I imagine it's pretty unusual to have five international teams scheduled to play in this country on the same day, especially as it's IPL Finals Day. England are due to play West Indies at The Oval, while South Africa play Zimbabwe in Arundel and Wales play a home match in Usk. Has that ever happened before?
I can find a day with 6:
A bit disingenuous as an ICC tournament was taking place here at the time.....of course there are going to be matches being played !
I think @Chizz was asking is it rare for there to be a number of International matches being played in the UK outside of a tournament.
Also, the fact that it is an odd number! It's probably easy to find instances when four, six or even eight international teams played in this country, simultaneously. But five? Or seven?
I wonder where the Windies had been staying. Lots of teams use the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington. I used to work near there, and have seen lots of teams stay there, including cricket (England on one occasion), rugby and football (I think it was Everton down for a game at Chelsea).
I wonder where the Windies had been staying. Lots of teams use the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington. I used to work near there, and have seen lots of teams stay there, including cricket (England on one occasion), rugby and football (I think it was Everton down for a game at Chelsea).
Obviously much too difficult to go District & Circle and change at Embankment for the Oval.
I imagine it's pretty unusual to have five international teams scheduled to play in this country on the same day, especially as it's IPL Finals Day. England are due to play West Indies at The Oval, while South Africa play Zimbabwe in Arundel and Wales play a home match in Usk. Has that ever happened before?
I can find a day with 6:
A bit disingenuous as an ICC tournament was taking place here at the time.....of course there are going to be matches being played !
I think @Chizz was asking is it rare for there to be a number of International matches being played in the UK outside of a tournament.
*Shrugs*
Chizz asked a question.
I imagine it's pretty unusual to have five international teams scheduled to play in this country on the same day. Has that ever happened before?
And yes, it has. 5 international teams have been scheduled to play in this country on the same day. And an extra one was too.
Given it's Chizz I presume he'd want me to answer the exact question he asked, and not a different one he might have meant. He's very particular about this sort of thing after all....
That Bethell/Jacks combo as the fifth bowling option does continue to concern given that the Windies are ranked 9th in the world - 20.4-0-162-3. Brook has said that he is reluctant to bring another seamer in (or for that matter another specialist spinner - how about Dawson for example?) which does, admittedly, strengthen the batting line up but leaves us vulnerable to going at over 80 runs for the 10 overs bowled by those two.
I'm not sure why we need 2 part time spinners at 6 and 7, when we have Root in the team. Effectively we have only 3 full time bowlers in this lineup which feels one light. But then we also have a slightly longer tail than ideal, Rashid feels a bit high at 9.
I imagine Woakes would come in for one of them when fit?
I'm not sure why we need 2 part time spinners at 6 and 7, when we have Root in the team. Effectively we have only 3 full time bowlers in this lineup which feels one light. But then we also have a slightly longer tail than ideal, Rashid feels a bit high at 9.
I imagine Woakes would come in for one of them when fit?
He probably will but then he's 36, injuries are unlikely to lessen and with the next WC we do need to find someone else to fulfill that role.
We do seem to be lacking young seam bowling all rounders who can bat at 7, unless Sam Curran can get his form back. It seems that everyone wants to either bowl spin (less physically taxing) or be a part time keeper...
Was there yesterday. Got offered a ticket last minute and accepted. Very expensive though. Cycled there and back from Greenwich. Pretty efficient.
Can anyone explain the logic as to why DLS reduced the target? I'd have thought the Windies would have been disadvantaged by the shorted number of overs as they would have started their batting innings assuming they had 50 overs to play with and taken things more cautiously early on...
Was there yesterday. Got offered a ticket last minute and accepted. Very expensive though. Cycled there and back from Greenwich. Pretty efficient.
Can anyone explain the logic as to why DLS reduced the target? I'd have thought the Windies would have been disadvantaged by the shorted number of overs as they would have started their batting innings assuming they had 50 overs to play with and taken things more cautiously early on...
I think it's because they got more powerplay/fielding restriction overs than England as the restrictions they faced were based on a 50 over game, not a 40 over game
The World Test Championship final next week. A deeply flawed process, with S Africa making it through with a far easier schedule than other countries. As Atherton noted in The Times today
This week at the beautiful Arundel ground, South Africa begin their preparations for next week’s WTC final against Australia, which they reached by playing a dozen matches with each series made up of two Tests only as well. They have beaten West Indies (away), Bangladesh (away), Sri Lanka (home) and Pakistan (home), drawing with India (home) and losing to New Zealand (away). They have not faced England or Australia, and their schedule prompted the former Australia spinner Kerry O’Keeffe to say it was like a tennis player reaching the Wimbledon final having not faced a seeded opponent on the way.
Much was made of South Africa’s decision to send a third-string side to New Zealand in early 2024, which duly got beat as expected, in order to prioritise its domestic T20 competition. But, in a way, that was irrelevant: the WTC should not be about who loves Test cricket the most — and South Africa clearly have no great appetite for it, given they haven’t scheduled any home Tests in 2025-26 — but it should be about who is the best team.
What it shouldn’t be is a reflection on who has enjoyed a schedule most likely to present an opportunity to progress. And the best way do that? Play as little Test cricket as possible. Play series that are only two matches long. Avoid some of the best teams. In essence, the design of the WTC, and the incentives it offers, undermines the very reason of the concept, which was intended to promote and encourage the longest format of the game.
