Test Cricket is Back

[AndyinLiverpool]

1 hour ago, SKRam said:

Reading back with hindsight, how wonderful!

Some  comments I do feel are harsh. Top of my head JB averaging 36+ I believe, not shabby at all. I’ve mentioned previously, what he did last summer was sublime. Please don’t forget he destroyed NZ. He eats sleeps and breathes cricket. In interview he’s fantastic. I do now agree Foakes should have had a recall as JB isn’t in the best of nick. Same squad has been announced so rather than hoping he fails I hope everyone gets behind him and he gets his game back. 
Game on! 

Bairstow destroyed NZ with Foakes in the team and before he broke his leg. He wasn't batting and keeping wicket last year.

There is no hindsight here. It was always going to be difficult to rehabilitate after injury and then concentrate on batting AND  keeping wicket. He hasn't done it well.

[Carnero]

By playing Bairstow as the keeper, we don't just get a worse wicket keeper, we also lose the best version of Bairstow the batsman.

His average in any innings where he's already kept wicket in the game is far lower than when he bats without having kept wicket already (IE when we're batting first, or if he's played as a pure batsman).

That said it was always unlikely that they would make the switch back to Foakes mid-series, so let's just hope that he comes good.

[SKRam]

59 minutes ago, Mr Tibbs said:

I've got him averaging 24 according to my spreadsheet.. (yep, believe it - cricket saddo with loads of time on his hands). Same as his oppo Carey, Warner and Labuschagne. So he's not in bad company. 

As much as he's still in there because his best buddy is the captain, he has the ability to win us this series alone and the England camp know that. Those knocks last year were iconic. That said, it looks a long shot given his performances so far. 

 

36.51 overall test average. I guess his current test series form is where the 24 comes from? 
Stokes has spoken often they are a tight unit, I’d heard Foakes was pretty miffed at missing out and as has been mentioned surely it’s worth picking him for Stokes Foakes and Woakes in the same team. Not quite ‘The batsman’s Holding, the bowlers Willey’ but not gonna happen now 

[Mr Tibbs]

20 minutes ago, SKRam said:

36.51 overall test average. I guess his current test series form is where the 24 comes from? 

Yep, crossed wires. 

[kevinhectoring]

On 28/06/2023 at 11:16, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

Like me trying to get my daughter out of the park when it's time to go home.

surprised he didn't drop him 

[kevinhectoring]

On 11/07/2023 at 14:52, Carnero said:

By playing Bairstow as the keeper, we don't just get a worse wicket keeper, we also lose the best version of Bairstow the batsman.

His average in any innings where he's already kept wicket in the game is far lower than when he bats without having kept wicket already (IE when we're batting first, or if he's played as a pure batsman).

That said it was always unlikely that they would make the switch back to Foakes mid-series, so let's just hope that he comes good.

tough one, Bairstow. Atherton thought it was the right call because it - potentially - it does so much to the batting line up. quite possible we’ll have a match winning innings yet out of Bairstow - the biggest problem right now is his confidence and stokes is the guy who can do loads about that  

[Sufferingfool]

Great win for the women tonight making a real contest for the Ashes my only gripe is that Sky obviously don’t commit their best camera operators to cover it, their ability to follow the ball at times was atrocious. Still a way to go for women’s cricket to be taken as seriously as the men’s despite the quality on show.

[inter politics]

For me, Foakes has to keep 

[Henrycav81]

2 hours ago, Sufferingfool said:

Great win for the women tonight making a real contest for the Ashes my only gripe is that Sky obviously don’t commit their best camera operators to cover it, their ability to follow the ball at times was atrocious. Still a way to go for women’s cricket to be taken as seriously as the men’s despite the quality on show.

I only saw the Australia innings our fielding was awful at least 5 dropped catches/stumpings have they been practicing with the men 

[cannable]

5 hours ago, kevinhectoring said:

tough one, Bairstow. Atherton thought it was the right call because it - potentially - it does so much to the batting line up. quite possible we’ll have a match winning innings yet out of Bairstow - the biggest problem right now is his confidence and stokes is the guy who can do loads about that  

The best, not even argument, more an explanation for Bairstow wicketkeeping was from Mark Butcher.

Stokes knew he wouldn’t be able to bowl much so wanted Bairstow to replace himself as the all-rounder.

It’s Stokes over Foakes, not Bairstow over Foakes.

[Henrycav81]

18 minutes ago, cannable said:

The best, not even argument, more an explanation for Bairstow wicketkeeping was from Mark Butcher.

