England v Pakistan - Spoilers very welcome

[srw]

So, after a Pakistan victory looked likely after 1st innnings, Pakistan throw it away and collapse in their 2nd innings to lose a game they should never have lost.

A cynical person would suggest there could have been an element of match fixing. However, as Pakistan have never been involved in such a thing, it is unlikely to be be match fixing

Most of the Pakistan fixing problems were, IIRC, around spot betting. That'll be far more lucrative, and much less easy to spot, than throwing a five-day test match. From what I saw of the highlights Pakistan have just done an England and turned a winning position into a loss, via a bit of bad luck and some crumbling confidence.

 

[psmiffy]

Most of the Pakistan fixing problems were, IIRC, around spot betting. That'll be far more lucrative, and much less easy to spot, than throwing a five-day test match. From what I saw of the highlights Pakistan have just done an England and turned a winning position into a loss, via a bit of bad luck and some crumbling confidence.

and England played well

 

[srw]

and England played well

That too.

I listened to some of the commentary on the radio from a few days ago - Geoffrey Boycott whinging as usual, this time about how Steve Flinn was a complete waste of space. I hope he acknowledged his mistake today.

 

[rich p]

I hope he acknowledged his mistake today.

Ha! That'll be the day, the fecking know-all gobshite.
It always makes me laugh when the twat complains about slow scoring rates.

 

[rich p]

So, after a Pakistan victory looked likely after 1st innnings, Pakistan throw it away and collapse in their 2nd innings to lose a game they should never have lost.

A cynical person would suggest there could have been an element of match fixing. However, as Pakistan have never been involved in such a thing, it is unlikely to be be match fixing

Are you serious?

 

[srw]

Ha! That'll be the day, the fecking know-all gobshite.

It's not just me, then?

He's just about tolerable on the Channel 5 highlights, because there's soon someone saying something intelligent. On TMS he should have been put out to grass permanently years ago.

 

[psmiffy]

To my mind this was a better victory than the one at Old Trafford where they crushed Pakistan - It did not rely on the big guns of Root and Cook to knock up a big score - yes England batted badly in the first innings - but you have to give credit to Pakistan for bowling well in that innings - Second innings England batted well to turn it around against tiring Pakistan bowlers - all the England batsmen made a significant contribution - Pakistan in their second inning were on a hiding to nothing - England bowled well on a flat pitch - very patient - once the Pakistan top order had gone it was a foregone conclusion despite a spirited rearguard action by the Pakistan tailenders.

 

[rich p]

It's not just me, then?

He's just about tolerable on the Channel 5 highlights, because there's soon someone saying something intelligent. On TMS he should have been put out to grass permanently years ago.

Shhh, @psmiffy will be along to say what an inciteful pundit he is

 

[psmiffy]

Shhh, @psmiffy will be along to say what an inciteful pundit he is

A lot of what he says makes sense - trouble is he has become a bit of a caricature of himself so you now get a lot of crap as well - today I thought there was even more crap than normal - but the likes of Ed Smith likes to wind him up and set him off - as to his remarks about Stephen Finn - I think even Finn would say he is not at his best - If Stokes had been fit he would not have played.

 

[rich p]

A lot of what he says makes sense

A lot of what he says is with the benefit of hindsight too.
"I told you so" type comments, that even if he is right, it comes over as smug, know-all nobbery self-aggrandisement

 

[User482]

A lot of what he says makes sense - trouble is he has become a bit of a caricature of himself so you now get a lot of crap as well - today I thought there was even more crap than normal - but the likes of Ed Smith likes to wind him up and set him off - as to his remarks about Stephen Finn - I think even Finn would say he is not at his best - If Stokes had been fit he would not have played.

On TMS, he does like to dish out some stick to Aggers et al, but is absolutely incapable of taking it back. That, coupled with his steadfast refusal to ever acknowledge that he was wrong, makes him pretty much unlistenable.

 

[srw]

Reminiscent of some on here.

Maybe there's something about aging gentlemen who wear panama hats and pale jackets.