Cricket

It's the hope that kills you, which is why I can't see past England being skittled for not many this morning. A collapse of England-esque proportions, being ushered in by Stokes dancing down the wicket to Bumrah trying to hoick him over cow corner, skying it and being caught by a gleeful Pant.

Can't see England not winning.

£10 on it?

(Given the recent shite going on in the Hollies stand how about the loser donates £10 to https://www.ckc.london/bowl-out-racism or similar? Is there a more general/national charity concerned with cricket and racism?)

Lovely Jonny

Bairstow to get out on 140 then Stokes comes in and wins the match with a six

doubling down on the reverse mockers.

Rooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooot

Now he's taking the piss

Bit of a poor 100 from YJB there. Needs to have a long hard look at himself. 138 balls - deary me.

Someone has to given the hyperbole some of the commentators have been indulging in this morning. ;)

What a chase...

...again.

Incredible

Bairstow's looked a completely different player since I said he should never lift a bat in test cricket again at the start of the season...

Unreal. Cannot believe this is England.

Honestly thought this was the game when Bazball went horribly wrong. It's amazing. I'm a convert.

This summer's results are going to play havoc with opposing captains if they're considering a declaration, eh? What score is ungettable?

So what happens when/if every test team plays 'bazball' ?

Bananas.

#12288 - https://www.lfgss.com/comments/16579627/­

Hands up if you called for Bairstow to be dropped on this forum 🙋🏻♂️

Stokes' looks incredibly calm and composes at this captaincy lark

I think Root is the only English batsman I haven't wanted to be dropped at some point in the last two years or so.

I'm still in shock. I didn't think we'd get this.

Wonder how Root feels - turns out we've had the best test side in the world for years - he just sucked at captaincy.

Wonder how Root feels

I think he just relieved to be out of the firing line and back to just scoring runs. It's all academic because under the previous coaching regime he would never have had the option to get the team to play this way, even if he'd wanted to. In the interview he said Stokes had his absolute support and he definitely meant it.

he just sucked at captaincy

I think he just sucked at batting while captain
Most people feel pretty good after scoring 142* :-D

I half buy this - but he was already seen as a great batsman, but for whatever reasons connected to him and previous off field leadership team - could not get this side to play anything like how they have in the 4 matches since he stood down.
When he sits alone with a beer and replays his captaincy there must be a decent slice of regret.

No doubt he has Stokes's back - but it would be hard not to reflect somewhat self critically on what might have been.

Hands up if you called for Bairstow to be dropped on this forum 🙋🏻♂️

Not here, but happy to admit to it elsewhere.