Re: 2011 Cricket Season : Thu May 19, 2011 8:24 pm  

There was a full on argument between two Yorkshire fans on the platform at Bradford Interchange just after 7 o'clock this morning, as they were setting off for day two - one was going crazy about the inept performance, the other trying to defend it.

It all finished rather abruptly with the first guy angrily moaning about our batting, "why did we bat? I don't understand why we were batting" to which his mate replied "we lost the toss" the retort to that was "I don't see why that makes any difference!"

Re: 2011 Cricket Season : Thu May 19, 2011 9:15 pm  

Asim wrote:

It all finished rather abruptly with the first guy angrily moaning about our batting, "why did we bat? I don't understand why we were batting" to which his mate replied "we lost the toss" the retort to that was "I don't see why that makes any difference!"

Spoken like a true Yorkshireman!

Extraordinary scenes at Whitgift School today where I saw Essex's Graham Napier equal the world record of sixteen sixes in a first class innings. He finally holed out for 196 going for a seventeenth six and his double century.

Napier was unbeaten on 150 at lunch and moved to 196 in just eleven balls before he was last man out. I'm fairly certain he took 82 balls to reach his fifty, which (I think) means he scored his last 146 off just 48 balls. What's more it was proper batting by a stocky man of no more than average height. There were very few streaky edges, all the big shots seemed to come stright out of the middle of the bat and clear the boundary at long on or mid-wicket. There was relatively little backlift or follow-through, but incredible hand-eye co-ordination and fast hands. I Know he played a similar innings in a televised T20 match two or three years ago, but it's amazing he doesn't do it more often because it didn't look like a fluke.

KP made a powerful 58 before falling lbw to chunky medium pace wobbler Matt Walker while RHB was unbeaten on 140+ as Surrey closed on 277/4 in reply to 548. amazingly, on a day when 507 runs were scored from 94 overs, Ramps was out for a duck.

Re: 2011 Cricket Season : Thu May 19, 2011 9:40 pm  

Did KP look in any sort of nick?

I notice Morgan got a 150 red inker today for Lions yet the media still think Bopara will get the nod at six. I find this baffling, surely he cannot carry the drinks all winter then when an opening presents itself miss out, can he.

Re: 2011 Cricket Season : Thu May 19, 2011 10:35 pm  

JWP wrote:

Did KP look in any sort of nick?

Yes, fifty came up off 48 balls. He came in when two quick wickets had gone down following a century opening partnership, so there was an element of pressure to avert a possible collapse. He survived one chance when a full-blooded off drive was spilled above head height at mid-off, but the ball was really travelling and the fielder did pretty well just to stop it. It was noticeable that when he hit a four the ball was reaching the ropes quicker than when anyone else hit a four.

For what it's worth Cook looked pretty good yesterday morning in scoring 63 when the batting conditions were at their most challenging.

I saw the Sri Lankans against Middlesex at Uxbridge on Sunday, and although they've since been strengthened by the arrival of some players who were involved in the IPL I think they'll struggle to take twenty wickets in the Tests. Dilshan looked very impressive opening the batting though.

Re: 2011 Cricket Season : Fri May 20, 2011 9:37 am  

Prince of Denmark wrote:

Yes, fifty came up off 48 balls. He came in when two quick wickets had gone down following a century opening partnership, so there was an element of pressure to avert a possible collapse. He survived one chance when a full-blooded off drive was spilled above head height at mid-off, but the ball was really travelling and the fielder did pretty well just to stop it. It was noticeable that when he hit a four the ball was reaching the ropes quicker than when anyone else hit a four.

For what it's worth Cook looked pretty good yesterday morning in scoring 63 when the batting conditions were at their most challenging.

I saw the Sri Lankans against Middlesex at Uxbridge on Sunday, and although they've since been strengthened by the arrival of some players who were involved in the IPL I think they'll struggle to take twenty wickets in the Tests. Dilshan looked very impressive opening the batting though.

Cheers for that.

KP is great to watch when he's fluent isn't he. I know he's not been at his best for quite some time, but I went to West Indies test at Headingley when he made 226, I was there on the 1st day when he made the hundred - it was perhaps my sporting highlight, not because he was doing anything outrageous, just the way he found gaps, he'd get fielders moved them smack the ball through where the fielder just was, silly things like that. At the end of the days play I met Viv Richards and he spoke so highly of him, like rated him right up there, I want him to get back to that.

I really hope England refocus now, all the talk is of being No.1 in the world, I think they're very capable, they've great depth. Having the debate around No.6 with Bopara, Hildreth & Morgan. Same with the attack when all fit, maybe Finn would miss out & fit Onions, I think this team can dominate, I really do.

Re: 2011 Cricket Season : Fri May 20, 2011 10:01 am  

We do have some strength in depth now don't we?
Batting-wise we've got Bopara, Morgan and Carberry who have all had test experience with young players such as Hildreth, Taylor, Gale knocking on the door.
Pace bowling wise we have Anderson and Broad who are more or less certs, with the likes of Tremlett, Bresnan, Onions, Finn and Shahzad knocking on the door, all of whom have test experience too.

Re: 2011 Cricket Season : Fri May 20, 2011 10:06 am  

Ordsall Quays Red wrote:

We do have some strength in depth now don't we?
Batting-wise we've got Bopara, Morgan and Carberry who have all had test experience with young players such as Hildreth, Taylor, Gale knocking on the door.
Pace bowling wise we have Anderson and Broad who are more or less certs, with the likes of Tremlett, Bresnan, Onions, Finn and Shahzad knocking on the door, all of whom have test experience too.

Exactly, Davies & Kieswetter would fancy a go behind the timbers so there's cover there.

All those you mention, Woakes too. I've got time for him, he'll get stronger, looked to have a good temperament. If Samit Patel would just make an attempt at getting fit, he'd be in with a great shout too in all formats as the Number six who bowls when you need two spinners.

Lots of good English players, I like Tom Maynard, he needs to now start making some big scores. When I see him, too many classy 60's.

Re: 2011 Cricket Season : Fri May 20, 2011 12:14 pm  

Only a brisk 20 today for the Lions, but I do like young Bairstow. All of his Dad's battling temprament matched with a bit of class about his technique to go with it.

He's coming up to decision time though IMO whether he wants to be a batting keeper or just concentrate on his batting.

Re: 2011 Cricket Season : Sat May 21, 2011 5:16 pm  

Pathetic bowling effort from Yorkshire in the Lancs 2nd innings.

Re: 2011 Cricket Season : Sat May 21, 2011 9:36 pm  

I'm currently bouncing off the walls still. That was magical to watch, from a Lancashire point of view anyhow.

I don't think you should be too hard on the bowling in the main, either. Most of it was intelligent bowling to good fields. Maharoof just ended up being far too good for some of it although I think giving Rashid the last over was a big mistake, particularly when he'd already been slapped around the park.

Who says County Cricket is boring?!