I am absolutely certain that calling up Brook, Duckett, Livingstone, Jacks et al is all about getting the best white ball players more interested in playing red ball in the knowledge that if they don't do that now then they will be lost to Test cricket - full stop
The big test will come when we have to bowl, and have to maintain some sort of control on the batting, without a decent second spinner, and an average first one.
Pope keeping wicket is a worry too. It seems odd bringing Billings to Australia to play in that pointless ODI series, but not to Pakistan as deputy keeper.
To put this bowling attack into perspective - five of the six bowlers used had one Test wicket between them prior to today. The other had 33. Anderson, with 667 wickets, has almost 20 times the total of the Pakistan bowling attack on his own! Combine that inexperience with a flat deck and a bullying batting line up and we are where we are.
one of the worst bowling attacks I have ever seen, and ever is a long time .. admittedly not helped by a far too flat pitch .. so pleased that we won the toss
506-4 off 75 overs and the players are brought off for bad light
Booooooooooo - 4 runs short of creating a new record for the most number of runs by any Test side in a day's play. But it is the most number of runs for the first day of a Test
Whilst I applauded the ICC & ICB for proposing starting the game a day later due to illness I dont applaud them for setting the playing conditions that means players walk off 15 overs short of the MINIMUM that should be played in a day. I mean, what's the point of having floodlights. And I hope people who do the record books put today's play as the highest scoring EVER......because I bet the 509 that Sri Lanka made wasn't done in 75 overs !
PS. I know the match probably started before 11am today but the ICC must start looking at daylight hours on the sub continent & change the playing conditions to suit. Many times in India & Pakistan play finishes even before the scheduled time because of light. We might get "bad light stops play" in England but thats usually because of the weather, not because of the sun setting. Maybe we should try starting test matches in England at 1pm & try getting in 90 overs during September.
Whilst I applauded the ICC & ICB for proposing starting the game a day later due to illness I dont applaud them for setting the playing conditions that means players walk off 15 overs short of the MINIMUM that should be played in a day. I mean, what's the point of having floodlights. And I hope people who do the record books put today's play as the highest scoring EVER......because I bet the 509 that Sri Lanka made wasn't done in 75 overs !
Whilst I applauded the ICC & ICB for proposing starting the game a day later due to illness I dont applaud them for setting the playing conditions that means players walk off 15 overs short of the MINIMUM that should be played in a day. I mean, what's the point of having floodlights. And I hope people who do the record books put today's play as the highest scoring EVER......because I bet the 509 that Sri Lanka made wasn't done in 75 overs !
You do know what records are, right?
No, Please tell me because I've shot 57 around Barnehurst Golf course but my name ain't in the record books !
Comments
Pope keeping wicket is a worry too. It seems odd bringing Billings to Australia to play in that pointless ODI series, but not to Pakistan as deputy keeper.
Full toss
Half volley
Long hop
Long hop
Long hop
Frankly it would have been embarrassing if Brook HADN'T hit six boundaries
He becomes centurion number 4 - the most in any one day of a Test match
Booooooooooo - 4 runs short of creating a new record for the most number of runs by any Test side in a day's play. But it is the most number of runs for the first day of a Test
PS. I know the match probably started before 11am today but the ICC must start looking at daylight hours on the sub continent & change the playing conditions to suit. Many times in India & Pakistan play finishes even before the scheduled time because of light. We might get "bad light stops play" in England but thats usually because of the weather, not because of the sun setting. Maybe we should try starting test matches in England at 1pm & try getting in 90 overs during September.