SHA Small Heath Alliance

I am a self-confessed complete cricket tragic. I only have Sky for the cricket.

I had absolutely no idea England were playing today! I can't imagine the viewing figures are great, but anyway

Sri Lanka look like they're getting about 260 odd. We have a very long batting lineup by the looks of it - Dawson is down to come in at 10

WFH today so have it on in the background, think its a decent score for us given our seam attack is Overton + Curran.

Pleased Ahmed got a chance instead of Jacks due to illness, we need him to get to as much experience as possible before Rashid retires.

271 for 6 in the end.

The England team doesn't look quite right to me, in terms of balance.

Lots of bits and pieces cricketers. Which has been proven time and again to not really work.


Horses for courses selections for playing in SL though.

The weakest of the spinners on a turning wicket.

Overton’s just been hit for 20-odd last over. Wonder if our batters can play the spinners.

Gower on commentary. He barely used to bother saying anything and now he doesn’t shut up. He’s just not very good at it.

Cricket is so important for Sky. There's bound to be loads of fans of non big-6 teams who have subscribed mainly for the cricket as you say than to see their footy team. You can occasion a visit to the pub to see your footy team but rarely all day of cricket.

Johnathan Liew good article in the Guardian again today I saw some of the u19s v Scotland yesterday and wondered who of that lot would be from the streets. Apparently it's just 4 out of the entire squad. That Hampshire opener/all round kid looked very good though

English cricket remains a metaphor for the country at large: hollowed out and stripped down, a place of VIP queues and boarded-up high streets, pristine public school fields and “no ball games” signs on housing estates

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Oldham

Lots of bits and pieces cricketers. Which has been proven time and again to not really work.


Horses for courses selections for playing in SL though.

It does piss me off when we keep going back to bits and pieces merchants, this line up isn't as bad as the bad old days though is it?

Six proper (ODI) batsmen, an all rounder, five bowlers and a couple of the batters can bowl spinning pies.

As you say, not a terrible selection for the conditions.

(And no, I didn't realise we were playing today either).

newblue

Gower on commentary. He barely used to bother saying anything and now he doesn’t shut up. He’s just not very good at it.

Agreed. Gower is a terrible commentator.

Just talks bumbling wibble and keeps sniggering at his own non jokes.

Yeah he's shit on the box. Always was as a commentator. Thought he was broadly fine as a presenter

Oldham

Yeah he's shit on the box. Always was as a commentator. Thought he was broadly fine as a presenter

Always thought Gower was a damn good peninsular!

Gower's always been verbose, and it's got worse as he's got older.

He probably needs the gig.

As Oldham said, a good anchor. He was better in the Ian Ward role than Ian Ward imo.

mad

Cricket is so important for Sky. There's bound to be loads of fans of non big-6 teams who have subscribed mainly for the cricket as you say than to see their footy team. You can occasion a visit to the pub to see your footy team but rarely all day of cricket.

Johnathan Liew good article in the Guardian again today I saw some of the u19s v Scotland yesterday and wondered who of that lot would be from the streets. Apparently it's just 4 out of the entire squad. That Hampshire opener/all round kid looked very good though

English cricket remains a metaphor for the country at large: hollowed out and stripped down, a place of VIP queues and boarded-up high streets, pristine public school fields and “no ball games” signs on housing estates

.

When I was a kid we used to play cricket in the street, in our garden and down Ward End park (had 4 brothers so always a game on). On a Sunday down Ward End park there would be 4/5 games on. It’s all gone now. Tbf I don’t see kids playing street games of football (or any other games) either. There’s just less informal sport and play amongst kids and cricket is a bit of a hard game to promote. It’s a function of kids doing other things rather than just talking about class. I don’t think it’s been a ‘working class’ sport for a long time. Even when I was a kid it was the Grammar schools that played it to any level.

The cricket is on TNT btw. I’ve enjoyed watching the U19’s and I reckon the younger Ahmed will be In the England test team pretty soon. Already been with the Lions. Some good cricketers in the England team, others (surprise surprise the Aussies) look good too. That’s on Sky along with the SA T20 - SA are producing some fantastic, aggressive good cricketers just now.

IanT

Gower's always been verbose, and it's got worse as he's got older.

He probably needs the gig.

As Oldham said, a good anchor. He was better in
the Ian Ward role than Ian Ward imo.

For me he never looked like he was bothered/interested. Loved to watch him bat, but the way he gave up the captaincy and the disrespect he showed to it I’ll never forgive him for, probably colours my view. Well, definitely does.

I only saw him on TV as young kid right at the end of his career, so wouldn't know.

Crawley out wafting :)

Could have been out 3 times before that. Wicket look a bit tricky.

Always remember Gower elegantly pulling his first ball for 4 in test cricket. 44 average at a time when the WI had a great pace attack. One of those players who looked to have loads of time - Bethell has echoes of the style but Gower was even more languid. Beautiful offside game.