them.
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Post by chuckrocky on Jan 10, 2020 7:22:39 GMT
It’s scandalous we haven’t yet mentioned Butler’s outburst at Phillander... One of the best sustained uses of the F word since John Cooper Clarke. Ok it lacked subtlety, but that last line was pretty good. I mention it because today he was only found to have breached Article 2.3 (Use of an audible obscenity) of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, rather than Article 2.13 (Personal abuse of a player). The South African broadcasters seem to have a canny knack of dropping players in the shit.
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Post by bathstoke on Jan 10, 2020 7:37:36 GMT
What’s that Stokes says about his boyfriend...?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2020 21:33:55 GMT
Wood for Anderson. Archer still not fully fit.
Massive day tomorrow......
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2020 21:43:38 GMT
Looking forward to it. Just hope we can carry forward our second innings form from the last test into this one.
Pity about Archer.
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Post by partickpotter on Jan 15, 2020 22:15:22 GMT
Wood for Anderson. Archer still not fully fit. Massive day tomorrow...... A big test for Curran. He has to show he is one of our best 3 bowlers. So far he hasn’t done that. I’d much rather see both Wood and Archer in the team if Anderson isn’t fit. Both I’m sure will feature heavily when we go down under for the Ashes (assuming they both are fit!!). Curran has to be more than a 4th seamer.
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Post by partickpotter on Jan 16, 2020 10:17:46 GMT
T3D1S1 - 61-0
How nice to see a solid start from our openers.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2020 12:48:01 GMT
Been out this morning so missed the play so far. Still, 117-2 at tea after 58 overs. Both Sibley and Crawly caught at leg gulley. Hopefully we can get through the evening session without losing another wicket and then go again tomorrow.
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Post by cheekymatt71 on Jan 16, 2020 13:23:17 GMT
3 down now. In that danger zone where a collapse could be looming.
Anyway at least England like to keep the game entertaining. Who wants to score 450 in the first innings anyway ?!??
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2020 13:40:51 GMT
4 down for 153. Same old same old.
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Post by partickpotter on Jan 16, 2020 13:52:46 GMT
4 down for 153. Same old same old. Sort of - but we have improved. Previously we have been 50 odd for 3/4 wickets. Meaning we have gone from "get out" to "get in - get out" whereas where we need to be is "get in, get on". This means we'll probably be scoring 300 give or take as opposed to something between 100 and 200. Of course, we need to get to 400+ regularly. So still not satisfactory, but we have got better.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2020 17:20:48 GMT
4 down for 153. Same old same old. Sort of - but we have improved. Previously we have been 50 odd for 3/4 wickets. Meaning we have gone from "get out" to "get in - get out" whereas where we need to be is "get in, get on". This means we'll probably be scoring 300 give or take as opposed to something between 100 and 200. Of course, we need to get to 400+ regularly. So still not satisfactory, but we have got better. Yes, I know you're right, we have improved generally I was just frustrated at losing the two quick wickets after tea. Looks like Pope and Stokes have steadied the ship again though. We're actually sitting in a fairly good position I suppose - hopefully we can get around 400 ish tomorrow and give our bowlers something to work with.
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Post by chuckrocky on Jan 16, 2020 22:25:48 GMT
Not bad day for us in the end. I was worried the slow run rate and lost wickets in the middle session were really going to hurt us but we finished the day in a pretty good position.
If we can get up to somewhere between 350 and 400 we’ll be in a very commanding position.
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Post by partickpotter on Jan 17, 2020 8:20:16 GMT
Superb photo from yesterday. I wonder what Boycs would make of that footwork!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2020 8:24:17 GMT
Superb photo from yesterday. I wonder what Boycs would make of that footwork! Pope looks like he's got the ability to be an absolute run machine. I hope they don't get tempted to push him up the order, he can learn his craft at 6 and maybe move up in good time......
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2020 8:29:56 GMT
As a sidenote, we will need a new number 3 for the Sri Lanka tour. It will probably be Jennings as he is a good player of spin but bloody hell it's painful watching Denly play face spin, he's just a sitting target doesn't defend properly and doesn't show any attacking intent. In short he's a sitting duck.......
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