The summer of cricket 2020

First topic message reminder :

We have actual cricket news for the first time in forever...and some hope that we will see some test matches this summer!

England bowlers began a return to individual training on Thursday, with batsmen and wicketkeepers scheduled to make a return on 1st June, in anticipation of the West Indies series being rescheduled to begin on 8th July (all according to various reports).

There was also reports a few weeks back they might play some one day games, whilst tests are happening too. Not seen anything else about that, but with England’s depth in the shorter format it could be done you’d think players wise (and actually would present a good opportunity to some on the fringes)

ECB is going to confirm the full list of players who will resume training next week. Murmurings about Hales in the one day stuff don’t go away...

So anyways - let’s keep fingers crossed, and hope everyone who posts here is healthy and staying safe too

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Honestly I wonder sometimes why teams don't just play 5 spinners against England everytime

TBF the last time I remember anyone playing two frontline spinners against them in England they won by an innings a chips.

Maybe a bit of lack of mental preparation coming into play there with both wickets? Bring back Joe Denly

England rattled...a decent throw then and Sibley would have run himself out...

Root gets set and things might change ...but batting looking very fraught right now.

I think even my keyboard is getting sick of me typing 'a lot rests on Root'.

This is about the score I expected at this stage...but I was thinking it would be the seamers doing the damage! Windies might regret not picking Cornwall if this carries on.

Apparently the third time Burns has been out to Chase for next to nothing, expect to see him wheeled out early next innings!

A lot might rest on Root, but he's all over the shop at the moment. Sibley is, unsurprisingly, getting bogged down again. Testing times.

Gooseberry wrote:Apparently the third time Burns has been out to Chase for next to nothing, expect to see him wheeled out early next innings!

Jennings might fancy his chances for the next Asian tour...

alfie wrote:England rattled...a decent throw then and Sibley would have run himself out...

Root gets set and things might change ...but batting looking very fraught right now.

Sibley needs to wake up a bit...Root always wants to push the running, and just there he's running with his gloves in hand, and turns the wrong way...which denies a two which Root fancied.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

alfie wrote:England rattled...a decent throw then and Sibley would have run himself out...

Root gets set and things might change ...but batting looking very fraught right now.

Sibley needs to wake up a bit...Root always wants to push the running, and just there he's running with his gloves in hand, and turns the wrong way...which denies a two which Root fancied.

Agreed. There's a noticeable difference in the running between the wickets of our players who are in the ODI side and those who only play Tests. Under Morgan and Bayliss there was a clear emphasis on running between the wickets very aggressively. Root, Bairstow and Stokes in particular are lightning between the wickets. Butter, Roy and Morgan also very good.

It's noticeable in the Test side that Stokes and Root are much better between the wickets than several other batsman.

king_carlos wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

alfie wrote:England rattled...a decent throw then and Sibley would have run himself out...

Root gets set and things might change ...but batting looking very fraught right now.

Sibley needs to wake up a bit...Root always wants to push the running, and just there he's running with his gloves in hand, and turns the wrong way...which denies a two which Root fancied.

Agreed. There's a noticeable difference in the running between the wickets of our players who are in the ODI side and those who only play Tests. Under Morgan and Bayliss there was a clear emphasis on running between the wickets very aggressively. Root, Bairstow and Stokes in particular are lightning between the wickets. Butter, Roy and Morgan also very good.

It's noticeable in the Test side that Stokes and Root are much better between the wickets than several other batsman.

True. Though one might also say that Root and Stokes are just much better all round than all the other batsmen... I agree it is a skill that can be learned , at least to an extent ; so the others could do with improvement in this area anyway.

Odd game so far. Looks a classic day for seamers but they've not really threatened much , while a part time spinner has two already.
West Indies with the same seamers , who haven't had long to recover from the first games exertions ; so if England can make them bowl long their fresh attack could be at a bit of an advantage later...

Gabriel limping off here - hasn't looked right from ball one today. That is worrying for WI

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Gabriel limping off here - hasn't looked right from ball one today. That is worrying for WI

Indeed. Three matches close together was bound to test the pace men - especially after a long absence from match play.
England being a bit careful with their men might be a very smart move.

A big worry for Windies there. This track should be cracking for batting so there could be a big workload for the bowlers on both sides.

I'm never an advocate of picking bowlers for their lower order runs. Pick your best 4 bowlers then worry about the rest, etc. Stokes/Pope/Buttler/Woakes/Curran/Bess/Broad is some serious depth though. If this partnership can hunker down and set a foundation then England could cash in.

You never know when the collapse might be coming with both lineups though...

