Re: England v West Indies, 2nd Test, Trent Bridge, 25-29 May, 2012

by tricycle Sun 27 May 2012, 14:42

Cheers AD.

by Allan D Sun 27 May 2012, 15:12

There has been one other instance of an all-rounder scoring 100 and conceding 100 runs as a bowler since the article I linked to and the current match and that was by R. Ashwin who took 5-156 and scored 103 against the Windies at Mumbai in November last year. Thus Sammy's effort is the 50th example of this feat in 2044 Tests.

by Allan D Sun 27 May 2012, 15:33

2nd highest 8th wicket stand for England v. the Windies at The Bridge next to Hick & Cork's 60 here in August 1995.

by Brass Monkey Sun 27 May 2012, 16:05

428ao. WI did well to keep us to that total.

by Allan D Sun 27 May 2012, 16:39

Jimmy needs 6 more wickets to overtake Sir Alec Bedser's aggregate record of 41 Test wickets at Trent Bridge.

by tricycle Sun 27 May 2012, 18:26

Shit collapse. Shame

Even Bresnan's going mental now.

by Chivalry Augustus Sun 27 May 2012, 18:33

Chivalry Augustus wrote:It's a very good pitch, aided by the strange weather we're having (what's that yellow thing in the sky?). I think Windies are only at par, and the increase in run-rate has advanced the game somewhat. With four days to go, I'm still backing England to win from here if they can wrap things up for under 400 tomorrow. Very hot in the stands, though. Not convinced Bresnan is fully Test class after that. Bustled in hard, and invariably got carted to the boundary. Caused few problems for the batsman and flattered himself with the wicket he did get. Broad and Anderson were excellent. Strauss played for the new ball straight after Tea (Trott and Bresnan - f*ck me) and the result was one of slow agony.

Well, look at that. Got everything right except for Bresnan.

Compare that to Dello (who has got nothing right in the past three months):

Dello wrote:Quite amazing really. I mean, I shouldn't be amazed because he always does it, but Strauss' decision to abandon all hope of taking wickets at 130-6 and hold fire for the new ball from TWENTY-FIVE OVERS OUT was f*cking pathetic even by his astonishing standards of f*cking pathetictude. That's obviously not a word. You can stick your red line underneath it all you want, auto spellcheck, but I'm keeping it. Shove that up your programming.

It highlighted starkly England's problem with this attack - they're f*cked after two sessions because Anderson and Broad are the only wicket threats and they need them relatively fresh for the second cherry. Swann will come into the game later on in the week, but his role on the first few days is pretty limited. Can't carry that third seamer. He's got to be contributing the same level of menace as the other two or the whole balance goes to shit.

Jimmy Anderson should go on a wild killing spree in that dressing room tonight. Two edges fly through the slips without anyone getting a finger on them. Then Captain Spacker throws him the new ball but is still too f*cking pathetic to attack with, say, three slips (got to save those runs - defend, defend, defend) and watches like a slack jawed mong as successive edges fly through the vacant third slip area.

Pricks.

Good on Samuels, though. Looks an LBW candidate all day long, but he's got quality. Sammy's got 80 runs of arse, though. Jammier than The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

I'd fancy the Windies to win from here, but their attack looks as benign as anything on what is a decent track.

High scoring draw.

by JKLever Sun 27 May 2012, 18:47

Missed the last session and was about to come on and say WI continue to fight and scrap but just saw the score.

Good to see Bressie perform, is there a better pie chucker out there?

Strange day.... 14 wickets for 240 on what everyone was calling a belter!

Oh, and the ginger god has clearly got some work to do against the short ball. But I think I did mention prior to Lords that the word around the counties was he was a bit vulnerable to the short one.

by LeFromage Sun 27 May 2012, 18:49

I gave Bres the old Dello gee up. Never fails.

He'll still the new Ashley Giles, though.

by LeFromage Sun 27 May 2012, 18:53

JKLever wrote:

Strange day.... 14 wickets for 240 on what everyone was calling a belter!

Couldn't blame owt on the pitch. Some loose batting, a few decent deliveries and a couple of wickets apiece for Hawkeye and Hotspot.