Stokes knew he wouldn’t be able to bowl much so wanted Bairstow to replace himself as the all-rounder.

It’s Stokes over Foakes, not Bairstow over Foakes.

That’s all well and good but Bairstow hasn’t been an all rounder in this series his keeping as been awful  and that’s affected his batting he had his golden spell batting when he wasn’t keeping wicket. I think it was sky that put a stat up the other day basically saying Bairstow only scores runs in the first innings if England bat first whilst he’s the keeper, I think he scored 70 odd in the first innings of the first test and barely anything else in his next 5 innings 

[Anag Ram]

We’ve already lost Pope. Foakes for Bairstow would further weaken the batting.

Root’s dropped plenty of chances. Should we be dropping him, too?

[Henrycav81]

1 hour ago, Anag Ram said:

We’ve already lost Pope. Foakes for Bairstow would further weaken the batting.

Root’s dropped plenty of chances. Should we be dropping him, too?

Root isn’t the wicket keeper you can move him out of the slips if you want 

I’ve said I’d have played Bairstow as a batsman only, from the start of the series but the way Bairstow is presently batting you wouldn’t be weakening batting by playing Foakes instead of Bairstow. Bairstow scored 78 in the first innings of the first test (ie before he kept wicket) in the 5 innings since (all after he’d kept wicket in the match) he as scored 63 runs. I don’t think he’s a good enough keeper/batsman at test level but I do think he’s a good enough batsman when he’s not keeping wicket. Keeping wicket is affecting his batting 

[kevinhectoring]

9 hours ago, cannable said:

The best, not even argument, more an explanation for Bairstow wicketkeeping was from Mark Butcher.

Stokes knew he wouldn’t be able to bowl much so wanted Bairstow to replace himself as the all-rounder.

It’s Stokes over Foakes, not Bairstow over Foakes.

stokes over foakes ? Thats not the choice its a consequence of the choice of wk. except its not because in any case youre not going to drop Stokes - not least because its questionable whether Bazball would work without him.  Butcher being too clever by half 

[Mr Tibbs]

2 hours ago, Anag Ram said:

We’ve already lost Pope. Foakes for Bairstow would further weaken the batting.

Root’s dropped plenty of chances. Should we be dropping him, too?

I think we just can't avoid the fact he's out of sorts. It was always a gamble after the injury and then no match fitness coming into this series and so far it's backfired. The catches, the Green stumping, excessive byes, going walkies out his crease and his mediocre at best batting all accumulate into a pretty poor series so far for Johnny. Stokes and Baz are hoping he can redeem himself in the last two where hopefully he's a bit sharper and better with the bat. If anyone can put together a couple of series winnings innings it's him.

The safe thing to do would have been to go to Foakes but when has this England team every been about safe. 

Root's our best player and currently the 5th highest run scorer in the series - a statistic which will define his continued inclusion in the team, not his catching. His hands have been shoddy all series though which shouldn't be forgotten. 

[cannable]

22 hours ago, Henrycav81 said:

That’s all well and good but Bairstow hasn’t been an all rounder in this series his keeping as been awful  and that’s affected his batting he had his golden spell batting when he wasn’t keeping wicket. I think it was sky that put a stat up the other day basically saying Bairstow only scores runs in the first innings if England bat first whilst he’s the keeper, I think he scored 70 odd in the first innings of the first test and barely anything else in his next 5 innings 

Oh I don’t agree with it, but as an explanation, it makes sense 

[Mr Tibbs]

Anderson back in for Robinson. Ali stays at three… 

Not a fan of Ali at 3 but probably epitomises this summer so far. Massive gamble but Ali and Bairstow have that destructive nature, form aside. We just need it to come off in our hour of need. 

Must win! 

[AndyinLiverpool]

Can we have Amy Jones to keep wicket in the 4th test?

[Henrycav81]

7 minutes ago, AndyinLiverpool said:

Can we have Amy Jones to keep wicket in the 4th test?

Corporal jones would be an improvement 😀

[Henrycav81]

On 17/07/2023 at 11:15, Mr Tibbs said:

Anderson back in for Robinson. Ali stays at three… 

Not a fan of Ali at 3 but probably epitomises this summer so far. Massive gamble but Ali and Bairstow have that destructive nature, form aside. We just need it to come off in our hour of need. 

Must win! 

Weather forecast ain’t great for Manchester at the weekend might have to get the game won in 3 days 

unfortunately I won’t be watching much of the last 2 tests as Derbyshire are at home in the county championship while both tests are on