And just when you thought it was safe to have faith…..
England’s morning session of horror has cost England the test match. The two experienced campaigners just rubbed our noses in it. It seems when England have a bad day they don’t do it by half. They go all in.
Root’s departure this morning set the tone. 7 wickets fell for 36 in a blur of bad shots, bad play and bad timing. Focus inevitably beams in on Jos Buttler, who compounded his batting failure with the bat with some badly-timed wicket-keeping mistakes.
There are many issues with this team, and I’m not sure many of us, whether we are on this blog or criticise it who believe that things should not change. Now we have to wonder what we can do. This team is so maddeningly inconsistent that they can be fun to watch because at times they reach the heights. What is there to do? We’ll discuss this after the match.
I nearly forgot, and apologies for doing so, but Wahab Riaz and Yasir Shah were very very good today. Going to be interesting to see them in England this summer.
Meanwhile Younus and Misbah, the old heads, have been imperious. I’m not sure if this is a lesson to England that dispensing with players in the early-mid thirties is a folly, but watching these two just play (and they had their bits of luck) is a pleasure to watch as long as you aren’t a blind England fan. Younus is an absolute legend, a top top player not given his due. Misbah is unassuming and yet eccentric – block, block, block, six.
(Wardy – are there people who really don’t think Kallis is an all-time great? erm…..)
222-3, 358 behind, dead in the water. Not even “two quick wickets” could solve this problem. There will be no rain. Can England bat time. We want to see a fight. Please.
Meanwhile, in bizarre Ceylon, Kraigg Brathwaite takes 6/29. Lord almighty! Did someone say they were the best bowling figures by an opening batsman? Could SimonH confirm this is true? West Indies need 244 to win, and are 20/1, losing Brathwaite from the last ball of the day. Sri Lanka must be hot favourites.
Afghanistan are on the brink of beating Zimbabwe in the ODI series. It speaks volumes about both teams.
I might add to this later, but comments on Day 4 to be put below. Have a good day.
Being Outside Cricket 
Not even close!
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/62741.html
LikeLike
This was the one I thought could be a rival…
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63318.html
LikeLike
Ah Mudassar Nazar….Lubo was his bunny for quite some time. His and Jeremy Coney’s. Tragic it was. My favourite batsman outwitted by pie chuckers.
LikeLike
Enjoy…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DImH8wmbZFg
LikeLike
Richie was calling him “the Mudassar Mauler” by the end of the series….
LikeLike
Those were the days, when the England selectors picked a team without a single regular opening bat. Was that Peter May’s panel?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can you imagine… You are David Gower and you are now captain. This is your bowling attack… This is your team. I think I would have taken cyanide.
LikeLike
Brathwaite’s figures are the best by an opening batsman since 1957. Frank Worrell took 7/70 in the Leeds Test of 1957. Maybe somewhat surprisingly, England won that match by an innings.
LikeLike
Lohmann’s 9/28 against South Africa takes the cake though.
LikeLike
Bloody hell. Unless Kumble or Laker opened in their games, we have a winner!
LikeLike
Blimey, that England team contained a Sir, a Lord and a Bromley-Davenport.
Giles Clarke would’ve been happy….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lots of discussion during the TV commentary on Younis Khan’s stated ambition of scoring 10000 Test runs.
Strangely, it was taken as proof of his class, his ambition, his drive, his quality…. and not that it’s just all about him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah yes. Downton and his fixation with the All Blacks. No dickheads and all that.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/8578164/All-Black-Julian-Savea-charged-with-assault
Hey, you know…I never knew about this until told by a rugby loving colleague.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So disappointing after the good fight back yesterday. But not unexpected when you are relying on only 2 test match batsman. Bell looks like he’s gone mentally. Must be a huge question mark over the decision to change his mind from retiring. Butler is also looking jaded. (Has been for some time) We still haven’t sorted out the opening slot. Is M Ali going to open in South Africa? We have discarded a number of openers because of so called trust issues. We lost Trott our established number 3, and then chose to get rid of our established number 4 at exactly the same time.
England have not played well in overseas matches recently. Failing to win in the West Indies, and now looking to be going down to defeat here. That on the back of other poor results including the World Cup. Just as well we have a nice easy series next. Snark* In recent years if the pitch doesn’t seam around like last summer, we are screwed. The even bigger worry is there are not a lot of players piling up runs in county cricket. Taylor should get a go now, but we don’t know if he will turn into a good test player.
