All purpose cricket thread (2 Viewers)

[HuckerbyDublinWhelan]

I've been of the opinion you have to keep Root as there's no other option but think we've moved past that point and now there's a danger its going to impact his batting.

As you say you can't have Anderson or Broad as they don't play every game, Stokes has just been out for months with mental health issues so doesn't need that piling on and pretty much nobody else is guaranteed to play.

Do you take a risk and pick a younger, inexperienced, captain with the idea they will be in place for several years through a rebuild? If you watch the documentary on England becoming the number 1 test team they sat down and came up with a clear plan on how to get there. We don't seem to have anything like that at the moment, we stumble from disaster to disaster.

I think they should keep Root. My thoughts are part of it is that he’s lost the ear on Anderson and Broad who seemed to openly defy him in the ashes.

I’m sure that’s why they were dropped - Strauss’s way of slapping them down.

that document is incredible, what strikes me is that after they won in India they never prepared that way again. Flower had them playing 2/3 4 day games before the first test. Now we just play a 2 or 3 day game then launch into it. Preparation is non existent.

we’ve been in the position before in 2009, when the Windies skittled us for 51, then of course the plan came in. We just need the personal to buy into it, starting with a coach who knows what he’s doing. Langer or Kirsten for me

 

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[tisza]

Root needs to sit down with Morgan for some lessons on player management. But the cupboard looks bare for Root replacements.

But it does come down a lot to the resources Root has available in terms of players.
I'm a Woakes fan but he's never your opening bowler onan overseas tour. Batting resources look so thin when none of them seem to know how to play a Test innings.

And I'm shoving a lot of the blame on the ECB with their prioritization of white ball cricket over last 3-4 years at the expense of red ball cricket. Domestic 4 day cricket a mess and just glued onto either end of the season. Got the Bears playing Lancs in a "big" red final in October with nobody there. Opening rounds of CC always dominated by conditions and bowlers.

The Hundred is cricket's version of the "PL's 37th game to be played overseas purely as a money grab". Cannot run all these white ball competitions. 50 over team will be the next to flounder as this current crop of players moves on and there will be nothing in the pipeline to follow them as the domestic 50 over comp has also been severely devalued.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

I've been of the opinion you have to keep Root as there's no other option but think we've moved past that point and now there's a danger its going to impact his batting.

As you say you can't have Anderson or Broad as they don't play every game, Stokes has just been out for months with mental health issues so doesn't need that piling on and pretty much nobody else is guaranteed to play.

Do you take a risk and pick a younger, inexperienced, captain with the idea they will be in place for several years through a rebuild? If you watch the documentary on England becoming the number 1 test team they sat down and came up with a clear plan on how to get there. We don't seem to have anything like that at the moment, we stumble from disaster to disaster.

It would be ideal to have a wicketkeeper as captain, as fielding is the main part of their game. Always a bit of pressure on them to be a decent batsman to justify their place so if they had the leadership angle that'd make that a bit less imperative. Also helps with reviews as they're often in the best place to make calls on lbw/run outs etc.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

Analysts are the problem. There’s not enough instinct and ability to think for themselves.

theY said in 1 ashes tests “ the data says they’re bowling in the right areas and they should be getting them out”

I always find statements like that odd when they then show something like 3% of the balls were hitting the wicket. Of course a bit of movement to get an edge is fine but most are going well over the top of the stumps as well and should be an easy leave for a batsman.

I sometimes wonder if it's false confirmation, in that we get a lot of wickets with short balls just because we bowl so many of them. For me the short ball tactic rarely works, even the commentators say how they're bowling to short yet they continue to do so. It might at times slow the run rate as players just leave the ball but it doesn't take many wickets. I remember a few Ashes ago where they said some bowling tactics were left in a dressing room and if I remember rightly it said we should bowl short to every single player.

 

[CCFCSteve]

I think the posts about analytics are correct from what I’ve seen/read. Management appear to have taken away players feel of the game (maybe not so bad in roots case) and pushed this ‘follow the data’ in both red and white ball. I’m all for data and analytics for getting certain players out but there has got to be a greater consideration given to what’s happening out on the pitch.