It's a pity the Windies crumbled in the final session, having really dug in to stay in touch. What on earth was the point in sending Edwards out to bat, two overs from the close? He'd missed the whole day sick. If ever there was a case for a nightwatchman, that was it. Give him a chance to have go in the morning.

Silly. Probably not key, as he hasn't broken single figures all tour, but not a decision that made much sense.

by Brass Monkey Sun 27 May 2012, 18:56

Aye, good for Bresnan. I lost the faith for half a second but he was all like "No Danny, no, keep the faith son. I shall conquer the world."

Didn't bowl well in the first innings, with byes and leg-byes he probably went for over 125, but he bowled perfectly second time around - full and straight. A real decent effort batting, too, apart from not shielding Jimmy.

Back to averaging 40 with the bat and 25 with the ball after 13 Tests.

by JKLever Sun 27 May 2012, 18:57

Red wrote:Any danger of England producing a decent test wicket?

bit of a weird Reddism is that. Most English test pitches produce a result.

Can't think of too many occasions where 650 plays 650 in this country. It's only really Lords where you can get a draw even after a poor 1st inns but even there i'm sure the record will say more wins than draws.

by Brass Monkey Sun 27 May 2012, 18:59

JKLever wrote:
Oh, and the ginger god has clearly got some work to do against the short ball. But I think I did mention prior to Lords that the word around the counties was he was a bit vulnerable to the short one.

People were all giving it 'ohhh, Roachie bowled well' - yeah he did... doesn't mean that Bairstow had to play the short ball like a brain-damaged shrew with blind-man glasses on.

by Brass Monkey Sun 27 May 2012, 19:00

JKLever wrote:
Red wrote:Any danger of England producing a decent test wicket?

bit of a weird Reddism is that. Most English test pitches produce a result.

Can't think of too many occasions where 650 plays 650 in this country. It's only really Lords where you can get a draw even after a poor 1st inns but even there i'm sure the record will say more wins than draws.

On belting pitches, where overhead conditions help out a massive deal. I'd add the Rose Bowl to the mix as well, though, when they're not greeding up a 5-dayer.

by JKLever Sun 27 May 2012, 19:20

Brass Monkey wrote:Aye, good for Bresnan. I lost the faith for half a second but he was all like "No Danny, no, keep the faith son. I shall conquer the world."

Didn't bowl well in the first innings, with byes and leg-byes he probably went for over 125, but he bowled perfectly second time around - full and straight. A real decent effort batting, too, apart from not shielding Jimmy.

Back to averaging 40 with the bat and 25 with the ball after 13 Tests.

Given his record I reckon some were quick to write him off. Not as though he hasn't recovered from a gash performance before.... remember Tamim Iqbal depositing his pies all over Lords a few years back. You would never have thought the same bowler would do well down under.

by Brass Monkey Sun 27 May 2012, 19:24

JKLever wrote:
Given his record I reckon some were quick to write him off. Not as though he hasn't recovered from a gash performance before.... remember Tamim Iqbal depositing his pies all over Lords a few years back. You would never have thought the same bowler would do well down under.

Aye, he was getting loads of movement, I think it's just a rhythm thing... some terrible filth in the first innings and at Lord's as well. I'm still concerned about his drop in pace, but I am with Jimmy as well.

by Allan D Sun 27 May 2012, 19:28

Both sides scoring not much either side of 400 first dig yet whole game over in 3 and a bit days. Good bowling from England. Terrible inconsistency from the Windies.

by LeFromage Sun 27 May 2012, 19:33

Brass Monkey wrote:
JKLever wrote:
Given his record I reckon some were quick to write him off. Not as though he hasn't recovered from a gash performance before.... remember Tamim Iqbal depositing his pies all over Lords a few years back. You would never have thought the same bowler would do well down under.

Aye, he was getting loads of movement, I think it's just a rhythm thing... some terrible filth in the first innings and at Lord's as well. I'm still concerned about his drop in pace, but I am with Jimmy as well.

All three are struggling to get the speedo over 80mph now. We have an attack of trundlers.

Are they pacing themselves? Will they be able to find that bit extra when SA come to town? Not sure.

