England tour to South Africa December 2015/February 2016

[PokerAce]

Well Done Stokes, the second fastest test double hundred ever. Second only to Astle's effort off 154 deliveries (against England). Stokes with his 163 ball double hundred, moves into second spot on the list, ahead of Sehwag who had scored his off 168 deliveries.

 

[MUFC1987]

I seem to remember that it was only about a year ago that you were in the Woakes over Stokes camp. Assume you've been convinced by Stokes?

I don't remember that. I remember thinking that we only had room for one of Stokes and Ali in the top 6, but then the Australian tour made me realise that Stokes was ahead of Ali in that. I do rate Woakes, but I don't think I said we should get rid of Stokes for him. Both going to be quality cricketers.

 

[PokerAce]

Anyway I think now that Stokes has got to 200, the caning is only likely to get worse for SA from hereon, unless they Stokes out ofcourse.

 

[cooks1st100]

Also lets not underestimate how good a knock bairstow has produced[DOUBLEPOST=1451816619][/DOUBLEPOST]Also lets not underestimate how good a knock bairstow has produced

Yeah feel a bit for Bairstow, his best knock in an England shirt and it's been completely overshadowed by Stokes!

 

[richowebbo]

Amazing from Stokes. Phenomenal.

I slept in, made brekkie, took dog for a walk. Just got back, turned on....dammit!

 

[CerealKiller]

Some time ago I said that Moeen and Stokes should swap batting positions. Stokes has literally made me eat my words.

 

[T.J.Hooker]

smugquoting myself from the beginning of Stokes' career

Ballance's List A record is pretty impressive - averaging 56 with a SR of 90+ - so we might see something more from him.

Regarding Stokes, what I meant to say was that calling him "nicest strikers of the ball I've seen in ages" was a bit of an exaggeration. He's no Gilchrist but seems a decent no. 7 who can average around 30 with the bat.

Well I was talking about guys who'd turned up in the England scene, but I'm fairly happy to stick to my guns and say he's one of the nicest strikers of the ball I've seen break into international cricket in the last few years.

That's not just about how fast the ball goes off the bat. I'm talking about stroke production, arc of the bat, weight transference into the shot. Joss Butler absolutely biffs the ball but not very often with a really sweetly executed cricket shot, in the traditional sense.

So basically I think you're underestimating his level of strokeplay talent. Smacking a 95mph bowler off the front foot dead straight with a classically executed drive is one of the most difficult things to do in the game - so much so that an awful lot of test batsmen don't even attempt it. He can do it and looks like he's got time to spare.

I don't know whether he'll focus that talent and occupy the crease for long enough to make a lot of runs - as I've said, he looks like he's vulnerable around that front pad, potential lbw candidate - but that's a bit of a different issue.

But hey, you think Ballance looks like the more talented player? Fair enough. Let's see what happens.

 

[bigred]

I don't remember that. I remember thinking that we only had room for one of Stokes and Ali in the top 6, but then the Australian tour made me realise that Stokes was ahead of Ali in that. I do rate Woakes, but I don't think I said we should get rid of Stokes for him. Both going to be quality cricketers.

To be fair, you said it after the '14 summer. A period where Stokes didn't score many runs.

 

[cricket_icon]

That was shot gun cricket from Stokes and in fact, the whole England dressing room seems so full of confidence. Like I said after the Pakistan tour, England lost the tests but showed they could tough it out in hard, rough conditions. SA showed the opposite in India. I think Stokes, not just physically but mentally, has taken the game away from SA.

 

[richowebbo]

Stokes is never going to have an enormous batting average, and in fact probably never a great bowling average. But he just has that amazing trait of having world class performances in his locker. You know that at some point he's going to explode with either bat or ball. Hopefully, in the future it will be with both in the same match. That would be supreme.

Also, credit ha to go Bairstow who has once again made a score. If Stokes wasn't in with him, he'd be rightly getting massive praise.

 

[MUFC1987]

Yeah feel a bit for Bairstow, his best knock in an England shirt and it's been completely overshadowed by Stokes!

He does have the consolation of nailing down his place though. Hopefully he can improve his keeping, although Buttler isn't any better in that regard really, so no real pressure on it.

I slept in, made brekkie, took dog for a walk. Just got back, turned on....dammit!

I missed the first half an hour and Stokes had gone from 70 odd overnight, to 120 odd. Insane.

 

[richowebbo]

He does have the consolation of nailing down his place though. Hopefully he can improve his keeping, although Buttler isn't any better in that regard really, so no real pressure on it.


I missed the first half an hour and Stokes had gone from 70 odd overnight, to 120 odd. Insane.

I opened up the laptop about 10.30 and went on to BBC cricket and it said "Stokes makes 200" and my brain went haywire. I'd initially thought it was actually 4.30pm and that I'd somehow slept all day![DOUBLEPOST=1451821378][/DOUBLEPOST]JONNNNNNY! Yes!

 

[bigred]

What's Cook thinking here then?

1. Declare at tea. (Score will be somewhere around 680-700)
2. Put 600 on the board and declare.
3. Just rub their noses in it and bat beyond tea.

 

[PokerAce]

SA's #1 test status surely under threat now. In all of 2015 they won just 1 test match, if I am not mistaken, and with the kind of injury issues they have with their bowling, they really seem to be struggling.

Rabada after the tour to India, must have been looking forward to bowling in conditions more familiar. I know he has three wickets, but what a hammering he has taken.

 

[PokerAce]

Morkel is clearly immensely enjoying this show, didn't want to take that dolly of a catch to end it.

Jokes apart Bairstow has become a little too loose for his own good. He looks like he could get out any shot. He could be just a tad bit more selective with his shots.