The turd test. (*Irish accent off)

[upsidedownwalrus]

Good result. Shame to see all the empty seats though

 

[Nemo]

Man of the match goes to Monty surprisingly enough.

 

[Kenny Vermouth]

Man of the match goes to Monty surprisingly enough.

Good.

 

[agricola]

Man of the match goes to Monty surprisingly enough.

As much as he deserved it, I cant help feeling that Chanderpaul deserved it more - his first innings was superb, his second was immense, and one has to recognize the pressure he was under, and the difficulty of it (Harmison finally approaching his best, Monty causing havoc, Sidebottom moving the ball about the place - albeit getting no reward).

That said though, was a very encouraging performance by England, who didnt panic (much) and kept the pressure on throughout.

 

[Flashman]

I agree.

One of the best ever knocks in history IMO and the best Vaughan has ever seen he said.

 

[ZAMB]

As much as he deserved it, I cant help feeling that Chanderpaul deserved it more - his first innings was superb, his second was immense, and one has to recognize the pressure he was under, and the difficulty of it (Harmison finally approaching his best, Monty causing havoc, Sidebottom moving the ball about the place - albeit getting no reward).

That said though, was a very encouraging performance by England, who didnt panic (much) and kept the pressure on throughout.

I think it goes too often to batsmen - in the last match Sidebottom lost it by one vote - and he was the guy who really made the difference for me there. With 10 wickets over the 2 innings - I think Monty really deserved it today.

Now that Vaughan is the most successful England test captain, perhaps the press will let up on him a bit?? There's been too much bitching in the media about whether he deserves his place or not - hopefully this'll put an end to it.

 

[agricola]

I think it goes too often to batsmen - in the last match Sidebottom lost it by one vote - and he was the guy who really made the difference for me there. With 10 wickets over the 2 innings - I think Monty really deserved it today.

Now that Vaughan is the most successful England test captain, perhaps the press will let up on him a bit?? There's been too much bitching in the media about whether he deserves his place or not - hopefully this'll put an end to it.

I hope so too - the treatment of Vaughan has been somewhat scandalous, but it would be a strange day when the media - even the cricket media - turn around and admit they have been talking nonsense since Flintoff was given the captaincy for the Ashes.

You also have a point about batsmen, but I think it doesnt apply today.

 

[agricola]

Just noticed Alec Stewart's BBC blog comment - maybe the knives arent put away for Vaughan:

Michael Vaughan 6
Looked good in both innings before getting out in the forties. Captained well in the way he handled the out-of-sorts Harmison and Plunkett. Now statistically England's most successful Test captain with 21 wins.

Statistically?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/2007/06/stewart_at_the_test_day_five.shtml

 

[ZAMB]

Just noticed Alec Stewart's BBC blog comment - maybe the knives arent put away for Vaughan:
Statistically?

I didn't hear a great deal of enthusiasm for this either by the TV commentators. Vaughan is now the best ever captain because of his results. You can palm these results off as statistics but they are still facts. With England's recent problems in sports you'd think they'd be proud of him for reaching this milestone.

 

[JTG]

worth pointing out that not only has he won more Tests than any other England captain, his Tests per win ratio is better than any other. I think the only more successful captains have been Bradman, Ponting and someone else (Richards?). And look at what those guys had to work with.

 

[Kenny Vermouth]

Is it a cert that Hoggard will replace Plunkett for Friday?

I also agree with Boycott that Strauss should return to county cricket to try to find some form.

 

[Flashman]

Plunkett has been dropped and will not figure. Hoggy will play if he comes through tomorrows limited overs game for Y*rkshire unscathed. If he doesn't, Jimmeh will get the nod as he's in the squad as cover.

 

[Santino]

Vaughan's enthusiasm for Panesar is a bit muted. Says he: "He's becoming pretty special and a really nice left-arm spinner," which seems like faint praise for someone who is now rated as the third best slow bowler in the world.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/6742481.stm

 

[agricola]

Vaughan's enthusiasm for Panesar is a bit muted. Says he: "He's becoming pretty special and a really nice left-arm spinner," which seems like faint praise for someone who is now rated as the third best slow bowler in the world.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/6742481.stm

I dunno, he sounds like Moyes did when talking about Rooney - trying to not overhype him (which the Press does anyway), in order to help his development.

I think the best indicator is the reaction Monty gets from Vaughan when he takes wickets, as well as the trust he clearly has in his ability - hence the fields set for him, and the amount he was asked to bowl during the last Test.

 

[agricola]

Good comments from Aggers elsewhere on the BBC:

Monty Panesar was made Man of the Match - a decision made jointly by the television commentators and their viewers - for his 10-wicket haul. Yes, he was successful, but I am afraid his achievement was completely overshadowed by Shivnarine Chanderpaul's superb innings.

He battled away for almost seven hours on a pitch which was awkward at times, and required monumental concentration as well as luck. The bowlers held all the aces in this game, and Michael Vaughan's observation that Chanderpaul's innings was the finest of its type that he has seen in Test cricket enforces my view that he should have been man of the match.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/2007/06/chanderpaul_deserved_manofthem_2.shtml

 

[Kenny Vermouth]

I think I might have to agree with Aggers - spinners have always found it easy at Old Trafford. I can remember Peter Such picking up a hatful of wickets there for fucks sake.

 

[Nemo]

worth pointing out that not only has he won more Tests than any other England captain, his Tests per win ratio is better than any other. I think the only more successful captains have been Bradman, Ponting and someone else (Richards?). And look at what those guys had to work with.

Waugh? Clive Lloyd?

 

[agricola]

Waugh? Clive Lloyd?

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/52345.html

At his best Lloyd was a flamboyant destroyer of bowling. His heavy bat, powerful shoulders and full swing of the arms could turn the course of any game, once scoring 201* in just 120 minutes against Glamorgan - equalling the record for the fastest ever first-class double hundred (1976).