Cricket

Quoted from Knut Anders Fosters Voles

I wish the Aussies knew not to inflex upwards the end of everything they say. Strewth.

Me and the other 3 people who read this thread all read your message in a terrible Australian accent thinking we’d not be out of place in Summer Bay or Ramsay Street…mate!

The England Test approach at the moment feels a bit less ke The Emporers New Clothes everybody’s on board and nobody dare criticise including the pundits while some I suspect some are secretly thinking what the f is going on here. I don’t like losing to the Aussies and would rather be bored for five days and win then get beat 4 or 5 nil like the bad old days

Are we ignoring how England were playing before McCullum arrived and Stokes became captain? With a very similar team we were playing more attritional cricket and getting beaten by everyone.

Quoted from Knut Anders Fosters Voles

I wish the Aussies knew not to inflex upwards the end of everything they say. Strewth.

I don’t mind the Aussies using high rising terminals, they’ve always done it, but I cannot abide use by Shoreditch Tw@t types. If I’m in a work meeting and someone starts talking like that  I naturally drift to my best North Lincs in response. Sometimes I like to use a smattering of Irish non-swear swear words that I learnt over there in Limerick (fecker, ballox - they just change one letter you see then they can use them in all company even with priests - see Father Ted).

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

Are we ignoring how England were playing before McCullum arrived and Stokes became captain? With a very similar team we were playing more attritional cricket and getting beaten by everyone.

This is a really excellent point and one I have had to remind myself of a few times in the Stokes era. Old habits die hard and sometimes the new style jars a little as it’s not what I’m used to but, it’s designed to-that’s the point.
I’ll watch any cricket and will still enjoy the traditional approach but despite my reluctance this ultra positive is  winning me over!

Lets not forget the Aussies are the best test side in the world and we only just lost a game that could have gone either way.

The new approach has brought many more wins than draws and losses, plus it makes for far more entertaining games, so no complaints from me.

Quoted from ginnywings

Lets not forget the Aussies are the best test side in the world and we only just lost a game that could have gone either way.

The new approach has brought many more wins than draws and losses, plus it makes for far more entertaining games, so no complaints from me.

First and foremost sport to me is entertainment, I enjoy the ride and see where it goes, if we (whoever that may be) win then great.
In my younger days it was always about result over style and that dictated my mood regardless of how it was achieved.
I guess priorities and tastes change but I’m no less passionate now than I was then, or any less involved in the spectacle, it’s just different.

Maybe Stokes was thinking if we batted on in the 1st innings we might have been in a situation he did not want to be in.

That was we scored another 100+ runs and got in a position to ask Australia to follow on.

With our ageing fast bowlers and a spinner with a sore finger plus his own dodgy knee he did not want that to happen.

Much easier to declare and take a couple of quick wickets.

If it worked he is a genius but it didn't  so we are all  still talking about it.

The loss of Leach at the 11th hour ruined our plans. Moeen is a decent bowler, but we've seen the photos of damage to his finger so Root had to bowl a lot as well. With the best will in the world, neither is the same as a specialist bowler.

I'd imagine Bairstow is a bit disappointed with his wicket-keeping. Some missed chances which should have stuck and potentially cost us the game. The gamble to play him as wicketkeeper despite the fact he's coming back from injury and is out of touch didn't work out.

I'd imagine his keeping will improve as the series continues, but the defeat in the first test could prove decisive.

Quoted from Maringer

The loss of Leach at the 11th hour ruined our plans. Moeen is a decent bowler, but we've seen the photos of damage to his finger so Root had to bowl a lot as well. With the best will in the world, neither is the same as a specialist bowler.

I'd imagine Bairstow is a bit disappointed with his wicket-keeping. Some missed chances which should have stuck and potentially cost us the game. The gamble to play him as wicketkeeper despite the fact he's coming back from injury and is out of touch didn't work out.

I'd imagine his keeping will improve as the series continues, but the defeat in the first test could prove decisive.

Our record at Lords v Australia is terrible. Two wins in 89 years.

Ive reflected and still don’t buy the argument that if the declaration had resulted in a couple of wickets Stokes would have be feted as a genius. This is Australia, you just don’t give up the domination that Root had over their attack at that point. When you have a foot on their throat you don’t take it off to try and get them in an arm lock. I think Stokes will learn from it and adapt.