England Cricket Tour Of Sri Lanka And India

[staninoodle 175]

England wound up the 2 match series today by a 2-0 margin, excellent from the boys again today,

Ive seen most of the days play in both tests,Joe Root leading by example with the bat,scoring 228 in the first test & 186 in this one falling agonisingly short, mostly due to a tired body to the final ball of yesterdays play.

England spinners getting among the wickets as well in both tests, Bess and Leach sharing 4 each today Root picking off the other two,after the seamers took all the wickets in the 1st innings,with the irrepressible James Anderson taking 6 with an economy rate of just 1.38 from his 29 overs.

Its been a great watch for English cricket fans,not sure we can replicate that against the world number one side on their own patch,but it should be a very decent watch.

[tinfoilhat 11]

Worried about the spinners, but batting is looking up.

[staninoodle 175]

On 01/02/2021 at 20:50, tinfoilhat said:

Worried about the spinners, but batting is looking up.

Yeah Ive always been cautious about english spin bowlers, but Bess when he gets in the groove does take wickets,and can do more than just tie an end up,still a work in progress but he looks to have some honest potential and still just 23 

[Jim Hardie 527]

England’s scoring was painfully slow this morning. Every chance of India batting out for a draw now.

[staninoodle 175]

Jimmy Anderson and Jack Leach bowled really well today,great result this,but Id expect India to raise their game.England have been on a roll.

[staninoodle 175]

Quite a few changes ahead for England,Bess drops out, Anderson and Butler are rested,Butler for the remainder of the series,and Archer is injured.

Foulkes looks likely to take the gloves, and Broad normally replace JA,looks like possibly a return for Moeen who no doubt will get a few short ones when batting,and Woakes whose record outside England isnt great, will most likely come in for Archer.

Some great cricket ahead later today

[staninoodle 175]

Getting Pant out early will be key to the result today,he can score large and very quickly should he occupy the crease for an extended period and loves to bat against Leach who cant settle on a length to bowl at him.

 

[staninoodle 175]

Well todays play was all about the pitch and no the cricket,the ball is bursting through the top,especially for the spinners and unsuprisingly our batsmen have struggled posting a total way below par,no way should a pitch deteriorate to this level on the 2nd morning of a Test match.You expect it to spin a lot on sub continent pitches,but this surface is not fit  for a 5 day game.

I thought England did a 1st class job restricting India to a total just over 300, and was expecting England to at least get very close to the total,untill i saw the 1st ball of Ashwins over.

Be interesting to see what the IOC make of it.

[tinfoilhat 11]

On 14/02/2021 at 19:57, staninoodle said:

Well todays play was all about the pitch and no the cricket,the ball is bursting through the top,especially for the spinners and unsuprisingly our batsmen have struggled posting a total way below par,no way should a pitch deteriorate to this level on the 2nd morning of a Test match.You expect it to spin a lot on sub continent pitches,but this surface is not fit  for a 5 day game.

I thought England did a 1st class job restricting India to a total just over 300, and was expecting England to at least get very close to the total,untill i saw the 1st ball of Ashwins over.

Be interesting to see what the IOC make of it.

Ashwin then went on to score a century so the the ICC won't make very much of it, nor should they. It's very much been a case of whoever won the toss would win the match, but that's how the cookie crumbles. They produced a pitch to aid their spinners, knowing full well our spinners aren't as good and batsmen don't play spin as well. It's not like we don't produce green tops under leaden sky's for Jimmy et al to make hay under with a duke ball  As Jimmy said, ironically in the last series against India, if the conditions are right, England's seamers will bowl anybody out in English conditions for not very much because we've got got very good bowlers for English conditions.

[staninoodle 175]

I was more dissapointed it wasnt a contest,the first pitch didnt disintegrate untill day 4 and then only slowly and the the top held together quite well,very similar to the tour of Sri Lanka.

If the other pitches follow suit then the games will be decided by who wins the toss an making the best use of the first two days. 

That said Ive enjoyed watching  how india exploit the conditions as well as play to them, a skill of its own,lets hope Roots a lucky captain!

[staninoodle 175]

Axar Patel is absolutely trouncing Englands batsmen,in only his 2nd test.

Coupled with the brilliant Ashwin and our lads just cant play them,

Shows the value of test standard spin bowlers

[pss60 10]

England all out for 81 and India need 49 to win.