The ECB love the home matches played on helpful pitches. County cricket has been reduced to being of a crap standard played mostly in May and early June,and late August and September with lots of ODI cricket in the middle. What’s the answer? I haven’t got a clue. But all the Monet going into English cricket is not producing enough top batsman who can play on flat pitches.
LikeLike
Referring to something you mentioned yesterday. Mediawatch of Football 365 punctures some of the bullshit.
Here’s Neil Ashton…
‘Now the ebullient (Harry) Redknapp has been replaced by a clipboard manager.’
That line from Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail in November 2013 tells you all you need to know about his views on football management. He loves top, top, top bloke Harry Redknapp with his “just f**king run around a bit” approach to tactics, was enraged by the studious Andre Villas-Boas to the point of open warfare and championed Tim Sherwood for all his facking passion. Ashton is a proper football man backing other proper football men.
And what’s worse than a ‘clipboard manager’ to a proper football man? A ‘laptop guru’, of course.
The target of Ashton’s ire is ‘the laptop guru who did a number on Brendan Rodgers’. Or Liverpool’s head of technical performance Michael Edwards, as he probably prefers to be known.
Edwards is one of six (now five) members of the infamous Liverpool transfer committee that has been deciding on the Reds’ transfer business since 2012.
The implication of the words ‘did a number’ are of course that Edwards caused Rodgers’ downfall. With his laptop.
Let’s take a look at the charge sheet – as detailed by Ashton:
* Edwards ‘dropped the owners emails throughout the day’.
Presumably from his laptop. The c*ck.
* ‘Edwards encourages staff to use his nickname ‘Eddie’, giving a matey feel to the working environment.’
This is becoming indefensible.
* ‘Edwards fell perfectly into place with FSG’s Moneyball strategy, the statistical model designed to extract maximum value in the transfer market. Clearly, with the club 10th in the league and paying up to three times the going rate for players, it needs refinement.’
Did it also need ‘refinement’ when the same strategy took Liverpool within a slip of the Premier League title?
* ‘Despite a lack of playing experience at any relevant level, Edwards, who earns £300,000 a year, has a big say on Liverpool’s notorious transfer committee.’
Not quite the same say as Brendan Rodgers (who had the final say), whose playing career highlight was as a defender for Northern Ireland Schools; he earned over £3m a year.
* ‘After each Liverpool game Edwards emails analysis and data to the club’s owners in America, detailing where the match was won and lost.’
Sounds useful.
* ‘Edwards and his team of analysts have invented a new language for football. Strikers are all about goal expectancy, chances created and the percentage of successful passes in the final third. Old-school managers just want to know if the boy can put the ball in the net. Defensive midfielders are judged on interceptions and the number of challenges won in the centre of the pitch.’
Firstly, we’re pretty sure that Edwards did not invent those words. And secondly, what do ‘old school managers’ judge defensive midfielders on if not tackles? The muckiness of their shorts? The blood on their testicles?
* Edwards and his breed ‘sits in air-conditioned offices’.
Proper football men hate air-conditioned offices.
* He ‘constantly monitors the opposition, providing detail about playing positions, style, routines, set-pieces and other important matchday information’.
Again, sounds useful.
* ‘They profile players based on their last 10-20 appearances, gathering information and helping Rodgers build a presentation for his players before matches that was usually a maximum of 10 pages on each team. It is a useful, but far from infallible, tool.’
Sound useful. But not infallible. Like all statistics.
* ‘He has emerged as a senior figure at Liverpool, empowered by FSG to make the call on big transfer targets after gaining their trust since his arrival in 2011.’
Oh. Right. So does he have the final say? That might explain how he ‘has Rodgers’ number’. Did he make him buy Divock Origi?
* ‘They clashed over transfer strategy, although Rodgers went on record to insist that he always had the final say over the recruitment of players earmarked for the first-team squad.’
Oh. It’s almost like two blokes who worked together didn’t quite get on. And one of them had a laptop.
Floppity-flop
‘The committee have yet to explain how they came up with the figure of £29million to sign Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim, who finished eighth in the Bundesliga last season,’ writes an indignant Ashton.
Presumably Chelsea should not have offered anything close to £35m for John Stones on the basis that Everton finished 11th last season. Because that’s exactly how it works.
