And that is why I questioned why we sent Wood in. All it means is that we have given them a cheap wicket on a track that isn't doing a thing.
If we can't trust our front line batsmen on this then we never will.
I put this on the general things that annoy you thread a long long time ago.
For me the only time to bring in a night watchman is at the end of Day 4 if you are intending to save the match by batting out Day 5. Not 2 wickets down in the first innings.
I'm certainly no expert but I can't see any other reason? Wood coming in and getting out is also another reason not to bother.
Wood batted terribly for a night watchman anyway. Matthew Hoggard was a good night watchman, as he knew how to bat negatively, blocking and boring the bowlers, not smishing away outside the off stump!
Superb innings this from Cook. He's had a tough 18 months but he's come through it. I haven't been his biggest fan in the last 18 months but he had a decent ashes series with the bat & as captain, now this innings is showing he's made of tough stuff. Fair play to him.
Here's a question for everyone. With Warne, Murali, Swann and Vettori all gone and so many others with "special" balls currently serving bans for illegal actions (or in the case of Narine severely restricted for fear of incurring a lifetime ban) what is going to really inspire kids, especially in this country, to bowl spin?
With pitches being produced that do nothing for the art of spin, there really is very little incentive - bar a batsman becoming a decent run stopping bowler in one day cricket and thereby adding it to their value as a cricketer.
There's a bit of pressure on many England players, Bairstow who's trying to re-establish himself, while both Stokes and Buttler need runs. You can see how Bell struggled, knowing that he had to get runs
There's a bit of pressure on many England players, Bairstow who's trying to re-establish himself, while both Stokes and Buttler need runs. You can see how Bell struggled, knowing that he had to get runs
And that us what makes the back to his best Cook and Root world class - albeit one a slow and lengthy torturer of the opposition bowling attack and the other a "stand up and give it to them" type batsman.
A couple more batsmen of that ilk and a top spinner and we would be a force to reckon with - away from, as well as, at home.
Possibly. With the pitch still not doing much & only a few days between the end of the 1st test & the start of the 2nd, England may decide to just bat out and keep Pakistan in the field for the rest of the test
Comments
For me the only time to bring in a night watchman is at the end of Day 4 if you are intending to save the match by batting out Day 5. Not 2 wickets down in the first innings.
I'm certainly no expert but I can't see any other reason? Wood coming in and getting out is also another reason not to bother.
327-3
Cook 184* (360)
Root 24* (49)
358-3 & 165 behind
Cook 189* (368)
Root 74* (112)
Partnership of 104
393-3 and 130 behind
Cook 204* (407)
Root 76* (124)
Cook relentless on 221* (446)
426-4 and just 97 behind
With pitches being produced that do nothing for the art of spin, there really is very little incentive - bar a batsman becoming a decent run stopping bowler in one day cricket and thereby adding it to their value as a cricketer.
443-5 & 80 behind
Cook 230* (460)
A couple more batsmen of that ilk and a top spinner and we would be a force to reckon with - away from, as well as, at home.
Cook 237* (471)
Stokes 16* (32)
Cook 246* (485)
Stokes 39* (64)
Cook 246
Stokes 39