Cricket

[Scott Colliver]

I am now readiing a few headlines that Holland might be injured but the articles are all behind paywalls

[Scott Colliver]

Excellent first session of the first test against Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka have gifted two wickets by playing miles away from the body and edging to Carey. However the pitch is spinning and Lyon and Swepson are troubling the batsman

[Patrick Byrom]

... Australia is due to play the first test against Sri lanka starting tomorrow. For some strange reason Jon Holland seems most likely to play as the second spinner ahead of Mitchell Swepson. Hopefully we are not going the English was of not playing leg spinners

Ironically, Jon is no relation to famous leg-spinner Bob Holland.

[Kevin Bonham]

Tim Paine is currently one of the cricketers who has the following property: everyone who has played as many or more Tests without making a century has a lower batting average than him.

Paine is playing his 16th Test. The most Tests for anyone with a higher average who hasn't made a century is 10 for Alan Fairfax (AUS 1929-31).

Also on the list in order of declining batting average, Bruce Laird (specialist batsman), Ken Mackay (allrounder), Chetan Chauhan (specialist batsman), Kiran More (keeper), Vernon Philander (bowler), Deryck Murray (keeper), John Embury (bowler), Brett Lee (bowler), Malcolm Marshall (bowler), Shane Warne (bowler). Jimmy Anderson (bowler, HS 81, average 9.90) will join the list if he plays another Test without scoring a century.

Following Green's dismissal for 77 there are now three players in the current Test on this list: Fairfax, Cameron Green (allrounder), Mark Craig (bowling allrounder), Laird, Mackay, Niroshan Dickwella (keeper), Philander, Mitchell Starc (bowler), Lee, Marshall, Warne, Anderson. Dickwella has 21 50s and no centuries from 88 innings. Maybe someone can get off this list in the second innings.

Nathan Lyon is also on the equivalent list for no fifties.

[Scott Colliver]

Second day ends due to poor light straight after Cummins smashes Vandersay out of the ground with a massive hit

Australia lead by 101 with Cummins and Lyon at the wicket and Swepson to come. Every run will be very valuable.

[Adamski]

England very impressive against NZ chasing down three fourth innings targets between 250-300 in a row.

I think this can be put down in some measure to the Brendon McCullum factor. Kiwi Brendon is now England's coach and any feasible target is always fair game for any team he is associated with to chase. England are lucky to have him. As a Kiwi, I am sad that we lost the test series 3-0. Maybe one day Brendon will be coaching his own country.

[Scott Colliver]

I think this can be put down in some measure to the Brendon McCullum factor. Kiwi Brendon is now England's coach and any feasible target is always fair game for any team he is associated with to chase. England are lucky to have him. As a Kiwi, I am sad that we lost the test series 3-0. Maybe one day Brendon will be coaching his own country.

Certainly McCullum and Stokes are forming a leadership pair who want to play attacking cricket. They managed to do it extremely well but whether they can do it against other teams is still in doubt. England are going to be playing the delayed 5th test of the 2021 series against India starting tomorrow. They may well have more trouble playing attacking cricket against Bumrah and co.

[Scott Colliver]

Australia win the first test by ten wickets.

It was Australia's spinners that were the key to the victory.

The Australian spinners were key to the result with Lyon, Swepson and Head getting more spin, more bounce and having better control than the Sri Lankan spinners.

[Adamski]

Australia win the first test by ten wickets.

It was Australia's spinners that were the key to the victory.

The Australian spinners were key to the result with Lyon, Swepson and Head getting more spin, more bounce and having better control than the Sri Lankan spinners.

And this test win was inside 3 days! Well done, Oz!

[Kevin Bonham]

Stuart Broad has bowled the most expensive over in Test history - bowling to Indian number ten Jasprit Bumrah, Broad bowled a wide that went for four wides, a no-ball that was hit for six and was generally tonked around the park, the total cost was 35.

Interesting that Bumrah is captain.

[Scott Colliver]

Stuart Broad has bowled the most expensive over in Test history - bowling to Indian number ten Jasprit Bumrah, Broad bowled a wide that went for four wides, a no-ball that was hit for six and was generally tonked around the park, the total cost was 35.

Interesting that Bumrah is captain.

Broad totally lost the plot in that over and Bumrah swung at everything as hard as he could and was rewarded.

Bumrah is captain because Rohit Sharma who was to be captain is missing because of COVID as is England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes

[Scott Colliver]

Watching some of the days play in England between the rain breaks. Bumrah and Shami are a top quality opening pair. Bumrah got 3 wickets, Shami got one and Siraj got one to have England in big trouble at 5/84.

It is a real pleasure watch the elite test match fast bowlers bowling well. The four best fast bowlers at the moment I think are Cummins, Rabada, Bumrah and Anderson in no particular order. NZ's Kyle Jamieson and WI youngster Jayden Seales both have had brilliant starts to their test career but need to keep the same level for longer to be considered alongside these 4.

[Patrick Byrom]

Stuart Broad has bowled the most expensive over in Test history - bowling to Indian number ten Jasprit Bumrah, Broad bowled a wide that went for four wides, a no-ball that was hit for six and was generally tonked around the park, the total cost was 35. Interesting that Bumrah is captain.

It's not the first time Broad has been smashed by an Indian batter, either:

On 19 September 2007, Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh hit six sixes from one Broad over in a group match at Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban, South Africa, during 2007's ICC World Twenty20.[26][27] The 36 runs from the Broad over helped Yuvraj Singh make the quickest 50 in international cricket, off just 12 balls. Referring to this rare occurrence as "Yuvraj's magic moment", Phil Long of BBC's Test Match Special blogged: "Every so often you have to take off your England sunhat, sit back and enjoy a once-in-lifetime 'I was there' moment."[28] This was the fourth time the feat had been performed in senior cricket and the first time in Twenty20 cricket. The performance was not repeated in any form of international cricket against a Test-playing nation until Kieron Pollard did the same against Sri Lanka in a T20 International in 2021.

[Scott Colliver]

England are doing it again, chasing down a target with seeming ease.

After being behind 132 on the first inning they bowled India out for 245 leaving what should be a challenging total of 278. However the openers gane England a rare good start with a hundred partnership. Then 3 wickets fell quickly but now Root and Bairstow are in complete control ending day 4 at 3/259 needing 119 to win.

[Patrick Byrom]

England are doing it again, chasing down a target with seeming ease. ...

Less than seventy runs to win now, with seven wickets remaining, so it should be a formality. Note that this is actually the fifth test match from the 2021 series, so if England wins, they tie the series 2-2.