Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Game in the balance here.

Bookies still have England 8 to 1 on to take this, with West Indies 13 to 2 against. I think that's madness. I'd call it pretty evenly balanced at this point. If Hope and Blackwood go early tomorrow, England could easily be chasing less than 100, which even on this pitch they should knock off. But if West Indies bat until after tea and set England 250 or so, I'd have them as firm favourites.

Jimmy. A modern great.

His record in Aus is a funny one. He was absolutely instrumental in the 2010-11 win, with 24 wickets at 26 in that series, including a series defining spell at Melbourne to blast the Australian top order out in the first innings, and two other 4-fers. But in 8 other tests there (2006-07 and 2013-14), he was toothless, with 19 wickets in 8 games (just over 1 per innings) at 54, and an SR of nearly 90. Lesson is - if England are to have any chance in Australia in the forthcoming series, they need Jimmy to perform.

I reckon he'll want a home finale, and with an Ashes in 2019, that would be the perfect time if his body holds up. If he keeps going that long, he'll finish ahead of McGrath. But I think either the English 2018 or 2019 summer will be his last, rather than playing until 40. And it's not impossible that injury could have the final say.

Sadly very few sportspeople, fewer cricketers, and even fewer English cricketers, get to go out on their terms. How many chose the time and manner of their departure over the last 20 years, rather than being dropped, forced out through injury or feeling they had to resign after poor performance? Colly is the only one I can think of.

Let's see:

Tresco: Health issues
Trott: Health issues
Gough: Injured
S Jones: Injured
Caddick: Injured

Harmison: Drifted out through a combination of injury and poor form
Bresnan: Ditto

Strauss: Forced into retirement after ignominious loss
Vaughan: Ditto
Swann: Officially injury, but basically quit after ignominous losses

KP: Less said the better

Bell: Dropped
Prior: Injured, but due to be dropped
Hoggard: Dropped
Thorpe: Dropped
Panesar: Dropped
Giles: Dropped
G Jones: Dropped

Flintoff: Did manage to go out from tests on his own terms, but forced out of limited overs through injury
Hussain: Lost captaincy ignominously, but arguably went out of tests on his terms on a high
Stewart: Went on his terms on a high
Colly: Went on his terms on a high

Overall doesn't speak well of how the England management have handled end-off career for their long-standing servants.

Where Anderson isn't dangerous in terms of wicket taking, he will still offer control. The main reason why his record in terms of average has improved so much recently is because he is so economical. He's become a throwback in that respect in the present era of fast strike rates and high runs per over. But if he isn't taking the wickets someone has to play that role. I thought he was over valued in UAE last time. He had a nice average because he gave so few runs away, but the SR was poor. In the context of the team, in spite of the average, he actually wasn't offering much. Maybe England just failed a bit slower.

Jimmy getting 500 wickets is an amazing achievement.

And he is World Class when conditions suit. But i guess his greatest attribute in this day and age is his longevity

England in good position with Windies scorecard at 22/3.

Agreed about Jimmy.

You can quibble about his overseas record, but practically any bowler is going to be better in home conditions, because that's where they were trained, and better when conditions suit them. And no-one prospers everywhere - of those ahead of him in the wicket count, Warne never conquered India, Kumble was pretty ordinary in away conditions (counting Bangladesh as 'home') and even Murali and Walsh struggled in Australia.

500 wickets in test matches at 27 is an astounding achievement. And consider some of the batsmen he's played against and dismissed on multiple occasions: Tendulkar, Dravid, Sehwag, Kohli, Ponting, Clarke, Warner, Smiths Grame and Steve, Kallis, Sanga, Jaya - that's quite a line-up. He's beaten every team and won in nearly every country - Pakistan/UAE and Sri Lanka are the only gaps, and losing in the UAE was hardly his fault...

All time world great? No. In English conditions? Possibly. Among the best fast bowlers of his generation? Most certainly.

bigfluffylemon wrote:
All time world great? No. In English conditions? Possibly. Among the best fast bowlers of his generation? Most certainly.

I've got him in a second group, behind McGrath, Steyn and Asif. Should really include Akhtar in there, he gets forgotten about. I'd put Anderson close to Johnson, both flawed, both capable of exceptional highs.

Notable that the late season fatigue that normally dogs Anderson doesn't seem to be occurring this year. Yet it's possible he has bowled more, given he played for Lancs more than usually.

Not the Start WI would have hoped for.

Advantage England here.

At what point do we get a game? 180 lead?

Watching this spell from Anderson, I wonder why he is wedded to the pavilion end.

Another dropped catch, this series must have set new records in that regard.

Why is it happening, lack of focus, lack of practice, poor sighting?

Superb line and length by Jimmy.

WI 29/5 . England huge favorites now. Looks like another poor T20 score in this test match.

budgetmeansbudget wrote:Another dropped catch, this series must have set new records in that regard.

Why is it happening, lack of focus, lack of practice, poor sighting?

Cheers Sky!

Chase out for three and Blackwood out for five.