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Really enjoyable session of cricket - Pakistan nearly always offer flair and ability and their bowling attack looks like a potentially great one, but Pope looked a class act as he took the game to them.
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Lets hope Pope and Butler see tonight and morning off .
Pope has hit 44 of the 84 !!
Really enjoyable session of cricket - Pakistan nearly always offer flair and ability and their bowling attack looks like a potentially great one, but Pope looked a class act as he took the game to them.
I really enjoyed the play I saw after tea.Pakistan bowled beautifully and batting was tough. Fair play to Ollie Pope he played very sensibly and took advantage of any scoring opportunities.
As a former wicketkeeper myself, I really did enjoy watching the Pakistani keeper. Standing up to the medium quickie and making it look so easy. And the leggie was giving it a real rip, which he was taking comfortably with very soft hands. I've never seen him before, but he looks a class above Buttler and Horwich who have both struggled this summer.
Yes, it threatens to be a match losing contribution behind the stumps by Buttler. His place in the side is under threat anyway because of his lack of a big score lately - it's pretty obvious that Root and the selectors want to keep him in the team, but I think he needs to come good with the bat in this test now after his problems behind the stumps.Originally Posted by Hot Shot Hamish.
First time I've seen the Pakistani wicket keeper as well, I was assuming Saffaraz was still there, but this guy looks an improvement on him based on the last session.
For those who enjoy test cricket, that was an absolute cracker. For England to win after being over a 100 behind on the first innings and then 5 down in the second innings with another 160 needed ,Buttler and Woakes were outstanding.
So much for a match losing contribution by Buttler!
Exactly!!!!
That must be real dilema for the selectors now. I still think they need to bring in Foakes, which they can do if Stokes is fit. They'll then need to decide whether to leave out Bess or one of the quickies.
Yes I think Buttler can claim a place as a batsman but his keeping can be hit and miss.
Brilliant test match. If Stokes is fit to bowl then I'd leave out Archer (who wasnt quick enough) to accommodate Foakes. Anderson looked knackered aswell, so I'd bring in Curran and keep Anderson for the final test.
Pakistan have the makings of a great team again.
After sun bathing for half an hour I decided to tune into the cricket just before lunch and stayed with it till the last ball was bowled. What a great way to spend the afternoon ! Nail biting to the bitter end and never confident that England would do it even when under 30 was required. Just brilliant !!
wow another great test ,well done England , I think Pakistan are a more dangerous option than Windies .
I thought this one was lost , we have a good series to look forward too ,that last one was half decent as well ,well done cricket
I've been watching Jimmy Anderson since cricket restarted and wondering whether age has finally caught up with him - I'd definitely look to leave him out of one of the final two tests. Wood and Curran both should have at least one more game this summer and I agree that, although he's a gifted bowler, Archer isn't the pure speed merchant people were saying he was going to be.
Buttler has been getting decent scores this summer and yesterday he came up with runs when they were most needed and when the pressure was at its highest. Therefore, with no obvious candidate waiting in the wings, I think Elwood is right when he says he can play as a specialist batsman - I'd give him one more go behind the stumps at Southampton because Old Trafford seems to be an awkward ground for keepers and bring Foakes in if Buttler continues to struggle behind the stumps.
I like Bess and his age needs to be taken into consideration, but I think he must be close to being left out now. The thing is, who do you pick in his place if you're going to pick a spinner (I think they should)? Leach has impressed more with the bat than the ball in his career so far and none of the younger leg spinners seem to be improving enough to be test bowlers - maybe try Parkinson of Lancashire or do you go back to Moeen (who looked shot as a batsman in the one dayers)?
Bob, you make an interesting point about spinners. I wonder why England have rarely been able to produce a consistent world-class spinner, or am I being a bit harsh? Swann has to be the pick of them all from the last 40 years, Giles, Ali, Tuffers and Panesar have had some good moments, too. We produce lots of excellent seamers, especially in English conditions, but never a spinner that might be half as successful as a Warne or Muralitharan. Our pitches are probably made more for seam and swing, yet we have seen how devastating a really top class spinner can be even here in test cricket.
Going back a long time, Derek Underwood was a devastating spinner when the conditions were right for him (ie rain affected wickets), but I'd say that Graham Swann is, by some way, the best spinner I've seen play for England.
Historically, you are right about conditions not favouring spin in this country, but when you look at things like climate change, I'd say that, once you get past the green pitches of April and May, conditions in the UK are becoming more like they are in other parts of the world. I'd say a good English leg spinner would be far more successful on modern day pitches than they have been in the past and it may be that there is more leg spin being bowled by youngsters in this country than at any other time in the game's history, so it might be that some one will break through in the fairly near future. Similarly, traditional UK pitches and grounds have not been the most encouraging for anyone who wanted to be, first and foremost, a fast bowler - although the pitches are still on the slow side, I'd say that their increased dryness mean more pace friendly conditions and so maybe we'll see a move towards pace and away from fast medium seamers?
Underwood was unplayable on his day, great bowler. Always thought he had a touch more pace than your average spinner which, I’d imagine, made him a more awkward opponent.
Foakes should replace Buttler behind the stumps. Hes a brilliant wicket keeper and more than a decent batsman.
Anderson is a difficult one as hes been such a great player. Leaving him out will mean the end of his career in all probability.
I think Wood has to come in though and id prefer Stone to come in before Curran.
I think they have to stick with Bess.
Redemption for Butler that takes some doing after critics claiming his 2 mistakes cost England 100 runs and probably the match at that stage.
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