The summer of cricket 2020

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Stokes gone at last...and Roach gets one at last ! Bit fluky , reverse leg side edge but I think Kemar was entitled to dome good fortune...

Hell of an innings from Stokes

Holder not looking flustered. If he's feeling the pressure he doesn't telegraph it. Cool cat.

Still can't see them losing three for 14 : but if England can get them out and start batting this evening...

The fielding just hasn't been up to England's usual standards the last two Tests. I think it's noticeable that the players are out of practice.

Stokes looks to be in some discomfort ...chest pain ? Might not have been such a good idea to bring him back after all...

He did bowl a solid spell ...eleven overs earlier , and gave it everything. Don't like the look of this !

Into the tail now as Woakes gets Holder almost immediately. Can England take the last two for cheaper than 10 runs?

And just like the last test, a sudden rush of wickets in the evening session on day four has brought forth the chance of a seemingly unlikely result.

Ian Ward seriously asking the question on whether or not England will enforce the follow-on should the chance arise.

It's an absolute no-brainer.

They won't get the choice. No matter ; if they can get the last two quickly they'll have time to set a target.

Will still be an outside chance ; but better than they had two hours ago...

alfie wrote:Holder not looking flustered. If he's feeling the pressure he doesn't telegraph it. Cool cat.

Still can't see them losing three for 14 : but if England can get them out and start batting this evening...

Follow on no longer possible but likely we'll be batting tonight. Who opens the England innings? I would still opt for Burns and Sibley but I wonder if some of you guys (evening, Truss ) would prefer one or two biffers.

OK , that's the follow on nonsense done with. Key now is England still need to concentrate on getting these last two pronto. Only then worry about batting.

The more time left the better. What they don't wantis a frisky forty from these two now...

Up to Woakes I think. Broad and Stokes are cooked for now , and Curran appears ineffective lately.

I'm afraid the TV commentators are getting way ahead of themselves

Ah well...been fun while it lasted.

Good lad , Chris ! Good ball Good review.

Had to work for their lbws today ! Thought that looked very good live.

Surely near the end now ? Still 55 minutes + 98 overs left...

Important to get Chase there. He was hanging in and batting well.

I think I'd open up with Burns and Buttler. Then Crawley at 3. If there's a couple of quick wickets then Sibley can come in to steady the ship. If the board is ticking along well then Root and Stokes (fitness dependent) can come in. If Buttler comes off with a run a ball (or quicker) fifity it could give England a chance but it's low risk if he gets out quickly.

Very gritty innings from Chase, again. Certainly did enough to save the follow-on, maybe did enough to save the test.

England need to be aggressive from the outset with the bat and give themselves a minimum of 80 overs to bowl out the Windies again. It might mean setting an achievable target, but needs must.

Just the matter of that last wicket, first!

Beautiful last ball from Woakes to wrap it up.

West Indies did part one of what I wrote earlier; they failed with part two. Time for England to give it some tap, and give us an exciting conclusion.

Well bowled by Woakes at the end there.

About 110 overs left in the game. I reckon England will want to bat around 25-30 of those at the most.

Last wicket no problem . Gabriel in the Chris Martin class

Woakes finishes the job. Backed his mate Broad up nicely

So now 182 , plus 11 overs tonight - say forty more ? That's 222 ahead starting tomorrow (cheers Richie ) ...then have a quick bash and set them about 280-300 , in before lunch ...

Sound like a plan ?

Stick Buttler up the order?

If England send Sibley out to open, I might cry.

By the way , I'm claiming credit for that collapse , for my relentless Trebell-style posting all afternoon

Think Crawley will open ...not sure who with.

Stokes and Buttler opening. Love it.

Yeah, about 30-35 these next 11 or so overs, then about 15 overs @3 rpo tomorrow morning... and set them around 290-300 runs to win with about 83 overs. Chasing 3.5 rpo might seem tempting but it's a big ask. England's bowling will need to keep disciplined and of course - take all chances.

