Pakistan are my favourite team to watch, you really don't know what's going to happen when they play :D
I think they'll provide stiffer opposition than the Windies, Babar looks a class act and the 17yo quick should be good to watch.
Poor start from England yesterday, [not helped by the weather.......again] Buttler must be getting close to using up all his lives, time to give Foakes another go?
Wasim Akram is my favourite player ever and an all round gent. Watched him practice at Old Trafford once, never seen anyone bowl so quick off such a short run up, incredible.
Spent loads of time after with the kids, signing my then 7 yo daughters mini bat. Great seeing him on Sky's coverage.
Yes, you never know which Pakistan will turn up, the exuberant, brilliant entertainers or the languid, uninterested eleven.
On their day, brilliant. Such a shame that they cannot currently play at home.
England must do better today. Yesterday, to paraphrase Monty Python, it started off well then went silly. Some poor bowling and wicketkeeping meant only 2 wickets instead of the 4 Pakistan should have lost. Bring back Alec Stewart ;D ;D
Quote from: Newportnobby on August 06, 2020, 11:31:06 AM
England must do better today.
They didn't :(
But that Pakistan bowling attack is seriously good :o
The English bowling wasn't too shabby (I'm happy for Woakes) but the batting was grim viewing. Maybe too cocky? :hmmm:
It's all set up for tomorrow then.
I guess Pakistan are still favourites but you never know.
Can England's batting lune up cope with the Pakistan pace attack plus their spinners on an ageing pitch?
The English bowlers are at least giving our batsmen a fighting chance but our top 4 must do better. They can't keep giving their wickets away and hoping the middle order and tail end will rescue them.
My view is an England win.
260 or less I favour England, and now that Lazarus Ben Stokes has risen from the dead it seems like we may have a chance ;)
He's done his bit with the ball and I'd rest him in readiness for the 2nd/3rd tests as far as bowling goes. Let's hope he can produce magic with the bat.
Quote from: Newportnobby on August 08, 2020, 11:02:27 AM
He's done his bit with the ball and I'd rest him in readiness for the 2nd/3rd tests as far as bowling goes. Let's hope he can produce magic with the bat.
It's one of those games that could end up nicely set up for Stokes to be the hero (yet again).
Anyway........earwig 0
Brilliant Test Match, superb win and very well played Buttler and Woakes
Seconded philip
Riveting stuff.
A game that swung both ways but in the end very well done Woakes and Butler.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Quote from: Newportnobby on August 07, 2020, 09:12:36 PM
our top 4 must do better. They can't keep giving their wickets away and hoping the middle order and tail end will rescue them.
My view is an England win.
They didn't, but they did, if you follow me.
Phew - my sphincter was twitching more than a bit at one stage :sweat:
Ben Stokes out of Pakistan Test series for 'family reasons
https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/12045881/ben-stokes-out-of-pakistan-test-series-for-family-reasons (https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/12045881/ben-stokes-out-of-pakistan-test-series-for-family-reasons)
For those like me who are tight as a duck's bottom careful with their money and have to watch highlights on the Beeb please note Thursday highlights are on BBC4.
I believe this is due to the sleep inducing sport(?) called snooker being on BBC2
At the end of the 1st test Michael Vaughan made a comment saying he'd never seen James Anderson look so old. Did that have any effect on Anderson?
You bet it did. He was throwing himself around like a spring chicken yesterday :D
So....off we go again.
At least it appears that we should get a reasonable amount of play over the five days (fingers crossed).
Probably a tad breezy today though so maybe the lignite bails will be in action.
And at least the ECB have shown some flexibility in allowing for earlier starts if time is lost due to inclement weather so the old fuddy duddies are moving, slowly, in the right direction.
I predict a close encounter but England to win it, just.
I'm staggered it's taken so long to realise earlier starts may help, but yes a step in the right direction. If ball visibilty is the problem why don't they play with a white ball in Test Cricket? Develop one that behaves like the traditional red ball, it can't be that hard, can it?
If we have to move away from white kit to compensate for the white ball then why not, Cricket needs dragging in to the 21st Century. For too long it's been run by the "old fuddy duddies" as @port perran (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=230) said.
I'm sure the Windies would love their pink 70s World Series kit back :smiley-laughing:
Being an old traditionalist I'm all for wearing whites in test matches.
By all means play in pyjamas for everything else.
I still maintain they'll plump for a pink ball for all cricket sooner or later :hmmm:
Excellent from England today [well, Crawley and Buttler], should be able to push on tomorrow and get up to 500.
Wonderful batting crawley buttler. 7th highest 5th wicket partnership for england
Yep, great batting from Crawley and Buttler.