Oh and the initial fee for Firmino was less than £22m. And he did score 23 goals and claim 21 assists in his last two seasons in the Bundesliga. Some might say the boy can put the ball in the net.
The other transfer committee flop cited by Ashton is Divock Origi, who ‘could not even come off the bench in the club’s last two league games’. He couldn’t? He couldn’t actually get up? Blame the d*ck with the laptop.
Checks and balances
After reading Ashton’s hatchet job on the geek with the laptop, Mediawatch consulted James Pearce in the Liverpool Echo for a breakdown of Liverpool’s signings and just how many of them were driven by somebody other than Rodgers.
According to Pearce:
‘Rodgers was the driving force behind signing the likes of Fabio Borini, Joe Allen, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Rickie Lambert, Danny Ings, James Milner and Christian Benteke, while the other members of the committee championed the suitability of players such as Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho, Sakho, Emre Can, Moreno, Luis Alberto, Iago Aspas, Lazar Markovic, Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino.’
So the only two undoubted successes of Liverpool’s transfer business since 2012 were suggested by members of the committee rather than poor put-upon laptop-less Brendan Rodgers?
Wizardry
‘Edwards can tap away at a laptop and within seconds tell you how many assists the 24-year-old Turkish left back Eren Albayrak has made for Rizespor this season (four).’
It’s not sorcery, Neil, it’s called the internet.
LikeLike
Dmitri, that is just unbelievable stuff. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of information.
The real problem with Rodgers was he was another laboratory manager. Constantly playing square pegs in round holes. Another tinker man. Who knows who decided on transfers?
Ashton let the cat out of the bag. The premiership is a soap opera. Systems and tactics don’t sell papers. It’s about personalities and not policies. Deeply shallow coverage. I expect he will be all over the Cheslea melt down tomorrow. It’s what the readers want.
LikeLike
Ashton has a lot of support amongst those covering the Anfield patch. We’ll see what a ‘top top’ manager makes of the squad. Brendan, god bless him, shot his bolt last season.
LikeLike
Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 73 runs. Sean Williams made 102. Next best effort by a Zimbabwe batsman was Jongwe, with all of 16 runs. Congratulations to Afghanistan are in order. Giles Clarke will undoubtedly see this as an opportunity to snub Afghanistan AND Zimbabwe.
LikeLike
Ah, I feel better now. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to have a good belly laugh about English cricket. They got good (under Vaughan), then they got nasty (under Strauss and Cook), and lately have been hovering around competent, but today was a throw back to the 80’s. Batting collapse then bowling against an impenetrable brick wall.
Misbah-ul-Haq shapes to sweep, so Anderson at slip and Buttler start running to leg side in anticipation. He changes his shot at the last second to glance it right through where first slip had been standing. Anderson can only stand there and watch the catch float away. Summed up the day, and took me about 5 minutes to stop laughing. Total mastery, and Misbah didn’t even smile.
LikeLike
Yeah Fred, it was a great bit of video, that. Misbah is a class act. Totes!
LikeLike
A reliable BTL source at the Guardian says Swann on TMS was criticising Cook’s field placings for Rashid.
Anyone know what the so-called friend was saying?
LikeLike
No, but heard some stuff when he was on with FICJAM.
However, this BTL champion is in pure arslikhan mode….
“Official apology to Mike Selvey for doubting his view that Pakistan were in the box seat: it turns out they were in the only seat.”
Can I polish your shoes, Michael. We’re not worthy…
LikeLike
It was probably Mike Selveys gardener.
LikeLike
Because Selvey just knew in his old cricketing bones that the next day England were going to post their worst collapse in a decade, Oracle that he is.
England competed with Pakistan for 7 days, on the 8th they fell. Unfortunately they fell so badly they blew the test. Selvey must indeed be a genius if he was able to predict that.
I’m not reading those pages now but I think I can guess who the BTL champ is. The fact that is was an “official” apology demonstrates a level of obsequiousness that can only belong to west or duc blangis.
The good news for England is that they blew the test by batting like morons. In the face of very good bowling admittedly, but it’s nothing they can’t fix. They didn’t get bamboozled by Shah, they just forgot the basics. Not impossible for them to come back next test.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I certainly heard Vaughan[y] grumbling.
LikeLike
Impressed by Aamir Sohail on The Verdict.
Dominic Cork appears to be arguing he’d drop Ali or Stokes ahead of Buttler.