No need to go too hard just now - if they can reach around a 215-225 run lead at close of play it would be a good platform for setting the target tomorrow.

Incidentally : the way the new ball zipped around late today , if the pitch produces further misbehaviour tomorrow , batting last will be no picnic.
So hopefully England don't bat too long.

Stokes and Buttler opening ? Well that's showing intent

Anyone would think it was a Super Over...

alfie wrote:By the way , I'm claiming credit for that collapse , for my relentless Trebell-style posting all afternoon

Think Crawley will open ...not sure who with.

Alfie - as you make the claim yourself, I'm happy to uphold it. Consistent Trebs-style posting throughout the day. Relentless, never flagging even when going uphill into the wind.

Pal Joey wrote:Yeah, about 30-35 these next 11 or so overs, then about 15 overs @3 rpo tomorrow morning... and set them around 290-300 runs to win with about 83 overs. Chasing 3.5 rpo might seem tempting but it's a big ask. England's bowling will need to keep disciplined and of course - take all chances.

No need to go too hard just now - if they can reach around a 215-225 run lead at close of play it would be a good platform for setting the target tomorrow.

I see we are thinking along similar lines , PJ. Frankly I suspect 250 will be enough ; though I doubt England would take that risk.

Buttler going for a duck really doesn't surprise me , I'm afraid. Need to just play proper - busy - cricket tonight.

It's so lively out there I'd give England half a chance of defending 187!

alfie wrote:

Pal Joey wrote:Yeah, about 30-35 these next 11 or so overs, then about 15 overs @3 rpo tomorrow morning... and set them around 290-300 runs to win with about 83 overs. Chasing 3.5 rpo might seem tempting but it's a big ask. England's bowling will need to keep disciplined and of course - take all chances.

No need to go too hard just now - if they can reach around a 215-225 run lead at close of play it would be a good platform for setting the target tomorrow.

I see we are thinking along similar lines , PJ.  Frankly I suspect 250 will be enough ; though I doubt England would take that risk.

Buttler going for a duck really doesn't surprise me , I'm afraid.  Need to just play proper - busy - cricket tonight.

Factored in, alfie.
Agree even 250 would be enough bait... all things considered but the bowlers will need to be right on top from the off. That's my only slight worry.

alfie wrote:

Pal Joey wrote:Yeah, about 30-35 these next 11 or so overs, then about 15 overs @3 rpo tomorrow morning... and set them around 290-300 runs to win with about 83 overs. Chasing 3.5 rpo might seem tempting but it's a big ask. England's bowling will need to keep disciplined and of course - take all chances.https://2img.net/i/fa/i/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif

No need to go too hard just now - if they can reach around a 215-225 run lead at close of play it would be a good platform for setting the target tomorrow.

I see we are thinking along similar lines , PJ.  Frankly I suspect 250 will be enough ; though I doubt England would take that risk.

Buttler going for a duck really doesn't surprise me , I'm afraid.  Need to just play proper - busy - cricket tonight.

Doesn't surprise me either. That's why I suggested Burns and Sibley. Regular and boring but negate the new ball (which remains the biggest danger) for the opening half dozen overs and upping the scoring rate as you go on allowing the biffers to then come to the party.

I'm also broadly in line with Joey's approach although don't think his numbers quite add up. Would be more like 260 than 290-300.

I'd have been happy with Burns and Crawley. Not B and S though...too likely to get stuck at glacier speed.

Anyway they have gone with a very OTT aggro style...which is a rather odd contrast to the first innings ultra conservative approach !

At 17/2 I wonder if they keep swinging ?

For older posters and those who have read of the game, Roach doing a ''Brian Statham'' on Crawley - ''you miss, I hit''.

In the words of Mrs Bat just now - ''they need to settle down''.  I assure you, she's said worse.

My maths is a little supercharged isn't it, Guildford... that above equates to a bit over 4!