The West Indies are stuck in traffic on the other side of the river. What a farce.
I got there an hour before them. PS it was bloody chilly all day.
I went up there, layered up like going to The Valley in November, good job I did. Wouldn't like to see our spin attack yesterday (excluding Rashid) up against our batting......
Ben Stokes (Durham) – Captain Shoaib Bashir (Somerset) Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire) Harry Brook (Yorkshire) Brydon Carse (Durham) Sam Cook (Essex) Zak Crawley (Kent) Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire) Jamie Overton (Surrey) Ollie Pope (Surrey) Joe Root (Yorkshire) Jamie Smith (Surrey) Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire) Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
So if the selectors want to play Bethell who do they leave out. Pope would have been the obvious choice but after his innings against Zimbabwe they can't drop him now surely.
The World Test Championship final next week. A deeply flawed process, with S Africa making it through with a far easier schedule than other countries. As Atherton noted in The Times today
This week at the beautiful Arundel ground, South Africa begin their preparations for next week’s WTC final against Australia, which they reached by playing a dozen matches with each series made up of two Tests only as well. They have beaten West Indies (away), Bangladesh (away), Sri Lanka (home) and Pakistan (home), drawing with India (home) and losing to New Zealand (away). They have not faced England or Australia, and their schedule prompted the former Australia spinner Kerry O’Keeffe to say it was like a tennis player reaching the Wimbledon final having not faced a seeded opponent on the way.
Much was made of South Africa’s decision to send a third-string side to New Zealand in early 2024, which duly got beat as expected, in order to prioritise its domestic T20 competition. But, in a way, that was irrelevant: the WTC should not be about who loves Test cricket the most — and South Africa clearly have no great appetite for it, given they haven’t scheduled any home Tests in 2025-26 — but it should be about who is the best team.
What it shouldn’t be is a reflection on who has enjoyed a schedule most likely to present an opportunity to progress. And the best way do that? Play as little Test cricket as possible. Play series that are only two matches long. Avoid some of the best teams. In essence, the design of the WTC, and the incentives it offers, undermines the very reason of the concept, which was intended to promote and encourage the longest format of the game.
Boris Becker did that in 1985. No-one said he didn't deserve to be in the Final. The main point Atherton makes is sound. But O'Keefe's analogy isn't a very good one.
So if the selectors want to play Bethell who do they leave out. Pope would have been the obvious choice but after his innings against Zimbabwe they can't drop him now surely.
I don't think that they will play him. They will probably wait for one of the top seven to lose form or get injured. The chances are one or other is likely to happen during the course of this series.
Jamie Overton might ruin his 97 Test average if he's not careful.
Alternatively if he can get 103 and then retire from international cricket he'll be golden.
Have both Overtons ever played together for England? It does seem that they've taken turns to play for England, with Craig being a regular first, and Jamie more recently.
So if the selectors want to play Bethell who do they leave out. Pope would have been the obvious choice but after his innings against Zimbabwe they can't drop him now surely.
I don't think that they will play him. They will probably wait for one to the top seven to lose form or get injured. The chances are one or other is likely to happen during the course of this series.
Exactly how I see it. Those currently in the side must be aware that Bethell lies in wait should they lose form. No pressure then.
Luke Wright has said that Archer should be fit for the second test, believe it when I see it obviously but could be very exciting
He's got to get through a Sussex 2s and a CC game at Durham first! I'll believe it when he comes through those unscathed and doesn't trip over a ball warming up or something.
Comments
Chizz asked a question.
I imagine it's pretty unusual to have five international teams scheduled to play in this country on the same day. Has that ever happened before?
And yes, it has. 5 international teams have been scheduled to play in this country on the same day. And an extra one was too.
Given it's Chizz I presume he'd want me to answer the exact question he asked, and not a different one he might have meant. He's very particular about this sort of thing after all....
I imagine Woakes would come in for one of them when fit?
PS it was bloody chilly all day.
Can anyone explain the logic as to why DLS reduced the target? I'd have thought the Windies would have been disadvantaged by the shorted number of overs as they would have started their batting innings assuming they had 50 overs to play with and taken things more cautiously early on...
This week at the beautiful Arundel ground, South Africa begin their preparations for next week’s WTC final against Australia, which they reached by playing a dozen matches with each series made up of two Tests only as well. They have beaten West Indies (away), Bangladesh (away), Sri Lanka (home) and Pakistan (home), drawing with India (home) and losing to New Zealand (away). They have not faced England or Australia, and their schedule prompted the former Australia spinner Kerry O’Keeffe to say it was like a tennis player reaching the Wimbledon final having not faced a seeded opponent on the way.
Ben Stokes (Durham) – Captain
Shoaib Bashir (Somerset)
Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Brydon Carse (Durham)
Sam Cook (Essex)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Jamie Overton (Surrey)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Pope would have been the obvious choice but after his innings against Zimbabwe they can't drop him now surely.
Alternatively if he can get 103 and then retire from international cricket he'll be golden.
Those currently in the side must be aware that Bethell lies in wait should they lose form.
No pressure then.
He's got to get through a Sussex 2s and a CC game at Durham first! I'll believe it when he comes through those unscathed and doesn't trip over a ball warming up or something.