westham,eggyandchips wrote:I bet Rabada is feeling pretty stupid right now, getting a ban when he could quite easily be picking up wickets in this match.
Thought he was hard done by to be honest on both occasions he got his suspension points.
Getting done for having a go at Stokes of all people :lol:
Vaughan and Boycott both said in commentary that the thing that will stop this team getting better is the ability to read the situation and play accordingly. While the Saffas bowled well, there were occasions when players were just plain daft. Moeen falling for the obvious trap, Dawson going after something that wasn't there.
They all want to go out and dominate far too much when the situation won't allow. This one looks like a loss barring some real change in the way the match is going.
Openers need to step up well in the 2nd innings or the knives will be out (rightly or wrongly) for Jennings in particular. Not too clever from Chef to be honest either!
Jennings was unlucky. Cracking ball from Morkel. Root and Bairstow apart the rest just couldn't knuckle down. Have no idea what Dawson was doing.
Cook was all over the place and could have been out twice before he fell.
Feel sorry for Jimmy, bowled them out this morning and was a threat again tonight. Poor sod must be knackered. We are going to miss him when he retires. Enjoy him while you can.
Broad out of sorts this test so far, be nice if he could repeat his Australian spell here from last time out and Wood is quick but it's just arrow straight.
T20 has ruined our players' ability to play test cricket.
All out in 4 hours is criminal.
When was the last time the team batting 2nd won a match in England with a successful run chase? It feels to me at the moment that if you bat first, you win.
474 the target, or more realistically we need to bat through 6 sessions. We'll do well to last 2. Is Collingwood still around? Any way we can sub him in?
The top 3 is killing us. Chef needs to work himself back into form. Our opening partner problem continues with Jennings not looking the part, and Ballance just doesn't seem to be doing it. We can't bat against the best sides constantly being 3 down for under 50 runs.
What do we reckon? All done by about 2.45 tomorrow? I'd love to think we can bat all day and still be there Tuesday morning but we've seen us crumble too many times when he have 2 days to bat it out. Love to be proved wrong and see history re-written but it's not going to happen.
So galling to see us skittled out in no time at all and then the opposition pile on the runs.
Last chance saloon for Ballance and Dawson tomorrow. How long is Woakes out for?
Ballance, Dawson and Jennings all playing for their places. At least one, maybe two will be jettisoned before the next test if they don't perform. Well, Dawson's there to bowl and he's only got the one, not that Trent Bridge is Kolkatta of course.
Our big problem is as others have said, we have lost the discipline to bat like a test side. We can only attack, which is great when it comes off, but sometimes you need to knuckle down and wear down the opposition.
I manage an U11 side, and the hardest part is getting into their heads that they can't hit a four off every ball.
