Cricket

[K-Hod]

Jealous! I'll have to make do with a stroll up to Bash this weekend!

[gumboots]

Stand C for me as well - unreserved seating. Total sell out. My first T20 too.

Season tickets 60 pounds for 7 matches. This is the 5th time I think we've had them. You had to specify a stand but you could sit anywhere really as the ground was never a sell out. This time however I think they'll make you head for the right stand

Edited July 3, 2015 by gumboots

[Gav]

Fantastic win for Lancs, tremendous batting display.

[gumboots]

Yorkshires score would have beaten most teams last night. Unfortunately their bowling, and especially their fielding, let them down meaning it was a non- match, once the lancs innings was over. There was no chance yorks could catch them although, in GB parlance, they gave it a right good go

[chaddyrovers]

I take your point but Moheen Ali is the man in possession and has proved to be a stylish batsman too. Rashid is an unknown quantity at test level and unless you are going to drop a specialised batsman and play two spinners I can't see a place for Rashid especially in the first test against Australia. Moheen has done nothing wrong to deserve to be dropped.

Al, do you think Ali is good enough to be 1st choice spinner?

Im unsure tbh. He is good batsman but I think Rashid's bowling is better and he is decent batsman

[Al]

Al, do you think Ali is good enough to be 1st choice spinner?

Im unsure tbh. He is good batsman but I think Rashid's bowling is better and he is decent batsman

It's not one that I would blame you for having a different opinion on. In my view Moheen is a class batsman and a good bowler. Rashid is probably a better spinner but can be very expensive and whilst he can bat he does not have the class of Moheen. You pays your money and you takes your choice. The clincher for me is that Moheen is the man in possession and it would seem unfair to drop him as he has done nothing to deserve it.

[ABBEY]

Al, do you think Ali is good enough to be 1st choice spinner?

Im unsure tbh. He is good batsman but I think Rashid's bowling is better and he is decent batsman

KP is good enough to be first choice batter but you don't want him .. Talk about double standards

[chaddyrovers]

It's not one that I would blame you for having a different opinion on. In my view Moheen is a class batsman and a good bowler. Rashid is probably a better spinner but can be very expensive and whilst he can bat he does not have the class of Moheen. You pays your money and you takes your choice. The clincher for me is that Moheen is the man in possession and it would seem unfair to drop him as he has done nothing to deserve it.

I understand what you are saying totally tho Alan.

I just Rashid could get more Wickets than Ali.

If Rashid went 4 or 4.5 a over but pick up 4 or 5 wickets per test then I would be happy with that.

Abbey, not going to keep going over this KP issue time after time.

Let focus on the players playing for England and around the test squad.

[ABBEY]

Why ?

[gumboots]

Pietersen is a disruptive influence has been wherever he's played. Starts ok then throws his toys out of the pram if things aren't going his way. The one thing that was clear in the last series is how great the team spirit is at the moment. Now you can go on about how good a batsman kp is but he's not a tea player. You can get away with that when you're in your prime but kp is now past that stage. He can turn it on with the bat in one dryers and t20 but can he do long days in the field and hang around waiting to bat without winding others up? I don't think so and that's why I definitely wouldn't disrupt our team by considering him even if he were fit to play.

[Baz]

Pietersen is a disruptive influence has been wherever he's played. Starts ok then throws his toys out of the pram if things aren't going his way. The one thing that was clear in the last series is how great the team spirit is at the moment. Now you can go on about how good a batsman kp is but he's not a tea player. You can get away with that when you're in your prime but kp is now past that stage. He can turn it on with the bat in one dryers and t20 but can he do long days in the field and hang around waiting to bat without winding others up? I don't think so and that's why I definitely wouldn't disrupt our team by considering him even if he were fit to play.

Pietersons main gripe is that England are too passive.

Even Geoffrey Boycott is agreeing that Cook is too conservative in modern cricket. Forget not that Cooks response to the abysmal World Cup performance was that it proved he shouldn't be dropped.

Cook is a great player, but not a great captain. Its such a shame that picking or dropping Pieterson is directly linked to Cook.

The best managers get their best players on the pitch.

[Husky]

Lancashire na na naaaaaaaaaaaaaa! It's always nice to thrash that Dingle lot. Still hungover now as I was on the lash in sunny Manchester for most of the afternoon.

Edited July 5, 2015 by Husky

[Gav]

Pietersen is a disruptive influence has been wherever he's played. Starts ok then throws his toys out of the pram if things aren't going his way. The one thing that was clear in the last series is how great the team spirit is at the moment. Now you can go on about how good a batsman kp is but he's not a tea player. You can get away with that when you're in your prime but kp is now past that stage. He can turn it on with the bat in one dryers and t20 but can he do long days in the field and hang around waiting to bat without winding others up? I don't think so and that's why I definitely wouldn't disrupt our team by considering him even if he were fit to play.

They said the same about Eric Cantona, George Best, Craig Bellamy........

You play your best players gumboots, simple as that.

Its history now anyway, lets hope we make a good fist of it without KP.

[Al]

They said the same about Eric Cantona, George Best, Craig Bellamy........

You play your best players gumboots, simple as that.

Its history now anyway, lets hope we make a good fist of it without KP.

I fear the worst against the Aussies GAV.

[Gav]

I fear the worst against the Aussies GAV.

Yes me to Al.

I think everyones getting a little carried away with the NZ series, yes it was great to watch but could have gone either way and NZ are no Australia.

All that said I'm really looking forward to it

[Mattyblue]

Their batting isn't all that, apart from Steve Smith the rest of them can fall in a heap. However, our issues in getting tailenders out and then facing their quicks is what will cost us.

[Gav]

Their batting isn't all that, apart from Steve Smith the rest of them can fall in a heap. However, our issues in getting tailenders out and then facing their quicks is what will cost us.

I think you can add David Warner to the list Matty, but the quicks are the worry I agree. Our batting hasn't been the best, we've usually relied heavily on Root, the rest have been hit and miss, so if the Aussies work out Root we could be in trouble.

[Mattyblue]

Also depends on the pitches.

We prepared dry surfaces last time for Swann, hwever haven't got that luxury this time around.

A seaming pitch with a bit of swing on a humid day could have them in all kinds of trouble. But will the ECB want to risk sporty pitches with the Aussie fast bowlers?

Cardiff pitch is usually pretty flat, so lets see.

[jim mk2]

None of you have mentioned that Harris, their best bowler, is out of the tour and has announced his retirement,.

[Gav]

None of you have mentioned that Harris, their best bowler, is out of the tour and has announced his retirement,.

I'm more worried at Mitchell Johnson to be honest Jim, yes its a bonus Harris isn't playing, but Johnson is the danger man for me.

[SouthAussieRover]

Add a maturing Starc to the mix.

But, as Mattyblue said, its a long standing inability to blow away the tailenders.

[Audax]

Bavalan Pathmanathan dies after being struck in chest by ball

A cricketer has died after being struck on the chest by a ball during a local league match in Surrey.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cricket/33425867

Serious.

[den]

First two overs suggest a terrible test match pitch. Ball keeping low with little pace.

Lythe gone 7-1

Edited July 8, 2015 by den

[pg]

Yeah I don't like the look of this pitch either.

[AllRoverAsia]

Turns out to be a wicket & conditions to bowl first on. That's trying a positive spin.