3rd Ashes Test, Headingley, Aug 22-26

[Durhamfootman]

Maybe the luckiest player ever?

Hes certainly had that this summer

The luck he has had this summer comes nowhere near the luck he had in India and BD away a few years ago. Someone like Stokes needs luck to make it at test level, just like Buttler and Bairstow, as they will always make technical mistakes.

Who knows, maybe Gentle Ben is going to go full Tendulkar on us, but I doubt it. He's still a below par top 6 bat, who should be at 7.

I remember somebody saying that they were never going to criticise Stokes again (or words to that effect)

[Arthur Crabtree]

Wasn't me...

[backfootpunch]

I see Sussex managed to last 1 day without criticising stokes

Dont think he will be happy till he averages 60 with the bat and 15 with the ball

[Alviro Patterson]

I remember somebody saying that they were never going to criticise Stokes again (or words to that effect)

That was me

Will never bash the bloke again after those World Cup Final heroics.

Last overs of the World T20 Final and the 2012 FLt20 Yorkshire v Durham match all forgotten about

[alfie]

Anderson stands out among those names.

If cook got one Jimmy should as well

Jimmy doesn't need one as he is already a Saint according to this board ...

Do saints outrank sirs ?

[alfie]

A bowling team that had Steyn, Philander and Rabada in it, in SA. vs Pattinson, Cummins and Hazelwood and Lyon in the UK

Stokes scored 135 out of 362 runs

whilst

Perera scored 153 runs out of 304.

Statistically it is Perera, but i never got to watch that innings, so i think I'll just assume that they are both great innings:).

But it does put pay to the once in a generation type comments

I watched much of the Perera innings. It was also an awesome feat of concentration and strike management. Didn't involve quite the pyrotechnic display of Stokes' last partnership six hitting but similarly won a match that was by all reasonable estimations already lost.

I see no point in trying to declare one or other "superior". As you say , Yuppie...both great innings.

[GarlicJam]

Do saints outrank sirs ?

Depends, are you an atheist, or an anarchist?

As an anarchic atheist, I don't rate either.

[yuppie]

I think in my time on this planet there has only really been a once in a generation type innings that i think will never be repeated.....

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/146 ... sh-2005-06

Its not the best innings by a long way. But will i ever see a night watchman score 200 again?

[Arthur Crabtree]

His last Test innings.

[yuppie]

It is in no way the best, but the chances of it being repeated, well there is more chance of Joel Wilson getting a LBW right

[Arthur Crabtree]

When is a squad named for the fourth Test?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Anderson out the series.

[Arthur Crabtree]

When is a squad named for the fourth Test?

Same squad!

Bit of a gamble.

Craig Overton added to replace Anderson.

[yuppie]

When is a squad named for the fourth Test?

Same squad!

Bit of a gamble.

Craig Overton added to replace Anderson.

Australias plan of throwing the last test away has worked perfectly......

[Durhamfootman]

will Stokes be okay for OT? He talked of his glut 'twanging'. Imagine if he was ruled out?

The players will take all of the credit for the win yesterday.... absolutely none of the credit will go to the selectors, Bayleaf et al, despite the win because they've been selecting the wrong players (taking a punt on Roy, taking a punt on Santiago's fitness, taking a punt on Moeen coming back into form, taking a punt on Root at 3 and on and on) and giving them all the wrong plans (dominate the bowling, hit your way out of trouble, put the Aussies on the back foot). Remember Thorpe after the 67 all out? We picked the right team and the players need to do better........ so when things are going badly it's the fault of the players... while the win keeps them in their jobs a little longer, they won't like this match being remembered as a stunning England triumph despite the incompetence of the England hierarchy

For this reason I suspect that England will only make one change other than the Santiago for Woakes swap. It's tempting to think it will be Roy, and he is certainly the most obvious candidate.... however... that would involve a loss of face for the selectors and I'm not sure they will allow that to happen. We have 2 keepers in the side and Roy is really a middle order batsman in red ball cricket. I could see Roy dropping to 5 or 6 with Buttler (who was unlucky yesterday) making way. That way Roy gets another chance to save Ed Smith's face and if he comes off at OT... even if it is just a couple of Bell fifties, then it will be claimed to have been a masterstroke by the England hierarchy. Who would come in? Who knows

nobody comes in.... just another shuffle of the order and a lot of crossing of fingers