The summer of cricket 2020

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A very strong position for England with runs on the board and a series lead in hand.

Pakistan going to have to produce something special from here to rescue the series

Tremendous balance to take that catch. Certainly put England on the back foot, though Banton is playing some lovely shots to try and alter that.

Some excellent striking from Banton keeping England in the game...
Apart from Shaheen , the bowlers have struggled.

But with two down early there us an awful lot on this pair : if one of them comes out I'm not sure I'd back Billings Moeen and the bowlers to bring it home...

Going to have to though as a horrible run out mix up does for Morgan

Suspect this is now Pakistan's to lose...

Banton stuffs the skipper there. Might want to stay out there for a bit! He had a mix up with Malan the other day too, wonder if it is something he needs to work on.

Huge wicket to get the in-form Morgan out cheaply. Especially galling for England with it coming from a run-out.

Has Moeen got a big innings in him? Someone lower down has to make a telling contribution if England are to win.

That was really poor cricket from Banton. Morgan’s call, he clearly did without hesitation and Banton is ball watching

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:That was really poor cricket from Banton. Morgan’s call, he clearly did without hesitation and Banton is ball watching

Yeah I think Banton has to get a hundred to make up for that...

Can Moeen turn his form on its head tonight ? Would be a good time to choose !

Now a review against Banton...this looks close...gone !

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:That was really poor cricket from Banton. Morgan’s call, he clearly did without hesitation and Banton is ball watching

And then out next over. Good learning experience for him this one...!

Banton now trapped in front. Good series with the bat for him, but it has ended poorly.

England do bat deep, but it's surely too much of an ask for the remaining batsmen to get the required 122.

That always looked out to me... don't know what the ump saw to call it not out... maybe he thought there was an inside edge I guess

Can't see them getting near Pakistan from here. They don't quite have the usual depth of batting in this series - although Curran and Jordan can give it a whack. Really is just this pair of proper bats left and 113 from 11 is a tough ask...

Big innings for both Billings and Moeen individually though.

98% on WinViz in favour of Pakistan! Bit harsh on England that, though Pakistan certainly favourites.

Billings lifts the ball nicely into the stands and brings it to under 100 to get...now Sarfraz misses the easiest stumping chance to get Moeen. Bizarre.

Duty281 wrote:98% on WinViz in favour of Pakistan! Bit harsh on England that, though Pakistan certainly favourites.

Billings lifts the ball nicely into the stands and brings it to under 100 to get...now Sarfraz misses the easiest stumping chance to get Moeen. Bizarre.

Some luck for Moeen. Winviz seems confident probably not unfair ; although surprisingly I see England actually ahead of Pskistan at half way - in runs , anyway.

The two more wickets are the tricky bit...

Umpires not calling wides tonight?

Taking 13 off Shaheen's penultimate over is a nice touch.

RRR staying around 11. Hanging in for now. Moeen's played some nice shots.

Dare I say it is nice to see Moeen actually hitting the ball cleanly again ? With 11 per over needed now this still looks a tall order but this little innings will perhaps give him a bit of a boost ; so I hope he can press on a bit more...

Big chance for Gregory here. He is in the side as the finisher, and here is a chance to finish something! Could be his last game in an England shirt if he doesn't deliver anything.

JDizzle wrote:Big chance for Gregory here. He is in the side as the finisher, and here is a chance to finish something! Could be his last game in an England shirt if he doesn't deliver anything.

Was just about to post this JDizzle - this really is his chance to show something with the bat.

Or he could just stand at the other end and watch Moeen do his thing! Bowling spin to Moeen is not the route I would have gone down.

Mammoth over for England, with Moeen plundering three sixes off Shadab's bowling.

Pressure back on Pakistan for now.

Here is your chance Lewis... Short boundary facing Rauf. Time to tuck in.

Twenty off that over ! Game on ...

Moeen picking a good day to get back in the groove : but he will probably need to finish the job if they're to get the target. Fifty for him anyway

Gregory joining in. ...two nice drives for valuable boundaries

Now just need 30 off three...

Two timely boundaries from Gregory. First was a gift, second was a lovely, baseball-esque line drive up the middle.

RRR down to 10. If Moeen bats through - if! - England surely win.

This last Shaheen over might be the key...

And two fours from Moeen are a nice start !

For me England are favorites to win from here

Gorgeous boundary behind point from Moeen. What wrists.

Gregory totally bamboozled by a Shaheen slower ball. Don’t think he could afford to just see Shaheen off needing 20+ though.

Well Shaheen does for Gregory with a neat slower one, but I think Moeen will be relieved to know that Pakistan's best bowler has bowled out. Great stop to prevent a four off the last ball.