I think Joe needs to steady the ship a bit here and let Stokes do any swashbuckling. Can't afford to lose another batsman right now.

guildfordbat wrote:For older posters and those who have read of the game, Roach doing a ''Brian Statham'' on Crawley - ''you miss, I hit''.

In the words of Mrs Bat just now - ''they need to settle down''.  I assure you, she's said worse.

Has been a case of more haste less speed , hasn't it ? Shows how hard it is to score fast when there are no fielding restrictions... A bit of tap and run might have been more effective tonight - tee off tomorrow.

Wonder what their target is ? Don't think it could be declare overnight

Being smart too late : Root could have opened. Not a big hitter ; but he scores a lot of ones and twos. Not many dots.

alfie wrote:I'd have been happy with Burns and Crawley. Not B and S though...too likely to get stuck at glacier speed.

Anyway they have gone with a very OTT aggro style...which is a rather odd contrast to the first innings ultra conservative approach !

At 17/2 I wonder if they keep swinging ?

Yeah but you're instead running the risk of losing Buttler early doors as has happened and Sibley coming in at 8 or 9 tomorrow for the last 3 or 4 overs when you really want a natural big hitter.

Sibley's glacial approach first dig was due not just to his natural approach but also the agreed plan. If he was instructed to push on more second time round, I've no reason to believe he wouldn't try to do that. He has opened for Warks and Surrey in RL50 games and possibly t20s too. There would also have been less harm to the team's prospects tomorrow had Sibley being dismissed tonight.

Anyway they're about where I expected at stumps. Ahead by 220.

Go hard in the morning for ten overs ; see where they are and how the pitch is playing. Then decide. I think they'll have enough by then ; as I doubt West Indies would risk their lead with a dangerous chase.

Whether they could bowl them out ...who knows ?

A live last day !

guildfordbat wrote:

alfie wrote:I'd have been happy with Burns and Crawley. Not B and S though...too likely to get stuck at glacier speed.

Anyway they have gone with a very OTT aggro style...which is a rather odd contrast to the first innings ultra conservative approach !

At 17/2 I wonder if they keep swinging ?

Yeah but you're instead running the risk of losing Buttler early doors as has happened and Sibley coming in at 8 or 9 tomorrow for the last 3 or 4 overs when you really want a natural big hitter.

Sibley's glacial approach first dig was due not just to his natural approach but also the agreed plan. If he was instructed to push on more second time round, I've no reason to believe he wouldn't try to do that. He has opened for Warks and Surrey in RL50 games and possibly t20s too. There would also have been less harm to the team's prospects tomorrow had Sibley being dismissed tonight.

Suspect Sibley is as likely to bat as Chase is to bowl

Buttler going early isn't a big deal - though I wouldn't have wasted him opening. Sam Curran could come in and tee off late if needed. But they clearly prioritised those who run well between the wickets , which makes sense , no ?

A lot tomorrow might depend - as you were alluding - on how well the England pace bowlers shape up after a very busy day . Because my expectations of spin being a big factor look to be somewhat misplaced.

37 runs in 8 overs - that's fine.

I'd bat 11 overs tomorrow, declare with 87 overs left which (minus 2 for changeover) leaves England 85 overs to bowl the Windies out. It's the final day so I think, owing to the brilliant thing known as cricket logic, all the overs have to bowled regardless of how long it drags on for (provided the light is fine) - a luxury that doesn't exist on the previous 4 days.

Hopefully in those 11 overs, England can pull the lead up to 270+. I trust Root will make a daring declaration as someone who sends Stokes and Buttler to open isn't likely to be cautious! Besides, I can't see the Windies going for the win from that scenario.

And I do think England will win from that position. Lots of variable bounce developed from the late afternoon onwards, plenty of footmarks for Bess to work with and a new ball that is in very safe hands if Broad maintains his form from today.

