Cricket (None Leicestershire County Cricket Club)

[Izzy]

Through the gap! FFS!

[RowlattsFox]

Somehow not enough is made of Anderson and how he can still play to this level at 40 FFS. Incredible fitness. 

[Izzy]

Fair play to Mohammed Ali.

 

Up against the ropes and taking the punches here.

[RonnieTodger]

 the director 

 

“Nasser, concentrate. Old ball or new ball?”

[Izzy]

Yes! What a win. What a test match!

 

 

[RonnieTodger]

****ing brilliant

[StanSP]

Excellent finish to a good test match. Thought it would just fizzle out to a draw after the first 2 days. 

 

Both teams contributed to it. Another great advert for test cricket. 

 

The perseverance shown from Pakistan to resist for so long, just edged out by the perseverance that England showed at the end there. 

[Aus Fox]

What a fantastic test match! Great win!!!

[RowlattsFox]

Sensational win. I thought it had gone at lunch but what an effort. Robinson and Anderson phenomenal, testament to the work Robinson has done on his fitness. 

[Tommy Fresh]

Just now, RowlattsFox said:

Sensational win. I thought it had gone at lunch but what an effort. Robinson and Anderson phenomenal, testament to the work Robinson has done on his fitness. 

Was about to say when Robinson first broke in to the side, you'd of imagined him really struggling on tours like this, but fair play to him.

[Stinkenzo]

37 minutes ago, Captain... said:

Not just being captain hindsight here, I said this last night, the only chance of winning was that declaration. They needed a target to aim for otherwise it would have just been a stodgy block fest where our bowlers took for no reward. Especially with the fact that bad light is taking 15 overs out the day. If they were expecting to complete 90 overs yesterday and today they would have batted much longer yesterday. When we declared yesterday, taking the first innings run rate and the expected number of overs left it would have been tight. So it came down to backing our bowlers Vs their batters and sends a great message.

 

Even if we don't win now, the experience of chasing a win and being in a contest would be so much more beneficial then a day of stodgy lifeless cricket, and so much better for the fans.

its fine. Like I said if it works then great fair play to him, but if this becomes the norm it's going to backfire at some point. As for your last paragraph, as a professional sportsman what are your priorities? To win and then atleast not lose, or to entertain the fans? I think I'm just built differently tbh

[purpleronnie]

For years we've said England play it too safe then England take a risk and I think it's a mistake...  Well done England.

[Osavo]

Phenomenal win. The way Stokes/McCullum have transformed this team's fortunes has been nothing short of a miracle.

[AKCJ]

Absolutely superb. Fair play to the team, they're all completely on board with McCullum and Stokes.

[Captain...]

17 minutes ago, Stinky said:

its fine. Like I said if it works then great fair play to him, but if this becomes the norm it's going to backfire at some point. As for your last paragraph, as a professional sportsman what are your priorities? To win and then atleast not lose, or to entertain the fans? I think I'm just built differently tbh

This new aggressive approach has already cost us once against South Africa. Of course it will cost us again, but it's the same as football you'd rather win one and lose one than draw 2.

 

It's been very fortunate that this new approach has started so well with the come backs Vs NZ and now this aggressive declaration coming off. If we'd fallen short in some of those ridiculous run chases and if we'd lost today we'd have a very different view on Baz-ball. It's working so far and it's great to watch, but it could be so very different.

 

You can guarantee under Root or Cook or Strauss we would have batted all day yesterday and possibly even into today and it would have been a draw. 

[RowlattsFox]

It's an interesting dynamic with the previous captain still being in the side, when he was notoriously slow to declare but it probably shows influence the coach has. 

Great that Root is fully onboard and backs Stokes. 

Edited 5 December 2022 by RowlattsFox

[leicsmac]

A historic win in more ways than one.

 

Most runs ever scored in a five day Test Match, too.

[Manini]

Say his captaincy stint actually produces as much as it’s promising so far, where does Stokes rank in terms of England’s greatest ever players? 

[leicsmac]

54 minutes ago, Manini said:

Say his captaincy stint actually produces as much as it’s promising so far, where does Stokes rank in terms of England’s greatest ever players? 

I think that will depend on the acid tests - tours in Australia and India. I would hope that he has at least one of each left in him as captain.

 

He's certainly up there even without those though IMO.

[The boy Linacre]

2 hours ago, Manini said:

Say his captaincy stint actually produces as much as it’s promising so far, where does Stokes rank in terms of England’s greatest ever players? 

Top 20-40

Hi stats aren't brilliant batting average 34 and some, 190+ wickets.  Suspect on his own Botham won more test matches and think Freddie is on a par with Stokes.  Its just when Stokes has done it, its been truly phenomenal, the 250+ against SA, the stand with Leach etc. at Headingley in 2019.

Swings and roundabouts BUT his captaincy and approach might have dragged others to perhaps 3 wins in the last 7 on top of what we would have won anyway.

TMS were talking about Stokes winning the MOM for his approach to try and win the test on a slab of concrete.

On the minus side did throw away a T20 World Cup final with 4 successive 6 balls!!!

[DoveValleyFox]

1 hour ago, Manini said:

Say his captaincy stint actually produces as much as it’s promising so far, where does Stokes rank in terms of England’s greatest ever players? 

I think that he is already there. In white ball, he's cemented in and if we had won the last home Ashes series off the back of his performances Stokes would be there in test cricket also. Today's astonishing victory was achieved without Wood, Archer, Bairstow,  Foakes, Broad, Buttler or Curran. If this is the template then it will be with those huge tasks of winning in India and/or Australia in mind. A win in Pakistan,  another at home and then in India and Stokes is right up there as captain. Huge tasks ahead for sure but what a ride it could be.

 

[Corky]

Brilliant. Thought we'd been too generous and lost it at tea, but what a final session. Anderson is the GOAT.

[Manini]

2 hours ago, The boy Linacre said:

Freddie is on a par with Stokes.

He’s a better batsman than Freddie for me. Freddie was a quicker and more dangerous bowler, so as you say swings and roundabouts. I am a huge Flintoff fan. 
 

2 hours ago, The boy Linacre said:

On the minus side did throw away a T20 World Cup final with 4 successive 6 balls!!!

On the plus side he did pretty much drag us the 50 over WC in the final, and his fielding is insane. 
 

I’d be hard pushed to name 40 better, but I might be younger than you and recency bias might factor in to it. He’s been consistently showstopper across all 3 formats exactly when we’ve needed him to be and he looks like he’s got a clear plan of how he wants to captain this test side too (something other greats have struggled with), with everyone brought in to that approach with Baz. Phenomenal cricketer, I’m intrigued to see what he comes up with next. 

Edited 5 December 2022 by Manini

[Captain...]

Stoked for Stokes, it was impressive captaining. 

 

I think the real test of this do or die approach will be if we can hang on for a draw when a win is not possible. Reverse the situation and England are 5 wickets down with not enough overs left to win. Could they knuckle down and salvage a draw or collapse under the pressure.

[Osavo]

Ollie Robinson deserves massive praise too. Must have been really tough for him earlier this year when he was dropped and publicly shamed over his fitness, but he's knuckled down and appears to have come back an absolute machine. Loved seeing him jogging back to his mark to get through the overs quicker.

 

Also did not know he had that skilful reverse swing in his locker. I've always thought of him as a classic line and length metronome, but his inswingers today were unplayable at times.