Cricket

[kje7812]

2 quick wickets after tea leave England needing 3 wickets while (at time of writing) Pakistan need 83 runs. Hopefully the light stays good.

 

[DelW]

This Pakistan match is shaping up to be one of the least exciting test matches I've ever heard, mainly due to the extreme flatness of the wicket. At least England scored at 6.5 an over, Pakistan are grinding it out at a Boycott-esque 3.6, although Babar has now picked up the rate a bit.

It's not a great advertisement for the return of test cricket to the country.

2 quick wickets after tea leave England needing 3 wickets while (at time of writing) Pakistan need 83 runs. Hopefully the light stays good.

Well, my prediction from Saturday morning didn't age well .

 

[kje7812]

It was quite an aggressive declaration (well certainly by England standards) so easy to wrongfoot people.

 

[jfollows]

It was quite an aggressive declaration (well certainly by England standards) so easy to wrongfoot people.

It was a completely appropriate declaration, all the more so because it took advantage of the tea break to add ten minutes to the playing time remaining, and demonstrates an understanding that sport is about entertainment for the spectators and not about winning (or not losing) at any cost. I don't mind one bit if England now lose, although with the latest progress that now seems unlikely - draw or win for England seem the only realistic options now.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Liam Livingtone's leg injury will cause him to have no further match input in this series and he will fly back to the UK.

 

[jfollows]

1,768 runs in total for the Rawalpindi Test Match, the highest total ever apparently, excluding timeless Tests (1,815 runs in Kingston, Jamaica, April 1930 & 1,981 in Durban, March 1939), and third highest aggregate if you include these.
388.5 overs, so over 4.5 runs per over averaged over the entire game.
England 675 & 264/7d
Pakistan 579 & 268

PS England won by 74 runs if it's not clear!

 

[DelW]

It was a completely appropriate declaration, all the more so because it took advantage of the tea break to add ten minutes to the playing time remaining, and demonstrates an understanding that sport is about entertainment for the spectators and not about winning (or not losing) at any cost. I don't mind one bit if England now lose, although with the latest progress that now seems unlikely - draw or win for England seem the only realistic options now.

And England win, with five or ten minutes of light left, after the last Pakistan pair held out for a long while.

A vindication of the declaration, and for the Stokes / McCullum principles of positive play, even though that looked improbable for a while.

A big match for Pope too, put up as keeper at the last minute when Foakes was unfit, and who also made a century in the first innings.

Time for a lie-down!

 

[GS250]

That was truly tense viewing. The last hour was unbearable and I was convinced the failing light was going to win the day! However yes, positive attitude from Stokes and co vindicated. The cautious Cook/Root days seem a long time ago now. Saying that though...how many tests did we actually fail to win due to cautious declarations? Very few. We usually mopped them up in the end.

 

[bspahh]

That was truly tense viewing. The last hour was unbearable and I was convinced the failing light was going to win the day! However yes, positive attitude from Stokes and co vindicated. The cautious Cook/Root days seem a long time ago now. Saying that though...how many tests did we actually fail to win due to cautious declarations? Very few. We usually mopped them up in the end.

In the last 10 years, England had 23 matches where they batted first and declared in the 3rd innings. They won 13, lost 1 and drew 9.

Team Span Mat Won Lost Tied Draw W/L RPW RPO Inns High score Australia 2013-2022 30 21 0 0 9 - 50.48 4.08 30 487 India 2014-2022 19 15 0 0 4 - 44.00 3.57 19 391 England 2012-2022 23 13 1 0 9 13 52.38 3.65 23 490 South Africa 2013-2022 13 13 0 0 0 - 45.36 3.71 13 540 New Zealand 2013-2021 16 11 0 0 5 - 53.54 3.58 16 680 Pakistan 2013-2021 12 11 0 0 1 - 55.40 3.71 12 555 Sri Lanka 2013-2022 13 9 0 0 4 - 45.17 3.58 13 480 Bangladesh 2013-2021 7 5 1 0 1 5 44.09 3.51 7 319 West Indies 2014-2021 4 3 0 0 1 - 56.52 3.65 4 415 Zimbabwe 2013-2020 2 1 0 0 1 - 33.85 3.41 2 247

Team records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

On such a wicket that yielded so many runs, 40 year old Jimmy Anderson as one of the main-line seam attack returned the very respectable bowling return figures in the Pakistan second innings of 24 - 12 - 36 - 4.

