The Cricket Thread

He only got the call from us on Friday. He was all set to play club cricket over the weekend. So yes, I assume a lack of fitness must have played a large part, especially when you factor in that he's hardly bowled for almost two years because of injury.

Any way, this Manchester weather is helping us quite substantially! Fair play though for the way that Vince and Smith dug in. Saved us from being, say, 100-4 when the rain came. I'm still expecting us to lose this if we get a totally dry tomorrow, but at least having eight wickets in hand gives us some sort of chance (as well as just the obvious fact that digging in one for one day wont sound like quite as daunting a prospect as digging in for two days does - easier for the batsmen to see light at the end of the tunnel; that such digging in much actual pay dividends, as opposed to just delaying the inevitable).

 

As expected James Vince named in the England squad for the first test against Sri Lanka. He'll play as the 12th man will be a bowler. Well done Vincey!

 

Very handy week to have off. Gives the likes of Ervine and Wood another week of recovery, and Best and Andrews the opportunity to increase their fitness levels further. Plus one less game which we'll be without Vince for.

That said, there's a real risk that we'll be putting out one awful XI in our t20 opener on Friday:

Unavailable: Vince (international duty), Berg (injury), Topley (injury), Fidel (injury), Sammy (joins up for our second game, unless this has since changed)

Possibly unavailable: Shah (not heard whether he's returning to us this season), Jimmy (not heard whether he's willing to resume playing t20 cricket, or if infact he's basically retired from the format now), Ervine (injury), Wood (injury), Taylor (injury), Stevenson (injury - I note that he captained the 2nds this week, but again still didn't bowl so presumably is still injured at that front), Best (fitness/desire for us to play him in this format), Andrews (fitness/desire for us to play him in this format), Afridi (injury/fitness - he pulled out of a Pakistan training camp about a week ago, but stated he hoped have regained fitness in time to join up with us), McLaren (availability - he is not due to play t20 for us, due to the two overseas limit, but theoretically we could register for this one game and not breach the cap. Then again, I think the intention was also that he could go away and rest himself up for these matches, due to him otherwise playing a full county season with us)

So even if we were to say that Afridi, Wood and Ervine will all be available, that still leaves us with an XI which looks something like this:

Carberry, Afridi, Wheater, Ervine, Dawson, McManus, Smith, Wood, Crane, Wheal and one other - maybe Alsop, maybe Tommo, maybe one of the kids. Or maybe we will decide to play Andrews, to be a bits and pieces option with bat and ball. Either way, it's a very poor XI.

(I know we have said that Afridi has been signed to bat in the middle order, because we were weak there last season, but unless Alsop is the 11th man then I'm struggling to find an opening partner for Carbs in that side. And Afridi did do a half decent job there when we used him in that role last time).

[Yet with everyone available, it looks a pretty special XI. Carberry, Vince, Wheater, Ervine, Afridi, Dawson, Sammy, Smith, Wood, Topley and either Shah (if returning), Berg, Crane or Fidel - the 10 by themselves already have batting and bowling pretty much covered, with so many all-rounders, so I can see merits in any of those four.]

 

First test starts today. Vince plays, as does Finn. Sri Lanka win the toss and bowl. Overcast and a slightly green pitch so we may see Vince early.

 

Duck for Compton. 49/2. Get your pads on Vince....

 

50/3. Not ideal for Vince!

 

Vincey in before lunch, a chance to be a hero possibly?....*crosses fingers*

 

Yeah, that decent start evaporated pretty quickly.

 

Vince 0* at lunch. #noappetite

 

Vince.

 

Ooops...England 83-5

 

Need a partnership here from Hales and Bairstow. England really need batsmen to rely on besides Cook, Root and (sometimes) Stokes.

 

Oh **** Wood is out for the rest of the season. That's bad for the one day formats in particular.

 

Bloody hell...Rod Bransgrove must've tripped over a black cat whilst walking under a ladder dropping the mirror he was carrying and smashing it!

 

SL 81-6

 

90-8 What a catch from Finn.

 

91/9.

 

All out....England enforce follow on.

 

91 all out. Anderson 5/16 and Broad 4/21. SL didn't stand a chance in these conditions.

 

Off for bad light. What is the point of having lights if they come off despite them being on.