blonde poker forum

Unlikely sporting quotes.......


England's Stuart Broad, speaking to BBC Sport, was quick to take responsibility for his part in a frustrating opening day for the tourists.

He should have had century maker Shoaib Malik caught at slip for 40, but it was chalked off because of a front-foot no-ball.

"I blame myself for the no-ball," he said

Treadwell looks likely to be needed by the 3rd test

Rashid is just so expensive could maybe get away with it with 3 spinners. Ali bowled really well yesterday and kept it tight.

Not bowling against county 9 10 and jack doesn't help rashid either

No wonder he's sorry, it's cost them 122 runs .. so far! I don't think we've bowled too badly, the no-ball wicket and 2 poor drops by Bell would have changed the scoreboard a fair bit. Always going to be a struggle out there on days 1 and 2. Debate on TMS between Swann and Ed Smith was that Rashid shouldn't be judged on flat pitches in the 1st innings, but 0-122 off 27 so far isn't great. Tredwell would be a massive backward step though. This pitch is the worst for bowling spin out of the 3 they'll encounter so hopefully Rashid will improve with more help from the pitch.

this is currently the most runs conceded by Eng spinners in an inns without taking a wicket

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?bowling_pacespin=2;class=1;filter=advanced;groupby=innings;orderby=wickets;orderbyad=reverse;qualmin1=200;qualval1=conceded;team=1;template=results;type=bowling

i think Ali has been alright, the more threatening of the two. Rashid is bowling a touch too slow. not quite consistent enough but he'll have all this series to progress

terrible pitch for cricket though

We need to move on from Bell.  Patchy batting and sloppy in the field these days.  Admittedly he'll be an asset in this series as he plays spin well.

Chris Jordan is being sent to the UAE to replace Steve Finn's foot and Ian Bell's hands.

You cant call what Moeen is bowling, spin though. He is just bowling slow medium pace, firing it down and getting little to no turn.

This pitch is a total joke as well by the way. Boring stuff, just get this little tour out the way and clear off to South Africa, cant wait for that one, but this is painful viewing.

he is doing what a second spinner should do. try and keep it tight, spell the quicks in the massive heat. moeen has a doosra too, if he can control it

Not beating on him too much, as its a debut in a tough place, but a leggie needs to be threatening more than Rashid does. Hopefully hell settle in tests 2 and 3

Ali is a second spinner

He has bowled tight, the pitch is dead no point in him trying to bowl attacking or he would be getting mowed round the park like Rashid is

I just think that judging anyone on this pitch is a bit harsh. He is playing the best players of spin, on a pitch that offers nothing. He is in a no win situation really.

This pitch is a disgrace, how you can charge people to go and watch that is beyond me.

(i am fully aware that England will now probably be skittled for 250 at most)

of course, and not with the benefit of hindsight either, you could have played Rashid in the west indies pre-ashes (not tredwell) and found out what you had, or didn't have, then

current coach cant be blamed for that though

just a horrible place to have to make your debut

Interesting stat courtesy of TMS

In the last three test matches that have been played here, in the first innings spinners have combined figures of 3-817

I think they should knock the toss on the head in test matches. To make it better imo just let the away captain decide what he wants to do. At least you'll get a proper game

Is Ali actually bowling that tight? He is going at 4 an over.

Agree Rashid should have been playing in the WIndies, this pitcH is just brutal.

At the time it seemed a strange decision, he must be feeling pressure on his debut and has this pitch to deal with. If he had played a couple of tests while he would still have the pitch to deal with he would have more confidence and wouldn't have first test nerves to contend with.

If he is there as an attacking bowler then 4 an over is ok but he is doing the defensive job so 4 an over seems high.

My point was more that everyone's getting a twatting in this one!!

Still very worried about how we will go.

IAN BELL HAS TAKEN A CATCH!!!!!

Now is the time to bowl Rashid

Hoping we don't collapse under the scorecard pressure

dreadful cricket wicket, dull and boring. their attack looks as military as ours at the moment, without Yasir. ideal pitch and attack for Cook to bat for 3 days here!

Good start, Moeen looks well at home opening up, all be it on a duff pitch. This has draw written all over it.

