England v West Indies: Third Test at Old Trafford - 7-11 June - Page 9 - World A-Team Cricket Forum

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Rachael

On Prior's 'keeping: it sucks.

Cricinfo commentary of Prior's catch:

Quote:

Sidebottom to Bravo, OUT, angling across Bravo who remained on the back foot. He was drawn into a defensive prod, edging the ball to Prior's right who dived and took an excellent catch

Nuff said.

Rachael · 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by admin

The cricinfo commentary team obviously disagreed: "Sidebottom to Chanderpaul, no run, a good line immediately from Sidebottom - his control has been exemplary again, on the whole."

I point you to discussion in this thread....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Collyisamackem

Sorry Notts, Sidebottom must take much of the blame for his own figures. Yes, the batsmen know more of what they are getting from him, but by all accounts it seems his length has been poor today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gibbs_fan

No, c) Sidebottom got hit for a few, because he is bowling too many poor balls, ie half volleys and short-wide deliveries.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pie_chucker

At times Sidebottom bowled very poorly today, he never got slagged off, infact cricinfo (do they know anything about cricket) praised Sidebottoms accurate bowling.

Gus Fraser and Aggers were commentating during one of Sidebottom's spells.... and they know a fair bit about seam bowling... and they were both scathing about Sidebottom's lenght: he was consistently shorter than at Headingley... and correspondingly less effective. They were astonished that a bowler of his experience could be so naive.

pie_chucker

Quote:

Originally Posted by admin

The cricinfo commentary team obviously disagreed.........

But lets be fair, they know nothing about cricket!

I saw bits of Sidebottoms first two spells and they were poor. At that time he was even more expensive than Harmison. Couldnt fault his third spell though

. Like you say it could have been due to his extra agression he seemed to be bowling a little quicker.

As for Harmison bowling at 80mph, someone needs to take him to one side and tell him to bend his back! That shows a total lack of confidence and must be a big boost to the opposition.

I'm not trying to put any "spin

" on things. Yes we did play badly yesterday but we are still way out infront. At the end of the day its the result that counts. We are having some problems with the bowling but the batting (Strauss apart) is fine and against stronger opposition I'm sure the players will lift their game.

Rachael · 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pie_chucker

But lets be fair, they know nothing about cricket!

Being fair.. they almost certainly watch a lot of cricket.. and may well play at some level of the game... but like many cricket commentators before them, they tend to focus on the superficial.

In commenting on batting such commentators applaud ill-judged shots like the leaden footed, airy but well-timed drive that goes for four and the mis-timed, stand and deliver slog over mid-wicket that carries the rope off a thick edge... and this despite the fact that (as Barry Richards would note) the pair of them should be slagged off as terrible shots (a point the commentators only make if someone happens to catch the ball).

When it comes to wicket-keeping such commentators just applaud the spectacular and the athletic: they may well KNOW that a better keeper would have made the catch look easy, and perhaps have taken it on the walk as if it was the simplest thing in the world.... but the superlatives only come out when the guy behind the pegs makes (as Gilchrist often does) a trademark dive for the cameras.

It's only the more discerning commentators who will note that the wicket-keeper was irresponsible, going for a catch that should have been left for the 1st slip fielder... or that the wicket-keeper ended up diving and rolling (and risking a ****-up) because his poor positioning and footwork left him no alternative.

It's not that the commentators are necessarily ignorant about cricket... it's just a case of second rate, tabloid style journalism: sensationalist ****.

Collyisamackem

Quote:

Originally Posted by admin

42 extras in 52.4 overs is a disgrace. Nowhere near Test standard.

Prior looked very tidy behind the stumps. Can't believe he wasn't rated by some members of this board.

Interesting to see Fidel Edwards give Vaughan a hot reception when he came into bat. It's a worry that opposition teams see Vaughan as a potential early wicket.

Firstly, I agree about the extras, it is appalling. Why we can't teach our young bowlers to bowl straight I don't know, and Harmison has to get his head right.

Prior - hindsight lends a lot of wisdom Mike. I couldn't comment on his keeping but his batting in the ODIs he played was poor. I am glad, however, that his glovework has been good in these three tests and his batting has been very good aside from his dismissal in this match. I hope he can perform against India and we can have some continuity behind the stumps.

