[Cricket] Cricket- 3rd Test, Oval, September 6th-10th, 2024, Sri Lanka tour of England

[Eeyore]

Fell free to respond to this with a Simpsons OLD MAN YELLS AT CLOUD meme, but Duckett is in absolute control, 70-odd not out, and can bat as long as he wants, and score a massive Daddy hundred.

This over he's played two reverse scoops (one for six, and one narrowly avoiding giving a catch behind) and two ramps (one for six and one narrowly avoiding gifting a catch).

Just WHY?

I'm all for climatic yelling where cricket is concerned. I prefer the Bazball-10% version with these reverse scoops only played on merit rather than pre-determined.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

And then the skipper top edges the next ball! Was a six. Could just as easily have been another SPOONED catch.

I'm not sure Baz cares as much as we do.

I'm all for climatic yelling where cricket is concerned. I prefer the Bazball-10% version with these reverse scoops only played on merit rather than pre-determined.

I suppose the idea at least, is to mess with the minds - and thus rhythm - of the bowlers. You reverse scoop length balls for six, and the bowler starts trying too hard to come up with something different, and ends up all over the place, gifting easy scoring opportunities.

As a concept it might have some perverse logic, but its seems that at least as often, the result is gifting cheap wickets and bringing the opposition back into the game.

Ollie Pope has just leant into a sublime cover drive for four, that to me, is every bit as thrilling to watch as any manufactured 'big' shot. I'm certain that this view is shared by 90% of people who are invested enough to be watching Test cricket.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Whilst I take your general point - that it is worth going all in, when you've identified outstanding young talent - this particular instance just feels like a complete punt.

Your example Shaheen Afridi, took 8-39 on his first class debut, never looked back, and was understandably thus rushed into the Pakistan fold. (He apparently now has 153 first class wickets at 8.18 )

Hull has taken his handful of first class wickets at 67! If he really has a big talent to go with his natural attributes, then by all means invest in him. Get him into the system. Send him to a fast bowling bootcamp, like they've done before. Put him on an A tour. Hell - why not actually let him play some County Championship matches?

I'm not sure I'm making much more than the general point. I have some sympathy for both sides of the argument and aren't unduly bothered by either way.

I'd have preferred them to have given Sam Cook a go (unless he's injured or something). For that matter I'm not really sure either a) what Potts did to get picked this summer, or b) what he did to get dropped for this match.

I guess there's an argument that picking a bowler who we all know is good in these conditions and then watching him bowl well won't tell anybody anything we don't already know. And if you've got Woakes and Atkinson and Stone you don't really need another right arm medium fast/fast medium bowler in the team.

As an aside, from what I can see on cricinfo, Afridi's non-test FC record is 40 wickets at 22.6, so I think there's a maths or typing error somewhere with the numbers you've got there. Or cricinfo have lost a few matches somewhere.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'm not sure I'm making much more than the general point. I have some sympathy for both sides of the argument and aren't unduly bothered by either way.

I'd have preferred them to have given Sam Cook a go (unless he's injured or something). For that matter I'm not really sure either a) what Potts did to get picked this summer, or b) what he did to get dropped for this match.

I guess there's an argument that picking a bowler who we all know is good in these conditions and then watching him bowl well won't tell anybody anything we don't already know. And if you've got Woakes and Atkinson and Stone you don't really need another right arm medium fast/fast medium bowler in the team.

As an aside, from what I can see on cricinfo, Afridi's non-test FC record is 40 wickets at 22.6, so I think there's a maths or typing error somewhere with the numbers you've got there. Or cricinfo have lost a few matches somewhere.

tbf, I did no further research than look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaheen_Afridi

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

tbf, I did no further research than look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaheen_Afridi

Fair enough.
Because it's the sort of thing that amuses me, I just worked out that for the numbers on Wikipedia to be right, he'd have to have taken his 40 non-test wickets for about -1770 runs.

