How can the Aussies make batting look so easy whereas we struggle.. Just simply down to the difference in pace between the 2 bowling units?
Better bowlers on those sort of pitches and we have underestimated how much we would miss Stokes. What are the CPS doing that takes so long. Our batting is not good enough either. Cook is too old. Stoneman I’m not convinced about but I would have played Hales. Vince looks world class but never gets more than 20. Root too often gets out in the 59-100 area. Malan looks good.
Applying their normal service standards. But he's going to be charged, it's basically inevitable based on the CCTV. In which case the ECB have already said he'll remain suspended anyway.
Joe Root just isn't a captain. The role has impacted his batting as well. He'll be out third or fourth over tomorrow. In other news, I had no idea Alistair Cook was a scummer until yesterday. Arrogant **** he is.
4-0 it ends then - and probably to sum it all up we have the captain falling ill on the last day. Onto the One Dayers then...
Stokes allowed to play for England. Innocent till proven guilty I guess but what charge would have meant he couldn't be selected ? http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42718484
Watching the NZ v England game this morning and saw a Watford St George's Cross, with FCB in one of the corners. I can only assume this is HB1?
Well there's the Sri lankan Player who's been arrested for assault AND drink driving plus the Indian cricketer who has charges of trying to murder his wife! Neither of which will make the headlines over hear despite being far worse than Stokes. Maybe the guy should have jumped in his car and bashed the missus about then he could have justified his public pre trial lynching
I was awoken by a text from a kiwi friend at 6am saying "another England collapse" when I switch on the tvx expected to see England go from 100/1 to all out for 170, could not believe my eyes, we were not up against the great bowling attack of the West Indies of the 80's, no offence to the kiwis. I know test teams struggle to win away from home but new Zealand's conditions are not a millions miles away from English ones. Did not think root was the correct captain but who else is there ?
Ben Stokes. But we can't have him because he's evil. I read that Cook had hardly trained before this test and was working on a farm a couple of weeks ago. How appropriate, he batted like a cow.
I love test matches and they are my favourite part of cricket by a long way, and yet, even I am starting to see how it and the longer form of the game is starting to die. Is this just the sport evolving though? Should I just embrace it? Plus England being pony doesn't help either. Then again, maybe I said this in the dark days of the 1990's, but I can't remember.
WOW. Anyone see the Bancroft video? Crazy stuff! https://twitter.com/safcbear/status/977537450896707584?s=21 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Pitiful performance from Lehmann & Smith. Cheating in athletics carries a ban of 1-2 years. I would recommend the same for these 2 arrogant cowards. This Australian set up is nausea inducing. Hilariously hamfisted attempt to cover up his cheating by the boy idiot Bancroft. I hope he hasn’t curtailed his romantic opportunities by running round with coarse grain sandpaper chafing his Darren Lehmann.
It does seem the fashion to wring one’s hands on this. The worst aspect of tests these days is that they are so predictable. It is hugely rare for the away team to win. Anyway, forza Afghanistan! Amazingly managed to qualify for the World Cup. So refreshing, indeed life affirming, to see their rise. And what an antedote to the repulsive antics of our Australian colleagues.
Talking of nausea inducing - remember when a load of them turned up for the Wimbledon final wearing their baggy green caps?!! Think it was when Pat Rafter was playing. Utterly ridiculous
I like how Smith tried to brush it off as if it will go away. Him and Warner are a disgrace. Lehaman also knew full well what was going on, hence the walkie-talkie conversation with the 12th man.
Depending where you read, Smith and Warner either stood down from captain/vice-captain for the remainder of the current Test Match off their own backs or were asked to stand down by Cricket Australia. Either/either, it's a further admission of guilt. Smith has been given the maximum penalty for the offence of ball tampering of a 1 match ban and fined 100% of his match fee. Bancroft, the actual ball tamperer, has been given 3 demerit points and fined 75% of his match fee. It will be interesting if Smith and the members of the 'senior group' of players who are supposedly behind this cheating are further censured in some way by the ICC as it was a pre-planned move and involved multiple people. It will also be interesting how hard or lenient Cricket Australia are with all of those involved. Cricketers are held in very high esteem there so anything other than severe punishment would send the wrong message - if, indeed, they're serious about sending out a message! Lastly - Darren Lehman has been very quiet. For someone who is very vocal on other players/teams misdemeanours he seems to have gone missing completely. I think it was both 'Bumble' Lloyd and Dominic Cork who best described the Aussie cricket team as school yard bullies. They can stand tall and denigrate anyone in their path but as soon as someone stands up to them they cry foul. Utter hypocrites. Any line they deem to play fair to has been drawn, stamped on, set alight and sh!t upon from a very high distance.
They certainly put in a dismal performance today,given the result. How on earth did they think they would get away with it? There are few people outside of Australia who will shed a tear over this. I feel for the young lad,he should not have been put in such a position by Smith.
I've no sympathy for Bancroft. He was happy to be part of the mocking press conferences where both he and Smith decided to bring up Bairstows supposed headbutt greeting before the latest ashes series, despite the matter being dealt with at the time and there being no real issue. He took the pee out of an opposition player knowing full well that player would then come under very close scrutiny during that upcoming test with question after question about anything but the cricket. He seems very eager to be involved in this ultra aggressive way of sledging off the field the Aussies have adopted so getting caught with the other cheats involved in the ball tampering fiasco just seems like a character trait rather than a one off error of judgment. There is also a tweet doing the rounds from 5 years ago where he complains of speed cameras being sneaky! Well Mr Bancroft, you can now add TV cameras to that you freaking numbskull cheating d!ckhead. The ICC have been lenient because of his youthfulness and relative newness to Test cricket (in their official statement) and because he publicly apologised. I hope Cricket Australia make as big an example of him as I hope they do Smith otherwise younger players will know they'll have a free pass to get caught once before any severe punishment is passed out.
In 2013 Faf Du Plessis was found guilty of ball tampering (using a sweet to enhance the saliva he used to shine the ball) in a Test Match against Australia. He was fined 100% of his match fee and given 3 demerit points. David Warner told reporters afterwards: "We hold our heads high and I'd be very disappointed if one of our team members did that. "The rules are in place for a reason. If you're not going to use them why bother having them? "If you're going to overstep the mark, be prepared to get fined and miss Test matches." I can only assume he's extremely disappointed his team have felt the need to do something very similar but will be only too happy for all guilty parties to miss out on match fees and any future Test Matches. Those pesky rules, eh?!
Fair enough,I didn't know that he was involved in the Bairstow episode. Hubris comes a calling Aussies!
As RGD Willis might say, 'It sure does, Charles.' It could be a bit of the disaster the country of Oz. The cricketers are the face of the nation. I would consider myself well informed (not purely because of reading the Politics thread on here) & before yesterday I couldn't have named their PM. After Kylie, Germaine Greer & Rolf Harris, I begin to run out of eminent Australians. Ned Kelly? Dead & possibly fictional. But I could name 100 Oz cricketers. The smug Smith & feral Warner have managed to make Trump look wholesome. Wouldn't rule out career ending bans. Lucas Neill? Our non exec left back or some such.
Curious at my own ignorance, I've just googled 'Famous Australians'. The Perth News has a helpful 'Greatest of All Time' Top 50. The only one in the top 10 I have heard of is Don Bradman & number 17 is a horse.
