England vs Ireland: Shockingly bad advertisement for Test cricket

[Amjid Javed]

Conditions at lords might have helped the seamers at little but the overall standard of cricket between two sides was pretty pathetic. It pretty much was sort of standard you would see at a village 3rd X1. Seems test cricket is going into thr dumps with "batsmen" and i use the term lightly cant even play a proper forward defensive shot or even leave the ball properly. The number of batsmen out bowled expansively driving witj feet in cement to straight balls was a joke.

No application at all through most of match apart from jack leach, that in itself tells you everything. Its clear ODIs and T20s are not allowing batsmen to even form a half decent techic or even half decent application when it comes to longer format of the game. Most of the dismissals in this game were horrific.

Ireland are new to test cricket so maybe some leeway, england werent much better. This wasnt a test match, looked like some charity t20 slog in whites.

With less test cricket been played now i hope this isnt the sort of poor standard we are going to have to put up with.

 

[PaceOverEverything]

It’s the hit out or get out. Maximize each ball mentality permeating.

 

[sweep_shot]

This Test match happened too soon after the World Cup. Players are probably still stuck with the LOI mindset. That played a factor probably.

 

[Pakistanian]

England were tired from the world cup so they get some leeway and they're obviously saving themselves for the ashes.

 

[jagatk]

If that happens in an Asian country and both teams fail to reach even 100 in such a way, we would get a huge outcry over doctored pitches, but since its SENA teams doing it, no worries.

 

[Robert]

If that happens in an Asian country and both teams fail to reach even 100 in such a way, we would get a huge outcry over doctored pitches, but since its SENA teams doing it, no worries.

Except that the England skipper complained about the pitch.

Why doctor a pitch to give the opposition more of a chance? Makes no sense. Because it wasn’t doctored. It was laid by a new and inexperienced groundsman, instead of the vastly experienced retiree Mick Hunt.

Were this the usual Lord’s road, the England batters would have racked up 600 and you’d say they rigged the pitch anyway.

 

[big_gamer007]

Low scoring matches with ball swinging and seaming and batsmen being perplexed is what I enjoy in test cricket. But I guess for majority it wasn't a good advertisement

 

[hadi123]

What's wrong with it? The pitch wasn't a minefield. All it required was for the batsmen to show some application and grit, and runs would come. Test cricket isn't supposed to be easy. If Jack Leach of all people can score 92, no reason any players in the team to score runs couldn't have done well. Stop moaning

 

[barah_admi]

England were tired from the world cup so they get some leeway and they're obviously saving themselves for the ashes.

English test batting has been at a very low level for years now and in fact, whenever there is even the slightest hint of swing, batsman all over the world collapse. You talk about the Ashes but they have been of alarmingly poor quality for years now. The 2011 series was the last one of any test standard, since then it has been a series of batting collapses switching between England and Australia.

Modern batsman barring maybe Williamson, are so weak when it comes to even the slightest difference in pitch, they cant handle it. Where is the application? The ability to dig in for an hour or 2 and only get 30 runs on the board? Where is the need to consolidate? To play ugly and really dig in?

I am not saying it does not happen at all but it happens far too less.

 

[Amjid Javed]

There was no issues with the pitch. The batting was technically poor on both sides, lack of application on both sides was poor also.

Test cricket is what it says on the "tin" - A test of skill, application, grit and quality cricket.

All of which were missing from this match.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Except that the England skipper complained about the pitch.

Why doctor a pitch to give the opposition more of a chance? Makes no sense. Because it wasn’t doctored. It was laid by a new and inexperienced groundsman, instead of the vastly experienced retiree Mick Hunt.

Were this the usual Lord’s road, the England batters would have racked up 600 and you’d say they rigged the pitch anyway.

England pathetic batting across the summer continues, whats the excuse this time? The pitch? the weather?