England SHOULD play Foakes in the test team but I suspect they won't! However, they really shouldn't be considering Salt for the test team - from what I have read his glovework is not up to scratch. Unfortunately, the other option Ollie Robinson who is currently storming in Div One, also appears to have questions over his glovework - for me you always have to pick your best keeper, especially if you have a fit world class alrounder in the team!
With Windies absolutely thumping USA, pressure will be on England. If WI beats SA and England fails to take a big enough win against USA, SA and WI will be through.
They need to get Will Jacks in. If they do it after this loss, it's actually a positive. If they had won it, I don't know whether this weakness would have been spotted by the coach/captain. Qualification still is easy for them
It doesn't help when the England opening pair come in at 5 and 6. England's current form team Brook Livingstone Smith (wk) Buttler (c) Cox T Curran S Curran Hollman Rashid Archer Mills
I'm sorry, but George is either missing the point, or is being pedantic on purpose. Sure, England do seem to like chasing, but they DO NOT have a good record in chases. In this WC, they have bowled 1st in 5 out of 6 matches. Won 2, Lost 2, One NR. The 2 they won - One was against a minnow and the other one, while chasing at night. The 2 that they have lost have come against strong opposition in Day games. If QDK knew that the best time to go after the bowling is when the ball is new, then why didn't or why couldn't England do the same? If they didn't do it on purpose, than they are very poor tactically, and one might even question their intentions of wanting to win the game. If they couldn't do it inspite of trying, then they are either incompetent...OR the pitch had really become much slower, and a failure from 'Mottler' to realize that the best time to bat is against a new ball, when the PITCH is at it's FRESHEST, i.e. when batting 1st. If England got close, it was mostly because the SA bowlers suddenly got the yips and started bowling full-tosses. Even at the stage when 25 was needed off 17, once they started bowling the ball into the pitch again, it became nigh impossible to score. Majority of the day matches have been won by the team batting 1st, sometimes by massive margins. How England didn't learn their lessons from the Aus game baffles me still. Asking SA to bat 1st here was almost as terrible as asking SA to bat 1st in Mumbai back in Oct'23.
My only concern is that Eng seem to regularly get conditions, team selection, and tosses wrong. The things a coach has most influence on...
Just lost to a slightly better team on the day. Very close fought, win some lose some
It was a high quality game both teams put on a good show.
Lovely background, Ernest Hemingway would approve!
It's brutal to sit in that hot sun! The ICC is more concerned about the television audience in primetime Asia.
England SHOULD play Foakes in the test team but I suspect they won't! However, they really shouldn't be considering Salt for the test team - from what I have read his glovework is not up to scratch. Unfortunately, the other option Ollie Robinson who is currently storming in Div One, also appears to have questions over his glovework - for me you always have to pick your best keeper, especially if you have a fit world class alrounder in the team!
They really need a Foakes type batsman to keep things sane, BJ Watling was great for Brendon Mccullum
With Windies absolutely thumping USA, pressure will be on England. If WI beats SA and England fails to take a big enough win against USA, SA and WI will be through.
They need to get Will Jacks in. If they do it after this loss, it's actually a positive. If they had won it, I don't know whether this weakness would have been spotted by the coach/captain. Qualification still is easy for them
England has the highest priority of reaching semis among WI ,SA AND ENGLAND
Was a brilliant close game
Could of gone either England will go through to the semi and there it’s all to play for anyone can win it then
It doesn't help when the England opening pair come in at 5 and 6.
England's current form team
Brook
Livingstone
Smith (wk)
Buttler (c)
Cox
T Curran
S Curran
Hollman
Rashid
Archer
Mills
Put me down for a hat please 😂
You can win one.. x.com/GeorgeDobell1/status/1804939265463226855
I'm sorry, but George is either missing the point, or is being pedantic on purpose.
Sure, England do seem to like chasing, but they DO NOT have a good record in chases. In this WC, they have bowled 1st in 5 out of 6 matches. Won 2, Lost 2, One NR. The 2 they won - One was against a minnow and the other one, while chasing at night.
The 2 that they have lost have come against strong opposition in Day games.
If QDK knew that the best time to go after the bowling is when the ball is new, then why didn't or why couldn't England do the same? If they didn't do it on purpose, than they are very poor tactically, and one might even question their intentions of wanting to win the game.
If they couldn't do it inspite of trying, then they are either incompetent...OR the pitch had really become much slower, and a failure from 'Mottler' to realize that the best time to bat is against a new ball, when the PITCH is at it's FRESHEST, i.e. when batting 1st.
If England got close, it was mostly because the SA bowlers suddenly got the yips and started bowling full-tosses. Even at the stage when 25 was needed off 17, once they started bowling the ball into the pitch again, it became nigh impossible to score.
Majority of the day matches have been won by the team batting 1st, sometimes by massive margins.
How England didn't learn their lessons from the Aus game baffles me still.
Asking SA to bat 1st here was almost as terrible as asking SA to bat 1st in Mumbai back in Oct'23.