General Cricket (not the chirpy kind) Discussion Thread

[Uitbregen]

Can anyone recall when England's last 100-run opening partnership was? Mainly asking because I can't figure how to work Statsguru on CricInfo. Was it New Zealand last summer? Did we get one in the 2013 Ashes? Earlier?

[Liventia]

Can anyone recall when England's last 100-run opening partnership was? Mainly asking because I can't figure how to work Statsguru on CricInfo. Was it New Zealand last summer? Did we get one in the 2013 Ashes? Earlier?

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... ew=innings

Last five 100-run stands for England's first wicket:
NRD Compton, AN Cook 231 v New Zealand, Dunedin 2013
NRD Compton, AN Cook 165 v India, Kolkata 2012
NRD Compton, AN Cook 123 v India, Ahmedabad 2012
AN Cook, AJ Strauss 122 v Sri Lanka, Colombo P Sara 2012
AN Cook, AJ Strauss 186 v India, Birmingham 2011

[Nimzonia]

India's lead now over 200, and I don't generally fancy England's chances of chasing anything much over 200.

[Liventia]

India's lead now over 200, and I don't generally fancy England's chances of chasing anything much over 200.

Lord's fourth innings chases are not unheard of. Just this season Middlesex chased 472 (Robson made 77 in the fourth innings after Ballance had made 130 in the third).

[Nimzonia]

India's lead now over 200, and I don't generally fancy England's chances of chasing anything much over 200.

Lord's fourth innings chases are not unheard of. Just this season Middlesex chased 472 (Robson made 77 in the fourth innings after Ballance had made 130 in the third).

It's not Lords, it's England I'm skeptical about. They'll probably finish the day on 70/6.

[Uitbregen]

Lord's fourth innings chases are not unheard of. Just this season Middlesex chased 472 (Robson made 77 in the fourth innings after Ballance had made 130 in the third).

It's not Lords, it's England I'm skeptical about. They'll probably finish the day on 70/6.

70 runs is a bit generous don't you think? We effectively start 0-1 with Cook's form at the moment, and none of the top order have impressed me so far, not nearly enough to make me think they could score a 4th innings century to win the game.

[Nimzonia]

It's not Lords, it's England I'm skeptical about. They'll probably finish the day on 70/6.

70 runs is a bit generous don't you think? We effectively start 0-1 with Cook's form at the moment, and none of the top order have impressed me so far, not nearly enough to make me think they could score a 4th innings century to win the game.

Indeed. Unless this is the mythical day when Cook's form turns around (which I'm not at all convinced will ever happen), India have won this match already.

[Uitbregen]

This partnership has killed England.

EDIT: England's bowling plans:

Plan A: Well, just, you know, top of off stump. Just let the wickets fall.
Plan B: errrrrr

[Liventia]

Zimbabwe's openers have put on an unbeaten 218 stand in pursuit of 257 in an ODI against Afghanistan.

[Nimzonia]

I don't think I can bear to watch Cook bat again. It's like watching the decline of the Roman Empire.

[Goram]

I don't think I can bear to watch Cook bat again. It's like watching the decline of the Roman Empire.

I don't know - he was beaming after that cut there for four. I honestly feel like today might be the day.

(Then again, I've said that before...)

[Liventia]

Tea. Cook has survived. Robson gone to a very marginal lbw.

[Uitbregen]

Great, we've lost the game in about 10 minutes.

[Goram]

Great, we've lost the game in about 10 minutes.

Again.

As soon as Ishant lined up to go around the wicket, you just knew Cook was going to nick it. It's become almost guaranteed.

[Aryavartha]

well we have seen some dogged stands already from lower order (from both teams)..so it is not all over yet. and india does not have the sort of bowlers who can run through tail enders anyways. bhuvi is effective only with new ball, ishant sharma maybe with dual paced wicket and shami has not looked threatening at all and binny is just rubbish and jadeja is a joke as a test spinner. so don't despair yet england. india has managed to grind out a draw from winning conditions in many times with no wickets for many sessions.

[KoloToure]

That's the end of Matt Prior's Test career, then. For fucks sake.

[Aryavartha]

oh yes...india wins.

oh no...ishant sharma is going to play another 50 tests on this performance..

[Goram]

That's the end of Matt Prior's Test career, then. For fucks sake.

And probably Stokes'.

People like to blame Cook (and he deserves a share of the blame, he is failing with the bat and Captain, after all) but it's not all his fault. No one, other than Root along with Ballance and Ali occasionally, is really playing well. The bowlers are all over the place and the batsmen can't make runs. Difficult to see where England are going with this.

South Africa, maybe even New Zealand, will absolutely kill them if it goes on like this.

[Liventia]

When Stokes was left out of the SL series so many people questioned why he'd been dropped and demanded his reinclusion. He'd just returned from injury and was not making scores of note in county cricket. You reap what you sow. He should've been left to fully get his form back. He's still young and has a long international career ahead of him.

[Aryavartha]

some horrendous shot selection from bell, stokes and even root who was playing well till then and should have known the fielder was there. were they actually trying to chase the score with their pull shots? hard to understand what's the thought process there.

[Liventia]

Matt Prior has announced he will stand down as England wicketkeeper for the season to undergo an operation on his Achilles: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/m ... al-3892888

[KoloToure]

Matt Prior has announced he will stand down as England wicketkeeper for the season to undergo an operation on his Achilles: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/m ... al-3892888

At 32? I doubt he'll be back. Not as a WK anyway.

If we got someone to replace him behind the stumps, do you think he could open? There's an idea.

[Goram]

Matt Prior has announced he will stand down as England wicketkeeper for the season to undergo an operation on his Achilles: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/m ... al-3892888

At 32? I doubt he'll be back. Not as a WK anyway.

If we got someone to replace him behind the stumps, do you think he could open? There's an idea.

Who is there to replace him though, that's a batsman of that calibre? The only two candidates for the job, that I can think of are Chris Read or Jos Buttler - neither of whom can bat well enough to open (can they?). That said, I don't follow county cricket that closely, so, maybe there is someone like that out there?

[KoloToure]

At 32? I doubt he'll be back. Not as a WK anyway.

If we got someone to replace him behind the stumps, do you think he could open? There's an idea.

Who is there to replace him though, that's a batsman of that calibre? The only two candidates for the job, that I can think of are Chris Read or Jos Buttler - neither of whom can bat well enough to open (can they?). That said, I don't follow county cricket that closely, so, maybe there is someone like that out there?

Have you misunderstood me? If not, then I entirely misunderstood you.

I meant Prior coming back as an opener with someone else behind the stumps. Just for a couple of years to help us find and then blood a decent youngster.

[Liventia]

Chris Read is averaging 45 in county cricket this year but not an opener type. Nor is Buttler, really. Wicketkeeper and opener don't seem to go together that often.

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