Yeah, seems a good chance to force the win tomorrow. Main factor for me is how tired the bowlers are, it's a 4 man attack now I think? Need 3 or 4 early wickets with the first new ball and more of a contribution from Bess through the middle of the innings

Batting on for another 10 to 13 overs and giving us between 83 and 86 overs tomorrow to bowl 'em out seems a sound tactic. Also allows us between 3 and 6 overs with the second new ball if necessary to try and get the last one or two wickets although I doubt my nerves would stand that!

The fitness of the bowlers is my main concern as well - the three main seamers all put in 20-23 overs in the innings. But they didn't play in the last test so should have enough in the tank for a proper push tomorrow.

We're also overdue on the West Indies putting in a rubbish effort with the bat, the sort where they're all out inside 60 overs.

Weather looks good for England tomorrow - no rain and lots of cloud cover.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/forecast/gcw25grrk#?date=2020-07-20

England can change the entire attack for the 3rd test, drawn series doesn't accomplish much so have a go tomorrow

guildfordbat wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

GSC wrote:Anything more than a test and a slapping down is overkill.

He nipped home on his way to Manchester, let's not crucify him. It was stupid but hardly malicious

Agree with you on this GSC - made his mistake, taken his punishment which has been handed down appropriately, move on and learn from it.

As for this game...England are gonna need a good morning tomorrow, take advantage of the moisture that’s been put into the pitch, and it will presumably swing. Then, hopefully as the day progresses, Bess will come into it more. Personally, would like to see him bowl round the wicket a bit more often to the right handers, especially with the bounce and turn on this wicket[/quote]

Hi Olly - Bumble just saying he would like to see Bess trying it round the wicket. He hasn't bowled round at all so far. Lloyd fairly complimentary about Bess but encouraging him to vary it more.

You playing today?

Yep! First friendly of the season today..got a quick fire 25 before retiring, albeit my keeping would have had the group on here going for me with the pitchforks...”providing some comedy” according to one onlooker...
Good to get back out there though.

As for england, appears to have been a good day? Did Bess go round the wicket at all? See his figures aren’t great...

Looking forward to watching it all, keeping an eye on it while working tomorrow

Hi Olly - yep, Bess did go round later on but to no great effect. Not really his day. Far more one for the seamers, especially Broad and Woakes although they had to work hard and be patient for their rewards.

Don't worry about your keeping. Always far easier to criticise than to perform. Also an undefeated 25 is top stuff and can't be taken away.

Btw, trust you saw my earlier post confirming new tracks for each Old Trafford test.

A few crucial issues to consider tomorrow (apart from how much Olly will be able to monitor proceedings while working)
Firstly how many can England add in about ten overs ...the evening eight overs showed it isn't that easy to smash the new ball everywhere with very defensive fields. Fifty , perhaps ? Maybe a little better if Stokes gets on a roll.
Then : declare and set 270- 285 in about 85/6 overs : will Root be game to risk that ?

I do think that sort of position is reasonably likely.And I also doubt West Indies could chase that sort of score on a pitch starting to "go". So I hope England would give it a try. After all it seems a bit pointless putting sloggers up to open if you aren't intending to follow up with an aggressive declaration...

Could England bowl them out from there , if the batsmen are defending ? Fifty fifty I reckon...West Indies have batted with patience and concentration in this series , and the pace bowlers had a pretty busy day today. But against that , the ball has definitely started to keep low at times , and move around - at least while new ; and the pressure will be on if a couple of early wickets fall. Eight wickets fell in less than three hours late today , which suggests batting is getting a bit more tricky.

In any case we look like seeing a tense day's cricket , rather than the dull playing out time that looked likely for most of today...for which I am thankful , whatever the final outcome

alfie wrote:A few crucial issues to consider tomorrow (apart from how much Olly will be able to monitor proceedings while working)
Firstly how many can England add in about ten overs ...the evening eight overs showed it isn't that easy to smash the new ball everywhere with very defensive fields. Fifty , perhaps ? Maybe a little better if Stokes gets on a roll.
Then : declare and set 270- 285 in about 85/6 overs : will Root be game to risk that ?