Wahab up next, leaving Rauf to bowl the last. Interesting.

Jordan run-out thanks to a great bit of fielding. Down to Moeen and Curran. Tense finish!

Moeen on strike so that runout isn't too bad

Gregory gone ! This one is on a knife edge...

Wahab has thrown Jordan out now : brilliant fielding off his own bowling

And Moeen falls ...think that is it now...

Ah Moeen goes. Great effort from him, incredible transformation to produce that innings after previously looking so out of form. Probably the game for Pakistan.

England essentially need two sixes from Tom Curran in this final over. One thing in England's favour is it is Rauf bowling the last.

England’ll need some help from Rauf and extras here I think. He did bowl some full tosses in his last over.

Huge missed opportunity for Billings and Gregory this - really needed one to come off with the way Moeen was playing, and both fluffed their lines.

Have to think that’s probably Gregory’s last chance in this format gone. Harsh maybe, and a decade ago he’d probably get a better run, but by the high standards of batting in this side (and out of it), he just isn’t up to it

Think Wahab has won his team the match...an excellent over - after starting with a rotten wide !

17 off one over ? Not happening from the bowlers I'm afraid. But was lovely to see the Real Moeen Ali again...

Maybe...

Another great game. Not sure the long hop on the penultimate ball was the best option!

Hopefully the six games vs Aus can live up to the games so far.

Odd tactics from Rashid/Curran. They had to keep Curran on strike, decline the singles/take suicidal twos, because Curran is a maximum hitter - Rashid isn't.

Anyway, England fell just short. Didn't bowl well enough, overall. Top effort from Moeen.

Pakistan by five runs...quite the relief for them after the ones that got away this summer . Hearts in their mouths after Curran hit that six off the second last !

Can't begrudge them a win : they've been great sports coming for this

But I think England might feel they let that slip : until Gregory got out they were looking all but home. Another good match...on to the Australia series...

Great to see Moeen play an innings like that - he did play a superb hand in one of the games in South Africa too (seems to have gone unremembered amongst media)

Particularly against spin, he’s a great six hitter. You’d think in India that’ll be handy, so hopefully he can continue to keep up some form in the coming year or so.

At the moment you’re probably looking at this as our strongest XI?

Roy
Buttler
Bairstow
Stokes
Morgan
Ali
????
Jordan
Rashid
Archer/Curran
Wood

???? Is the one we need to find! Personally. I would like them to give Livingstone a run at 6/7 with a view to him taking a role there. Banton/Malan waiting in the wings in the batting too, but not sure either suit that later hitter role, and think they’re behind the top order guys at the moment.

Ridiculous options in the batting really. Play them all and chase 250 every innings I say

You wouldn't include Banton then , Olly ? They have enough bowling in that lot so either he or Malan would be fine , surely ? The way Banton scored early tonight I think he'd be fine at the top of the order - and Buttler could do his stuff perfectly well from four.

If the first three used up "too many" overs I imagine they'd have enough runs he wouldn't need to

Should have a strong squad anyway...

If Banton is playing like he has this series I'd include him for sure. A match winner.

1.Roy
2.Bairstow
3.Banton
4.Morgan (c)
5.Stokes
6.Buttler (wk)
7.Moeen
8.Woakes
9.Curran
10.Rashid
11.Archer

If it were the World Cup tomorrow I'd be looking at something like that. Buttler potentially opening depending on whether England are batting first or second, the conditions, opposition, etc. I like that the batting is flexible with players good up and down the order.

Woakes has played little T20i cricket but if it was the World Cup tomorrow I'd back him. He's been integral to the ODI side, has a good T20 record and he balances the bowling attack really well.

Jordan and Curran are probably competing for the same spot in my opinion. With Wood challenging Archer, though Jof is the better T20 bowler.

With the next T20i World Cup now in India a third spinner may be an option. Livingstone would be the batting all rounder offering another leggie. Dawson the experienced left-armer. Parkinson the potential wicket taker on turning wickets.

One to watch again Mason Crane.. Bowling very well in the last couple of games after returning from injury. Has the character too to play International cricket.

Surely Roy is the one of the senior bats to miss out? None of the other batsmen come close to malans average, and he matches them all bar Banton for SR. Roys record in T20s is actually pretty medicore, and hes not been in form either. He would certainly have to do something to earn a spot in my first XI.

Given that England are pretty much stuck with Moeen as discussed yesterday then Im glad hes finally had a staring role in a game, just gutted all round he couldn't quite win the game for England. Its certainly not his fault the chase failed even if he did flap around a bit early on. Im still a little baffled by how England have used him as a bowler in these games, but at least this innings should make him feel more secure and like belongs there. Bad day for Rashid, but that seems to be a one off rather than the norm. The sooner the senior seamers come back in the better though!

alfie wrote:You wouldn't include Banton then , Olly ?  They have enough bowling in that lot so either he or Malan would be fine , surely ? The way Banton scored early tonight I think he'd be fine at the top of the order - and Buttler could do his stuff perfectly well from four.

