1st test

[singcobb]

Well I have to say I have never seen such an abject display of crumbling backbone in my life. Williamson gave England a very makeable target, yes it would have involved some risk, but the starting run rate of 3.17 an over was hardly taxing. Root and the England management have made themselves look very feeble in the face of a not too difficult challenge.

[Melbourne Cobbler]

Well I have to say I have never seen such an abject display of crumbling backbone in my life. Williamson gave England a very makeable target, yes it would have involved some risk, but the starting run rate of 3.17 an over was hardly taxing. Root and the England management have made themselves look very feeble in the face of a not too difficult challenge.

I don’t know where that would’ve come, the top 2 successful 4th innings run chases at Lords in history are 344 and then 307. England’s fifth highest ever run chase anywhere is 298 (MCG). 273 in 75 overs with that batting line up, forget it, no chance. The summarisers got the ar5e because it was boring as bat sh1t.

[singcobb]

I don’t know where that would’ve come, the top 2 successful 4th innings run chases at Lords in history are 344 and then 307. England’s fifth highest ever run chase anywhere is 298 (MCG). 273 in 75 overs with that batting line up, forget it, no chance. The summarisers got the ar5e because it was boring as bat sh1t.

The problem for me was that they were not even running easy singles, which to me in any form of the game is unforgiveable. 52 of the first 30 overs is a joke and also you are not rotating the strike.

[Melbourne Cobbler]

The problem for me was that they were not even running easy singles, which to me in any form of the game is unforgiveable. 52 of the first 30 overs is a joke and also you are not rotating the strike.

Might pull a hamstring and have to retire hurt, safety first, every decent Test captain knows that. As a little kid brought up watching Chris Tavare, watching the ground staff with the heavy roller sets the pulse racing for me.

[singcobb]

Might pull a hamstring and have to retire hurt, safety first, every decent Test captain knows that. As a little kid brought up watching Chris Tavare, watching the ground staff with the heavy roller sets the pulse racing for me.

Don't forget watching Boycot, the batsman with the most birthdays at the crease in one innings.

[Melbourne Cobbler]

Don't forget watching Boycot, the batsman with the most birthdays at the crease in one innings.

😁 summarising the first morning of an ashes test he called Matthew Hayden a disgrace for hitting someone over the top for 6. Gentle forward prod for anything on the stumps and leave the rest. This new generation know nothing of test cricket.

[Melbourne Cobbler]

On a separate note what about Ollie Robinson. It might have been a long time ago and he was a teenager and all that, but FFS what was he thinking? It’s the arrogance and ignorance I don’t get. Nothing to do with me or my opinion, but as a white person I constantly feel an obligation to express that I oppose this kind of nonsense. I wish it didn’t affect me and it really annoys me that it does. Sick to the back teeth of these idiots and their bigotry if I’m honest.

[singcobb]

On a separate note what about Ollie Robinson. It might have been a long time ago and he was a teenager and all that, but FFS what was he thinking? It’s the arrogance and ignorance I don’t get. Nothing to do with me or my opinion, but as a white person I constantly feel an obligation to express that I oppose this kind of nonsense. I wish it didn’t affect me and it really annoys me that it does. Sick to the back teeth of these idiots and their bigotry if I’m honest.

Having not seen the offending tweets I can't make any judgement as to their content. It is all too easy to claim it to be the stupidity of youth, however in that time his views could quite easily have changed. Punishing someone for something done years ago I think is a bit harsh and I'm not alone in this .
Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, described the ECB sanctions as "over the top". He asked the ECB to reconsider the suspension, saying: "They are also a decade old and written by a teenager". Later, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that he agreed with Dowden.
We all must do what we can to make racism and sexism a thing of the past. We will never rid The World of it, but reducing it can certainly be spearheaded by those in the media spotlight and sanctions must be made when applicable, however those sanctions must be sensible otherwise the governing body concerned leaves themselves open to ridicule and the message is lost.
I have to say I cringe every time I hear racist comments over here(it is an everyday occurance) and I regulary have to point out to my kids that what they have just heard is not acceptacle even if their friends and more particularly their friends' parents use the terms on a regular basis.