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

For the bowlers it easy bowl at the stumps and have more chances of getting wickets than hanging it outside off stump hoping for a caught behind. Batsman keep out the straight ones and hit the wide ones. They are over complicating the game and blocking players minds with stats.

 

[MusicDating]

For the bowlers it easy bowl at the stumps and have more chances of getting wickets than hanging it outside off stump hoping for a caught behind. Batsman keep out the straight ones and hit the wide ones. They are over complicating the game and blocking players minds with stats.

Particularly on a pitch with uneven bounce!

I love Root, but he's always struck me as a Captain by numbers. Formulaic and not instinctive. Tbf, Cook was the same when he started, but did seem to adapt and obvs had the benefit of himself as an opener!

You're always going to have difficult characters in a team, but if they're your best players by miles, you've got no choice but to pick them and work out how to manage them better, not just drop them. Picking a 33yo Woakes showed Jimmy/Broad weren't dropped for future planning.

Trouble is, I've no real idea who should replace Root. Do they sacrifice 20 runs in the averages for a good captain like Billings? Bairstow? He should always be angry captaining that lot, so should play well! I'd worry for Stokes mental health if he took it.

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Particularly on a pitch with uneven bounce!

I love Root, but he's always struck me as a Captain by numbers. Formulaic and not instinctive. Tbf, Cook was the same when he started, but did seem to adapt and obvs had the benefit of himself as an opener!

You're always going to have difficult characters in a team, but if they're your best players by miles, you've got no choice but to pick them and work out how to manage them better, not just drop them. Picking a 33yo Woakes showed Jimmy/Broad weren't dropped for future planning.

Trouble is, I've no real idea who should replace Root. Do they sacrifice 20 runs in the averages for a good captain like Billings? Bairstow? He should always be angry captaining that lot, so should play well! I'd worry for Stokes mental health if he took it.

I think they will go for Vince if it’s not Stokes, Root is stuck in his ways even if it’s bowling conditions he will bat as he doesn’t want to bat last.

People are saying Broad he would burn the drs in the first of his overs.

 

[tisza]

I think they will go for Vince if it’s not Stokes, Root is stuck in his ways even if it’s bowling conditions he will bat as he doesn’t want to bat last.

People are saying Broad he would burn the drs in the first of his overs.

Rather they picked Morgan as a bridge captain to sort things out. Actually has a better Test record than Vince. Proven man manager and will toughen some of the lightweights up.

 

[HuckerbyDublinWhelan]

Rather they picked Morgan as a bridge captain to sort things out. Actually has a better Test record than Vince. Proven man manager and will toughen some of the lightweights up.

I said this to a friend last year. Morgan is a good captain, there’s nobody apart from Root who would offer much more than Morgan in terms of batting. Might aswell go for our best captain

 

[chiefdave]

 

[MusicDating]

I said this to a friend last year. Morgan is a good captain, there’s nobody apart from Root who would offer much more than Morgan in terms of batting. Might aswell go for our best captain

Morgan is undoubtedly the best captain, but hasn't played a Test for ten years and not even a 4-day game for three years as don't think his back can handle it.

 

[HuckerbyDublinWhelan]

Morgan is undoubtedly the best captain, but hasn't played a Test for ten years and not even a 4-day game for three years as don't think his back can handle it.

That is the issue with Morgan - shame really. Seems to have more influence than Root aswell

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

I think Stuart Broad has won a bbc poll for the next captain. I think I would rather keep Root than him, he would open the bowling at both ends and be the only one to use the drs.

 

[eastwoodsdustman]

I think Stuart Broad has won a bbc poll for the next captain. I think I would rather keep Root than him, he would open the bowling at both ends and be the only one to use the drs.

He'd burn The DRS inside the first two overs he bowled.

 

[Otis]

All looking good for England women so far.

Pinning SA back and it will need a big innings from someone to turn this around.

SA currently 71-4 chasing 294.

 

[chiefdave]

brilliant by Wyatt and Ecclestone. you never know in a one off game but Australia are going to be very tough to beat in the final

 

[SkyBlueSoul]

For anyone after a chuckle

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

The start of the county championship is today a beautiful day and the ball will be swinging mainly due to the strong winds. If Harrison and his idiots want to reset red ball cricket maybe playing in the summer might help.

