Cricket Thread

[ncurd]

Not growing up with test cricket I just don't understand the tactics so I find it very hard to follow.

Test Cricket is the best form but possibly the most impenetrable. Essentially the game is played over 5 days where a team must score the most runs and the opposition must complete both their innings (20 wickets minus decorations).

The red ball creates more lateral movement in the air than white ball which means early batters main objective is wear it out the ball before middle order batsman score more freely when it creates less.

After 80 overs in an innings the fielding side may replace the ball.

Much like baseball it's then a competition between the bowler and batter. The fielding size will then devise plans to gets the opposition batters out. This is typically done by placing fields in a way to exploit weaknesses in a batters technique but also tempting their strengths. The most typical opening gambit is to place many fielders behind the batterrs (slips) whilst leaving dew in front. Encouraging a forward shot looking for the edge of the bat and catching behind. The bowlers attempts to bowl balls that will yield the deried result to the plan at hand.

Well 206 words to explain the basics of test cricket. The key thing to note is the length of time combined with requirement to force the opposition to play both their inninging to competition switches from a bat dominated game to a bowling one. Where most value is placed on abtamsan staying in accumulate runs rather than setting massive scored in limited time. England are currently revolutionising this mindset BTW.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Yeh In my case it's the rhythm of test cricket I don't have the patience for. Yet, I can happily sit through a 5 set tennis match. Although nowadays even that is a test for my concentration and I dip into it at the end of each sets.

If I was American I would definitely be more into Basketball and Grid Iron. Baseball I equate to cricket. I managed to attend 2 matches when I was in America and mostly remember it as an excuse for the spectators to stuff their mouths, drink and talk through matches.

 

[Reiser99]

Edit: for context when Homer had given up alcohol.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Test Cricket is the best form

1000%.

As I type the Eng v NZ test is the balance. Stokes is playing an innings that has helped drag Eng back into it and could end up as match winning with a sub Boycott strike rate at lunch of 26.67. It's fascinating stuff that won't be your thing if you all you want is high risk spectacular six hitting, but give me the ebb and flow, the tactics and ratcheting pressure of a well contested test any day.

 

[Wasps92]

Not long till the County Championship starts! I shall be making my way to various grounds around the country again this summer. Only managed Worcester and Trent Bridge last year. I've earmarked Derbyshire v Worcestershire in round one.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

A great test, but Bazball looking pretty stupid right now.

 

[BrokenWing]

Bit of an odd declaration.

Just my opinion but Bairstow offers nothing in the way of wicketkeeping, and the odd big score here and there isn't good enough.

 

[ncurd]

Bit of an odd declaration.

Just my opinion but Bairstow offers nothing in the way of wicketkeeping, and the odd big score here and there isn't good enough.

Considering he averaged 85 last Summer its a bit more than the odd big score here and there. He was our second best batter in this game. There an argument about is you should drop Brook for Fokes but not really one to drop Bairstow. He's also a better keeper than he was in this match.

A great test, but Bazball looking pretty stupid right now.

Not really the game went down to the last hour of the last session. England don't declare and its a draw.

England lost this match for several reasons and declaration is just one of them.

Bairstow - Uncharacteristically poor behind the sticks.
Broad -Too many No Balls
Ali - Just selecting him
Having to bat in the 20 minuite session of doom.
Picking 3 swing bowlers on a flat pitch that does nothing even on all 5 days. Should of selected Wood.

If England don't Bazball its either a draw or it's like it was over a year ago we get skittled out in the same time for no runs.

We lost by two wickets in the final session...no need to panic.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Considering he averaged 85 last Summer its a bit more than the odd big score here and there. He was our second best batter in this game. There an argument about is you should drop Brook for Fokes but not really one to drop Bairstow. He's also a better keeper than he was in this match.

Not really the game went down to the last hour of the last session. England don't declare and its a draw.

England lost this match for several reasons and declaration is just one of them.

Bairstow - Uncharacteristically poor behind the sticks.
Broad -Too many No Balls
Ali - Just selecting him
Having to bat in the 20 minuite session of doom.
Picking 3 swing bowlers on a flat pitch that does nothing even on all 5 days. Should of selected Wood.

If England don't Bazball its either a draw or it's like it was over a year ago we get skittled out in the same time for no runs.

We lost by two wickets in the final session...no need to panic.

Would that have been so bad? Pro sport is about results and in the context of the series it was a poor call. A decision that didn't have to be taken and smacked of trying a bit too hard to be different ultimately cost us. There were other factors but this was totally in our control. Captaincy / leadership is partly about doing the right thing at the right time - sometimes it's the Hail Mary, sometimes it's battening down the hatches.

Stokes rolled the dice and lost meaning that we're swimming uphill from outset. Of course it might have gone the other way in which case we'd have been hailing him as the greatest thing since sliced bread. But it didn't and that's the way it is with gamblers or people who just have one mindset.

EDIT. I would probably have taken a slightly different view of the declaration if we'd had a few more runs on the board. At over 450 you're hardly ever going to lose, but sub 400 is a risk especially at the rate runs are now scored.

It will probably only get more difficult. The Aussie star batsmen didn't fire here, but they will.

 

[ncurd]

Would that have been so bad? Pro sport is about results and in the context of the series it was a poor call. A decision that didn't have to be taken and smacked of trying a bit too hard to be different ultimately cost us. There were other factors but this was totally in our control. Captaincy / leadership is partly about doing the right thing at the right time - sometimes it's the Hail Mary, sometimes it's battening down the hatches.