[Melbourne Cobbler]

Having not seen the offending tweets I can't make any judgement as to their content. It is all too easy to claim it to be the stupidity of youth, however in that time his views could quite easily have changed. Punishing someone for something done years ago I think is a bit harsh and I'm not alone in this .
Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, described the ECB sanctions as "over the top". He asked the ECB to reconsider the suspension, saying: "They are also a decade old and written by a teenager". Later, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that he agreed with Dowden.
We all must do what we can to make racism and sexism a thing of the past. We will never rid The World of it, but reducing it can certainly be spearheaded by those in the media spotlight and sanctions must be made when applicable, however those sanctions must be sensible otherwise the governing body concerned leaves themselves open to ridicule and the message is lost.
I have to say I cringe every time I hear racist comments over here(it is an everyday occurance) and I regulary have to point out to my kids that what they have just heard is not acceptacle even if their friends and more particularly their friends' parents use the terms on a regular basis.

No, all fair enough Sing. I’m just sick of this bullsh1t, is it ever going to end?

[BackOfTheNet]

I think the guy has been quite hard done by, to be honest. I don't disagree with any of the preceding comments, but if you actually look at what he said, it's pretty tame stuff - the racial comments are silly, immature jokes rather than spreading hatred; one liners about a muslim friend being a suicide bomber and a suggestion that asian people might use the ¦ symbol instead of a colon when writing an emoji. Yes, even at 18 he should have known better but it's hardly singing the praises of the Klan.

There's a reasonable argument that this sort of casual racism acts as a normaliser of more caustic abuse, so it still warrants a slap on the wrist. The ones that are being touted as sexist though?? I'll quote these word for word - "not going to lie a lot of girls need to learn the art of class" and "Remind me not to watch the boxing with a girl again #notaclue #shesboredalready cares about tamara ecclestone eyebrows" (he then tags a girl in it, who I assume is either his friend or girlfriend and the person he's referring to).

I've shown both of those to my wife (a highly educated, independent and professional woman) and two older daughters (who are fast growing up to be the same) and none of them can see what is sexist in either of those. The first obviously has some sort of context to it that isn't provided by a tweet, but it's not a general attack on women. Christ, I've posted things on Facebook about the amount of orange women there seemed to be on an away trip to Accrington, maybe I was being a appalling sexist too??! The second seems to be a bit of banter between boyfriend and girlfriend. Again, I've made very similar social media comments when my wife and I have been watching a film that she has no time for (or vice versa).

I think sometimes these things just get whipped up by the media to cause a bit of outcry and generate a few extra clicks for themselves.

[singcobb]

No, all fair enough Sing. I’m just sick of this bullsh1t, is it ever going to end?

To be honest, I haven't got a clue. We can only ensure that our own chilldren and grandchildren get the message apart from that we are at the mercy of society. This sort of behaviour I am certain is perpetuated from the family/social background(US Rednecks being a classic example) and it is never going to stop. The main thing that can be done by those in the eye of the media is to make sure that incidents like this are the exception rather than the norm and force home the message that it is not acceptable.

[guest3429]

Superb entertainment at Trent Bridge for the 1st Test against India, so refreshing to see red ball Test Match cricket compared to that ghastly Hundred.
 
Ollie Robinson's fifer, the perfect comeback statement, Englands fragile top order, Kohlis golden duck, Roots amazing ton all adds for a fantastic last day if the weather holds out. Everything the hundred has but a hundred times better.

With Root at the crease it was difficult to drag myself away for the Cobblers! Booo. Shame. 

[singcobb]

For me the highlight of England's second knock was Sibley's 28 from 133 balls. That is a test match innings. Most of the England batsmen throw away their wickets because they fail to understand the difference between a test and a white ball innings and swish at pretty much anything that comes to them.

[Winslow Lee]

For me the highlight of England's second knock was Sibley's 28 from 133 balls. That is a test match innings. Most of the England batsmen throw away their wickets because they fail to understand the difference between a test and a white ball innings and swish at pretty much anything that comes to them.

Where I think we fall down is we can’t find that medium in between white ball over aggressiveness and being overly defensive, where we don’t run easy singles or punish bad balls by hitting them for boundaries and making it too easy for opposition bowlers.