 

[chiefdave]

The start of the county championship is today a beautiful day and the ball will be swinging mainly due to the strong winds. If Harrison and his idiots want to reset red ball cricket maybe playing in the summer might help.

not exactly the sort of weather that will encourage people to spend a few hundred on membership for county games

 

[tisza]

The start of the county championship is today a beautiful day and the ball will be swinging mainly due to the strong winds. If Harrison and his idiots want to reset red ball cricket maybe playing in the summer might help.

68 year old Darren Stevens to take 8 for not many!
Good to see Brooks back for the Bears though.

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Joe Root has gone

 

[OffenhamSkyBlue]

Joe Root has gone

Probably the right outcome - so much of what happens on the field of play during the game can be influenced by the captain - it's not like football where the captain tosses the coin and claps his hands occasionally to gee the players up.
And then there is selection - there needs to be a chair of selectors again, but you could argue that the captain needs to be able to get the best out of who is selected, so SHOULD be picking the team.

As for his replacement, Vaughan has come out to say it should be Stokes. Really?? The guy has just returned to the side after a break because just playing the game was too stressful for him - he'd fall to pieces if he had some ACTUAL pressure placed on him!
I don't have any better suggestions, by the way, but whoever suggested a wicketkeeper-captain made a good call. Always at the centre of the action. New-ball bowlers never work in my view - Cummins for Australia has been something of an exception in the recent Ashes series, but England did pretty well at losing that on their own no matter what the Aussie captain had done!

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

I think it will be Vince if Stokes doesn’t want it. Root was a defensive captain if England were batting in the games third innings and time was running out he would pile the runs up sometimes you need to keep the opposition interested, he also allowed Broad and Anderson too much power.

 

[Grendel]

Stokes will be offered it as he’s the only candidate whose playing regularly

The other choices seem all in their 30’s and test failures - the main concern is similar big characters like botham and flintoff were hopeless captains

some pundits suggest broad. Well would be interesting

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Stokes will be offered it as he’s the only candidate whose playing regularly

The other choices seem all in their 30’s and test failures - the main concern is similar big characters like botham and flintoff were hopeless captains

some pundits suggest broad. Well would be interesting

You would need about 100 drs for Broad he has never bowled a ball where the batsman wasn’t out.

Stokes has too much going on but they will pick him and burn him out.

 

[OffenhamSkyBlue]

Don't think Broad would work. I think he's a knob!
The bigger problem is the form of the team, especially the openers. The last few they have selected have proved themselves to be incapable of making a solid foundation for a big innings. It's always down to Root and the middle order (and increasingly the bowlers). I think ANY captain will struggle with the quality surrounding him.
How about appointing a woman???

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Rob Key gets the md job.

 

[SBAndy]

Rob Key gets the md job.

Could probably do with him opening the batting as well.

 

[tisza]

Rob Key gets the md job.

Don't get it. What qualifies him for the job? Hasn't he just been doing tv work since he retired?
Giles wasn't good but at least he had some coaching and managerial work on his CV

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Don't get it. What qualifies him for the job? Hasn't he just been doing tv work since he retired?
Giles wasn't good but at least he had some coaching and managerial work on his CV

Talks well and the tv will lay off him as they are his mates, experience nil. Hope he keeps his Kent hat out of the way and doesn’t think Billings is a better bet than Foakes. Darren Stevens will be ready for the call up.

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

100 for the new look Sibley if he makes a few runs expect him back in the England set up and he looks a very better player now.

 

[CCFCSteve]

100 for the new look Sibley if he makes a few runs expect him back in the England set up and he looks a very better player now.

Nice one. Changed his technique/style ?

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Nice one. Changed his technique/style ?

I didn’t get chance to watch the stream today but I watched a bit of the first games and he looks more correct and seemed to be playing more shots around the wicket, I would think Trotty is working hard on him.

 

[SkyBlueSoul]

Looks like Stokes is having fun, 147 off 82 atm with 34 coming in one over