Paid Members Gus Mears Posted June 15, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted June 15, 2016 (edited) I would probably class Edgbaston as my favourite ground in the country. It actually has some degree of home advantage for England, which is more than I can say for Lords over the past x number of years. As much as a hate Surrey, Oval is probably the best designed ground I have watched cricket at. Genuinely not a poor seat in the house and it's easy to get beer and urinate without having to plan it in your diary. Like with many things, I blame the ECB for ruining counties going to smaller grounds by trying to get everyone to build test/ODI worthy grounds (and then giving up on them having tests after 10 years). First off, fucking ECB. Second, it means that counties like Glam, Durham and Gloucester are going to be knee deep in shit for the foreseeable future because they are paying these new grounds off and can't afford to play away. Somerset used to play at the Bath Festival once per year in a CC match. People take the piss out of Taunton for adding ten to your average as it is, but fuck me, in Bath I probably could have had a better average than Ramprakash at test. It was billy willy small. That was something I loved going to and my Dad before (Dad once saw Brian Lara bowl but not bat there, which is brilliant) and it's gone forever largely thanks to the shitehawks in London who appear to just as well want four day cricket to die forever in favour of an endless procession of marginally profitable, but utterly soulless, limited overs matches. Christ, I sound like Fred Trueman in the 90's there. Edited June 15, 2016 by Gus Mears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted June 20, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted June 20, 2016 Not a good day for one of the teams in the local league yesterday. Nocton were all out for 8. Only one batsman scored runs. The whole game only took 11.2 overs. I wish I'd been umpiring that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted July 8, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted July 8, 2016 (edited) Unsure if there is actually enough interest in cricket left on the board to sustain any meaningful chat about the upcoming Pakistan series, but here goes. Took the day off work to go to sunny Taunton on Monday to see Pakistan vs. Somerset. Amir (the one who got suspended for match fixing) bowled about as well as I have seen live. Swinging it like a top and absolutely mullering Trescothick and Trego, who are two of our best batsmen. He's going to give the England top order some serious trouble if he bowls like that. They have a bloody good leggy as well. In possibly more important news, I was highly impressed by both the quantity and quality of pies on offer. I had a Steak and Kidney and a Steak and Stilton. The day was slightly marred by going with my old man, who looks more like a morbidly obese Uncle Albert with every passing day. Edited July 8, 2016 by Gus Mears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ElCece Posted July 8, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted July 8, 2016 Im not particuarly worried about the stength in depth off there seemers to be honest. There a good side but in British conditions it don't think that it will be too difficult for England. A bit surprised Ballance has been brought back. Im not sure what he's done to show them hes made the improvement they where looking for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted July 9, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted July 9, 2016 Yeah, on Ballance (ho ho ho) we should win. However, I don't think it will be as easy as some think. Younis in particular is a bloody good batsman and they have two quality left arm seamers. Long tail though. The Ballance recall is a head scratcher. No form and Borthwick/Hildreth quite evidently deserved it more. Feels like a typical 'safe' ECB move. Like when we decided to open with 95 year old Jonathan Trott last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ElCece Posted July 9, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted July 9, 2016 Pakistan are a big step up on Sri Lanka thats for sure and should be a good contest. I have tickets for 2 days at Edgbaston so Im hyper excitied about that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Goldberg Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 I'm struggling with the Ballance pick also and I'm a Yorkshireman! Bar a great century this week he's not had what you would call an amazing season just above average if anything. I suppose he's got experience at international level and I'm sure that must be a big factor for the selectors. Saying that his test average is still very good and he can't do any worse than Compton tbf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ElCece Posted July 9, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted July 9, 2016 My problem with Ballance is he hasnt seemed to work out his now obvious technical flaw. As Guy has said previously Pakistan have a couple off good quicks who should get the ball to move and they will pitch it up and get enough balls in good areas that I struggle to see him scoring big. I know hes aware of his flaw but the fact of the matter is he still gets out the same way in the county game. Personally I would have went for Borthwick or Hildreth before him. Hildreth deserves a chance, I know he plays at a great ground but he's been consistent for a while so at a point you need to throw him in. I would rather have gave him a chance. Borthwick is'nt a very dynamic player and seems to stick too 3-4 scoring shots but he has a fantastic temprament and has some off the best hands around as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted July 10, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted July 10, 2016 Other thing that annoys me with Ballance is that he doesn't even seem willing to acknowledge or work on his technical fault. When Cooky was nicking everything, he went and netted with Graham Gooch day, after day, after day, until he altered his technique suitably. Ballance has a bit of a paddy about people, correctly, pointing out his flaw and is still getting out in exactly the same way as before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ElCece Posted July 10, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted July 10, 2016 I think it sends a bad message. They sent Bairstow away to work on his flaw and he did and improved dramitcally for it so earned his call up back. Even look at Sam Robson he got sent away to address his technique issue and you can see he's really worked on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted July 21, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted July 21, 2016 (edited) Second test starts tomorrow with England 1-0 down. Ballance was every bit as shite as I feared he would be (as did ElCece from what I recall), I still don't see the point in Vince and Finn was terrible, which is a real shame. Jimmy and Stokes are back, which is a real boon and rumour has it we may play two spinners. If I could choose, my line up would be. Cook Hales Ballance Root Stokes Bairstow Moeen Woakes Rashid Broad Anderson That won't be the line up in a million years, but I like it. Loads of bowling options to make sure that Jimmy/Stokes don't have to do too many overs on return. Move Stokes up, he's a better batsman than Vince who doesn't do much for me. Two spinners who compliment each other on, what could be, a turning deck. Batting runs really deep, basically through to Broad and only Anderson doesn't have a first class century. Also allows Root to move back up 4, where he is evidently more comfortable. I would rather not have Ballance, but in a choice between him and Vince at 3, it should be him. Ball doesn't deserve to be dropped, but shit happens. Edited July 21, 2016 by Gus Mears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted July 21, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted July 21, 2016 Ball and Finn have been released from the squad this afternoon. I'm not sure they will leave Vince out, but they should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Goldberg Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 Like the look of that team Gus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted July 21, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted July 21, 2016 (edited) Glad to see Ball/Finn dropped, agree with you LOTM that Vince will likely stay in. It's insane that we haven't called Borthwick up, we're a few months removed from touring the subcontinent and we have about 1.5 spinners in Moeen and Rashid. Borthwick at 3 gives us another leggy and a stronger batting line up. We're absolutely crying out for a decent left arm spinner, but unless Monty stops pulling his pecker over bouncers, or whatever it is that he does nowadays, then we are not going to find one. If we call up Gareth Batty I'm going to start supporting New Zealand. Edited July 21, 2016 by Gus Mears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted July 21, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted July 21, 2016 Moeen just isn't a test match spinner. Rashid could be if they play him regularly enough. Borthwick instead of Ballance is a good shout. Then Root can go back to 4 where he plays best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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