4froale Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 game on now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsslatic Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Can they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ackey Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Meh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 It just needed Cook or Strauss to show a bit of backbone last night. And perhaps one less dropped catch in the field. Fine margins decide best and second best in sport. We didn't play to those margins in the last three tests. At least Bairstow's runs mean KP's absence didn't matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_ragg1984 Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Catches win matches. When we demolished Australia and India, we didn't miss a beat. We created chances in the field and took them. To beat a team like South Africa, you have got to play at that level (which we haven't done since we beat India a year ago) or you will get beat. In this test if we had taken some of the chances, like getting Amla out for 4 rather than dropping him and then he makes 121, then we probably would have won. As O4U said, fine margins. South Afrifca are the best team in the world right now, and they deserve their place at the top of the tree. But I don't think we are too far behind. Its quite close between a few countries at the top end of test cricket at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Strauss to resign as captain today. <mystic Meg moment> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Maybe he will resign as captain but carry on playing. He needs to do something to regain his form if he wants to go on, I don't buy the theory that someone's captaincy can make it worthwhile carrying them for too long, not in the modern game. The batting line-up looks pretty uncertain at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldhamSheridan Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 England captains facing Graeme Smith must :censored: themselves. Good as a finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4froale Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 andrew strauss retires from all forms of cricket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 andrew strauss retires from all forms of cricket He had a lot more left in him. Waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBlue Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 His captaincy skills weren't in much doubt but his performances with the bat, and in the slips, were very worrying. He's underperformed massively in the last few years which has been emphasised by his opening partner, Alistair Cook's improvement in the Ashes down under. His average is dwarfed by Cook's now. Right decision to go in my opinion, there will surely be better openers who are much younger in country cricket at the moment. Did a great job though, can't take his excellent leadership away from him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 A captain who gets 20% more out of everybody else while losing 30% of his own contribution is still worth a hell of a lot more than a disruptive genius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafcprozac Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I think Cook will Captain England for many years. Strauss by his own admission had, had enough his performances over the last couple of years supported that and the fact he couldn't be arsed going to Bangladesh a couple of years ago was poor imo. From that moment it was a case of when Cook took over not if. The only decent totals he's got recently have been against a crap West Indies side. I thank him for his sterling service and those brilliant back to back wins over the Aussies but after gaining the No. 1 Test berth then losing it so quickly shows that we need to improve further and carry on upping our game. Better the change now than giving Clarke a sniff next year in back to back Ashes series. I think a few were becoming far too comfortable within the set up and the shake up could be just what we need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBlue Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Trott, Bell, Cook and Strauss have been poor recently. Leaving KP to clean up after them. There needs to be some players dropped or these guys will become even sloppier than they have been. Maybe losing the number 1 spot will give them a kick up the arse. I'm not very well up on the county cricket at the moment though I've heard Joe Root from Yorkshire mentioned. Johnny Bairstow has made an impact in the last few matches. Bopara doesn't deserve another chance but I'm certain there are more good player around that can challenge these untouchables. Anybody know any quality young batsmen that could break into the test team? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Trott, Bell, Cook and Strauss have been poor recently. Leaving KP to clean up after them. There needs to be some players dropped or these guys will become even sloppier than they have been. Maybe losing the number 1 spot will give them a kick up the arse. I'm not very well up on the county cricket at the moment though I've heard Joe Root from Yorkshire mentioned. Johnny Bairstow has made an impact in the last few matches. Bopara doesn't deserve another chance but I'm certain there are more good player around that can challenge these untouchables. Anybody know any quality young batsmen that could break into the test team? The thing with Bopara is he's been one of England's better one day players recently. His ability to bowl 10 overs in a day is always going to bump him higher in the pecking order, the same with Patel. Joe Root can bowl a bit too but seemingly a lot of support for him is coming from over the hill and is being led by ex-Yorkshire players in the media the bias involved makes me take it with a pinch if salt. He is also playing in the 2nd division against in theory weaker bowlers. Compton from Somerset has had a fine season, he is struggling with an injury though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBlue Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I've only vaguely heard about Nick Compton, am I right in saying he got over 1000 runs in the CC this season? After injuries have subsided he may be worth a try, maybe even just to shuffle the pack and unsettle a few untouchables. I'm not an admirer of either Patel or Bopara but they do chip-in with both departments which makes them more likely to be selected. There must be a better all-rounder out there than that pair though. They're both good players but not, No1 in the world players which England aspire to be in test cricket and retain in ODI's. The South Africa series proved that there needs to be improvements in both batting and bowling. Get Bresnan out, despite his win percentage, to replace with Steven Finn. He's expensive but he takes wickets and has pace which is lacking, Steyn showed what pace brings to an attack in the previous 3 tests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldhamSheridan Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 (edited) I shout at the telly when we open the bowling with Broad and not Finn. When he plays. *Alright, I shouted at the team at Headingley. Edited August 31, 2012 by OldhamSheridan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafcprozac Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Broad is far too inconsistent IMO more likely to go all round the park than get a five fer but is capable of brilliant spells out of the blue. As for Bopora simply don't get it with this guy 90% of the time he's poor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Another tidy bowling spell from Bopara. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Another tidy bowling spell from Bopara. Pyjama cricket was, Test matches no. He isn't good enough with bat or ball to play the 5 day game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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