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https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c4g5dlevv9ro
England don’t have a drinking problem says Stuart Broad.
I’m sure they could quit any time they want to… Hic.
Like it or not, people are going to ask questions when you get battered 4-1 without ever realistically being in the series. People would probably have less of an issue with it if you at least attempt to do the job you were sent down there to do.
It hasn’t got any better for City of Liverpool FC, mentioned earlier in the thread. Two of their recent “home” matches (including the Boxing Day fixture with South Liverpool) had to be cancelled due to “financial issues”. In other words, they had defaulted on their rent to Burscough.
Somehow they have managed to keep going and played at “home” to Charnock Richard yesterday. They lost 8-0, after being 3-0 down inside the opening ten minutes.
Since the end of October, their record is P 12, W 0, D 1, L 11, F 5, A 67.
If anyone still supports the team, I expect they must feel like this:
After an Ashes Tour defined by incompetence and arrogance, the ECB decides no one is to blame, no one needs to take responsibility or be replaced, and everything can continue as before.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c393nxzgzpmo
Trebles all round!
It still hasn’t got any better for City of Liverpool FC. Next weekend will almost certainly see their relegation to the sixth tier of the non league mathematically confirmed. They haven’t won a match since last October and their goal difference stands at an “impressive” minus 124.
Worse still, their current landlords at Burscough have announced that Skelmersdale will be their tenants next season, which means C of L will need to find a new ground. Which might be awkward for a club believed to have defaulted on rental payments to both Bootle and Burscough.
Quite a fall from grace for a club launched with such lofty ambition and that only two years ago was in a play off to get into the Northern Premier and the upper reaches of the non leagues.
Bazball is dead, long live Bazball.
Quite the rollercoaster for the Lord’s faithful today.
I didn’t see much of the cricket today. Was the bowling so good or the pitch so troublesome to merit 16 wickets falling in a day?
Further to the above, City Of Liverpool ended up being doubly relegated by the FA after failing to secure a ground.
That means park football for The Purps next season in the Liverpool Combination. At least they might finally be able to find somewhere to play in Liverpool..
I only saw brief highlights myself.
It did appear to be good bowling conditions and the old adage that you don’t know what par is until both teams have batted rings true.
Brook was dropped a couple of times on his way to his half century, New Zealand probably weren’t too bothered at 140 all out but it looks like quite a contribution now!
Vaughan and a few others suggesting the pitch is a poor one. This is at the home of cricket.
Will the authorities have the bottle to berate the MCC groundstaff?
They could even take test status from Lord’s with the substandard pitch like I believe they did with Headingley years ago when they had bowler friendly wickets – but I don’t think so.
A talking point has been ‘steaming the wicket’ over the winter to sterilize it, apparently a technique that’s been regularly utilised at Wimbledon.
No idea if it’s to blame for the bowler-friendly pitch at this test but this video is interesting.
The result of the steaming can be seen from 7:30. Not a pretty sight.
Steam Surface Sterilisation at Lords Cricket Ground – Tillers Turf Talk Ep 130
byu/Unlucky_Scar_5712 inCricketI think Vaughan is probably right. 16 wickets fell on the opening day – and that was a day where two hours of play were lost to the weather. Test Match quality batsmen ought to be capable of doing better than that, no matter how good the bowling. And I don’t believe either of the bowling attacks contain any genuinely great bowlers.
A Lord’s Test is a great occasion. I attended several times when I lived in London. But I don’t think Lord’s is a particularly good ground from a cricketing point of view. Why does it still have the slope, for example? That could be easily fixed nowadays.
Trent Bridge and Edgbaston are both better grounds and free of the MCC’s tedious membership. Although at least Lord’s bans fancy dress, which provides a break from the equally tedious Barmy Army!
Doubt it’s got anything to do with the state of the wicket but isn’t it rather unusual to have the first test of the summer at Lords. Think I’m right in saying that it’s normally held late June/early July during the ‘high summer’ sporting period that includes Royal Ascot and Wimbledon.
The first Test never used to be at Lord’s. I think it was usually Trent Bridge or Edgbaston.
This year is a year when there are two Tests at Lord’s, given there are two 3 match series.
I don’t have the fixtures to hand but I believe the last Test is not at The Oval either.
No Test Match for Old Trafford this year. Something for the newly elected Board at Lancashire CCC to think about.
Will the authorities have the bottle to berate the MCC groundstaff?
I don’t know how much it affects the balance sheet but one way or another the club will at least be penalised by having to issue ticket refunds and by loss of bar and food sales.When there are accusations of a drinking culture, it isn’t really a very good idea for the captain of the team to say “I won’t be really happy until I get to share a beer with the boys” and then be discovered in a nightclub after the midnight curfew.
Seems like Stokes could be in trouble here. ‘More than a breach of curfew’ and suggestions that it could be the end of his captaincy mean that something else must have happened here but we will see.
It’s a shame but in his position, you have to accept that being a high profile sportsman comes with certain responsibilities. If he hasn’t learned that by now, you have to ask if he ever will.
That is the sum of it. As captain, he has to set an example and it is not unreasonable to hold him to higher standards.
If he was an 18 year old lad, his misdemeanor might be forgivable. But he is a 35 year old married man and father of two. He ought to be showing a bit more responsibility and maturity.
Let’s not forget he has previous too. Yes he was acquitted as far as the law is concerned but there were still ECB sanctions handed down.
I saw a brief clip of Jonathan Agnew discussing it earlier, describing him as a great captain (he was otherwise critica). I assume he was referring to on field matters. In my book, conduct off the field is also important.
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