Cricket

India v SL in the final, Kohli maybe a gobby little b***ard but boy can he bat !

India v SL in the final, Kohli maybe a gobby little b***ard but boy can he bat !

Why?

He's a phenomenal batsman, you just have to watch him play.

Moreover, after Sachin's retirement, he has stepped up a lot, to the point that people and the team have started relying on him as much as they did on Sachin.
And that's saying something.

Why?

He's a phenomenal batsman, you just have to watch him play.

Moreover, after Sachin's retirement, he has stepped up a lot, to the point that people and the team have started relying on him as much as they did on Sachin.
And that's saying something.

no I just don't think someone that good should get involved in every petty little argument going...

no I just don't think someone that good should get involved in every petty little argument going...

I agree. He's settled down a lot though, lot more calmer now.

Jonathan Trott to take a break from cricket with immediate effect with the same anxieties he has suffered befor.

Jonathan Trott to take a break from cricket with immediate effect with the same anxieties he has suffered befor.

I feel for him Allen, mental health issues are unmerciful.  They hit when least expected and can hit the strong as well as the weak.

I hope he gets the help he needs and comes out the other side relatively unscathed.

Lancashire v Yorkshire, T20 on Sky Sports 2 now!

Should be a good match.

Don't know how to sum up that bowling performance from us there.

Pitch is dead, doing absolutely F**k all and we get India down to 346-9 after a great spell of bowling after tea on day 2. Yet they end up on 457 all out because of a 100 plus run final wicket partnership. Now even with the pitch being as poor as it is for bowling (which is surprising considering it's Trent Bridge, one of the traditionally better bowling wickets in England), you shouldn't be conceding 100 runs to numbers 9 and 11. Both of whom got 50s. Credit to them but a poor end to the innings from us.

Also gonna have to mention Cook's captaincy as well. I'm a huge fan of Cook the player, that's well known. As a captain, I think he has far too many flaws. The field set up was too negative for a final wicket stand. We were giving them singles and bowling like you would when you'd run out of ideas - that's when they first came into bat as well, not after they'd already added 50 runs. There just didn't seem to be any pressure on them.

Cook really has to answer big with the bat now otherwise a lot of criticism will be rightfully coming his way again.

looks like 9 matches without a win, knew it was going to be tough, the youngsters are showing more fight than the old guard at the moment, feel a bit for Cook even though I don't like him as a captain, england attirude stinks big style, just moan about the wicket, bowl the right line and lengths more often and see if that works..

India with a lead of 140 but they're already five down. Chance here for us to really step it up a notch and blow the tail away. Get them all out for somewhere between 200-220 and we've got a chance.

However because India have gone into their shell so much, they're not scoring. So if we can pick up the wickets, we could be looking towards 170ish.

Plunkett has just bowled Donhi.

F***ing peach of a delivery.

They've just gone past the 150 run lead.

Yet again England fail to get the tail out. 145-7, ends up at basically 300 all out. Doubled their score.

We're already 2 down, Cook failing again. Robson disappointing shot to get out. Bell and Ballance look steady.

Two late wickets putting the game right in the balance there.

Like the look of that Kumar as well.

Not having DRS in place has yet again cost people their wickets because the umpires are inept at seeing what hits the inside edge and how high a ball has bounced.

The review system should be compulsory now, F**k what the Indian cricket board say. Why is every other nation happy to use it bar them? Majority vote, DRS in place full stop.

Still doesn't alter the fact that we lost some very poor wickets today though. Also didn't understand sticking Plunkett in as a night watchman as early as they did. If anything, I'd of let Stokes move up the order and go in if Prior didn't fancy it. Another negative move in my opinion.

Set up for an excellent match now though. Perfectly poised. If we can get a lead, which I think we should, then knock a couple of their top order over early we've got a real chance. We need to work out how to get rid of the tail though because that is clearly what's hurting us the most this series, as it did with Sri Lanka previously.

We got a lead, thanks mainly to Plunkett going to 50.

Beefy read Stokes' scores out since January and F**k me it was bad. Highest score of 5 (I think) and an average of around 2. Shocking to think he's meant to be a batsmen who bowls a bit. Going on that form, I'd have Jordan back in the side for the next Test or they finally give Kerrigan a proper go. He took a pasting by the Aussies but the entire side did.

Swann's figures in the second innings weren't much better than Keggsy's in the first.

We've bowled them all out for 342 in their second innings, leaving us chasing 319.

With a day and half left to play, I think that's achievable if we go about our business properly.

The middle and lower middle orders wickets were shockers. Prior, Stokes and Root (good innings) all hauling out.

New level of collapse that.

Yet another bollocks decision.

Ballance going brilliantly on 156 then just before lunch getting out for caught behind when it was nowhere the bat. Been some proper shocking decisions in this series and shows just how good, and important, the review system is.

387-4 at the mo.

Bell 90* Ali 4*

Absolutely twatting them here at Old Trafford.

23-4.

Jimmy and Broady both got 2 each.

Jimmy just got rid of Jadeja

Six down now.

need a lead of about 150 to feel confident especially with the back up bowling being weak at the moment.