England Cricket 2023

Addick Addict said:

I'm not referring to Brook because he is a freak (and he does this anyway) but I do think most of our top order could learn when and who to pick their battles from Root. The likes of Crawley and Pope went too hard at the NZ openers and failed to give themselves time to actually assess the pace and bounce, specifically, of the deck. Root did just that and picked his battle with the weak link of their attack, Bracewell (match figures of 28-2-127-2), who was nowhere near as effective to the right hander as he was to the left handed Stokes. Crawley in that "see ball/hit ball" mindset was in no position to adjust to the ball off a good length coming back and despite the fact that he had taken a leg stump guard left himself with a gap the size of the Mersey Tunnel. Pope suffered from a "do I stick or do I go" moment in that he either had to leave the delivery that got him out or throw the kitchen sink at it. Instead it ended up as catching practice.   

Bazball can take many forms. Its definition should be all about taking the game away from the opposition by playing positive cricket but the idea that a batsman has to go out and hit every ball out of the park is wrong especially when the track does not lend itself to that. On the roads we played on in Pakistan it was fine to do so but I hope that those other players take a look at Root and the way he looks to utilise the numerous gaps that are available in Test cricket and specifically his use of the dab (albeit he ran Brook out playing it). Nobody will ever complain about someone scoring 248 runs in a match off 337 balls as Root did. We didn't lose this game because of that. We lost it because we went too hard too early and a "leave", early doors especially, is far more of a positive act than a waft at a ball you have no right to be trying to hit. Messrs Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood will expect us to go at them. Let's be a bit more savvy in doing that. 

Leuth said:

Thoughts on the world's most selfish batsman, AA? 

killerandflash said:

A dull watch, but a very professional knock by Malan which was what was needed.

If the conditions in India for the WC are similar, then the "stand and deliver" style of batting won't be very effective.

Billy_Mix said:

Perfectly clear that numb nuts Joe Root (by some distance the thickest captain England has ever had) has learned (or remembered) precisely nothing at all in his years as a professional athlete.  I'm not accusing him of not caring, ask him that, wait long enough for him to muster an answer and I'm sure he'll say the right things.
BUT
Pope's just got out so losing another wicket is the last thing needed - so numb nuts ignores the field changes and sets off for a suicidal run, sawing off Brook before he faces a ball
If Joe wasn't so grievously dense one might suspect him of undermining his vastly superior young colleague.

Not content with demonstrating such stultifying stupidity he tosses away his own wicket just an over after Stokes got out.  One blunder might be forgivable, two equally moronic faux-pas defy polite description.

All the bleating about a wide for height by the time Jimmy came in misses the point.  Any of the so called batsmen pay 1% more attention to Wagner's military medium long hops and the match and series are secured without breaking sweat.
Baz and Stokesy can poke all this "entertain at all costs" bullshit, they're professional competitors winning is the only metric, grasping defeat from the yawing jaws of facile victory is wilful dereliction of duty
Now where's my 'unpopular opinion tin hat'..?