Joseph does for Joe

Drink break does for Root...

What were you saying , King Carlos ? Crossing fingers...

Wish Denly was playing.

Honours about even at the moment. Not surprised with Root's dismissal, and the manner of it is all too common with him.

The Windies have bowled better in this session than the first but it's a poor position of England's making here.

I wouldn't usually look at boundary count for a second on day 1 having been put into bat but 5 boundaries when the Windies have bowled loosely, particularly in the first session, is a failure to punish bad balls and build pressure on the bowlers.

Alzarri Joseph has impressed me in both Tests. Holder and Joseph are very good first change bowlers.

Haven't been many real strokes , have there ? Not that Sibley is particularly forceful in any case ; but even Root was a bit tentative. Perhaps why he launched that ill advised drive attempt ...

Hard to say how much the light influences these innings , from watching on TV. And it may be this is not a great surface for stroke play...we will see as it progresses.

king_carlos wrote:The Windies have bowled better in this session than the first but it's a poor position of England's making here.

I wouldn't usually look at boundary count for a second on day 1 having been put into bat but 5 boundaries when the Windies have bowled loosely, particularly in the first session, is a failure to punish bad balls and build pressure on the bowlers.

Alzarri Joseph has impressed me in both Tests. Holder and Joseph are very good first change bowlers.

Yes, Joseph bowled well in the first Test and deserved more than his 2 match wickets then. Particularly unlucky to go wicketless in England's first dig - hatched a good plan then to get Stokes but Roach couldn't quite hold onto the mistimed hook. Seems to be a thinking bowler like some of his team from yesteryear.

Sibley is in prime Denly territory here...if he can make it into a 50 you can forgive the lack of strokes.

The 8 9 10 batting is looking very handy though.

alfie wrote:Haven't been many real strokes , have there ?  Not that Sibley is particularly forceful in any case ; but even Root was a bit tentative. Perhaps why he launched that ill advised drive attempt ...

Hard to say how much the light influences these innings , from watching on TV. And it may be this is not a great surface for stroke play...we will see as it progresses.

Vaughan noted the lack of runs down the ground as a sign of uneven pace and batsmen not being confident of timing the ball.

Duty281 wrote:Honours about even at the moment. Not surprised with Root's dismissal, and the manner of it is all too common with him.

Day one and 3 down before 100 is on the board. Bowling side would normally take that. Even though he wants that fourth wicket, I reckon Holder will be fairly content. Gabriel being off will be a concern though.

Fellas - earlier Root was nearly run out, off what the umpire then called a dead ball. Am I right in thinking he would have been not out, if he had been run out? Or would he have been out, because the umpire only signaled dead ball after everything had happened?

Chase back...and Sibley immediately starts looking about as comfortable as a giraffe on ice...

Would have been unlucky to be caught then though : those either stick or they don't .

Is the outfield slow as all hell or is this some weak batting

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Fellas - earlier Root was nearly run out, off what the umpire then called a dead ball. Am I right in thinking he would have been not out, if he had been run out? Or would he have been out, because the umpire only signaled dead ball after everything had happened?

No he'd still have been out. (I'm assuming this dead ball was because he deliberately padded it away ?) the play is live if batsmen run ; but then the runs are disallowed. The ball still happened , unlike a case of a bowler not actually delivering it.

112/3 at tea. Could have been worse.

Good to see Stokes not just dead batting Chase , even close to the interval.

Hope the break doesn't bring yet another immediate wicket on resumption

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Is the outfield slow as all hell or is this some weak batting

Slow outfield, sizeable boundaries and England not exactly in an attacking mood (well, Sibley certainly isn't!).

alfie wrote:112/3 at tea.  Could have been worse.

Good to see Stokes not just dead batting Chase , even close to the interval.

Hope the break doesn't bring yet another immediate wicket on resumption

Really well-poised. If these two stick in for another hour, England could be in a position of real strength. Or we could have a sudden clatter of wickets like in the last test and England struggling to make 250.

I'd say it should be a good last session, but we're unlikely to see much before the bad light curtails it.

Fifty for Sibley

And celebrates with a clip for four next ball. Good , battling effort : can't fault his determination , though he's never going to get extra marks for aesthetics...

Be nice if he can go on and turn it into a big one now. Let the stroke players bat around him.

alfie wrote:Fifty for Sibley

And celebrates with a clip for four next ball.  Good , battling effort : can't fault his determination , though he's never going to get extra marks for aesthetics...

Be nice if he can go on and turn it into a big one now. Let the stroke players bat around him.

