Cricket thread (Summer edition)

A two test series is ridiculous. If there were a third 'decider' it would have been quite exciting, but with a two test series, you lose the first one and you can't win the series - daft.
Now we've got five ODIs and one Twenty20 against Australia and 3 Twenty20s and 3 ODIs against India before a 5 match test series against India that doesn't start until August! It's no good the ECB moaning about the demise of test match cricket when they schedule virtually none of it for June and none at all for July.

As always with cricket (and sport more generally) it will be the money from TV audiences which dictate most of this. India of course being the biggest TV audience for cricket and therefore guaranteeing them oodles of coverage.
 
Well yes, but I am sure the Indian audience (many of whom who will probably watch the short form stuff on dodgy streams like everyone who doesn't want - or can't afford - pay the Sky sports tax) would watch the limited overs stuff whenever it was on. Meanwhile the ECB wrings it's hands about test cricket while relegating it to the edges of the domestic season while also making it far less accessible to British viewers.
Like most people of a certain age, I got into cricket because test matches were on the BBC during the summer school holidays. That is now missing and is IMO hugely significant.
 
Well yes, but I am sure the Indian audience (many of whom who will probably watch the short form stuff on dodgy streams like everyone who doesn't want - or can't afford - pay the Sky sports tax) would watch the limited overs stuff whenever it was on. Meanwhile the ECB wrings it's hands about test cricket while relegating it to the edges of the domestic season while also making it far less accessible to British viewers.
Like most people of a certain age, I got into cricket because test matches were on the BBC during the summer school holidays. That is now missing and is IMO hugely significant.

Yep, it’s a crying shame. Seeing Mark Nicholas presenting the highlights last week reminded me of how unifying the Channel 4 coverage of 2005 was. Granted, a first Ashes win in yonks was significant but many more millions watched it and engaged with English cricket as a result of terrestrial access.
 
Why exactly are the Aussies over here? Only played them 4 or so months ago. All its really doing is giving them more experience of the conditions before the world Cup next year. It is a joke no tests now until August.
 
Anyone following the Scotland - England ODI? Scotland 371-5 after being put in to bat. This should be interesting.
 
Anyone following the Scotland - England ODI? Scotland 371-5 after being put in to bat. This should be interesting.
Yes. The batters have got a real job on here. Plunkett was dreadful. Constantly pitching it short on that pitch was ludicrous. He was getting tonked but just kept doing it. Not using his brain, unless it was a plan that was failing!!
 
They did say at the time that it was an excellent wicket with short boundaries.

Bairstow scored his third OD century in a row and England could still win.

Our bowling on the seam side looks to be a little short. I am not sure that Willey is International quality?
 
We are trying our hardest to lose this, down to Ali now to dig us out of this big hole.
 
It’ll be a miracle if we win now
Certainly looking like Scotland's game, but a few big hits will get us moving again... As Plunkett smacks a six. 51 off 7 overs needed.
 
Morgan after losing to Scotland: “It’s not the end of the world” It’s obviously not but is that a great quote from an England captain?

This following on from the rugby yesterday does beg the question, do any of the major English teams care enough or are they all bit too complacent and cosy?
 
Losing to Scotland at Cricket .... is that a new low ? just when you thought it couldn't get any direr, ECB's chosen 11 manage to be both incapable of bowling or batting against a National Cricket side who, on paper, are hundreds of miles below England.....shame is it was played on grass, not on paper!)


Long, long gone are the outdated, public school, old school tie approach of' it doesn't matter if you win or lose, its how you play the game' ethos... Except, it appears, in International Cricket and Rugby ..... (and maybe football too? we'll find out in a few weeks! )...... it ALWAYS should matter to anyone putting on an England shirt, ..... Long overdue changes at the very top of English international sports organisations are needed sooner rather than later,. bringing in massive changes in coaching, approach, tactics, the whole caboodle....THEN there might, just might, be some pride restored by those selected to play for England at the highest level, in any sport?
 
Poor batting from England as a team. Too many easy wickets given away, just like the test team and really little positive to come out of it.
 
Poor batting? Think we should be looking at the bowlers to be honest. Letting Scotland get north of 370? Not good enough by a long way, even on that pitch.
 
Surely Bayliss has to get the chop?! England had a terrible winter and the summer hasn’t started much better. Hasn’t he already announced that he is retiring after the World Cup?
 
Poor batting? Think we should be looking at the bowlers to be honest. Letting Scotland get north of 370? Not good enough by a long way, even on that pitch.

A bit from column A and a bit from column B.

It was a good batting pitch and being a tight ground boundaries were easy to come by. The TMS team said, regardless of the bowler, the margin of error was very tight so anything wide or short was always going to be attacked so a big score for both sides was going to be possible. That said, England’s identikit bowling attack was far from threatening.

I think the complacency in the batting was more of a bowling. When it could have been won in singles, you get Moeen holing out needlessly and then England having to rely on the tail. Just because the tail can bat a bit it doesn’t mean they have to! The fact that we ended up with Moeen Ali and Liam Plunkett batting told you how cheaply the top order gave their wickets away.

All that said, credit to Scotland. Big total, disciplined finale and a thumb in the eye to the ICC. England fans can whinge but that was Scotland’s day.
 
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