LikeLike
Colvile is looking at him as if he has two heads.
LikeLike
I think there is quite a Lancashire bias on Sky. Bumble, Alott, Atherton, Cork, all ex lancies. So Butler will get a lot of support.
I remember when Bumble argued that Flintoff should captain the Ashes team in 2007 after Michael Vaughn got injured. It was a mad idea when Strauss was available. It’s quite funny looking back and knowing now how much success Strauss would go on to have as captain that the powers that be gave Freddie a go. He was going to get the best out of his mate Harmy.
The fact that he was expected to be a front line Bowler and bat at 6/7 and be captain. You would think they would have learned from Sir Ian Botham.
LikeLike
He does have two faces.
LikeLike
I’ve been away.
I thought, some time ago, that Root should obviously be opening, is an opener, is the sort of class opener this side lacks etc.
Should Joe Root not be opening? And can a side with the batting frailty of England really afford two all-rounders? (Here I mean Ali and Stokes)
And are we not, in fact, going to struggle in South Africa?
Also, where are we with the Pringle prediction? I’ve lost count.
LikeLike
Pringle needs 6 out of 6 – and thus England to magically turn it around this Test.
I am fairly confident that he also predicted 5 series wins.
LikeLike
Ever opened your fridge door and detected a faint whiff that suggests something is decomposing at the back of the shelf?
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/931959.html
Dan Vettori accepts £9000 pounds that Cairns owes him from some previous deal, and it’s delivered in £20 notes while they were on a tour to England. Because that’s how legitimate professional people do business, by exchanging large amounts of money in small bills. Dan thinks the situation was “innocuous”.
Time the fridge got a thorough cleaning.
LikeLike
Ever seen a small piece of ice floating in the ocean and had a strong suspicion it was the tip of an iceberg?
(Oh, but not Dan… please, not Dan… )
LikeLike
Et tu Vettori?
LikeLike
Talk about how the other half lives…. Vettori claims Cairns owed him the £9000 for two years …
LikeLike
Yeah, that would be sad.
Notice too he wanted a $15 000 diamond ring because he was getting married. Because that’s what you need when you get married. You should have seen their faces at Cartier when I paid for mine in £20 notes.
I couldn’t care less about the IPL, if it was all rigged it wouldn’t bother me that much, it’s a circus anyway, but if it’s touching tests then I get worried.
LikeLike
Misbah not got his twin tons, holing out to mid-off. Here’s his trick shot from yesterday (from a very good Twitter source for highlights that deserves to be more widely known):
https://twitter.com/cricingif/status/657889273446858752
LikeLike
BWHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!
LikeLike
Thank you! That page is getting bookmarked, to be used when I’m feeling down.
LikeLike
Good source for highlights:
Jonathan Trott doing the expert summaries on TV at the moment and doing it very well.
LikeLike
Also, Moeen Ali bowled his 8th over in the 84th over of the innings. I know he did not have the best of returns up to then (7-0-39-0). By that time Rashid was on 20-1-86-0, so it is not like Rashid was that cheap. Not sure if something is wrong with him (minor injury), or that Cook is losing confidence in him.
Again the quicks were more economical. Part of it might be due to the fact that Pakistan know that England have picked two spinners, and are quite willing to wait for their opportunity to take them on.
Lots of selection issues for England.
I don’t see Moeen getting dropped, even though the only role that Moeen has not had is a bowling-allrounder/wicketkeeper. As strange as it may sound, I can see Rashid getting dropped for a batsman – thus increasing the workload of the quicks, but also, demanding a change of tactics from Pakistan’s batsmen.
Anderson’s stats look good, but if you take out the Masood wickets, he has just 3/130 at a SR of 128 (I know cricket does not work like that, but I can imagine that England expect a bit more from the leader of the attack). Wood has done well, so barring injury, I can’t see Wood dropped.
LikeLike
Ton up for Younis. Lead has swelled to 431 already. Still a boatload of time in this game – 157 overs if we get all the overs in.
LikeLike
Younis Khan moves ahead of Chanderpaul and Hayden to tenth on the list of Test centurions:
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=hundreds;template=results;type=batting
He’s only ever been dismissed in the 90s once (against NZ back in 2001 – he made 149* in the second innings).