I do think that sort of position is reasonably likely.And I also doubt West Indies could chase that sort of score on a pitch starting to "go". So I hope England would give it a try. After all it seems a bit pointless putting sloggers up to open if you aren't intending to follow up with an aggressive declaration...

Could England bowl them out from there , if the batsmen are defending ? Fifty fifty I reckon...West Indies have batted with patience and concentration in this series , and the pace bowlers had a pretty busy day today. But against that , the ball has definitely started to keep low at times , and move around - at least while new ; and the pressure will be on if a couple of early wickets fall. Eight wickets fell in less than three hours late today , which suggests batting is getting a bit more tricky.

In any case we look like seeing a tense day's cricket , rather than the dull playing out time that looked likely for most of today...for which I am thankful , whatever the final outcome

First bold point - I think we have to because of being 1 down in the series. I think they'll hope for a bit more from the c 10 overs this morning, but that would rely on Stokes and perhaps Curran being able to have a couple of 15 run overs I think.

Second bold - the new ball will be vital, as I could see the Windies folding this time if we can get them say 30-2. A couple more doing like the one to Blackwood yesterday wouldn't do any harm. Doesn't matter how intent you are on defending if you're (correctly, from the length) playing a back foot defensive to a ball that hits a third of the way up the wicket...

Notice your earlier suggestion that Root could have opened, and am inclined to agree, as his busyness would have set the tone better than going for the two big bashers first up (although I do admire the statement of intent).

been catching up on yesterday and I'm kinda glad I missed it, a very frustrating day but in the end just enough to keep England in with a shout.

The big tactical decision now is how long they bat for. I would say the way they struggled to score quickly and lost wickets as with the first innings adds weight to the argument that trying to accelerate sooner and harder in the first innings may well have left them in a far worse position.

If the West Indies do go on to win they may owe it to a player that Zaltmans stats has as the worst opener to score more than 3000 runs in test cricket and a nightwatchman who did the exact opposite of what he was told to do. I guess thats part of the beauty of cricket, tests in particular. Theres enough element of chance in the game and enough variables in play to allow the rule book to be ripped up (including "If you win the toss, bat. If you are in doubt, think about it, then bat. If you have very big doubts, consult a colleague, then bat.").

A second test in a row with all three results still on the table, just what the sport needed really. Plenty of heroes as well, will Bess be one? Seems he does struggle to bowl in an aggressive manner when its required, but there should be plenty of help from the pitch if he can get his lengths right and if he's given license to do so.

Lots of its buts and maybes about Englands tactics but whatever they do they need to outplay the west indies today to force a result. The onus is on the players to sharpen up. Broads full of bluster and self congratulation in the press, he needs to do even more today after only a short rest and prove he is fit enough to still be playing in 3 years time.

Gooseberry wrote:been catching up on yesterday and I'm kinda glad I missed it, a very frustrating day but in the end just enough to keep England in with a shout.

The big tactical decision now is how long they bat for. I would say the way they struggled to score quickly and lost wickets as with the first innings adds weight to the argument that trying to accelerate sooner and harder in the first innings may well have left them in a far worse position.

If the West Indies do go on to win they may owe it to a player that Zaltmans stats has as the worst opener to score more than 3000 runs in test cricket and a nightwatchman who did the exact opposite of what he was told to do. I guess thats part of the beauty of cricket, tests in particular. Theres enough element of chance in the game and enough variables in play to allow the rule book to be ripped up (including "If you win the toss, bat. If you are in doubt, think about it, then bat. If you have very big doubts, consult a colleague, then bat.").

A second test in a row with all three results still on the table, just what the sport needed really. Plenty of heroes as well, will Bess be one? Seems he does struggle to bowl in an aggressive manner when its required, but there should be plenty of help from the pitch if he can get his lengths right and if he's given license to do so.

Lots of its buts and maybes about Englands tactics but whatever they do they need to outplay the west indies today to force a result. The onus is on the players to sharpen up. Broads full of bluster and self congratulation in the press, he needs to do even more today after only a short rest and prove he is fit enough to still be playing in 3 years time.