Stokes rolled the dice and lost meaning that we're swimming uphill from outset. Of course it might have gone the other way in which case we'd have been hailing him as the greatest thing since sliced bread. But it didn't and that's the way it is with gamblers or people who just have one mindset.

It will probably only get more difficult. The Aussie star batsmen didn't fire here, but they will.

I think Stokes has clearly stated he isn't interested in draws and wants to give maximum opportunity for the win. With that mindset the declaration worked but it will mean we'll loose more games as a resuly..

If we had lost by miles I'd agree with the sentiment but its more poor execution in third session of day 2 that did it. I'd point far more to selection.

 

[BrokenWing]

Considering he averaged 85 last Summer its a bit more than the odd big score here and there.

In ODIs

 

[ncurd]

In ODIs

In Tests, I literally did the Maths before posting it. And if you followed Cricket last Summer at all you'd not surprised at that figure.

 

[BrokenWing]

Jonny Bairstow batting stats | Cricmetric

Cricket statistics, analytics, live match score

www.cricmetric.com

 

[ncurd]

Jonny Bairstow batting stats | Cricmetric

Cricket statistics, analytics, live match score

www.cricmetric.com

You really think I'd **** up stats? Okay you haven't been here long enough.

You know I specifically said last Summer right? Ie. all the games he's played under Stokes/McCullum

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

1+16+8+136+162+71+106+114+0+18+49 = 681
11 - 2 = 9
681/9 = 75.6(recurring)

For some reason I counted 10 at bats not 11.

 

[BrokenWing]

You really think I'd **** up stats? Okay you haven't been here long enough.

I don't know you so whatever. I tend to think of "summer" as last years cricket.

I am starting to think you're Johnny Bairstow though...

 

[ncurd]

I don't know you so whatever. I tend to think of "summer" as last years cricket.

I am starting to think you're Johnny Bairstow though...

I'm just showing on recent form anyone who thinks dropping Bairstow at a batter is a solution is clearly cracked.

Last years Cricket he averaged 66.31 and you still think he deserved to be dropped? Scored 4th highest amount of runs and 5th highest average (if scored 500 runs or more) at the third highest Strike Rate (if scored 500 runs or more).

500 hundred runs or more was just a filter to get our statistical anomalies like Jamie Overton who played 1 match, batted once and scored 96.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

I think Stokes has clearly stated he isn't interested in draws and wants to give maximum opportunity for the win. With that mindset the declaration worked but it will mean we'll loose more games as a resuly..

If we had lost by miles I'd agree with the sentiment but its more poor execution in third session of day 2 that did it. I'd point far more to selection.

I get that. Others will see it differently but to me Stokes view is fundamentally flawed. It's the old playing what's in front of you argument. Look for the opportunities, be ruthless when they arise but if they're not there then move on. But don't just stick to Plan A at all costs.

An aggressive approach requires some luck. That doesn't come evenly and the Aussies are a good side. After one match we now have a mountain to climb to regain the Ashes.

But I cannot begin to tell you how irritating I found Joe Roof attempting a premeditated scoop shot to the first ball of a day's play and 3 times in 7 balls. A shot that's quite often got him out before he had his eye in. That's just barmy.

Will be interesting to see if the world view of Bazball changes after this series. Might be entertaining, but will it have been winning?

 

[BrokenWing]

I'm just showing on recent form anyone who thinks dropping Bairstow at a batter is a solution is clearly cracked.

Depends if the insistance is on keeping him as wicket keeper.

It's a great average, but it needs to be if you're giving away runs to the opposition.

If England are going to play like they are, then you really do need to take every chance you get.

 

[ncurd]

Will be interesting to see if the world view of Bazball changes after this series. Might be entertaining, but will it have been winning?

Well there's a separation of world view and England.

I think its a question of nature of results 18 months ago we got utterly pounded by Australia 4-0 and we weren't even close. We are now pretty much playing with the same core team and just ran the number 1 team in the world close. The current test champions side who just the previous week crushed India (who were ranked number 1 at the time), a team we also crushed last year playing Bazball chasing down 378.

I don't think the approach can be judged by if we win or lose the series considering where we were and who are playing. But simply are we in a position to win each game and if its aggressive approach that made us lose it. In this game there is a query over the declaration but its not why we lost, it is why we were in a position to win.

Depends if the insistance is on keeping him as wicket keeper.

It's a great average, but it needs to be if you're giving away runs to the opposition.

If England are going to play like they are, then you really do need to take every chance you get.

If wishes were horses I'd drop Crawley, Duckett or Brook and play him a specialist Batter. But I don't see that happening also some of those were uncharacteristic for Jonny especially on a pitch not doing much. His keeping stats are actually pretty much up there in modern keeping terms (they bought them up during the game). His mistakes cost us this game (and a whole bunch of other things that could of gone right) but they won't react to one bad test.

 

[Reiser99]

I think Stokes has clearly stated he isn't interested in draws and wants to give maximum opportunity for the win. With that mindset the declaration worked but it will mean we'll loose more games as a resuly..

If we had lost by miles I'd agree with the sentiment but its more poor execution in third session of day 2 that did it. I'd point far more to selection.

I'm all for trying to win, but tbh it does suggest he's slightly worried about England's bowling attack if on day one you're declaring. The reality is the declaration was the wrong decision and with less than 400 on the board at the end of the first day it wasn't needed. I know Cook and Root were far too conservative at times and would bat to make certain of a draw before trying to win, but this is the other extreme of trying to hard to force a winning position. It's a 5 test series and England didn't need to try and force a result that early.