LikeLike
Out tomorrow:
https://instagram.com/p/9I2585I-qG/
LikeLike
Apologies for the two double postings – WordPress seems to be delaying anything with a Twitter link but it isn’t displaying the usual ‘your comment is awaiting moderation’ message which made it seem like the first post has failed.
LikeLike
DOAG released on DVD tomorrow.
LikeLike
Will [redacted] “get round to seeing it” now?
LikeLike
My copy has just arrived!
LikeLike
Cook gone, and not exactly to the greatest shot imaginable to Yasir Shah. This after Imran Khan accounted for Moeen. 19/2. Will England reach stumps?
LikeLike
He’s limping.
LikeLike
Bumble said it was a pulled groin muscle. Vaughan, on TMS, said this was an injury which limits your shot-making. Top of his list of shots you should not attempt with a groin injury?
The sweep.
LikeLike
Others were saying it was a back injury. I’m just going to enjoy the contortions the Cookie Crew are going to put themselves in at any perceived (or real) comments going his way.
Enjoy copious slagging off of KP, tales of heroism, and selfless leadership…
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Only an unfortunate, if understandable, given the seemingly endless endurance he has demonstrated in what is becoming one of England’s greatest batting careers, injury to Cook, prevented the team from, in the most trying of conditions in which an Englishman can play cricket, albeit with unprecedented professionalism of the ECB, securing a defiant draw, while neither the faith courageously show in Rashid who has failed to appreciate the magnitude Alistair’s trust, nor Ali, who has joined the long list of openers unable to provide Cook with the support he needs, delivered the deserved rewards to a captain who has surely answered all his critics and more.”
Can I have a job at the Guardian?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Current jobs available at the”G” are Tea boy for either Owen Jones, Polly Toynbee or Mike Selvey. All are advertised on the BBC website and are of course zero hours contracts.
LikeLike
Fine display of comma skills there, Fred. They should certainly hire you, though I’m told the money’s terrible.
LikeLike
Was that an appeal by Imran Khan or did somebody just stamp on his fingers?
LikeLike
Meanwhile, *scenes* in Mumbai:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-south-africa-2015-16/engine/match/903601.html
which I have jinxed the instant I pasted the link, sorry!
LikeLike
Bellie Bellie Bellie!
LikeLike
Who’s using the team brain currently?
If Cook had strained something why didn’t he delay batting until tomorrow? Bell owes the team, Root’s the best ever (according to some)… surely they could’ve coped and given the captain a chance to mend a bit? Oh, they are in now. Never mind, then.
LikeLike
It looked as if he strained something while fielding, in which case why not go straight off for treatment? At the very least it seems odd that he came out to open the innings, moving even less freely than usually, barely able to run a single, in conditions where rotating the strike is so important. Vaughan, on commentary, saying that the sweep is really hard to play with a groin strain, just before Cooky was out sweeping, makes it even more bizarre that he did not save himself for tomorrow. I hope this comment will enrage escort and the Cookophiles.
LikeLike
Why would that comment enrage me?
This comment from you in the recent past was enough to enrage some of us though!!!
If they have set up another greentop then I will switch my support to another nation. Cook and his muppets are due for another reaming. I hope they pick Anderson and he picks up a career-ending injury. I hope they pick Wood and his career is terminated. What will they do now?
Stay classy
LikeLike
Who’s going to be the next opening bat / sacrifice?
LikeLike
Nick Hoult on stirrings at the ICC against the Big Three:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/england/11952799/ICC-faces-open-rebellion.html
LikeLike
“It leaves Giles Clarke, the president of the England & Wales Cricket Board, facing the threat of having to renegotiate a fairer and more democratic constitution, and therefore conceivably less money for England and India, if as expected he takes over as chairman of the ICC later this year.”
Oh crap. Last bit of that destroys the first bit. Old crocodile features running the ICC… me no likey.
LikeLike
It appears that’s been his plan for some time. That and the eventual title Lord Clarke of Lord’s.
LikeLike
http://fablesofaesop.com/the-wolf-and-the-shepherd.html
I feel like Ed now….
LikeLike
You have laugh at the stupidity of the people who run national sporting bodies………..
“We signed the new constitution on the understanding that India would play us six times in eight years. This was the inducement to us to drop our opposition and for the ICC to have a unanimous agreement,” Shahrayar Khan, chairman of the PCB, told Telegraph Sport. “Now we are now facing the problem if India does not play. It not only goes against MoU they signed but also the understanding on which we signed the new constitution.”
