Does anybody know what Broad's average was before he got the ball stuck in his visor compared to since. I suspect this is his best score since?
Prior to nosegate 73 matches, 2,156 runs at 23.95, with one hundred and ten fifties Since nosegate 65 matches, 1,054 runs at 12.85, with no hundreds and two fifties
So still got 2 50s since the incident, I guess they were against slower bowling
57* v South Africa at Lord's in 2017 (Morkel, Philander, Rabada), 56 v Australia in Melbourne in 2017 (Hazlewood, Bird, Cummins).
At the Melbourne test drunk as skunks my Aussie mate gave me 50 to 1 on Broad getting a half century and I had 20 Aussie dollars on it or it was 20-1 and I had 50 on it when Broad was in his teens . Fairplay he paid up that night . Felt bad and lost the money back to him in a drinking game that night , that’s how shit a drinker I am!
The question mark over this series isn't that we're playing SA, it's that we've won 4 tosses out of 4. That said I think the away side should always win the toss in all forms - a lot of groundsmen would have to sharpen their act up very quickly
Denly does not deserve to be dropped from the touring party. He has been asked to do a job and has done it. I think Crawley will drop to no 3 and Denly will go as cover. Based on the number of chances bairstow and butler get, it will be very harsh on Denly if dropped from the squad
Denly seems to be mainly in the side or at least used by England to blunt attacks and to bat time. Buttler with Foakes and Bairstow waiting needed a big score today.
Decent day all round. Plenty of runs ahead of them and 2 whole days to take 10 wickets against fragile batting lineup.
Reckon Root will get a couple tomorrow.
On the Denly issue. I haven't always been a fan (see the ashes thread) but I actually think him alone with the other players in the top 3 (Burns, Sibley and Crawley) have been excellent.
Sir Ali Cook has said facing new ball in tests in the last couple of years has been as tough as it's ever been. The job this top 3 have done to see off the new ball and blunt attacks cannon be underestimated. It's set a platform for 4,5,6,7 onwards to make runs against attacks in their 3rd and 4th spells. Its huge. It's best demonstrated by Root not in early at any point this winter. The earliest he has been in has been the 25th over. His return with the bat has improved considerably as a result. And Stokes and Pope have been afforded the freedom to play their natural game.
Denly has been a key part of that in batting time. Yes he needs a big score at some point but has done enough to warrant his place on the SL tour. Will be 3rd spinner too.
Decent day all round. Plenty of runs ahead of them and 2 whole days to take 10 wickets against fragile batting lineup.
Reckon Root will get a couple tomorrow.
On the Denly issue. I haven't always been a fan (see the ashes thread) but I actually think him alone with the other players in the top 3 (Burns, Sibley and Crawley) have been excellent.
Sir Ali Cook has said facing new ball in tests in the last couple of years has been as tough as it's ever been. The job this top 3 have done to see off the new ball and blunt attacks cannon be underestimated. It's set a platform for 4,5,6,7 onwards to make runs against attacks in their 3rd and 4th spells. Its huge. It's best demonstrated by Root not in early at any point this winter. The earliest he has been in has been the 25th over. His return with the bat has improved considerably as a result. And Stokes and Pope have been afforded the freedom to play their natural game.
Denly has been a key part of that in batting time. Yes he needs a big score at some point but has done enough to warrant his place on the SL tour. Will be 3rd spinner too.
Denly was first called up for Sri Lanka in 2018, where his spin bowling would be a useful asset (why are we back there so soon?), being able to bowl will definitely help him keep his place in the side. Whether he can bat well enough against spin will be interesting though
Comments
Fairplay he paid up that night .
Felt bad and lost the money back to him in a drinking game that night , that’s how shit a drinker I am!
Rewind only this month...
Anderson out
Leach out
Burns out
Jofra out
We are away in a test series, we haven’t done too badly 👍....
a few more required to avoid the follow on but don’t think they will be asked to.
Was mainly judging on the fact he was carrying niggly injuries through the World Cup and Ashes, and has missed a couple now.
Reckon Root will get a couple tomorrow.
On the Denly issue. I haven't always been a fan (see the ashes thread) but I actually think him alone with the other players in the top 3 (Burns, Sibley and Crawley) have been excellent.
Sir Ali Cook has said facing new ball in tests in the last couple of years has been as tough as it's ever been. The job this top 3 have done to see off the new ball and blunt attacks cannon be underestimated. It's set a platform for 4,5,6,7 onwards to make runs against attacks in their 3rd and 4th spells. Its huge. It's best demonstrated by Root not in early at any point this winter. The earliest he has been in has been the 25th over. His return with the bat has improved considerably as a result. And Stokes and Pope have been afforded the freedom to play their natural game.
Denly has been a key part of that in batting time. Yes he needs a big score at some point but has done enough to warrant his place on the SL tour. Will be 3rd spinner too.