If the first three used up "too many" overs I imagine they'd have enough runs he wouldn't need to

Should have a strong squad anyway...

At the moment, no, as I want Buttler opening. I’d like to see them give Livingstone a shot at 6, he’s done very well in various franchise leagues in that spot, and I think that balance of side is better that way (not worried about his bowling, more his ability to come in late and go from ball one).

Albeit harsh, I think Malan is competing with Root for backup for Morgan. Banton at this moment the top order reserve, but, more than ample opportunity to force his way in over the next year or so. Particularly if Roy or Bairstow hit a rough patch (and Roy does seem to pick up injuries relatively often).

If Livingstone doesn’t come off, then Banton is in for sure...

England also have the option to be pretty flexible with that batting order in games too. If they have spin from both end, you could promote Moeen to hit... similarly if there is a short boundary you could make sure there’s a right/left hand combo at the crease most times.

Good thing is they have those backups pushing the first XIs in the batting department. Should mean they don’t go with someone horribly out of form in the hope they come off when the World Cup arrives...

Morgans confirmed that Buttler will open for these games alongside Bairstow, but said they are still considering him for the finisher role too. I guess the future depends on how well he goes.

The door isnt closed on Root either , a world cup squad would have more spots available and if he performs well enough in the domestic season he can force a case. Hes hit 64 off 40 and 65 off 43 and taken 2/
30 in 5 overs so far in the blast, which is about as good a point as he could be making. Shows just how strong the competition is. (cough Joe Denly cough)

With Stokes missing there is a bit of an oddity with the mid to lower order batting. Ordinarily I assume they'd go with 6 bowling options, Moeen and Stokes giving them that luxury. To do that with this squad they'd have to put Mo at 6 and Curran at 7, which may leave them lighter on batting than they'd want. So the alternative might be that they just go with 5 front line bowlers and get out of their too many batsmen predicament by playing all of them, or maybe Billings in the specialist finisher role alongside Mo with one fo Banton or Malan to miss out.

Trouble with the "only pick five bowlers" plan is one of them ( in this squad) is Moeen...and at the moment it seems Morgan simply doesn't trust him.

Not sure I do either , if there is really no backup at all. Do you really want a guaranteed four overs from Mo -and possibly Malan ? Haven't even got Sibley for variety

So you're looking at : Bairstow Buttler Banton/Malan Morgan Billings Moeen Curran/Curran Rashid Jordan Wood Archer

You could swap one of those number threes for Billings at five , I
guess.

Life is so much easier when Stokes is around ...

Start of the three-match T20 series in Southampton against the Aussies today. Weather looks decent for all three games so we should have three results.

Jofra and Buttler are back for England, so that's a much-needed boost. Should be a very tight series between two evenly-matched teams.

I’d have thought they’ll go

Bairstow
Buttler
Malan
Morgan
Banton
Ali
Curran S
Jordan
Rashid
Archer
Wood

Think thats the most likely too. If Bairstow Butler is their first choice opening partnership then including Banton is tricky, unless its in that finisher role. Malan is absolutely a 3/4 specialist and by far Englands biggest run maker, playing Banton at 3 would be hugely aggressive but likely too risky even for the "200 or bust" England. Roy should find it very hard to find a place in the side when he returns to fitness.

Also on ballance think 6 bowlers will win out, Englands struggles against Pakistan came from a lack of wickets and this is the bets way to get both proper quicks in and have all the options for variation a captain could want. Mo finding his touch with the bat again makes it easier.

Maybe a touch rough of Billings if he gets dumped again, but whilst hes made as good as he ever has with the recent chances hes been given he seems like a spare part. Banton maybe lacks experience as a finisher, but if hes ever going to get it its kind of now. They have 3 other openers, and if they arent going to play Buttler in his 50 over role then develop other options. The way England play now its not that fundamentally different and he would be sandwiched between two hugely experienced players in Morgan and Mo.

Interviews since that last game have made it clear just how much England are investing in trying to help Mo thrive again. He seems every bit as central to their plans as Stokes. The failure to explore a plan B seems to be twofold, both giving him security of no direct competition and also the lack of any strong contenders.

I do wonder what Denly is doing in the squad mind, must be Ed Smith again.

According to Cricinfo, Billings is retaining his spot and it's a straight choice between Malan/Banton for the number three position. Guess we won't have to wait too long to see if they're right.