So the Pakistan board signed on to this terrible deal because they were given a bribe of 6 series against India. Talk about gullible and short sighted. This was a crap deal for all the sides outside the so called big 3. Now they have been screwed over they are getting pissed off. Good. I hope they and the other teams do take action, and they can start by all boycotting the 20/20 World Cup.
At some point World cricket will have to stand up to India and their money. England and Auustralia capitulated in a dodgy deal to avoid having having to make a stand against India. It seems Pakistan did a different but even more short term deal.
LikeLike
Anderson taking his wickets at 22 in the UAE, with no clouds.
LikeLike
Mr Selvey reaches for the shoehorn:
He opened the batting as usual and did not look particularly uncomfortable except when called for a quick single – as did Ian Bell when first he came to the crease – and was forced to gallop stiff-leggedly: Kevin Pietersen would have had him in traction.
LikeLike
On a similar theme, seven name-checks (more than anyone else) for a chap who made ten runs and picked up an injury is some going, even for that writer.
LikeLike
Yes, you’d almost think that cricket was all about one individual rather than the team being paramount, would you not?
LikeLike
All those mentions yet somehow Selvey failed to mention Cook’s score!
LikeLike
He seems to have trouble remembering two days ago.
There was instant success for Jimmy Anderson, mixing things up, his slow off‑cutter early on so deceiving Misbah-ul-Haq that he slapped a catch straight to mid off without adding to his overnight 87 to end a third-wicket stand of 141; in Abu Dhabi he had similarly failed to add to his overnight 102.
LikeLike
Cook didn’t open the batting as usual when England needed to chase runs in a hurry in the last Test. Perhaps scoring runs in a hurry is beyond Saint Alistair
LikeLike
Given the conditions and indeed his own condition, wasn’t Cook’s score #worth a 100?
LikeLike
Cricinfo reporting England complaining about Pakistani ball tampering, Root during the match and Bayliss afterwards. Tedious, but I suppose inevitable. I thought England had grown out of this.
LikeLike
English cricketers and maturity….. Too many exceptions in the commentary box and mass media to expect Root to be mature
LikeLike
I’m confused.
I thought this was an England supporters blog?
LikeLike
I was confused too. By the main stream media writing demonstrably utter nonsense (I’m being polite) and consistently publishing their own agenda driven interests to the detriment of fact. I remain so.
This isn’t an “England supporters blog”. This is a cricket fans’ website.
You might like it. You might not. But you get way, way more collective insight from the bloggers and writers than you’ll get elsewhere.
LikeLike
Things are getting a little fractious, but this blog has never been an “England Supporters Blog”. We have supporters of overseas teams, some disaffected with what has happened in the past (and not just KP – that tedium is getting boring) and those who have real concerns about the way things are going.
Something for everyone, believe it or not!
LikeLike
Ok, the site was listed in a piece on England blogs so just assumed you were pro England.
LikeLike
We’re listed somewhere? Who did that?
LikeLike
A recommendation on Twitter to follow Dmitri which led me here (Dmitri was grouped with England fans so I assumed – wrongly)
LikeLike
I’m an England fan. We’ve been down this road before with others. Just because the blog isn’t all rah rah doesn’t mean I am not a supporter of England. There’s a long trail on here and How Did We Lose In Adelaide.
LikeLike
Sorry that came out wrong. Not suggesting anyone here isn’t England fans.
But some words are harsher then I was expecting.
LikeLike
Good job you weren’t around in May after KP’s 355!!!!!
LikeLike
From the few comments I’ve seen, I imagine this blog is pro KP?
He was a wonderful player and treated badly, however I’m not sure he excelled in situations like today.
LikeLike
Thought I was polite, not fractious but your blog/your call.
LikeLike
Not the only one, Jomesy. Others maybe are getting a little boisterous!
No biggie. Just keeping an eye out! Keep rolling!
LikeLike
Oh, and I liked the last part of your comment. Many thanks for that.
When there are naysayers out there, you do doubt whether you are doing the right thing.
LikeLike
Greyblazer.. How many wickets per over for Anderson and Broad….. Quite toothless
LikeLike
Wickets don’t come quickly for pacemen in the SC, its all about pressure and control and setting it up for the spinners.
I feel Broad has been below par, not Anderson though.
LikeLike