Cricket

I am a big fan of Holding as a commentator, he makes insightful points and doesn’t continually repeat them.

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We get the Sky team, they’re not that bad they’re just not Richie. Also it’s always strange watching when you’ve no skin in the game.

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The sun is out.
The kitbag is emptied of last year’s dry grass.
The boots are clean.
If modern bats needed linseed… Well you get the idea

Skipton CI cricket club start their season today with a socially distanced friendly!

Bruce

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Day4 Eng v WI

At 151-2 and then 249-3 England were looking in a strong position, with the top order looking like they would make decent contributions. The wicket wasn’t doing much, there was little/no swing. This was a game for the saving with a strong batting performance, even allowing a few overs to test the WI batters late on D5. But no…Stokes goes walkabout like he’s playing an ODI and the usual collapse begins.

Looking at the wickets lost, one has to ask what’s the point of having a batting coach at this level. Several of the shots exhibited poor technique or were mindless (e.g. Denly, again), and I don’t think I’ve ever seen such ugly constructs as the techniques of Burns and Sibley, even though the latter got to 50. At one point his scoring rate was akin to Chris Tavare’s against WI…mind you, it was a bit rich of Sir Alastair Cook to mention this is his TV comments.

A good point to emerge though was Crawley, who played shots all around the wicket - although even he has a dominant bottom hand. It’s very strange and worrying to see so many cloth-ed drives at this level (bar Stokes). I’d suggest a visit to the gym is required and get some dominant strength in the top-hand-side of the body. As the classical teaching goes, drives are played with the top hand and are only pushed through with the bottom hand as your bodyweight moves forward. Rant over.

A game where the WI will now be disappointed if they don’t win.

I only caught the highlights. I think a little credit must go to the Windies especially in that final session.

I guess the point of a coach is not to teach style. Burns and Sibley may both be very ugly to watch but they are starting to produce more reliable opening partnerships and that has not happened with England for a few years. I note Sibley scored only one run out of his 50 on the offside! Crawley looks to have more shots though. Denly would not have been picked for me even with Root away and I think he’s had enough now. James Vince without the style.

I am not sure England have much of a chance of saving this even with a bit more up and down bounce unless they somehow scrape above 230. Will Archer and Wood get more wickets in the game or will they just be satisfied by their speedgun results? Have they watched how the Windies have taken their wickets? I think the bowling coaches might just have more work to do than the batting ones!

Since you asked I got one catch, stumped the first team captain and scored just two yesterday. It was a classy cover drive from the textbook though…

After 'keeping for an innings I can hardly move now!

Bruce

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Bruce - I watched a fair bit of Sibley’s innings and his inability/reluctance to play to the off-side was very noticeable. When the bat pick-up starts off way outside off-stump and away from the body, playing a meaningful drive in that direction means going ‘in to out’ and against the quicks I cannot see this happening.

You’re right about the bowling. This is a slow track and all one can hope is that some erratic bounce emerges. A few gripped yesterday and (IIRC) it’s notable the WI only have one left-handed bat, so Bess may have to work hard with few runs to play with.

Keep your gloves clean and wash your kit as, by many remarks in the media, England will have a replacement WK for the 2nd Test. Buttler’s run of block or bash may have come to an end.

Never mind your performance, did you have a nice tea? :grinning:…I suppose it was a case of BYO?

I know it’s probably not the best time to bring this up but how good would it be for cricket to see a strong consistent WI team. I’m sure if it was Aus playing them now I might have a different opinion, but that’s the advantage of being just an observer.

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Sibley closes the face as he plays too. It wouldn’t appear to take a genius to bowl outside off stump all day at him. He may not get out but he won’t score. However I know stats don’t always tell the story but they are doing OK together, and not as slow scoring as you might think.

Yes BYO tea and hand wash. Break every 6 overs for everyone to sanitise. No throwing the ball back to the bowler round the field. The hardest thing is running between the wickets down channels minimum two metres to each side of the wicket. Certainly caused some comedy yesterday and when setting off almost impossible for the batter not to run straight across the wicket. Whatever, we played!

Pete. Totally agree. A resurgence of interest in that region amongst would be great. Recent Test Matches in the Caribbean have had virtually no spectators and you fear for the game there.

Bruce

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Bruce - your detailing of the playing arrangements throw up thoughts of the bowlers having to use a Ken Higgs’ style looping run-up (as he used in ye olde JPL matches).

My word, the Wisden site is full of click-bait. Whatever next…

There’s actually more. Umpires not allowed to touch the ball, or any sunglasses, hats jumpers etc players not allowed to replace the bails. Change in the car. Most are pretty sensible or at least explicable. 'Keepers can stand up ie within 1 meter but only ones who can. We are expendable.

Bruce

Well, it seems the ump’s in the Test don’t seem to be obligated to call no-balls for front foot or height judging by the close of England’s innings today.

I hate to say it but my money is on the WI.

No balls should be called by the 3D umpire if missed originally by the on field umpires. Oops wicket, one down.

And with Campbell’s injury effectively 2 down.

I’m not sure if that’s officially how thing are supposed to work - if it is, something was once again awry this morning.

I missed the balance of England’s innings this morning.

Your money is looking a bit shaky now :grin:

So far the questions about selecting the two quicks seem to be being answered. Archer was excellent in his spell, and Wood’s started really well. Not the greatest first innings for either of them, but excellent accurate bowling to rock the batting.

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One good partnership and things can easily swing here - albeit I will admit England now have a promising position which they ought to capitalise on.

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England bowling with control and intelligence ie actually at the stumps. Impressed by the two overs of Bess too, first I have seen him live. He might be crucial when the ball gets a bit older.

In the balance now, but most days the middle session has been best for batsmen.

Bruce

Well done WI, sensible batting following some excellent pace bowling.

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