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JustAFatKevinDavies 10:08 Wed Aug 3
3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 James Vince, 5 Gary Ballance, 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Steven Finn, 11 James Anderson

Pakistan (probable) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Sami Aslam, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz/Sohail Khan, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Rahat Ali

•This will be England's 500th Test match on home soil.
•Pakistan lost by nine wickets at this ground in 2010 after being bowled out for 72 in their first innings: the England pace attack was Anderson, Broad and Finn. England's last defeat here was in 2008 against South Africa.
•Cook needs one century to reach 30 in Test cricket; Wahab needs two wickets for 50 and Rahat Ali four wickets for 50.
•The most wickets for an England bowler in a series against Pakistan is Anderson's 23 in 2010 - Woakes currently has 18.

There was substantial rain over Monday night into Tuesday but the forecast for the game is good. Cook said that there was a decent covering of grass on the surface. In the County Championship this season, the pitches have ranged from the lively (against Somerset) to the dead (against Hampshire). It is not expected to break up as the game progresses.

Sven Roeder 9:04 Wed Aug 10
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Don't imagine the best players play grade cricket at all these days but sometimes used to spend Saturday's at UWA when I was studying & might pop out to watch someone like Tom Moody trying to hit a ball on James Oval over the Reid Library.

Haven't seen the NZ / Zim game (OBVIOUSLY) but did read that the umpires were a bit shit. Surprised with Reiffel as he is nornally pretty good. Maybe he got bored and was snoozing?
That Billy Bowden mentalist has gone now hasn't he?

East Auckland Hammer 8:57 Wed Aug 10
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

The only thing deteriorating is standards in Australian cricket Sven.

Not only are your current players turning to shit, but it appears your former ones are too.

VirginiaHam 8:42 Wed Aug 10
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

It's easy to see why it's easier to transition from grade cricket to the test side rapidly.

At the age of 16, Mike Veletta was opening the batting against Stan Wilson and plenty of state players. you are instantly challenged, physically, temperamentally and technique-wise and state players will all be watching, so they know whether you have it or not.

Huge advantage, because somehow the step up from county seconds to 1st class seemed huge. That said, you go from playing against Derek Aslett to playing against Viv Richards, so maybe it is.

Far Cough 8:31 Wed Aug 10
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Always loved Richie Benaud's pronunciation of Gower's name as GAR

Sven Roeder 8:28 Wed Aug 10
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Quite a lot came and played grade cricket .... Paul Terry .... and even David Gower played a season for Claremont Cottesloe.
My boss met him one morning as he had spent the evening with his housemate.

I meant playing for WA. They were resistant to going down the Botham/Viv route that Queensland route.
Though as I said I remember Vic Marks and Ken McEwan playing. And later Murray Goodwin

VirginiaHam 4:49 Wed Aug 10
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Sven Roeder 7:19 Mon Aug 8

There was no shortage of overseas players playing A grade when I was there.

Wayne Daniel, Nick Cook,Dilip Vengsarkar, Graeme Fowler, Derrick Aslett.

Even without the WA players in the AUS side, the competition was formidable. All sides had current or former state players......easily as good as county second team, and probably better than that.

claretandbluedagger 3:22 Wed Aug 10
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Just been reliving the 2006 Oval test against Pakistan, with the alleged ball tampering and player strike.. Good times.

Sven Roeder 3:18 Wed Aug 10
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

So were NZ appealing for things that weren't out , Jonah?
I knew their behaviour would go downhill once Saint Brendon handed over to Cunt Kane.
Sad

Far Cough 1:39 Wed Aug 10
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Oh and Vanburn Holder, anyone remember him?

East Auckland Hammer 1:36 Wed Aug 10
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Poor old Zimbabwe have been absolutely sawn off in this test. Reiffel must be the worst international umpire going around at present, and Michael Gough seems to be doing his best to catch him up.

I think that's 4 atrocious decisions just in this innings and there was another couple of shockers in the first test too.

Far Cough 8:23 Mon Aug 8
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Charlie Griffith:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nssXIRedkDk

Wes Hall:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOZCht-zQN4

Far Cough 8:19 Mon Aug 8
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

People talk about the heyday of Windies quicks that included Roberts, Holding, Garner etc but they had quicks before that as I remember, Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith that were just as damaging

New Jersey 7:30 Mon Aug 8
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

It must have been so soul destroying (and dangerous) playing those WI quicks, see off the opening attack, just to be replaced by another pair, equally as quick and menacing.

Sven Roeder 7:19 Mon Aug 8
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

I think it was just a general thing they had about not having overseas players.
Funnily enough they had got to such a strong position by importing Tony Lock as captain in the 60's
And a few years later they had Vic Marks (& Ken McEwan).
Funnily enough V Marks was superb and they won the Shield

Queensland were always the one for imports with Viv & Botham.
After they had bought G Chappell & Border from other states

VirginiaHam 7:05 Mon Aug 8
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Around that time the WA state bowlers were Alderman, Lillee Wayne Clarke and then you'd have Gannon, Stan Wison, Boyd (mad left armer from Fremantle) Deniss Baker, Con Michael of North Perth as interesting to WA.blah blah blah.

Lillee and Alderman were away, and I don't see enough talent in what's left over for Marshall to keep a local bowler out.

Sven Roeder 6:39 Mon Aug 8
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Malcolm Marshall was a beautiful bowler
He was once offered to Western Australia free of charge in the early 80's as sponsors were going to fund his wages .... and the WACA decided not to take it up as they didn't want to leave out a local bowler. Bit short sighted I thought

Remember hearing he beat David Boon outside the off stump 2 or 3 times so said to him .... Now David you really want to hit one of those or I will have to go around the wicket and kill you

VirginiaHam 6:36 Mon Aug 8
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Mike,

the worrying thing about both Marshall and Holding is they could bowl as quickly off 15 yards as a full run-up. Both said the longer run-up gave them better rhythm and therefore bowling was less effort.

Sylvester Clarke's pace came from his shoulder and wrist, Garner from long levers, but they all had one thing in common. Fast twitch muscle......ie, it reacted quicker than everyone else's.

Takashi Miike 6:24 Mon Aug 8
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

......Marshall that is, not Devon :.)

Takashi Miike 6:24 Mon Aug 8
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

my favourite bowler's Malcolm but im not sure I've ever seen a smoother run up and action than Holding

VirginiaHam 6:21 Mon Aug 8
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Westside 3:22 Mon Aug 8

I watched Michal Holding break Alec Stewart's jaw at the Oval while he was bowling off a short run. The next man in was Ian Payne, who didn't fancy fast bowling period.

They helped Stewie off and IP went out to bat, white as a sheet and took guard in a large pool of blood. Faced two balls and got bad light........the rest of us watching felt cheated.

stewie griffin 4:56 Mon Aug 8
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Mike 36 3:31 Mon Aug 8
Re: 3rd Test - England v Pakistan - Edgbaston

Sorry, should say 3 rather than 2

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