England Cricket 2022

Bazball does it again. No way did it look like a result was possible after two, even three, days of play.

As I said yesterday, Stokes and the team deserve a lot of credit for this win. That is a good a win as you will see. 

So so good. That was magnificent 

Brilliant! Well done to Stoke, the management team and every player. Even if we'd lost it was the right decision. 

I'm sorry but this has to be said. 

This team are winning the ashes.

No other test team ever wins that game from where it was after the first innings. In a time where test cricket is being threatened by all other shorter forms of the game. What a time to force a result on a pitch like that. Stunning 

Gary Poole said:

No other test team ever wins that game from where it was after the first innings. In a time where test cricket is being threatened by all other shorter forms of the game. What a time to force a result on a pitch like that. Stunning 

England batted for fewer than 140 overs in the match

cantersaddick said:

I'm sorry but this has to be said. 

This team are winning the ashes.

We have always lacked bravado and arrogance in the test match arena imo (my meek moaning about the declaration included). I'm fully converted, bring it on you Bogan bastards! 5-0 England

cantersaddick said:

I'm sorry but this has to be said. 

This team are winning the ashes.

Archer might even be fit...

Robinson MOTM! A surprise maybe but that 37 in the first innings was a decent knock tbf

Question:

I'm sure there's a perfectly feasible explanation, but if it gets dark so early in Pakistan, why don't they start an hour earlier??  Is it too dark earlier?

This was a great win and should be remembered for a long time.  Fantastic batting, very good fielding and really committed bowling.  The immediate afterglow of a win is really worth enjoying.  But, at the same time, it's fun to look back at some of the comments from the first couple of days. 

Golfie celebrated England's herculean 500 on the first day by complaining about how few overs were bowled... 

golfaddick said:

Whilst I applauded the ICC & ICB for proposing starting the game a day later due to illness I dont applaud them for setting the playing conditions that means players walk off 15 overs short of the MINIMUM that should be played in a day. I mean, what's the point of having floodlights. And I hope people who do the record books put today's play as the highest scoring EVER......because I bet the 509 that Sri Lanka made wasn't done in 75 overs  !

But oohahh summed up the Pakistani bowling, perfectly: 

oohaahmortimer said:

That Pakistan bowling attack is soooo  shit they’d walk straight in to the Wales football team 

Day two started with lots of speculation about how many England might make, should they declare, how tired the Pakistan bowlers might be, and, ultimately, how many is "enough" for England.  But Golfie went straight back to the hot topic of hours of play 

golfaddick said:

Playing times for today have changed due to yesterdays lost time (ha!) and Friday prayers. Play now due to end today at 12.35pm GMT. 

I believe yesterday that play finished around 11.40 am  GMT.......so having a playing time scheduled for an hour AFTER the umpires stopped play yesterday seems a little daft to me.

But then I've not spent thousands travelling to Pakistan, on match tickets and accommodation. 

Sillybilly ("Sherlock") confirmed early on day two what the result would be.  Definitely.  

Sillybilly said:

Just call me Sherlock but I'd say this was heading for a draw.

Some couldn't wait more than seven overs to appraise one particular bowler... 

Leuth said:

Probably harsh to judge Jacks as a Test bowler after 7 overs on a road, but...he isn't, is he?

...before he had returned six wickets in the first innings.  

While Pope's temporary (let's hope) custodianship of the gloves was well summed up early on, especially in the light of the howler late on day five which might have cost the win: 

Addick Addict said:

This is not a criticism in any shape but Pope is not a Test wicket keeper. Keepers are not just defined by the great stumpings or catches they take but by the regimental ones they miss. And that is about concentration and when you don't do the job on a regular basis you simply do not build up the mental or physical strength that is needed to do it - you shouldn't be reacting to a ball that gets the slightest of knicks but expecting to take it.

Missing chances on a deck that is doing everything isn't as big an issue as doing so on a road because those chances don't come along like buses. 

Leuth said:

If Jacks plays the second game I will be quite surprised tbh, but yes, he did I suppose take 6 wickets for 199 in the match, all 6 of which were definitely not batsman error

He could effectively play as the Livingstone replacement, hard hitting batsman who can bowl a bit. 

It depends on both whether Foakes is available and whether England trust a 18 year old spinner

That was an incredible 5 days worth of cricket..proper cricket, proper test match captaincy..my man of the match would have been Stokes because without him there was no match.

RedPanda said:

I thought Pakistan would nurse that home. Did anyone on TV say what the next two pitches will be like? I'm guessing flat and lifeless again, so England will have got most of the risk out the way here

Most teams going one-down in a three match series would make absolutely certain the second Test was played on a results pitch