Bang on, goose.

Just watching a rerun of last night's Cricket Debate - that total idiot Dominic Cork saying we should set the West Indies 320 and completely ignoring the time factor. Mark Butcher chairing and Ravi Bopara guesting both tell him he's wrong albeit far more politely than I would have done.

During a members' discussion a couple of years ago at the Oval about tv commentators, I asked Alec Stewart about Cork. He replied that Cork should have a ''c'' in his name and not a second ''o''!

guildfordbat wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

GSC wrote:Anything more than a test and a slapping down is overkill.

He nipped home on his way to Manchester, let's not crucify him. It was stupid but hardly malicious

Agree with you on this GSC - made his mistake, taken his punishment which has been handed down appropriately, move on and learn from it.

As for this game...England are gonna need a good morning tomorrow, take advantage of the moisture that’s been put into the pitch, and it will presumably swing. Then, hopefully as the day progresses, Bess will come into it more. Personally, would like to see him bowl round the wicket a bit more often to the right handers, especially with the bounce and turn on this wicket[/quote]

Hi Olly - Bumble just saying he would like to see Bess trying it round the wicket. He hasn't bowled round at all so far. Lloyd fairly complimentary about Bess but encouraging him to vary it more.

You playing today?

Just a note that Brighton is not on the way to Manchester.

Ordinarily it wouldn't be an issue at all really but given it could have caused the entire series to be scrapped on top of him missing this and possibly the next test (as hes not been able to train for the isolation period) you can understand why he got hauled over the coals and is arguably lucky not to get a more severe reprimand.

As it is I think England have handled it pretty well. Most importantly the team leadership have publicly backed him whilst not prejudicing the disciplinary and made sure hes still been able to feel wanted and part of the group as much as is possible in the circumstances. There's been quite a mature balanced approach to man management, we've seen the same with Broad Mo and Bairstow that maybe hasn't always bee there in the past. Stokes is seen as the role model here, someone who learnt from his mistakes and came back a better player from it and it probably helps a lot that he is close t Archer and apparently was one of those who first put him on the England radar. Does seem like Archer is always dogged by controversy...first his selection, then his overwork and injury, now this. It cant be easy for a kid who is in many ways an outsider, on the plus side he seems to have less of an ego than KP.

On the note of amateur cricket I chanced upon a village game yesterday.

98 overs today...Eng up by 219
Bat 11 overs to get whatever you can would be my strategy.
that leaves 87 overs...and minus two for change of inning...makes it 85- possible

which gives Eng 5 overs with 2nd new ball that can pluck out 3 final wickets

In 11 overs how many can Eng get?
Even a 100 is possible...but even if they get 50 or 60 ....Windies ain't gonna be able to chase 275ish on a last day pitch.

If Eng bat too long they will devoid themselves of 2nd new ball and would have only themselves to blame if they fall 2 wickets short of closing the game

Forecast has taken a slight turn for the worse. Pockets of rain passing over Manchester this morning - half a chance it might miss, half a chance it might hit.

Any delay might deprive us of an exciting finish to both this test and the series.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/gb/old-trafford/m16-0/minute-weather-forecast/53686_poi

Duty281 wrote:Forecast has taken a slight turn for the worse. Pockets of rain passing over Manchester this morning - half a chance it might miss, half a chance it might hit.

Any delay might deprive us of an exciting finish to both this test and the series.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/gb/old-trafford/m16-0/minute-weather-forecast/53686_poi

Looks most likely now that we will have a small delay to the start but get a full day, and light should be ok later. Bit of cloud should perk Broad up but it really would be rotten luck if England get screwed even more by the weather.

Might be reet, after all. Bit of drizzle at 10:30 but it's passed by quickly enough.

Covers off now and the floodlights are on. Bad light could be a concern later on in the day.

14 off the opening over. Stokes on it straight away.