Bangladesh V England Test Series 2016

[sussexpob]

After their relative innings today, Ali averages about 3-4 runs better than Stokes, similar amount of game, same amount of hundreds. Ali has also played far less in the top 6 than Stokes, playing the most as number 8. Just to put this into context about how much more difficult it is to play meaningful innings that low down, Stokes has 5 innings below 7 in his career...... and its Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck and 12..... The 12 runs came at over a run a ball....in game where he had Cook at the other end trying to save a test match. What you really need with 8 wickets down and 150 runs behind on day 5, a defensive batsman set on 60 odd at the other end... is to slog.

Ali gets the brunt of England fans distain, but hes making more useful contributions than Superman Stokes most of the time. Ali has an emerging ability to dig in when times are hard, hes lpayed 3-4 innings by memory where hes done very well at the teams time of greatest need. Stokes just picks up the bat and goes in to hit attacks around, if his team are 50/5 or 500/5, no change.

I have a feeling that this 7 match streak might end with Stokes being dropped. People who picked his lack of ability to spin will have watched his innings and only solidified their opinions. If he ends up having a horror two tours here, and his average flirts with dropping to the 20s, can England really afford to continue with him? If anything, his position at 6 changes

[budgetmeansbudget]

So Stockist you thought you'd post it twice!

[budgetmeansbudget]

Ballance has got away with criticism on here, and I thought Hameeb was a shoe in for this test?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Whether Stokes survives is another question.

[sussexpob]

Ballance just doesnt look like a test cricketer. If people bowl short and wide to him, he will smash you through the off side, but his leg side game is virtually non-existant, he is weak on the traditional off stump lines and is particularly vunerable before he is warmed up and set, and he proved at times in the summer against Shah he cant pick a spinners variation ball.

[sussexpob]

I mean, lets just take that Edgbaston innings when he actually got a 50 recently v Pakistan.

3rd ball....Edged through the gully
1st runs.... leading edge for four past the fieldr
On 9.... nearly chops on (which he had done the test before)
On 9 again (next ball) ... close lbw shout.
On 16... Inside edge narrowly misses stumps
on 18.... Umpire gives not out to a ball hitting stumps
On 22... drives aerial over slips for 4
On 34... twice has the ball pass his outside edge playing balls he shouldnt
On 34 again.... appeal for a catch behind. No reviews left
34 again.... inside edge past stumps
34 again... lbw appeal
37 ... inside edge, but misses stumps
49... drives widly at a full ball and misses his edge
50... description of shot on cricinfo "like Don Bradman and his golf ball on the water tank... he times the inside out leading edge's pants off.. sort of".
64.... leading edge is dropped by the bowler
70...inside edge taken

An innings of pure class that one. He edged his way to 70

[budgetmeansbudget]

I would have picked Duckett and Hameeb, and Ballance would have missed out, but I guess two debutants is much too adventurous for England!

[sussexpob]

I would have picked Duckett and Hameeb, and Ballance would have missed out, but I guess two debutants is much too adventurous for England!

Id have played Duckett at 3, and probably opened with Hameed. Cant really drop Duckett after one innings mind

[sussexpob]

When you look at the dismissals today, there is a little bit of worry for England moving forward.

I remember at Lords, Yasir Shah got Ballance lbw with a straight one he really didnt pick, and the same thing happened today. Ducketts credentials as a test worthy batsman were done no good with him trying to make room like he was in the latter stage of a T20. Cook's shot lacked execution and probably showed how rusty he is. Root was unable to read a straight ball from the surface and played for the off spinner. And I said at the time the ball that got Stokes was good, but the more you see it the more you realise that Stokes misses the ball by a yard. He isnt anywhere close to it and would have been out had it not even spun that much. Ali was scratchy at best, and Bairstow edged all over the place early on.

They all really need to go out second digs and execute better.

[Aidan11]

Just noticed 92 overs bowled today.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I mean, lets just take that Edgbaston innings when he actually got a 50 recently v Pakistan.

3rd ball....Edged through the gully
1st runs.... leading edge for four past the fieldr
On 9.... nearly chops on (which he had done the test before)
On 9 again (next ball) ... close lbw shout.
On 16... Inside edge narrowly misses stumps
on 18.... Umpire gives not out to a ball hitting stumps
On 22... drives aerial over slips for 4
On 34... twice has the ball pass his outside edge playing balls he shouldnt
On 34 again.... appeal for a catch behind. No reviews left
34 again.... inside edge past stumps
34 again... lbw appeal
37 ... inside edge, but misses stumps
49... drives widly at a full ball and misses his edge
50... description of shot on cricinfo "like Don Bradman and his golf ball on the water tank... he times the inside out leading edge's pants off.. sort of".
64.... leading edge is dropped by the bowler
70...inside edge taken

An innings of pure class that one. He edged his way to 70

Reads like the first forty runs of a Cook innings. Ballance shouldn't have been recalled. He's been lucky a lot of Yorks batters have been out of form or called up, because he isn't doing well for them either. He did face a lot of balls last summer in the Tests though, so I thought he'd get another chance. I was sort of hoping Duckett would bat four and Haseeb open in this game, but I've not seen them play...

Next summer, Mo will go back to eight, or out the side, so another middle order spot will come up. This should be a great opportunity for emerging players. Maybe Buttler will come in and Bairstow lose the gloves for one spot though.

[Arthur Crabtree]

But as we've seen for a while, and recently with Bairstow, England really struggle to convert high scoring county players into Test standard. Which county under-25 batter has come into the England Test side and established himself fairly quickly, this century? Maybe Vaughan, Cook and Root. Precious few bowlers too, if any.

[sussexpob]

But as we've seen for a while, and recently with Bairstow, England really struggle to convert high scoring county players into Test standard. Which county under-25 batter has come into the England Test side and established himself fairly quickly, this century? Maybe Vaughan, Cook and Root. Precious few bowlers too, if any.

Ever since Flower got involved with his player management systems based on academic success and having the right attitude in his eyes. Quite amusing that Flower got a job at the ECB fulfilling really the only role he never actually proved anything with.

He's like a stockbroker who only loses money.

His only successes in the current team, Bairstow and Root, both were dropped and told they werent good enough..... and came back under different coaches and away from Loughboroughs prying eyes, and turned out to be rather good. After 2013, Bairstow looked rubbish against spin/shortballs/inswing/poor defensive technique, and Root was told he'd never be a top player because he couldnt play pace bowling.

And yet, it turns out since coming back, both are rather good players.

When is the chancer going to get found out? He literally hasnt produced one player.

[Aidan11]

Didn't realise ITV4 have the highlights package for this.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Great!