 

[JD2168]

Great win for England on a pitch that was largely lifeless for the bowling side. Great choice to swap the spinners out for the seamers when they were being attacked heavily by the Pakistan batters. James Anderson used all his experience to get his 4 wickets in the innings.

 

[GS250]

On such a wicket that yielded so many runs, 40 year old Jimmy Anderson as one of the main-line seam attack returned the very respectable bowling return figures in the Pakistan second innings of 24 - 12 - 36 - 4.

He's an utter gem. One of our truly great sportsmen of all time. Remember his first game in the 2003 WC where he took Pakistan apart. It did take him a few years to really establish himself after this but by around 2009 he was a regular in the side.

The same will be said of Stokes. He could definitely be considered a greater player than Sir Ian Botham for the fact he's also proving to be a decent captain.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Just looked in on Day 2 of the second Test Match and Pakistan who were going well at 142-2 in their first innings in response to the England first innings lost their last eight wickets and were all out for 202, giving England a first innings lead of 79 runs.

Leach ... 27 - 7 - 98 - 4.

 

[Bald Rick]

Just looked in on Day 2 of the second Test Match and Pakistan who were going well at 142-2 in their first innings in response to the England first innings lost their last eight wickets and were all out for 202, giving England a first innings lead of 79 runs.

Leach ... 27 - 7 - 98 - 4.

Aggers has had some fun today in commentary talking about the debutant Pakistani bowler Abrar Ahmed, who is having a terrific game (match figures of 10/195, with the entire rest of the Pakistan team on 3/270)

“How does does he take Abrar off?”
”He comes bouncing in, that’s what Abrar does”

etc.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Twenty five wickets have fallen by the end of the second day of a five-day test match.

*****************************************************************************************************

On a different matter, opener Ishan Kishan of India scored the fastest recorded double century on the 50 overs ODI against Bangladesh scoring 210 from 131 balls with 10 x 6 and 24 x 4.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

WI bowled out for 77 in Adelaide. Not really worth discussing really.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

On Day 3 of the Test Match, England lost their last five second-innings wickets adding a further 73 runs and were all out for 275, scored in 64.5 overs.

Pakistan. with well over two days still to play, need 355 to win.

UPDATE....

At the tea interval, Pakistan were 136-3 from 45 overs.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Dec 2022 ==

WI bowled out for 77 in Adelaide. Not really worth discussing really.

Australia could not have been more dominant in this test match against the West Indies, winning by 419 runs on the fourth day. Three wickets each for Starc, Neser and Boland in the West Indies second innings of 77 all out.

 

[GS250]

England win the series in Pakistan. Brilliant turnaround.

 

[SuspectUsual]

England win the series in Pakistan. Brilliant turnaround.

Very good win, although tainted slightly by a shocking third umpire decision to give one of the Pakistani batsmen out when the ball clearly touched the ground before Pope had control of it

 

[DelW]

England win the series in Pakistan. Brilliant turnaround.

Another close match with a tension-filled fourth and final day. England took the last wicket needed with just 25 runs to spare as Pakistan came close to chasing their huge fourth innings target of 355.
England took an early wicket but by late morning Pakistan were looking well placed, with batsmen in the forties and eighties and five wickets in hand. Then Mark Wood had them both given out caught behind to give England the advantage at lunch.
After lunch a lively but brief innings from Abrar with 17 off 12 balls left Salman needing to farm the strike with inexperienced tailenders at the other end, and in the end he ran out of partners.
It was an excellent match with the sides evenly matched overall, though in the bowling, England's seamers and Pakistan's spinners dominated. All results except the draw were possible until the last ball.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Dec 2022 ==


(Added 15th Dec, unfortunately automerged despite being unrelated to my previous post to which it's been appended):

In the Big Bash (commentary courtesy of BBC R5SX), Adelaide Strikers, having posted an inadequate looking 139, have bowled Sydney Thunder out for 15, their highest scorer being no 10 with four runs (the sole boundary of the innings). Easily the lowest score ever in a professional T20 match.

 

[SuspectUsual]

In the Big Bash (commentary courtesy of BBC R5SX), Adelaide Strikers, having posted an inadequate looking 139, have bowled Sydney Thunder out for 15, their highest scorer being no 10 with four runs (the sole boundary of the innings). Easily the lowest score ever in a professional T20 match

Only six scoring shots in the innings. One bowler took 5 for 3, and another 4 for 6. Madness

 

[Howardh]

It's the time of year when Old Trafford keep sending out images of the ground under frost or snow, which I think may be a message that April is around the corner, not so much to tempt us with spring warmth and sunshine, but to remind us that, er, the photos of the ground could just as easily been taken in April!

