4th Test: England v India at Southhampton Aug 30-Sep 3, 2018

[Eelectrica]

So Jenning's out early. Gotta think Cook won't be far behind.

Root dusted. 2/15.
If ever Cook needs to wind the clock back, it's now.

3/29. In Cook England trusts? Still going.

4/36 Cook gone. England in a spot of bother.

 

[ANTiLAG]

36/4 - all England's specialist batsmen out.

 

[ANTiLAG]

He showed on the Ashes tour last year once he gets past his nervous start, the old batting skills are still there.

He’s not reliable anymore, but he’s still got it under the surface.

The talent's still there - I agree. But his mindset isn't when it's short now. He either slogs or backs away (or both at same time) to short pitch now - 'all or nothing' instead of true calculated batting against the actual delivery.

He may hit 6's over fine leg - but his build a big innings days appear to be over of late.

 

[Fufu Andronez]

Stokes with a Watto like review.

England 86/6

 

[ANTiLAG]

Curran looking the best English bat again.

This kid sure can bat well for a swing/#3 seam bowler.

111/6.

 

[TheParraboy]

Lol poms all out 246

No 8 Curran saved their ass from being well below 200, with 78 himself

India 0/16 in reply . Expecting them to bar all day on day 2 and be around 50 ahead going into day 3

 

[hineyrulz]

Curran is the next Sir Garfield Sobers.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

India are proving that they're a much better team than one that has to play 57 tests a year at home.

 

[Blade23]

England are prooving home or away their batsmen are still dreadful.

 

[ANTiLAG]

India are proving that they're a much better team than one that has to play 57 tests a year at home.

England were 6/86 - Sam bails them out yet again and England get 246, with Moeen giving a touch of support. India bowlers failed to convert it - again. There wasn't just swing, there was massive seam movement when England batted. Don't get me wrong, Sam Curran is fair talent with the bat, but they bowl at both ends.

Now for India to dominate they need someone to make runs, presumably with Kohli again. If he gets out cheap, I could easily see India just falling apart for less than what England scored. But if England bowl the spinners and Stokes and Curran are sloppy, then runs may get leaked.

Kohli, Curran, Woakes and now Moeen are the only batsmen averaging above 36 this series. Root and Stokes are under 25. Jennings and Cook under 16.5, and Vijay under 10. This has been a bowler's paradise all series. And Cook and Root out of form.

Jennings has to go, (Bumrah bowled a good ball, but the dismissal demonstrated how far below international standard Jennings is now, not playing a shot and lbw plumb) and Rory Burns given a chance (like all England's next in line batsmen - he's also a wicket keeper). Woakes and Curran seem to both be necessary for the next test, for their batting and ability to swing the ball making it a good fit. Which I think puts some pressure of any decent middle order batsman in England, if there are any, on taking Ben Stokes' spot at 5. Buttler seems safe for now if they keep the gloves off Johnny Bairstow.

 

[Timbo]

Jennings has to go, (Bumrah bowled a good ball, but the dismissal demonstrated how far below international standard Jennings is now, not playing a shot and lbw plumb) and Rory Burns given a chance (like all England's next in line batsmen - he's also a wicket keeper).

The bloke who I think is unlucky to have never gotten a crack is Daryl Mitchell, who is probably a bit old now. Has played his entire career on a bowlers pitch, regularly been the only bloke for his county with a +40 average (in fact, whilst his career average is 41, he's often had no other blokes with a 30+ average in the side) and has single handedly stopped Worcs from being relegated or seen them promoted on his own through weight of runs. It's the real problem with England, if you don't play for one of the TMC's (ie - counties whose home grounds are test venues), it's very easy to get overlooked. He scored 178 in a partnership of 300 with Moeen against an attack that contained Willey and Bresnan last week on a pretty bowling friendly wicket.

 

[ANTiLAG]

The bloke who I think is unlucky to have never gotten a crack is Daryl Mitchell, who is probably a bit old now. Has played his entire career on a bowlers pitch, regularly been the only bloke for his county with a +40 average (in fact, whilst his career average is 41, he's often had no other blokes with a 30+ average in the side) and has single handedly stopped Worcs from being relegated or seen them promoted on his own through weight of runs. It's the real problem with England, if you don't play for one of the TMC's (ie - counties whose home grounds are test venues), it's very easy to get overlooked. He scored 178 in a partnership of 300 with Moeen against an attack that contained Willey and Bresnan last week on a pretty bowling friendly wicket.

Unlucky for sure. Appears he was in good form when Cook and Strauss were locks, then he lost form when Strauss had retired. To not have been given a go in the last 6 years when England has tried nearly everyone is not lucky.

I have never understood the fascination of the England teams with Sam Billings in the limited overs stuff. Seems very ordinary, with far better talent left out unfairly. For some who are unlucky, some are very lucky indeed.

Bumble is already calling for the inclusion of Burns over Jennings. Once the Sky guys start making the calls, it typically trickles down imo. They even got their Rashid in tests. Not sure whether they had too much influence over Buttler's inclusion in test from IPL. But they're not against it as they like selling him as a cricket star of the game (which he is due to his limited overs talent).