Broad's had an injury plagued couple of years, Bresnan's had an elbow op which took longer than anticipated to get right and Jimmy looked seriously overbowled at the end of the Ashes and hasn't been given much of a break since.

If England win this Test - and the series - I'd view it as the ideal situation to rotate the seamers and give Finn, Onions and maybe Meaker a go in the dead rubber. What's the point in having a decent pool of bowlers if you're only going to use them when someone else's body explodes?

by krikri Sun 27 May 2012, 20:23

JKLever wrote:
Oh, and the ginger god has clearly got some work to do against the short ball. But I think I did mention prior to Lords that the word around the counties was he was a bit vulnerable to the short one.

Vulnerable to short deliveries, vulnerable to spin. It's not looking good for the rusty nail.

Do we have a ginger quota to fill since The Belf has gradually dyed his copper locks?

by LeFromage Sun 27 May 2012, 20:37

Yeah. Anyone can look a bit dodgy against short stuff - Pietersen got royally worked over by Brett Lee at the Oval when he first started out.

But Bairstow didn't seem to have the first beginnings of a clue. Reminded me of his Yorkshire teammate Anthony McGrath's brief Test career - after a promising start, that fell to pieces as soon as SA started banging the ball in.

by krikri Sun 27 May 2012, 20:47

Anthony McGrath.That name brings back bad memories of watching him bat slower than Chris Tavare, in one day games. How did he ever get 14 games with a strike rate of 47.02..

Oh yeah, he was another of Vaughan's special boyfriends!

by LeFromage Sun 27 May 2012, 20:56

14! Was it that many.

We've done some weird ODI shit over the years...

by Chivalry Augustus Sun 27 May 2012, 21:30

Dello wrote:
Brass Monkey wrote:
JKLever wrote:
Given his record I reckon some were quick to write him off. Not as though he hasn't recovered from a gash performance before.... remember Tamim Iqbal depositing his pies all over Lords a few years back. You would never have thought the same bowler would do well down under.

Aye, he was getting loads of movement, I think it's just a rhythm thing... some terrible filth in the first innings and at Lord's as well. I'm still concerned about his drop in pace, but I am with Jimmy as well.

All three are struggling to get the speedo over 80mph now. We have an attack of trundlers.

Are they pacing themselves? Will they be able to find that bit extra when SA come to town? Not sure.

Broad's had an injury plagued couple of years, Bresnan's had an elbow op which took longer than anticipated to get right and Jimmy looked seriously overbowled at the end of the Ashes and hasn't been given much of a break since.

If England win this Test - and the series - I'd view it as the ideal situation to rotate the seamers and give Finn, Onions and maybe Meaker a go in the dead rubber. What's the point in having a decent pool of bowlers if you're only going to use them when someone else's body explodes?

I think they're bowling within themselves in the knowledge that consistency of line and hard toil are the weapons that have seen them become the most consistent England bowling attack in eons, not running in flat out for two spells before breaking down and sitting on the sidelines for years.

I've also decided to go full turn on Bresnan. He's the most under-rated player ever. Runs in hard and bowls straight and full. Simple strategy which looks really sh*t when it doesn't work - like Friday - but generally does the business. Hard to argue with a guy who can bat and bowl to Test standard consistently.

Finn has more potential as a bowler, but I guess you have to ask about the whole package. But for a long tail, England would have lost a lot more matches than they have in recent years. Getting 100 runs on average out of your last four wickets is a pretty good effort. Broad at 9 and Swann at 10 is luxurious.

And clearly there is more to a guy winning all 12 of his Tests (will be 13 tomorrow) than pure luck, especially given the variety between Tests. Some of them were against crap, but he's got a 100% record on the sub-continent and a 100% record in Australia.

by skully Sun 27 May 2012, 21:48

Wow, how quickly things can change, particularly when the Ganjas are involved. Watched the first session, and was very impressed with the Windies commitment. Looks like they continued their good work after Lunch and restricted the English lead to <60.

Then it all turned to shit, apparently. 6-61!!!! At least they've avoided the innings defeat.

by skully Sun 27 May 2012, 21:50

And I see Fat Brezzie was the destroyer. Funny game, cricket.

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