He started that innings with intent but reverted to type as the innings went on and barely scored for the last 90 mins. Similarly today the only shot he could play with conviction was the leave. I just don't think he's test quality, not that we have any openers who are !
Good bowling followed by fragile batting. It's the England way, and has been for decades. Our all-rounders & bowlers frequently score more runs than our actual batsman. Annoying.
Ollie Pope has it all to be a very good test level batsman. The fact it hasn't overly clicked is due to the failures above him. Hopefully today is the start of big things for him. Glorious innings so far that I've no doubt jinxed.
Yeah, anything north of 75 was what I thought should be the aim. Especially from where we were at 11.45!
Just wondering, what got you guys into cricket? Were you taken to a match (at say Lord's) when you were young, did your parent(s) watch it a lot on the telly and got you interested, did you play it much at school and/or in your spare time, did it just have an instant appeal when you caught it on the TV, or any of the above? I've been thinking for years I ought to take an interest in this sport, but I only played a few sessions at school and I find it pretty complicated without the excitement of baseball. What would be good places to start in terms of viewing and learning the rules?
Are you a Yank LO? I spent two years living in the States and enjoy baseball too, for some of the reasons I like cricket (the nerdy stats for one thing). In my case it was a parent who loved the game, watched it a lot on TV and took me to watch Somerset v the mighty West Indies for my birthday in 1980. I did play at school, university and shortly afterwards but I was hopeless (as I am at all sports). I also very much enjoy the history of the sport. Where to start? Well, I suppose if you want 'entertainment' then you would probably start with T20 or The Hundred. Latter has just finished but former has FInals Day in two weekends time (come on the Cidermen!): will be on Sky. Those are the closest to baseball. But nothing really beats the subtlety of Test cricket, and the fact that a match can be pootling along with not much happening and then suddenly spring into life is part of its attraction. I'd say go to a Test Match, especially at Lord's, but tickets in this country are like gold dust (and just as expensive). It's also fun to watch a village/local cricket match even though you won't know the players, especially if the ground is in a nice location and you can have a pint or two while watching! Perhaps worth checking out some documentaries etc. I haven't seen 'The Edge', about how the England team got to the top of the Test rankings in the early '00s, but it is supposed to be good. I can certainly recommend 'Fire in Babylon', about the West Indies in the 70s/80s, which places that outstanding team in a political context.
England gifting wickets and throwing away the chance of building a 100+ lead, which they may need batting last and with the pitch at it's most serene today/tomorrow. The last 3 have just got themselves out through impatience.
Nope, I have only visited the States once and didn't go to a baseball game (would like to one day). I don't know any more about the sport than I do about cricket, but there's something about the pace of the game and atmosphere that as things stand seems more appealing, plus I enjoy the baseball plots in the Simpsons (notably in the episode Homer at the Bat, which is hilarious and well directed even if you don't know anything about baseball). That could change though if I get seriously interested in cricket...
That's a great episode. I asked because it's quite unusual for a Brit to confess to a liking for baseball! I actually only went to one game while in the US: a night game at Yankee Stadium. Brilliant experience.
Given where we were at 11:30, you'd have given anything to be in this position. With a 99 run lead and an hour and a bit for India to bat, a couple of wickets would be handy.