 

[Eeyore]

I suppose the idea at least, is to mess with the minds - and thus rhythm - of the bowlers. You reverse scoop length balls for six, and the bowler starts trying too hard to come up with something different, and ends up all over the place, gifting easy scoring opportunities.

As a concept it might have some perverse logic, but its seems that at least as often, the result is gifting cheap wickets and bringing the opposition back into the game.

Ollie Pope has just leant into a sublime cover drive for four, that to me, is every bit as thrilling to watch as any manufactured 'big' shot. I'm certain that this view is shared by 90% of people who are invested enough to be watching Test cricket.

I think Ollie Pope is the best English batsman I've seen in recent times. He just seems to get himself in such a pickle with in swingers. He has all the qualities. Much like James Vince in a way.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I think Ollie Pope is the best English batsman I've seen in recent times. He just seems to get himself in such a pickle with in swingers. He has all the qualities. Much like James Vince in a way.

It's amazing how quickly this post turned from fulsome praise to an almost completely damning comparison.

 

[keaton]

Just got this from the oval if anyone is going tomorrow or Sunday. Seems excellent planning from all concerned

On Saturday and Sunday, Vauxhall train station will also be affected by engineering works with a reduced train service running in each direction. Consequently, there will be a queuing system in operation and passengers will be expected to wait for access to the station.



If possible, spectators using the National Rail to travel to the ground are urged to avoid travelling via Vauxhall station on the weekend. You can also access the Kia Oval from nearby National Rail stations such as Brixton, Elephant and Castle, and Waterloo.

 

[A1X]

Good, keeps the Hampshire riff-raff out

 

[ManOfSussex]

I caught a bit before the close on TV - ahead of the white ball series against the Aussies it's actually good to hear Ricky Ponting on Sky commentary again I thought.

 

[Machiavelli]

I think Ollie Pope is the best English batsman I've seen in recent times. He just seems to get himself in such a pickle with in swingers. He has all the qualities. Much like James Vince in a way.

That's an extraordinary statement given he is followed in by Joe Root and Harry Brook

 

[Bodian]

221-3 from half a day's play. That's the sort of scoreline we used to see at the end of a FULL day!

For instance, MCG in 1990

 

[Eeyore]

That's an extraordinary statement given he is followed in by Joe Root and Harry Brook

He has everything as a player. Except confidence and this propensity to make basic mistakes. But technically, he is so gifted. Some of his strokes are such a joy to watch for the purist.

I can't get into Harry Brook, he's just an eagle eyed slogger to me.

 

[Eeyore]

Zimbabwe have been offered a Test next summer in chilly Nottingham in May. The India series is crammed into six weeks as cricket is on holiday in August again.

 

[dazzer6666]

Lovely words from Fred……..

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Wood's out for the rest of the year with an elbow injury.

Mark Wood out for rest of year with elbow injury

Fast bowler to miss tours to Pakistan, New Zealand after problem picked up on routine scan

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

He has everything as a player. Except confidence and this propensity to make basic mistakes. But technically, he is so gifted. Some of his strokes are such a joy to watch for the purist.

I can't get into Harry Brook, he's just an eagle eyed slogger to me.

I don't see Pope finishing with a career average above 40, unless he has a complete change on a molecular level and finishes his career with a run like Gooch finished his with.

I'd guess that Brook's more technically correct in a lot of his batting. I'm quite confident he'll finish with more runs than Pope.

That said, back in 2022 (or whichever summer it was he made his debut against South Africa) I watched Gloucestershire play Yorkshire in Bristol and apparently very confidently announced that he pushes too hard at the ball and too far ahead of himself and would never make it at test level. I suspect I might have had a bit to drink by the time this opinion was aired.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Oh Fernando!

 

[dazzer6666]

Brainless mode activated

 

[Pevenseagull]

popped to get some stuff for my lunch at 280 off for 4.


have I missed anything?