Cricket

[Howardh]

Going back to the current test series, the BBC seems to have got into a muddle with the names of the Sri Lanka players. I know these are complex and often very long. On the BBC Sport website page, opening batter Nishan Madushka is shown as such at the foot of the page where the teams are listed, but on the actual scorecard he appears as KNM Fernando. It seems that both are correct but there should be consistency, especially as there are two other Fernandos in the squad and both played in the first test. In the second test Pathum Nissanka is also shown as Silva, again confusing as the captain is de Silva. Also the names on the players' shirts don't seem to match what's shown on the scorecard! Anyone else noticed this?

Rather a one-sided series so far and a great start to the test careers of Smith and Atkinson, although there are tougher challenges ahead.

Personal gripe of mine; not so much players having their names on their shirts, but having numbers on them which don't correspond to their place in the batting line-up. If players need to be identified and the name isn't enough, maybe initials could be used instead of numbers?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Personal gripe of mine; not so much players having their names on their shirts, but having numbers on them which don't correspond to their place in the batting line-up. If players need to be identified and the name isn't enough, maybe initials could be used instead of numbers?

Always reminds me of the American gridiron squad jersey numbering system that was copied by the football squad system on this side of the Atlantic.

 

[ainsworth74]

Personal gripe of mine; not so much players having their names on their shirts, but having numbers on them which don't correspond to their place in the batting line-up. If players need to be identified and the name isn't enough, maybe initials could be used instead of numbers?

Unless I've missed a trick the shirt numbers correspond to their squad number and have not got much, if anything, to do with their batting order? That being said initials might be more useful particularly when substitutions take place and the scorecard doesn't have the subs shirt numbers on it (often the case at domestic games it seems)!

 

[Haywain]

Cricket does seem yo have decided yhat shirt numbers are a good thing, but letting spectators know who's wearing them isn't. They'll catch up eventually, as they did with letting those in the ground know what's happening with DRS.

 

[Howardh]

Unless I've missed a trick the shirt numbers correspond to their squad number and have not got much, if anything, to do with their batting order? That being said initials might be more useful particularly when substitutions take place and the scorecard doesn't have the subs shirt numbers on it (often the case at domestic games it seems)!

Nothing to do with the batting order, but older scoreboards still rely on the batting order number than the shirt number; so you could have No6 at 8 and so on. So looking up the puzzle is whom am I looking at?! Newer, electronic scoreboards tend to have the names written. Think the worst current scoreboard is at Old Trafford, the font they use makes it difficult to pick out the information, it's rather thick - unnecessarily so!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I wonder how a certain committee of the higher echelons at Lancashire have viewed this current season's performances?

 

[Howardh]

I wonder how a certain committee of the higher echelons at Lancashire have viewed this current season's performances?

Think they will view it differently than I. Score out of 10 in brackets

Jennings; (9) Totally dependent on his runs.
Wells;(4) Really poor season, unreliable up top (but bowling been a bonus)
Bohannon;(6) Not really fulfilled his promise - average.
Hurst; (8)second-best to Jennings, really promising - the season's highlight
Balderson; (5) disappointing he didn't carry forward last season's batting; decent bowling spells
Flintoff; glad to see him involved, the experience will be valuable
Bell; (4)disappointing on the whole
Bruce; (1)waste of air-miles
Lyon; (7)did the best he could, no complaints there
Aspinwall; (7) Promising
Bailey; (6) age catching up?
Williams (6) not as good as last season

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Lancashire have been abject this season.
Anderson, Buttler, Salt and Livingstone are on the books but not playing for Lancs.
And since Anderson retired, no Lancs players in the test squad.
Jennings must be disheartened after all his efforts.

I'm also beginning to give up on Test Match Special.
Too much pointless chat.
"Watching" ball by ball on Cricinfo is my new mode of following cricket (several matches at once, if need be).
The BBC2 test highlights are dire also, all replays, analysis and personalities rather than just following the game.
They use the same commentary team for TMS and the highlights, but on TV they dial up the shouting and the cliches.

 

[Strat-tastic]

I never recall having to wait so long for a score update when tuning into TMS.

 

[Harvester]

England were 221-3 against Sri Lanka at close of play. Only 44.1 overs bowled due to bad light, although Pope made 103 not out from 103 balls.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Lawrence out for just 5 from 21 balls faced. Is he really opener material at Test Match level?

 

[SteveHFC]

Lawrence out for just 5 from 21 balls faced. Is he really opener material at Test Match level?

No, it doesn't look like it - but he doesn't open in county cricket does he? It's an experiment that hasn't worked, and generally McCullum & co are giving players more than one match to show what they can (or can't) do. There is far to much writing players off (in all sports) after a couple of poor games. Hopefully Zak Crawley will be back for the Pakistan tour - but if not, I'd like to think someone who opens regularly is given a chance.

Delighted to see Pope get a good innings in - 144* as I type. I thought the criticism of him over the past couple of games (for his batting) was unjustified given he'd had a decent series against the West Indies. Again, hopefully Stokes is fit for Pakistan, but if Pope is considered to be the next cab off the rank as captain, let's give him more than 2 or 3 games to see if it affects his batting.

 

[Donny Dave]

England 325 all out. However, it sounds as the pitch is doing a bit, so it will be interesting to see how Sri Lanka get on.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

When Sri Lanka were 93-5, it could have been an embarrassment facing the England first innings total of 325, but an unbroken stand of 116 by de Silva and Mendis, who both made 50s, took them on to 211-5 when play ended.