Can see cook hitting a big ton on this one ,also sure Bell will find a way of getting out cheaply

Though not the most exciting pitch in the world it's obviously a smart one to create. It's almost impossible for England to win a test in the UAE.

bat first, score 500 (Yasir Shah injured is a huge help, don't fancy us against a legspinner who turns it a lot on any wicket)

have a pitch (dubai and sharjah offer a bit more) that spins a bit and apply some scoreboard pressure

NZ won games in the UAE a year ago, and drew the series

impossible overstates it i think

Pakistani batsmen are typically strong against spin so Moeen and Rashid unfortunately aren't ever really going to be weapons. The pace attack will probably be nullified throughout the series. Pakistan therefore shouldn't struggle to score runs no matter how many England score, but England may/probably will struggle in the 2nd innings in this series vs quality spinners. Throw the heat in there too and i can't see England winning a test in the UAE.

What a superb cricketer and man cook is.

Not many others you would want batting for you.

Superb mental strength

Not for those of us sat here with a "Ali top Series Batsmen" ticket in double figure odds!

I saw lots for 1 and I was like please be ali in please be ali!

This test has a glimmer of life in it?
England level by tea, 120 in front by the close? That's iff stokes/ bairstow and Buttler don't whack it, say 150 in front. Declare over night and have a crack at them tomorrow with possibly some pressure on?

problem is when pakistan tried to accelerate they lost wickets.

IF root stays in rest of the day he will score quicker than Butler (out of nick) and everyone else bar Stokes (who is hit or miss)

This next session bat exactly as we have been and will be near level, if Root still in by tea we will be in a good position anyway

I agree, but we have a far better batting line up than them, and their bowlers aren't as good. Not sure I agree with botham, saying bat all game. Gotta hae a crack at them with the pressure on.

P.S Cook and root are machines. More so root this year. Nice pitch to get a few on though

Botham not really worth considering as he will change his mind in the next hour when he is bored/pissed again.

The pressure will not really be on regardless but worth sticking them in tomorrow obviously just to get Rashids confidence up

Cook 10 minutes away from longest innings ever here (by a captain)

Joe Root doing a Chanderpaul with the wicket here

Cook has scored more runs in this innings than any of the England team managed in the entire 2012 series in UAE.

Been pretty impressed with the Pakistan seamers and ours tbf.

No lack of effort wonder how much this will take out of them

Another good example of Cooks progression as a captain.

Misbah has not moved the field all innings (apart from a slip to a fly slip)


Cook did not change for changes sake but did move the field around sensibly and it resulted in at least one wicket.

a rare failure for Joe Root there. Just 85.

Figures for spin so far in this match?

0-503.

Ramiz Raja is the most annoying commentator I have ever had the misfortune to hear. I would rather listen to Nick Knight.

And what is with this Wahab Riaz love in? Yes, I am well aware he bowled a few bouncers at Shane Watson. Get over it.

(I may be in a grump today)

arise sir cook

now longest innings by any english player ever

not a bead of sweat on as per looks like he could bat for 10 days

Makes Beefy look sane

Earlier he disagreed with a point he made himself 10 minutes earlier.

Now cant understand why Stokes was not given lbw when the bowler half appealed and the ball pitched a foot outside leg stump.

Atherton quite wisely just ignoring him

He just talks utter nonsense, and is totally and utterly biased, which is fair enough, but not when you are broadcasting to a UK audience!

In other news I wouldn't bother declaring this match, what is the point in flogging your bowlers to death?

Alastair Cook has now batted longer than the combined total match time of England at the rugby and football world cups

Great knock and typical of the man.

Done over by a no ball too. Surely they either check all of them, or none of them?

Who'd have thought?

A result is now quite possible. England bowled Pakistan out, with Rashid getting an excellent 5 wickets to silence the doubters.

England need 99 to win in around 50 minutes, light permitting.

Surely not?!

Rashid well and truly stuck one in the eye of the critics. 

Harsh on him, was flat as f^*k!! He's in the side to bowl sides out second innings

Can't see Pakistan bowling these overs quickly.............

Fantastic performance though on one of the worst test match pitches I've seen in 25 years of watching this great game.

Moeen and Jos Buttler opening should make life interesting..

Did the Pakistan players get max bet on I wonder? lol

Would this be the greatest ever test victory for England if they pull it off?

Maybe 2nd best after Botham and Willis's exploits.

I blame Cook for not scoring quicker in the first innings!

:D laughed out loud.

Nearly had to eat my words there. Never expected Rashid to do that to be fair so credit to him, but even with Misbah and Younis in the side a Pakistani batting collapse, though rarer, can never be written off.