 

[Timbo]

Unlucky for sure. Appears he was in good form when Cook and Strauss were locks, then he lost form when Strauss had retired. To not have been given a go in the last 6 years when England has tried nearly everyone is not lucky.

I have never understood the fascination of the England teams with Sam Billings in the limited overs stuff. Seems very ordinary, with far better talent left out unfairly. For some who are unlucky, some are very lucky indeed.

Bumble is already calling for the inclusion of Burns over Jennings. Once the Sky guys start making the calls, it typically trickles down imo. They even got their Rashid in tests. Not sure whether they had too much influence over Buttler's inclusion in test from IPL. But they're not against it as they like selling him as a cricket star of the game (which he is due to his limited overs talent).

Just like Australia has a bias for NSW Cricketers (the bias being that NSW produces the best cricketers), there is a strong bias towards certain counties in the UK. Surrey, Nottinghamshire and Hampshire have been the 'in' counties for the last little while.

The irony is, the blokes playing for Leicestershire, Worcestershire, Northamptonshire, etc. often have a much harder go of it because the grounds are far more bowler friendly. I've seen county matches at New Road, Grace Road and Hove - the ball nips off the deck and swings around corners. If you can average above 35 on those grounds, especially if you're ind Division 1, you're an absolute wizard. And yet, there is a bias to the 'big' counties purely because test matches are played on their grounds.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Just like Australia has a bias for NSW Cricketers (the bias being that NSW produces the best cricketers), there is a strong bias towards certain counties in the UK. Surrey, Nottinghamshire and Hampshire have been the 'in' counties for the last little while.

The irony is, the blokes playing for Leicestershire, Worcestershire, Northamptonshire, etc. often have a much harder go of it because the grounds are far more bowler friendly. I've seen county matches at New Road, Grace Road and Hove - the ball nips off the deck and swings around corners. If you can average above 35 on those grounds, especially if you're ind Division 1, you're an absolute wizard. And yet, there is a bias to the 'big' counties purely because test matches are played on their grounds.

Grounds may be a factor, but I imagine the free market leads to players favoring certain teams, areas, and counties that have more money to pay them directly and with indirect benefits. Yorkshire for several years now put out some teams with serious talent, but they're finally weaker this year. And where the home team's ground is an intl venue, might be some nice free tickets to the sold-out internationals too.

Plus if what you say is a vibe that one's chances of intl selection improve at certain counties, there will be a greater supply of talent to those counties which perpetuates the cycle.

I don't know the county system as well as you do. But even with the Salary Cap and its strict enforcement in the NRL Aussies don't want to play for the Warriors unless it is big overs, but the Roosters and Brisbane can pretty much get all their targets, often on less wages even.

There are some places and institutions that people want to be aligned with both currently and post-career opportunity. I imagine that is much the same in county cricket. And who really wants to impose a salary cap and audit a competition like county cricket that doesn't make money. Sure - the 100 - will possibly be done by salary cap or auction. but it will be a different beast.

 

[ANTiLAG]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/b...-jennings-shipwrecked-england-batting-failure

Good read about Jennings and how bad a dismissal it was.

The ball hits his back leg, right in front of the stumps. It was a good delivery, but amazingly horrid batting.

 

[Tommy Smith]

So who comes in for Curran for the 5th Test?

James Vince perhaps? To sure up the batting.

f**king lol we're so junk I'd rather gouge my eyes out with burning bails than watch us atm.

 

[Tommy Smith]

The bloke who I think is unlucky to have never gotten a crack is Daryl Mitchell, who is probably a bit old now. Has played his entire career on a bowlers pitch, regularly been the only bloke for his county with a +40 average (in fact, whilst his career average is 41, he's often had no other blokes with a 30+ average in the side) and has single handedly stopped Worcs from being relegated or seen them promoted on his own through weight of runs. It's the real problem with England, if you don't play for one of the TMC's (ie - counties whose home grounds are test venues), it's very easy to get overlooked. He scored 178 in a partnership of 300 with Moeen against an attack that contained Willey and Bresnan last week on a pretty bowling friendly wicket.

Sounds to me like he could be our version of Chris Rogers.

A shame he'll never get a game.

 

[Timbo]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/b...-jennings-shipwrecked-england-batting-failure

Good read about Jennings and how bad a dismissal it was.

The ball hits his back leg, right in front of the stumps. It was a good delivery, but amazingly horrid batting.

Oof, I just watched the highlights. That is not the shot of a man in form. Or of a man who has ever played cricket before at any level ever.

 

[Eelectrica]

So who comes in for Curran for the 5th Test?

James Vince perhaps? To sure up the batting.

f**king lol we're so junk I'd rather gouge my eyes out with burning bails than watch us atm.

At least Vince won't embarrass the batsmen the way Curran is. Had he not run out of partners a century was in his sights.

Just finished watching the highlights myself, unless Jennings gets a double hundred in the 2nd innings, he's gone. I think my chances of winning powerball without even buying a ticket are greater than a Jennings double tonne though.

 

[Bazal]

Curran is the next Sir Garfield Sobers.

It's a big call, but I'd go a step further and say that Curran is the next Lord Sir Christopher Woakes.