 

[Harvester]

Wood has a stress fracture of his right elbow and will miss England’s tour of Pakistan later this year, and New Zealand early next year. Bowling fast spells of 90+ mph has again taken it’s toil on his aging body!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

England now 69-5 in their second innings with the top five in their batting order all dismissed.

UPDATE....Just as I was typing this, Woakes out for a duck....England now 70-6.

 

[Donny Dave]

Make that 70 for 6. Ollie Pope apart from his century has been shockingly bad. Yesterday, when the umpires decreed that only spin could be bowled, he persisted with that even though it was not working, gifting the Sri Lankans at least 50 runs. He has got every review wrong. Also, how many soft dismissals now?

Not to take anything away from Sri Lanka though. They have bowled magnificently today, but the pitch is doing a lot, so there is still hope for England.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Make that 70 for 6. Ollie Pope apart from his century has been shockingly bad. Yesterday, when the umpires decreed that only spin could be bowled, he persisted with that even though it was not working, gifting the Sri Lankans at least 50 runs. He has got every review wrong. Also, how many soft dismissals now?

Not to take anything away from Sri Lanka though. They have bowled magnificently today, but the pitch is doing a lot, so there is still hope for England.

Where do Sri Lanka stand in the top Test Match teams standings?

England all out in their second innings for 156 from 34 overs. That means they have been bowled out twice before the end of the third day. The main bowlers responsible were...
Kumara..............7 - 1 - 21 - 4
MVT Fernando.....8 - 0 - 40 - 3

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

No, it doesn't look like it - but he doesn't open in county cricket does he? It's an experiment that hasn't worked, and generally McCullum & co are giving players more than one match to show what they can (or can't) do.

After the innings he played in the series against Sri Lanka, it comes as no surprise whatsoever that Lawrence has been dropped from the squad to tour Pakistan.

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

Durham were 99-4 in their first innings against Lancashire when Ackerman joined Bedingham, chasing a small Lancashire 1st innings total of 228 all out. They made hay of the bowling attack and when Ackerman fell for 186 (17 x 4), they had taken the total on to 524-5, a stand of 425 runs. Bedingham is still there, now on 277 not out (1 x 6 and 27 x 4).

******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
In the first T20 International between Australia and England, that amazing over by Head for Australia in which he scored 30 runs (3 x 6 an 3 x 4) from the bowling of Curran turned out to be the victory margin runs-wise for Australia.

 

[Whistler40145]

Is it time for Lancashire County Cricket Club to part company with Dale Benkenstein?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Is it time for Lancashire County Cricket Club to part company with Dale Benkenstein?

It's been "time" for a period of time...

 

[ainsworth74]

Pleased to report that we've got the result in the seasons most important competition...

Dewi the Dragon of Glamorgan has won the mascot race at the T20 Finals Day. Many congratulations to Dewi for running an excellent race!

 

[Puffing Devil]

Is it time for Lancashire County Cricket Club to part company with Dale Benkenstein?

It's been "time" for a period of time...

Agreed - I only renewed my membership to get decent tickets for the India Test.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I see that Issy Wong made her return to the England team after quite a while and took a couple of wickets.

 

[Whistler40145]

Who would be an ideal replacement for Dale Benkenstein?

 

[DelW]

Looks as though today's televised (on Freeview) deciding T20 is likely to be wiped out by rain at Old Trafford. It's particularly frustrating as not only is cricket a rarity on terrestrial TV, but it's a lovely afternoon in the south, just some high wispy clouds, hazy sunshine and 20°.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Looks as though today's televised (on Freeview) deciding T20 is likely to be wiped out by rain at Old Trafford. It's particularly frustrating as not only is cricket a rarity on terrestrial TV, but it's a lovely afternoon in the south, just some high wispy clouds, hazy sunshine and 20°.

That the price you pay for arranging cricket matches in the middle of September, rather than the June to August time period.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Start time at Old Trafford was meant to have been 14:30, so if it does stop raining (yeah, right!) is there still any prospect of play starting + the match being concluded?

 

[DelW]

That the price you pay for arranging cricket matches in the middle of September, rather than the June to August time period.

Indeed, though whoever arranges the schedules seems to be getting more optimistic each year. Not only do we still have two rounds of the county championship to come, but there are five ODIs, including in Leeds on 21/9 and Chester le Street on 24/9, though at least that one is floodlit.

Start time at Old Trafford was meant to have been 14:30, so if it does stop raining (yeah, right!) is there still any prospect of play starting + the match being concluded?

At 2pm the TV presenter thought a late afternoon 5 overs each match might be possible if the forecast rain duration was accurate. I haven't seen any updates on that.

(Edit) BBC live text now says rain has stopped, pitch inspection at 4:15.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

At 2pm the TV presenter thought a late afternoon 5 overs each match might be possible if the forecast rain duration was accurate. I haven't seen any updates on that.

(Edit) BBC live text now says rain has stopped, pitch inspection at 4:15.

A five overs per side decision in an international match to decide the winners of a three match series is absolutely ridiculous and an insult to both teams and the spectators.

 

[DelW]

A five overs per side decision in an international match to decide the winners of a three match series is absolutely ridiculous and an insult to both teams and the spectators.

Indeed, the cynic in me wonders if it's a way of reducing or avoiding refunds to spectators, though I have no idea whether or not that would actually be the case.

The Met Office rainfall radar suggests light rain from around now until about 17:15, so the prospects don't look good anyway