Is This Your Celebrated Summer? - International Cricket in England 2021

[Satchmo Distel]

I think it's more that there aren't any world championship points at stake and the series was grafted late into the schedule.* I'd be amazed if they didn't take India seriously, to whom they've never lost at home in a series of more than 3 Tests (and that just once: 1986, 2-0. Pakistan have a much better record than India in England).

*They'd still have lost if they were 100% first-choice players and fully motivated but not by such a crushing margin given only rain saved them at Lord's. OTOH a 5 match series might have been lost 4-0 given NZ's momentum; but the ECB will never give them 5 Tests or even 4 (which they did get as fillers in two WC years: 1983 and 1999; oddly they got 5 Tests in England in 1958, when very weak).

[ursus arctos]

Interesting deep dive into England's batting from Jarrod Kimber

https://wickets.substack.com/p/engla...Fsqu99ExuR3ab4

[tee rex]

Tom Latham is certainly the least known of the 3 NZ captains who won a Test series in England (Fleming is still famous enough to do TV ads here, and Coney was the first). He's an example of that occasional curiosity, a cricketer who actually out-achieves their more famous parent, but the latter remains the cult hero in the public mind (see also Chris Cairns and Lance). Rod Latham was part of the 1992 World Cup squad, and that tournament is a permanent fixture in the nostalgia archive, with player reminiscences trotted out whenever the anniversary rolls around.

So Tom was always "son of" for the first few years of his career, and it's good to see him getting some proper recognition now.

[Guy Profumo]

Meanwhile, at Bristol tomorrow, the women's test team are playing India on a used wicket


Hurrah for the ECB!

[Ray de Galles]

Weather forecast is looking dreadful for much of the weekend so not sure if we'll see a result in the WTC Final even with a sixth day in reserve.

I should either stop buying tickets for test matches or stop tempting fate with thread titles.

[ursus arctos]

Ashwin has done an interesting (to me) video on the setup at Southampton, which he finds generally quite impressive. It also includes a bit on how the "hovercraft" used to cover the pitch in wet weather works.

In Hindi, but the automatic English subtitles are decent, if not perfect.

[Etienne]

Pitch at Bristol seems to be behaving itself so far, and England have made a decent start : 86-1 at lunch.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Ashwin has done an interesting (to me) video on the setup at Southampton, which he finds generally quite impressive. It also includes a bit on how the "hovercraft" used to cover the pitch in wet weather works.

In Hindi, but the automatic English subtitles are decent, if not perfect.

I just love that video - he is so, so fascinated by the hovercraft, and he's also a big fan of black coffee. What a lovely man - I hope he and his family see penguins before they get back to India.

[diggedy derek]

England have put together a decent partnership here for the eighth wicket, and SIR Dunkley seems to have a bit about her with the bat with some wristy shots.

[diggedy derek]

Is Ashwin basically just a brilliant person? I love that story about him going back to his room at night and writing down his observations of the day's play on a notepad (or maybe it was a voice recorder?)

[ursus arctos]

He certainly comes offf that way

Im very glad that others are enjoying the video

[diggedy derek]

His channel looks genuinely awesome.

Meanwhile Sophia Dunkley, the first black woman to play Test cricket for England, gets a half century on debut.

[Etienne]

Dunkley sounds like she's made for international cricket.

[diggedy derek]

Sensational shot down the ground to finish off the morning session

[pebblethefish]

And now England have realised that they've scored enough runs, so have decided to have a slog.

How is Shrubsole only a number ten?

[Levin]

This was the other worry about having a used pitch. It wouldn't do anything.
A couple of the players from the 2019 ashes mentioned that their pitch back then had been a used one.

[Etienne]

I reckon India are more likely than England to win this at the moment.

[Levin]

https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1405522436850782213

[Etienne]

I reckon India are more likely than England to win this at the moment.

Probably not so much now.

[diggedy derek]

Quite a turnaround in this. England have a chance with runs on the board. It’s been a fun day’s play

[pebblethefish]

If there is any play in the ITC final today, the groundsman was clearly trained at Hogwarts. Been hammering it down here since last night, and even if it stops now the outfield will be a marsh.

[ursus arctos]

Morning session already called off and toss delayed

[diggedy derek]

The women's Test in Bristol is not looking too clever. That said, India are now six down and still over 50 runs from the follow on total. If today is washed out, England enforcing it looks a distinct possibility.

[diggedy derek]

India seven down now, world number one Ecclestone putting them under serious examination...

[Etienne]

Eight down now.

But Heather Knight has just gone for 2 off an over, ruining her figures (previously 7-6-1-2)