Vaughan - every team gets stuck into the opposition captain, it's normal. Besides, Edwards is a hot-head reardless of whom it is he is bowling at. His batting this series has been more consistent than for some time, and I would not see a centurion in his first test after a year out as an easy wicket next time around! Vaughan has come back into the side well, but again he will be tested by India and I will back him to come good against them also.

Just hoping I get a full day's play for my money tomorrow!!!

south beds mikey

Well guys,

Just got back in the country and things seem pretty satisfactory from our point of view. Concerns are the waywardness of our seamers (we need Hoggard and Fred back ASAP. Any news on Jones?) and Strauss up top. As a Middx fan I am biased but I do believe he is a class act however this run of failiures cant continue particularly with Tresco scoring so heavily.

Delighted to see the Bedfordshire boys doing well. Another ton for Cook and Monty 4 - 50. Did he bowl well or were they "give aways"? Let me know guys as I was not back in time to see any coverage.

Would like to mention for any one in my neck of the woods that Middlesex are playing Bedfordshire in a 20-20 on 20th June at my home town of Dunstable. A beautiful little ground and only a fiver to get in. Not sure who I support in that one!!

south beds mikey

Great bowling form sammy, 3 in 5 balls!! Just 2 points on the last wicket; superb catch by Bravo and pretty bad behaviour from Plunkett

. Big inside edge and stood there pointing at his pad, not good at all and given all the replays on offer not particularly clever!! Reckon we should declare now, Give the quicks a burst and see if Monty can wiggle 1 or 2 out.

Nostromo

There was a time when a third-rater like Darren Ganga would not have found a place in the West Indies' 'B' team, let alone opening and captaining the main international side. Goes to show the depths which they have sunk into; talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel!

Rachael · 09-06-2007, 07:32 PM in reply to Nostromo's post "Darren Ganga"

This WI side may be the worst of the lot but let's at least acknowledge that the side that England beat in 2004 was little better: look at the batting from Harmison's 7-12...

Code:

West Indies 2nd innings                                         R   M   B  4 6
CH Gayle              c Thorpe           b Harmison             9  32  25  1 0
DS Smith                             c & b Hoggard             12  65  42  2 0
RR Sarwan             lbw                b Harmison             0  10   8  0 0
S Chanderpaul                            b Harmison             0   8   7  0 0
*BC Lara              c Flintoff         b Hoggard              0   6   5  0 0
RO Hinds              c Read             b Jones                3  48  23  0 0
+RD Jacobs            c Hussain          b Harmison            15  31  22  3 0
TL Best               c Read             b Harmison             0   3   2  0 0
A Sanford             c Trescothick      b Harmison             1  10   8  0 0
CD Collymore          not out                                   2  14   5  0 0
FH Edwards            c Trescothick      b Harmison             0   7   7  0 0
Extras                (lb 4, nb 1)                              5
Total                 (all out, 25.3 overs, 123 mins)          47

This lot were actually less well prepared for that home series than they have been in this series: they came in from SA and either "rested" or played on low and slow wickets that were no sort of preparation for the newly relaid Sabina Park Track.

Waiting in the wings to bolster the batting in the subsequent Tests were.. Darren Ganga and Sylvester Joseph.

Worse than the batting was the bowling, led by Tino "the showpony" Best...

Code:

Bowling                      O      M      R      W
Collymore                   26      7     55      0 (9nb)
Edwards                     19.3    3     72      3 (7nb, 2w)
Best                        19      1     57      3 (1nb, 4w)
Sanford                     22      1     90      1 (1nb, 1w)
Hinds                       11.5    2     18      1
Gayle                        1      0      6      0
Sarwan                       4      1      6      1

Sadly, when the WI went AWOL in their own backyard a host of English cricket "fans" rejoiced rather than (as many are this side) regreting the absence of a meaningful contest and worrying about the future of WI cricket.

Pete

Disappointed with what I watched today. Sure, there are 2 days left, but the batting was slow (particularly cook and Collingwood) when they should have been pushing for a decleration sooner.

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