SA will be batting again shortly after lunch Friday, in dry benign conditions, quietly compiling a target beyond even the childish hubris of Baz n Ben Harmer & Maharaj looking forward to tuning up their test stats and then hitting the golf course on Monday.
Pope averages over 50 for Surrey batting at 5. He doesn't have an average batting at 3 because he's never batted there. Batting 3 for England is basically asking him to open. It worked in the last test but it's really not fair on him.
Pope averages over 50 for Surrey batting at 5. He doesn't have an average batting at 3 because he's never batted there. Batting 3 for England is basically asking him to open. It worked in the last test but it's really not fair on him.
Like I said the other day all our best batsman want to bat 4, 5 or 6. Would you leave Root, Bairstow or Stokes out to fit him in?
Pope averages over 50 for Surrey batting at 5. He doesn't have an average batting at 3 because he's never batted there. Batting 3 for England is basically asking him to open. It worked in the last test but it's really not fair on him.
Like I said the other day all our best batsman want to bat 4, 5 or 6. Would you leave Root, Bairstow or Stokes out to fit him in?
Isn’t our issue that we have lots of no5’s and not many 1-3 batsmen ?
Yes it is. But with all his experience Root should play at 3 and Pope at 4. He ain't captain anymore so just tell him he's at 3.
I don't disagree about Root moving but he calls the shots, unfortunately and we have very few other options. The fact is that Pope hasn't been a failure at 3. His overall average is exactly 30 from 51 innings but, broken down by position (number of innings in brackets), this is the current situation:
So Pope has actually improved his average by moving up but, more than that, unlike the two openers, he doesn't look out of place batting there. This is a world class bowling attack he is facing and with 101 runs in three innings, no one currently gets near him.
Looks like its could be an even contest with 1st innings being around the same. Might all hinge on the Saffers 2nd innings & how much they leave us to get.
Probably wont last any more than 4 days.....although today with no rain stoppages there is likely to be only around 80 overs bowled. If they actually bowled 90 overs each & every day the match might not go into Sunday !
Comments
Now the fun starts 😣
Not too different to our First Innings score of 165 in the last Test. All we have to do now to put us well in front is to get 300 plus.
more or less than Saffers?
I am going for +38
A lead of 50 could be decisive.
I'm not optimistic, but let's hope we get lucky.
Lees out.
Harmer & Maharaj looking forward to tuning up their test stats and then hitting the golf course on Monday.
He doesn't have an average batting at 3 because he's never batted there.
Batting 3 for England is basically asking him to open.
It worked in the last test but it's really not fair on him.
But with all his experience Root should play at 3 and Pope at 4.
He ain't captain anymore so just tell him he's at 3.
Actually I think there is a really good argument for Stokes to bat at 3.
I'd make Root bat at 3
3 - 34.36 (11)
4 - 18.00 (3)
5 - 30.00 (11)
6- 30.60 (22)
7 - 24.00 (4)
So Pope has actually improved his average by moving up but, more than that, unlike the two openers, he doesn't look out of place batting there. This is a world class bowling attack he is facing and with 101 runs in three innings, no one currently gets near him.
Probably wont last any more than 4 days.....although today with no rain stoppages there is likely to be only around 80 overs bowled. If they actually bowled 90 overs each & every day the match might not go into Sunday !
More Boycsball than Bazball though, so he'll probably get dropped for being too defensive!