The Cricket Thread

[NishC300 1,865]

Thread seems awfully quiet even though u guys retained the Ashes. Congrats!

4th Test 2morrow!

[Duppy Conqueror 1,532]

Well the 4th test is unlikely to be a draw anyway. The Rogers decision shows another flaw in DRS.it's definitely the right thing to have in cricket they just need to fine tune it and get people with better eyesight to view and judge it.

[Ollie 4,400]

Sometimes i just wish i knew what goes through peoples minds. I mean, the reason you block and go steadily is because you want to save wickets and work on getting a big score over a couple of days without risk. 238 all out going at 2.5 an over? That obviously didn't work. We coulda treated it like a 1 day match and got 500. At the end of the day, there is no guarantee that being conservative will not lose you wickets. Yesterdays England innings was one of the worst test match innings i've ever seen and cooks innings was a pathetic waste of time.

I still think we'll get the Aussies out for under 200 though.

EDIT: Ok we won't now lol. Aussies putting on another big partnership. Maybe the pitch is getting flat and boring like the one at Old Trafford. BOOOORING!

Edited August 10, 2013 by Ollie

[Ankit 3,176]

Stat: England are yet to score 400 runs in one innings! Contrary to what everyone thought what would be a whitewash for England, Australia have given real competition to them. Except the 2nd test, Australia were on the verge of winning the other 2 tests!

Cook's defensive approach is sooo boring and irritating, it's like he just would not be aggressive even for one session! Captain's approach clearly reflects on the whole team.

[dave30 728]

I think we just need to accept that on the whole, Australia are a better cricketing nation than us. The amount of hype around this England team, and as far as I can see we're pretty average.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,532]

We beat India home and away and Australia home and away in the last test series' we have played against them and are 2-0 up in this series. South Africa the best test side in the world beat us 1-0 last time out.

There's been overhyping our football team for decades but with cricket they've always been underrated,in the 80's they would own Australia and beat India most series,but were classed as shit because they couldn't beat arguably the best team of test history the west indies.

When other teams beat us in the past we gave credit due to the team that beat us,we never said you only beat us because we are crap at present but we make excuses up for teams who lose to us now. I wouldn't class that as overhyping.

The top two teams in the world in tests ourselves and south Africa are tough teams to beat,that over grind the opposition.flashy cricket is for the one day games.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,532]

4th test in the balance now..as long as Bell can stay in and gets support for another session or so tomorrow,we should get a good total to put the pressure on.

[Ollie 4,400]

Ian Bell, take a bow son. Another 100 against the Aussies. Not in a bad position, effectively 202 for 5. If we can get another hundred then we may be able to win it in 5 or 6 sessions. Going to be an interesting final 2 days.

[Ankit 3,176]

We beat India home and away and Australia home and away in the last test series' we have played against them and are 2-0 up in this series. South Africa the best test side in the world beat us 1-0 last time out.

There's been overhyping our football team for decades but with cricket they've always been underrated,in the 80's they would own Australia and beat India most series,but were classed as shit because they couldn't beat arguably the best team of test history the west indies.

When other teams beat us in the past we gave credit due to the team that beat us,we never said you only beat us because we are crap at present but we make excuses up for teams who lose to us now. I wouldn't class that as overhyping.

The top two teams in the world in tests ourselves and south Africa are tough teams to beat,that over grind the opposition.flashy cricket is for the one day games.

England are as you said, are one of the top 2 teams in tests. But it's their approach to the game which isn't really "Champions" like. The approach is always defensive, although their isn't anything wrong in it but cricket has evolved a lot in the past decade or so and teams(thanks to the epic Australian team of the last decade) have started playing aggressive cricket which is not necessarily "flashy" but effective and more result oriented, it makes the game more exciting for the viewers. When i look at the England's team, there are players like KP, Bell, Prior who can be aggressive and entertaining but the approach of Cook and subsequently of the whole team is very defensive which makes the whole team boring for neutrals to watch.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,532]

England are as you said, are one of the top 2 teams in tests. But it's their approach to the game which isn't really "Champions" like. The approach is always defensive, although their isn't anything wrong in it but cricket has evolved a lot in the past decade or so and teams(thanks to the epic Australian team of the last decade) have started playing aggressive cricket which is not necessarily "flashy" but effective and more result oriented, it makes the game more exciting for the viewers. When i look at the England's team, there are players like KP, Bell, Prior who can be aggressive and entertaining but the approach of Cook and subsequently of the whole team is very defensive which makes the whole team boring for neutrals to watch.

The same was said about Chelsea when Mourinho lead us to back to back titles,my feelings about the style of play is the same with both, winning is all that really matters,what neutrals think is never on my our the team's mind.

[NishC300 1,865]

Just watch us when we play against South Africa........

[Duppy Conqueror 1,532]

Scroll back to when England beat India 4-0 in England,was told to watch out for When England toured India then and saw England return with a 2-1 series victory.

I hope India win in South Africa to help England in their quest to be number 1 again,I doubt they will tho

I'll be watching the ashes again as it's on the same time,between that,spending time with my family at Christmas and going to Chelsea games I won't have much time to watch more cricket on top.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,532]

Boring England on the verge of going 3-0 up now as wickets tumble.

[Ankit 3,176]

Boring England on the verge of going 3-0 up now as wickets tumble.

Haha!

Looking at the way Cook captained when Australia came to bat today, i was not surprised at his defensive and negative approach! And the Australians took full advantage of that! But seriously, this Australian team has absolutely no character! Clarke's dismissal was just brilliant but the rest of the Australian pack should be ashamed of themselves. And Watson got lbw. Again. What a collapse!!

[Duppy Conqueror 1,532]

It Isn't quite blazing sunshine now. The visually impaired umpires should come to the rescue for tonight...as Broad gets his 10 for..

This Aussie team has premature ejaculation issues when they get a start..