Great stuff indeed, the sort of player England have missed post Cook and the pre meltdown Trott. Funny to think we used to moan about Englands top 3 being turgid!

Pity Boycotts not in the box

Stokes seems a little frustrated with the run rate, though I'm sure Silverwood is delighted with England's grit in testing conditions.

Think the West Indies will be frustrated too - few edges that have found the grass and a number of play and misses.

The way this is going and with England 3 first choice bowlers down plus more rain due Saturday leaves all 3 results in contention.

Sir Ben Stokes seems to be in the mood to get a result now though.

Yes, it's a good innings from Sibley in the situation. I really hope he's there at stumps and goes onto his first home century tomorrow. It would be deserved.

England are edging towards parity here. Some would say England are ahead already but the track looks pretty good for batting overall. I think we will see it bat very well on days 2 and 3 then the cracks will open up. If both sides can play well in their first innings then it could be another exciting 5 day-er!

king_carlos wrote:Yes, it's a good innings from Sibley in the situation. I really hope he's there at stumps and goes onto his first home century tomorrow. It would be deserved.

England are edging towards parity here. Some would say England are ahead already but the track looks pretty good for batting overall. I think we will see it bat very well on days 2 and 3 then the cracks will open up. If both sides can play well in their first innings then it could be another exciting 5 day-er!

Annoying thing with the weather is that England may well end up batted twice under cloud to the new ball. Do wonder how much fatigue will play a part for the west Indies bowlers, Gabriel bowled a lot more than they wouldve wanted him to his the first test. that they are using a lot of part time spin even once Burns got out is a sign that there is a need to manage the quicks.
England of course have no excuses in that regard with all the changes and with a genuine spinner. Stokes is such a luxury, and very much a genuine all rounder now. Hes averaging over 50 with the bat and under 30 with the ball since the start of the away series in the west indies, which is frankly ridiculous.

Yeah, I'd have England ahead right now. Anything above 300 and they're laughing with the tourists batting last. I'd advise Sibley to steer clear of the reverse sweeps, however.

Reckon England are clearly on top now at 150/3. Of course a couple of quick wickets would change that ...and we've seen that before ! But they really ought to turn this into an over-par score , especially with that solid "tail".
Trouble might be that the slow scoring and possible weather interruptions could make converting that into a result a tough job. Not sure this pitch is likely to turn into a monster even after a few days wear.
But way too early to make any firm predictions. That was England's hour ...time for a drink.

Hard not to be impressed by Sibley, horrible to watch and has very few scoring shots but his level of concentration is highly effective.

Gabriel coming back on despite fitness issues. Amazed he has respectable figures of 0/17 after 7 overs with some of the rubbish he's served up...and he beats Sibley's tentative prod first up.

Soul Requiem wrote:Hard not to be impressed by Sibley, horrible to watch and has very few scoring shots but his level of concentration is highly effective.

Nearly gave it away trying to fish a losener from Gabriel there!

Dropped! Got to feel for Gabriel there

Rare error by Holder ! That should have been taken...

Lucky Sibley.

Gabriel has come back well...

Really should have been taken. Sums up a pretty disappointing day for Holder.

alfie wrote:Rare error by Holder ! That should have been taken...

Lucky Sibley.

Gabriel has come back well...

You say that and he bowls one at second slip!

Gooseberry wrote:

alfie wrote:Rare error by Holder ! That should have been taken...

Lucky Sibley.

Gabriel has come back well...

You say that and he bowls one at second slip!

Nothing like variety

Fifty for Ben

Not his most fluent ; but he'll take it.

If these two can make it to the close it'll be a good days work for England. Don't think I'll make it ...eyes are getting heavy...

Keep them safe , eh ?

No danger of the keeper getting bored with the way Gabriel is spraying it around.

100 partnership and Stokes has a 50. England in complete control. Windies haven't bowled or fielded consistently well today - unrecognisable in ability from the side at Southampton. Only thing in their favour is the second new ball isn't too far away.

The second new ball will come at a useful time for Windies early tomorrow morning.

Stokes is really trying to push the rate here and I think it's a good move given there's only 9 overs to the new ball. If things are lively tomorrow morning then an extra 20 runs from this last hour could suddenly be worth a lot in the scheme of the match.

This pair are batting very well in conditions that are tough to score in.England's long tail, Gabriel having a niggle and Holder being below his best means the England changing room will be feeling good. If these two are there at the close it will be a strong foundation to bat from tomorrow.

Those 3 early wickets mean there's the potential for things to change quickly. The old adage off add two wickets to score and reevaluate!