Cricket 2021: Paedoph with the England test team

[Inspector Norse]

Virat Kohli has got out three balls in a row.

[badaids]

Looks like Rob Ork is going to make the extremely insightful appointment of Stokes as next captain.

I assume his extensive reach went as far as looking one name further down the list of good players than Root.

The options are limited but is that all this wet load of bread headed par has got?

[Thursday]

RIP Joe Root's bat and ball bongo.

Not bothered who replaces him as long as it's not Stokes.

Hope Joe enjoys his retirement in a care home.

I would have thought this is the first time since Gooch quit that there has been genuine doubt (at least in my own mind) over who will take over permanantly. I am hoping there are non-paed voices within the ECB cautioning against saddling Stokes with the job.

God I hope it isn't Stokes. He will disintegrate.

Also it would basically the same leadership group with the roles switched. There needs to be a new leadership group and led by someone who is injured less.

I would say Broad has been captain, so give him a year in charge and wait to see if someone in the batting ranks steps forward.

The fact Bairstow isn't even talked about must mean he is a total head the ball.

The one thing this test side have done consistently is make the worst possible decisions at every step of the way, so the smart money will be on Stokes.

It means Stokes will definitely be offered the captaincy.

Well then

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/61163496


Next bet is he get's injured/has to take a break for family reasons/is involved in some controversy. Root is offered the role on a temporary basis.

Still I'm glad to hear this

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/61258933

And if he is genuinely up for it, and it doesn't kill him (maybe take some white ball cricket out of his schedule) then maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

[shoulders]

The chances of Stokes getting injured and it devolving into a series of threadless stand in periods, each backed up with a pompous ECB statement will rubber stamp our status as a lesser test nation (but with a huge budget).

[shoulders]

Looks like Rob Ork is going to make the extremely insightful appointment of Stokes as next captain.

I assume his extensive reach went as far as looking one name further down the list of good players than Root.

The options are limited but is that all this wet load of bread headed par has got?

He has also said selection is going to be based on not over thinking, so just selecting the best players until they drop dead.

Hopefully we will just continue playing Pope. While he has underperformed he can probably manage to at least equal the awful Lawrence or Crawley, with the potential for more.

[iamcoop]

Keadoph with the England test team

[badaids]

He has also said selection is going to be based on not over thinking, so just selecting the best players until they drop dead.

Hopefully we will just continue playing Pope. While he has underperformed he can probably manage to at least equal the awful Lawrence or Crawley, with the potential for more.

This feels like under thinking to be honest. The England usual pick the best player as captain bollocks. It's too much to hope for that there's any wider thinking behind this.

Id like to think there's some kind of plan to find a future captain in parallel behind the scenes.

[shoulders]

Yes, even if someone like Pope suddenly goes into god mode it could be 2 years until he is senior and proven enough to deserve the captaincy.

I'd have gone for Broad for an interim appointment. Stokes has realistically been part of the dubious brains trust that has failed us, so I can't see yet what obvious change and difference he will bring. However, with the right coach that could change.

[shoulders]

Some good stuff from Stokes in the first interview but still excuse making blaming Covid for poor results (so England were the only team it affected?) and claiming the dressing room and camp culture was very healthy (you aren't winning any games?)

[shoulders]

Another century for Bedingham (and a 69 ball ton from Stokes, I notice). Probably not worth reading too much into either given the opposition and match situation

[Inspector Norse]

Has David Bedingham qualified for England yet? it is after all 20 years since he hit the charts with 'Gotta Get Thru This'

[Inspector Norse]

Here's Stokes gunting 34 off an over (the final ball being a one-bounce four):

[king_tubby]

Well done Stokes, he's 18.

[Kankurette]

Bit old for a cricketer.

[Harry Badger]

Had a lovely experience in the members lounge at Sophia Gardens earlier watching Glamorgan v Leicestershire.

One Andy Gorvin was making his first class debut and came out to bat for the first time. I noticed a lot of oohs and aahs from the other side of the box as he struggled against Parkinson the Lesser before spanking a superb on-drive for four to get off the mark. Polite but huge applause from some folks I haven't seen in there before. Of course it was his mum, dad and little sister in there and I had a great chat with them as he made his way to 23* at the close - all proper cricket shots.

It was so nice to see their pride in him - he's 25 next week so a late starter after a lot of second XI at Hampshire and Uni cricket for Cardiff. I might try and drag myself out of bed tomorrow to see him get out to the new ball. 

[shoulders]

Has David Bedingham qualified for England yet? it is after all 20 years since he hit the charts with 'Gotta Get Thru This'

Hope he gets his chance.

[Harry Badger]

Haven't they re-extended the qualification period, after temporarily lowering it to get Archer in the team.

[Thursday]

Here's Stokes gunting 34 off an over (the final ball being a one-bounce four):

Sloppy on that last ball. The workload is getting to him.

[shoulders]

Can Stokes tell Cook to get the fuck back opening for England? Even if it is just home tests and not touring?

[robhug]

Graham Thorpe is at deaths door apparently

[iamcoop]

Worst batting coach in our entire history.

[shoulders]

Pead-tsd

[iamcoop]

The search for a test coach seems to have taken a left-field turn with Brendon McCullum now being touted as the front runner.

Could this be the emergence of a dominant new era? Ben Stokes' bat and ball bongo, if you will?

(No)

[Harry Badger]

Other names in the frame include a recall for Sam Robson and a debut for Matty Potts.

[Inspector Norse]

The search for a test coach seems to have taken a left-field turn with Brendon McCullum now being touted as the front runner.

Three weeks to the first test and they've been looking for a coach since December

[Harry Badger]

And it's now confirmed: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/61400703

[robhug]

Rob Key: Who's the best test team in the world? New Zealand. Obviously this means we need a Kiwi as Captain and Coach, there's no denying this logic.

[shoulders]

Other names in the frame include a recall for Sam Robson and a debut for Matty Potts.

I don't see anyone named doing any worse, but conversely, doing much better. Robson quite a strange one if he comes back, as there's no evidence his ability or technique has changed even slightly, and a lot of water has passed under the bridge since I watched him grind his way to a test century.

[Inspector Norse]

Sam Curran just got out for 78 meaning he has still never scored a century. Four fifties in five innings this season and still not converted. 22 and counting now, I wonder what the first-class record for unconverted fifties is? The test record is Dickwella's 19.

[Thursday]

Can't help but feel every County Cricket game currently having a team near 600 runs suggests teams aren't really being prepared for test match conditions.