Pakistan v England, 2nd Test, Multan, 9-13 December, 2022

Will the Multan deck be any friendlier to the bowlers?

Or will we just go out and rack up 600 in a day regardless?

I doubt there will be any blocking out to defend a series lead here… with Red Ken ruled out there’s a space available for a bowler/all-rounder, which will surely depend on how Stokes reads the pitch. Could be Wood, or even 18-year-old leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed. Broad still on paternity leave/new pub leave, it seems.

According to a British writer’s headline, Stokes is the Messiah so far as Test cricket is concerned. Better than Flintoff, even.

I commend anyone in need of a good purging from the colon upwards to read it.

I reckon Bazball will last until the next England top order batting collapse.

Abrar Ahmed - on debut & takes the first 6 wickets to fall

Causing problems with his googly

WideWally wrote:Abrar Ahmed - on debut & takes the first 6 wickets to fall

Causing problems with his googly

And yet we didn’t pick our own young spinner called Ahmed whose stock ball is the googly…

7 wickets on debut for Abrar Ahmed. Well done him.

Is it a odi or a test? At 115-1 we were doing fine. But Bazball or not, england still cant bat
on a turning pitch. Now they have to watch how pak do it for 2? days.

England 281 in front with 5 2nd innings wickets in hand. Another 100 would be handy.

The Wackies capitulation in I1 was something to behold. Was John the Bookie at the ground??

Two run-outs was careless. Might have just about enough already though.

Pak chasing 355 to win. Not impossible given what else has happened this year but looking at Leach's first over with the new ball I think Pak will be lucky to make 100.

when was the last time Anderson didn't take the new ball?

Three excellent seeds to castle the top 3 Wackies.

Imam and Saudi Shaquille rebuilding well.

at 250-5 england had it made, they could bat til lunch tomorrow, and push the target beyond 400, but they just
gave it away. kamikazi cricket indeed.

not giving jimmy the new ball was another
bizar decision which allowed pak off to a flyer. pitch
looks awful but our spinners arnt getting much from
it, and pak have plenty of time to get the 163 to win.

If we can get into the tail quickly we’ve got a chance, and most of the wickets have been falling in the morning sessions.

A chance? England should be red hot favourites!

3rd Ump Joel Wilson really sided with the Poms in the Shakeel dismissal. He had plenty of evidence to suggest the ball touched the ground but ruled that, on the evidence available, Pope got his fingers under the ball.

Even Athers was surprised.

England hold on by 26 runs

skully wrote:3rd Ump Joel Wilson really sided with the Poms in the Shakeel dismissal. He had plenty of evidence to suggest the ball touched the ground but ruled that, on the evidence available, Pope got his fingers under the ball.

Even Athers was surprised.

It clearly came in contact with the ground. What was Joel Wilson thinking?

Aye, pretty dodgy.

Anywho, two great Test matches. Well done England on their series win.

Yeah, remarkable stuff. Needs invention to win over there and we’ve certainly had that. With Rootball we’d have just stuttered along then capitulated to spin in the second innings.

Now for the clean sweep!

Joel Wilson MOTM?

skully wrote:3rd Ump Joel Wilson really sided with the Poms in the Shakeel dismissal. He had plenty of evidence to suggest the ball touched the ground but ruled that, on the evidence available, Pope got his fingers under the ball.

Even Athers was surprised.

More shenanigans from the Vatican.