The creekit

[Bobbycollins]

Not pleased to read that Pope will keep wicket in the second Test despites Foakes being available. The selection of Wood in place of Livingstone is sensible but given the difficulty in taking wickets, it would appear preferable to have a specialist (and excellent) keeper in Foakes behind the stumps rather than a batsman who at 3 in the batting order could be in the field for several days without a break. Pope dropped two catches and missed a stumping in the first test - I would have left out Jacks, which might seem a bit harsh but the keeper can make the difference between winning or not.

[eric olthwaite]

Not even six an over is just sluggish, frankly.

E2A: I am slightly bothered that if the team habituates these tactics and takes them to the Ashes, it’ll be horrific. Wouldn’t mind seeing them get their arses handed them once to give some pause for thought.

[dirty leeds]

Turns on cricket to hear co-comm say, 'Maybe it's time for England to try some orthodox swing at one end because both these batsmen look extremely comfortable with spin'.
Next ball Leach takes a wicket, caught behind. Goodbye Shafique.

[dirty leeds]

Well, that was nice.

[Mustafaster]

Bah!
Fuckin Yanks have sequestered Hesgoal, that's my cricket gone.
Since when did the miserable bastards give a fuck about cricket?

[Rob]

Goodness me, another win in Pakistan and achieved under some pressure too.

Ashes tickets will be at a real premium in the summer.

Once fit, where will Bairstow fit back in ?

[eric olthwaite]

Had a daft busy weekend with family stuff and entirely forgot this was happening. Pleasant surprise this morning. Maybe Tommy’s right about the agility and resilience stuff.

[dirty leeds]

Had a daft busy weekend with family stuff and entirely forgot this was happening. Pleasant surprise this morning. Maybe Tommy’s right about the agility and resilience stuff.

Was more like proper cricket this time. Only real divergence came in our second innings, when we could very easily have taken more time, piled on the runs and left Pakistan with 450 to chase instead of 350. It mattered not.

[Tommy]

We're getting to that point with Bazball where I feel a bit like I felt in that first season after we were promoted under Bielsa. I just assume it will work out seemingly regardless of the situation. Even this morning I just assumed we'd get the wickets and we did.

Little bit of a chance to shuffle the pack in the final match of the series if they fancy it. Maybe the young spinner comes in for his debut? Shame it's not a five match series, it would be nicely poised.

[dirty leeds]

We're getting to that point with Bazball where I feel a bit like I felt in that first season after we were promoted under Bielsa. I just assume it will work out seemingly regardless of the situation. Even this morning I just assumed we'd get the wickets and we did.

Little bit of a chance to shuffle the pack in the final match of the series if they fancy it. Maybe the young spinner comes in for his debut? Shame it's not a five match series, it would be nicely poised.

Me too. On watching the highlights, it was much closer than I thought.

[Bobbycollins]

Don't wish to let a Test Series victory go by without a bit of a moan. The bowling of Jack Leach must be a concern, in that he doesn't seem capable of tying batsmen down and exerting pressure. He has now played in 30 Test matches and averages a wicket every 70 balls, having taken Test 98 wickets. Those figures for England's main spinner are only slightly better than those of the part-time spinner Joe Root, who now has 50 Test wickets at an average of one wicket every 80 balls bowled. In the most recent match, Leach seemed to bowl one bad ball every over, with each of his wickets costing over 42 runs. Naturally I blame the Hundred.

[Tommy]

Leach is on 103 in 31 matches now. I personally think the number of runs he concedes is largely down to the style of cricket being played of late. They set aggressive fields and offer little protection to their spinners. Whilst he's obviously not absolutely top class, he seems to have a knack of taking wickets when we need them and has a totemistic quality that I think Stokes in particular appreciates. It's not just because of his cameo at Headingley, he often seems to be involved when things are going well. The other thing is that there just isn't much competition for him at this point. They might play Rehan Ahmed in the last match but he's very young and I suspect he's a few years away from being a credible option at test level. By many accounts he's a good prospect though and can also bat a bit too.

[dirty leeds]

Leach is on 103 in 31 matches now. I personally think the number of runs he concedes is largely down to the style of cricket being played of late. They set aggressive fields and offer little protection to their spinners. Whilst he's obviously not absolutely top class, he seems to have a knack of taking wickets when we need them and has a totemistic quality that I think Stokes in particular appreciates. It's not just because of his cameo at Headingley, he often seems to be involved when things are going well. The other thing is that there just isn't much competition for him at this point. They might play Rehan Ahmed in the last match but he's very young and I suspect he's a few years away from being a credible option at test level. By many accounts he's a good prospect though and can also bat a bit too.

Bit in bold is the main reason, imo.

[Tommy]

Rehan Ahmed is playing tomorrow if he overcomes a stomach bug. Will be the youngest test debutant ever. He replaces Jacks and Foakes is back in for Anderson.

Anderson is being rested but Wood is playing, which is surprising. He was knackered at the end of the last test and Overton is available.

[Devi]

Ah, Aussie cricket, the gift that keeps on giving

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/63998982

[Bobbycollins]

Good to see that England have found a spinner who can actually spin the ball and I hope Rehan Ahmed continues to develop with bat and ball. The failure by Yorkshire to find and develop a spinner from the British Asian community underlines the problems that the county didn't address in the last 10 or more years. It's now 4 years since Adil Rashid last played red ball cricket and in that time the Yorkshire spin attack has been led by Dom Bess, who is a determined cricketer and dogged batsman but doesn't seem able to spin the ball. It would be good to think that Yorkshire can produce spin bowlers with the same rigour in which they have developed Test batsmen.

[Eddies Boots]

Just caught up with the day 1 highlights.
The look on Abrar's face when he realizes Leach has bowled him - too funny
I wondered if he was thinking Leach doesn't have the skills to bowl like that.

[Trumper]

One of the greenest pitches I can remember at the Gabba for our 1st Test against SA. Game’s about to finish within two days. Difficult to bat but some very poor batting as per wicket for Starc’s 300th wicket

[Tommy]

Harry Brook has three centuries on this tour. In fact he’s got 706 from 647 balls from the whole tour in all formats.

Half want Pakistan to get a good score to see if he can do it again in the second innings.

[Mustafaster]