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

On Day 3 of the Test Match, England lost their last five second-innings wickets adding a further 73 runs and were all out for 275, scored in 64.5 overs.

Pakistan. with well over two days still to play, need 355 to win.

UPDATE....

At the tea interval, Pakistan were 136-3 from 45 overs.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Dec 2022 ==


Australia could not have been more dominant in this test match against the West Indies, winning by 419 runs on the fourth day. Three wickets each for Starc, Neser and Boland in the West Indies second innings of 77 all out.

Well you could think that. But Australia are about to smash South Africa. We are in the 3rd session of the second day of the test match. Australia require 26 to win.

And it's all over.
SA 152 & 99
AUS 218 & 4/35

Extra's top scoring in the Australian second innings.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Day 2 of the Third Test Match against Pakistan saw England recover from the position they were in at the fall of the fourth and fifth wickets and they steadied themselves to post an all out first innings total of 354, a lead of 50 runs.
Brook 111
Foakes 64
Pope 51

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Dec 2022 ==

Day 3 of the Third Test Match saw Pakistan lose all ten wickets in their second innings, compiling an all-out total of 216. Young 18-year old Ahmed celebrated his test debut by taking a "five-for", returning figures of 14.5 - 1 - 48 - 5.

England ended the day in their second innings on 112-2, needing just another 55 runs to win and two days to score them!!!

 

[kje7812]

Apparently no visiting team has ever won 3 tests in the same series in Pakistan. Well unless something dramatic happens tomorrow, I think that statistic is about to change.

 

[JD2168]

England need another 55 runs to win the series 3-0 after a 5-for from Rehan Ahmed turned the game in England’s favour.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

On Day 4, England scored the required 55 runs very easily (without losing a wicket) and win the series 3-0.

England 170-2 (28.1 overs)
Duckett 82 not out from 78 balls (12 x 4)
Stokes 35 not out from 43 balls (3 x 4)
England win by 8 wickets.

 

[DelW]

I don't think these forums have an award for worst predictions of the year, but if there were such a thing, these two of mine (from less than three weeks ago) would surely be in the running:

This Pakistan match is shaping up to be one of the least exciting test matches I've ever heard, mainly due to the extreme flatness of the wicket. At least England scored at 6.5 an over, Pakistan are grinding it out at a Boycott-esque 3.6, although Babar has now picked up the rate a bit.

It's not a great advertisement for the return of test cricket to the country.

... the prospect of over two more days heading steadily towards an almost inevitable draw was a bit depressing and put me in mind of Sir Geoffrey at his most turgid. Maybe the late wickets that England took today can inject a bit of excitement but it'll be a tall order to get a result from here.

Though in the event I'm happy to have been proven so completely wrong

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

The traditional Boxing day test is well under way. The first since we lost the great Shane Warne.

https://i.imgur.com/IcBcyX9.jpg

Warne's name and test number were painted on the field of play square of the wicket.
Along with a small pre game video package at 3.50PM the G paused to remember with a minute of applause.

https://imgur.com/a/jlIAsRG?fbclid=IwAR3WpuTf8lEA4akr5ytBkP7hu4whmVk0VdHToUVSjVW6tkqZm5ObvFjsd6k

South Africa were surprisingly put into bat by Australia. Turns out it was a stroke of genius.
SA were bowled out for 189. Australia then proceed to bat all day in the 37 degree heat on day 2.
David Warner made 200 before retiring hurt due to severe cramping and heat stress. Cam Green also joined him with a broken finger. Starc was also notable injury.
Warner did return later on in the innings a day later and was bowled instantly.
Alex Carey became the first wicket keeper since Rod Marsh to score a century at the MCG

SA 189 and 1/15
AUS 8 dec/575

 

[DelW]

The traditional Boxing day test is well under way. The first since we lost the great Shane Warne.

SA 189 and 1/15
AUS 8 dec/575

The commentary is being broadcast live here (UK) on BBC Radio 5SX, starting time around 23:00. It's very pleasant on a rainy winter night to drift off to sleep listening to cricket commentators saying how hot it is ... though it would be better from a neutral standpoint if the match was less one sided. However, based on my track record (see post 7408 above), South Africa will probably storm back and win .