Pakistan vs England, 1st Test - Dubai

First topic message reminder :

Early start for this one tomorrow. I hope to catch half hour of play before I head to work.

Bat first is the key on these pitches I feel.

Anyway, thought I'd create the match discussion thread now so that it is there when we wake up. England are playing Test cricket again, I'm going to bed feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve.

Looking forward to the Test and the discussion.

CF, they were playing against abysmal bowling lineups, though.

Sound the horns for the counter attack, Swanny biffing Ajmal!

I dont think that it is a great batting lineup CF90. I only see Hafeez being a threat... Thats just me though.

well you cant say they are weak...

you can only play what is put infront of you!

and south africa isnt a weak bowling attack, and they drew against them.

Fists, what will benefit the Pakistani batsmen here is the fact that they might have a very good opportunity to entrench themselves , be patient, and get a first innings lead of some proportion though.

The problem is, the batsmen are playing for the spin, instead of actually realising it's not spinning, just play the straight ball. Someone needs to have a word.

agree KB, its in their heads that the ball is going to spin, when it isnt at the moment.

I think Prior and Swann can get you out of a hole here. They get a 100 run partnership and Pakistan won't be so confident.

biltong made a funny

Didn't Prior and Broad put on that massive partnership against these in England?

eirebilly wrote: biltong made a funny

Geez, Billy, I have been making funnies all morning.

Just turned on the cricket. Surprised to see people criticising Morgan for playing a sweep, and in the same breath, for England being generally strokeless. You can't have it both ways, and Morgan usually sweeps well.

And to undo Biltong's obvious jinx attempt, not a hope these guys will get through to even 150. There, that should do it.

CF, can you stop using bold letters please.

Biltong and KB, you are both absolutely right.

biltongbek wrote:I think Prior and Swann can get you out of a hole here. They get a 100 run partnership and Pakistan won't be so confident.

I wouldn't bet on it

biltongbek wrote:

eirebilly wrote: biltong made a funny

Geez, Billy, I have been making funnies all morning.

First Fists hurt my feelings, then billy criticises my obviously serious attmept at positivive thinking and then Mike tells me I am jinxing England.






















I think we really need that suicide emoticon now.

The sweep is an excellent shot to unsettle spinners, Mike, but it simply cannot be played when the ball is going on to hit middle stump when your backs are against the wall like this. It is far too dangerous on a slow pitch where it might hold up on you a bit.

Play in the V to the balls that are on target, it is much safer and just as prosperous.

Fists of Fury wrote:Biltong and KB, you are both absolutely right.

Too late for making amends now fists. I also have an insides.

This is painful. Just saw on tweet on the BBC home page that said in true england fashion we bought all our runs on credit in 2011 and now we have a team of defaulters, gave me a giggle in work.

Swann taking the right approach here. 150+ is now very real

[quote="Fists of Fury"]CF, can you stop using bold letters please.

Biltong and KB, you are both absolutely right.[/quote


? how come...

Because we believe in Prior and Swann.




Well not really, I was just trying to cheer you guys up a bit.

Wouldn't be the first time Prior has had to come in and save us. Don;t see why he isn't classed as a 'main batsman', he's got a fair few big scores to his name and can up the run rate when required to get some runs on the board. Him and Swanny will get a few.

good to see that swanny is playing a few shots though

if we are gonna get bowled out cheaply i would much rather we went down fighting, then crawling to 150 off 100 overs.

I wouldn't wish it so hard CF... 100 overs is a very long way away.

If these 2 can get settled and play sensibly i reckon 210-230 would be a good shout.

You're wildly optimistic there King Beer, i like it

these flat track bullies can do it I'm sure.

Well, I'd have taken that at tea after our earlier predicament. More of the same after tea please boys, this is going to take a monumental effort to lift us to 200.

Yep, the shoe is on the other foot, flat track bullies indeed.

87/2 in that session... Thats not bad when you consider what England were faced with :-)

tea.....im just worried that if we struggle this badly WHEN THE BALL ISNT TURNING, then what are we gonna be like, if we get on a crumbling dustbowl in sri lanka...

One step at a time mate. SL is a long way off.

How bad these Pakistani bowlers must be if they cant even get out Englands number 8


Priors showing just how importnat he is to this team once again, probably too little too late but this stand has avoided it being a total humiliation. Bat out the day and hats off to them, game on.

Bat out the day? You're optimistic, we will be lucky to get 200!

CF, our issue here is missing straight ones, so you never know we might be alright if it actually turns haha.

I think 200 is easily within reach if we stay at the crease. 55 runs is gettable between these 2, anything after would be bonus runs.

ajmal is the only one properly threatning, the others just keeping it tight


bob willis made some good points for once at tea, however not sure whether to go right into them, as it could open another can of worms.

If we stay at the crease of course it is, but wickets tend to prevent you doing that. I'd be very surprised if we reached 200 without another loss, anyway!

Swann seems to be proving that if you attack them they run out of ideas. Think he and Prior will read the spin (or lack of) better now and we should be able to expose this attack for what it is.

My cunning earlier reverse jinx has now ended, so it is time for another. 200 is still a long way off for these two.

Damn! No way in hell will England get 200 now. To be fair that was a cracker from Rehman.

Fists of Fury wrote:Bat out the day? You're optimistic, we will be lucky to get 200!

CF, our issue here is missing straight ones, so you never know we might be alright if it actually turns haha.

Hence me saying they wouldve done very well! Im not expecting it.

But these two are making the scoreboard upside down, well played . Swans showing the right amount of aggression for him, hes never going to do much of value hanging around.

Swanns a useless idiot

Swann gone, beauty from Rehman, maybe there's a bit more in this pitch than we thought. All down to Prior now to try to get us up to 200

Well, you can't really blame the number 9 batsman for getting out to a good ball - indeed he might be a bit encouraged that there is already some turn on the first day.

Swann and Prior have done well though to get us to above 150 - OK, probably well below par for this wicket, but that's because of the failings of the top 6.

Swanny out, there goes the hopes of 200.

I am happy, the 150 mark has been reached. Was unsure if that was possible at 52/5

swanny gone, it will be wrapped up very quickly now

Is it time for Prior to look to push on, or is the nature of the wicket such that looking to attack is what's getting us into trouble?

well played Prior

nope the pitch is flat only one ball has turned all day, so he could go after them.