I guess the aim is to push on to 500 plus to put the game well and truly beyond Pakistan who looked, towards the end, that they had had enough today and just wanted to get off the field.
At last the England batsmen roll their sleeves up and get stuck in (well, 2 of them did).
Great to see Crawley get his first century for his country. :claphappy:
Wowser! Super performances from Crawley and Buttler (soft dismissal though). Poor old Pakistan had no solution and had lost 3 wickets before they could think straight. Imagine facing 2 seamers each with over 500 wickets. I hope Anderson can hit his 600 in this test
Jimmy stuck two fingers up to everyone who was writing him off a week ago, superb spell of bowling. Jofra looked quick today too. Not sure about the timing of the declaration, should've done it 30-45 minutes earlier.
It was a nice touch from the Pakistan players to all congratulate Zak Crawley on his innings. :thumbsup:
Wonderful innings. And anderson bowled immaculately .
I hope the weather gods play ball today and Jimmy gets the 2 wickets he needs for 600.
After those 3 dropped catches off his bowling yesterday, that was the closest I've seen someone come to self combusting :smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing:
Well played Azhar Ali too, a fine innings.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/cricket/53884251 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/cricket/53884251)
Jimmy did well to control himself yesterday. He must have been incredibly frustrated.
And I agree, a wonderful innings by Ali.
Hopefully today allows time for Jimmy to get his 600 wickets and for England to get all ten.
Tuesday looks to be a complete wash out.
Agree with comments raised above. Fielding practice this morning. Be an achievement if jimmy takes 600 th wicket after Crawley and buttler laid the foundations
Interesting to hear Bess's post match comments on the Beeb that it was very dark out there so seeing the ball was difficult in fielding. All I can say is the Pakistanis seemed able to see the ball well enough to knock it around the ground. Maybe more carrots required in the English diet.
I felt so sorry for Anderson and, as has been said, how he didn't explode I just don't know. Probably because it's just not cricket to do so. I just loved Broad's rage at dropping a catch so he hurled the ball at the wickets and got a run out! ;D
Fingers [and everything else crossed] they manage to get a few overs in today, be a crying shame if Jimmy is stranded on 599 :'(
If Southampton has had similar weather to me in Cornwall it will take a massive mop up job to get the pitch ready. The rain is blowing through quickly so maybe some play after lunch?
Quote from: Philip. on August 25, 2020, 09:01:25 AM
Fingers [and everything else crossed] they manage to get a few overs in today, be a crying shame if Jimmy is stranded on 599 :'(
If Southampton has had similar weather to me in Cornwall it will take a massive mop up job to get the pitch ready. The rain is blowing through quickly so maybe some play after lunch?
Hopefully. Yes, it's cleared up now and the drier weather is heading East so maybe some play later.
Mind you, they'll need at leat three hours allowing the fielders to drop five easy chances before Jimmy gets his 600😆
I agree in the hope Jimmy can reach his 600th test wicket in the limited play available but I reckon the game's headed for a draw :(
Word from the ground is it could take 4-5 hours from when it stops raining to get it fit to play, not looking good I'm afraid.
Quote from: Philip. on August 25, 2020, 11:03:16 AM
Word from the ground is it could take 4-5 hours from when it stops raining to get it fit to play, not looking good I'm afraid.
And if the weather is moving East it's not good as it's absolutely pouring down here.
Quote from: port perran on August 25, 2020, 11:09:14 AM
Quote from: Philip. on August 25, 2020, 11:03:16 AM
Word from the ground is it could take 4-5 hours from when it stops raining to get it fit to play, not looking good I'm afraid.
And if the weather is moving East it's not good as it's absolutely pouring down here.
It's sunny in Penzance [I kid you not] :)
Jimmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy :claphappy: :claphappy: :claphappy: :claphappy: :claphappy:
Anderson :claphappy: :claphappy: :claphappy: :claphappy: :claphappy:
An achievement in itself. Match drawn and england the series
Huge achievement by Jimmy. Loved the comedy cameo of Sibley's bowling :smiley-laughing:
A shame they couldn't play the last hour, but I guess the light may have been a problem with Anderson and Broad steaming in with the new ball.
Considering all that's going on in the world it has been a great summer of Cricket and full credit must be given to the West Indies and Pakistan for coming over, it can't have been an easy decision to make, and also to the ECB for organising it so well.
Now it's time for white balls and pyjamas, loads of Cricket still to come :D
Yes, I echo the comments of @Phillip (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=6905) .
Many thanks to both the West Indies and Pakistan for coming over.
Yes, lots of cricket still to come.
Ido watch the one day games and the 20-20 but it doesn't hold my attention as much as Test Cricket.
Having said that, lots of people prefer it and the game has to keep moving on.
Let's hope the weather doesn't muck things up :uneasy: