Pope has played brilliantly, almost throughout the innings. What a great pleasure to see someone scoring what will surely be one of many, many hundreds.
He should be inked in for the number six spot for a very long time. He may, eventually, be pushed up the order, but I hope the urge to experiment in that way is resisted. If England want to be the best in the world, they need to have the best player in the world in as many positions as possible. Stokes, Pope, Broad and Anderson could become the best numbers five, six,, ten and eleven in the world in the world. We need to fill a few more spots, but Pope should be the fourth piece in the jigsaw.
Very, very impressed.
Agree on Pope, leave him at 6 for at least 18 months before considering whether to move him. The temptation will be if Stokes is out and we go with Woakes and Curran at 7/8. With the keeper likely to bat at 6 you would imagine Pope will then play at 5.
Don’t think Anderson is going to be the best 11 in the world for much longer unfortunately.
Pope shouldn't be reversing Rabada for consecutive fours and just watching the ball fly for four.
He should be reversing Rabada for consecutive fours, running down the pitch and screaming as loud as possible in Rabada's face. And then watching the ball fly for four.
Pope has played brilliantly, almost throughout the innings. What a great pleasure to see someone scoring what will surely be one of many, many hundreds.
He should be inked in for the number six spot for a very long time. He may, eventually, be pushed up the order, but I hope the urge to experiment in that way is resisted. If England want to be the best in the world, they need to have the best player in the world in as many positions as possible. Stokes, Pope, Broad and Anderson could become the best numbers five, six,, ten and eleven in the world in the world. We need to fill a few more spots, but Pope should be the fourth piece in the jigsaw.
Very, very impressed.
Agree on Pope, leave him at 6 for at least 18 months before considering whether to move him. The temptation will be if Stokes is out and we go with Woakes and Curran at 7/8. With the keeper likely to bat at 6 you would imagine Pope will then play at 5.
Don’t think Anderson is going to be the best 11 in the world for much longer unfortunately.
I agree- leave Pope at 6 for at least 18 months. Dont even consider it for a while. Let him settle. I'm not actually sure he is suited to 3. But that's a question for another time.
499 / 9 declared. Let's pick up a few tonight. The South Africans can't be too happy with this position, although if Wood can score that easily, you do wonder....
Pope has played brilliantly, almost throughout the innings. What a great pleasure to see someone scoring what will surely be one of many, many hundreds.
He should be inked in for the number six spot for a very long time. He may, eventually, be pushed up the order, but I hope the urge to experiment in that way is resisted. If England want to be the best in the world, they need to have the best player in the world in as many positions as possible. Stokes, Pope, Broad and Anderson could become the best numbers five, six,, ten and eleven in the world in the world. We need to fill a few more spots, but Pope should be the fourth piece in the jigsaw.
Very, very impressed.
Agree on Pope, leave him at 6 for at least 18 months before considering whether to move him. The temptation will be if Stokes is out and we go with Woakes and Curran at 7/8. With the keeper likely to bat at 6 you would imagine Pope will then play at 5.
Don’t think Anderson is going to be the best 11 in the world for much longer unfortunately.
I agree- leave Pope at 6 for at least 18 months. Dont even consider it for a while. Let him settle. I'm not actually sure he is suited to 3. But that's a question for another time.
Pope has played brilliantly, almost throughout the innings. What a great pleasure to see someone scoring what will surely be one of many, many hundreds.
He should be inked in for the number six spot for a very long time. He may, eventually, be pushed up the order, but I hope the urge to experiment in that way is resisted. If England want to be the best in the world, they need to have the best player in the world in as many positions as possible. Stokes, Pope, Broad and Anderson could become the best numbers five, six,, ten and eleven in the world in the world. We need to fill a few more spots, but Pope should be the fourth piece in the jigsaw.
Very, very impressed.
I agree, but broad and Anderson aren’t getting any younger. I think archer and Curran could replace their roles, with archer being the strike bowler.
I think jury’s still out on sibley and Crawley, burns when he’s fit should get back in the team.
Sam Curran is no Stuart Broad.
Agree. Broad is a strike bowler and Curren is an all rounder. Having said that Curren has just been given the new ball.
499 / 9 declared. Let's pick up a few tonight. The South Africans can't be too happy with this position, although if Wood can score that easily, you do wonder....
Strange score to declare on, a shame to not get the 500 as it's such a rarity and it's not as if we're on the 4th/5th day.
499 / 9 declared. Let's pick up a few tonight. The South Africans can't be too happy with this position, although if Wood can score that easily, you do wonder....
Strange score to declare on, a shame to not get the 500 as it's such a rarity and it's not as if we're on the 4th/5th day.
I’m guessing broad couldn’t be arsed to put his pads on.
nice chat with Boucher (SA coach) at close of play .. said nice things about England and defended his own players very nicely .. defended Rabada but admitted he goes a bit OTT at times
Shouldn’t have celebrated like that, only did it to get a reaction, which he didn’t get. I don’t mind big celebrations and passionate ones, but not in the batsman’s face like that or to get a reaction. I mean rabada admitted he did it, and it’s the accumulation of multiple offences that see him banned. Just a load of old ex players getting grumpy.
Point is he wasn't banned for that single incident. It was an acculamation over a 24 month period. Yes it'll be a shame not to see him in the next Test but he only has himself to blame for repeated incidents.
I just switched over from the Test to watch the Under 19 World Cup and have seen one of the unluckiest dismissal of all time.
The Aussie bat has absolutely crunched the ball back and it has hit the West Indian fast bowler's trailing foot mid air on the follow through and deflected straight onto the stumps with the non striker miles out of his ground.
The commentators have said that this is the second such dismissal in the innings and has been followed by a gloved catch down the leg side. You really have to feel sorry for the Aussies - not!
499 / 9 declared. Let's pick up a few tonight. The South Africans can't be too happy with this position, although if Wood can score that easily, you do wonder....
Strange score to declare on, a shame to not get the 500 as it's such a rarity and it's not as if we're on the 4th/5th day.
Not really. Whilst it would be nice to get one more run in reality it matters not one bit.
It was clear that we were going to declare at the fall of the next wicket. Root had actually declared when wood was given out of a no ball 15 runs previously.
Time is so important in this game given the pitch and the weather why easy time sending out broad who is likely to only last a ball or 2.
Comments
He should be reversing Rabada for consecutive fours, running down the pitch and screaming as loud as possible in Rabada's face. And then watching the ball fly for four.
Broad is a strike bowler and Curren is an all rounder.
Having said that Curren has just been given the new ball.
Conor Gallagher? Ginger? You sure about that..?
But when you have 3 demerit points to your name to do what he done makes me think he's a bit thick.
Here’s my view of Day 2: https://www.burtonsblog.com/post/curates-are-yesterday-s-news-as-a-pope-comes-of-age
Deadly Derek Underwood.
The Aussie bat has absolutely crunched the ball back and it has hit the West Indian fast bowler's trailing foot mid air on the follow through and deflected straight onto the stumps with the non striker miles out of his ground.
The commentators have said that this is the second such dismissal in the innings and has been followed by a gloved catch down the leg side. You really have to feel sorry for the Aussies - not!
It was clear that we were going to declare at the fall of the next wicket. Root had actually declared when wood was given out of a no ball 15 runs previously.
Time is so important in this game given the pitch and the weather why easy time sending out broad who is likely to only last a ball or 2.