r/EnglandCricket

We are told that Test Cricket is the most popular version of the medium in this country yet it is still confined to the bookends of the season and at the mercy of the weather, which is forecast to be terrible tomorrow despite a month of unbroken sunshine in August.

I hate the fact that there is no cricket in this country for a month of summer, apart from MI this and Sunrisers that. Are we now at the mercy of the Indian Cricket Board?

It’s the same journeymen cricketers who participate in the same repeated tournaments worldwide, you can pick the participants without even looking- it’s regurgitated ad-nauseam.

Or am I just being a boring old biddy!? (Cue the Simpson’s meme)

Selection, captaincy, bowling, batting, coaching anything.

The amount of times I’ve heard about it today is laughable.

Rizwan plays an attacking shot - “He must’ve been watching the hundred!” Nope. He’s just an attacking batter.

We get it, you can’t criticise it and you are under probably contractual obligations to ram it down our throat. Can you not just shut the f*ck up about it when there is a literal Test match to commentate on?

No rain for whats felt like months. Not even an hour in and its chucking it down haha.

At least we have start well.

Just wondering if anyone knows if they still do the 2027 ballots for members and people who bought a ticket for a game this year.

If so any idea when they open?

I’ve been fortunate to be successful in the ballots 4 years running but getting concerned I may have missed the email.

I’m dying to see an Ashes match so just want to ask.

Go well. X

So....

In my head

Duck - out for zero

Golden duck - out for zero first ball

Diamond duck - out for zero first ball of the match

So what is out for zero first ball of the series?!?

In preparation for the test tomorrow against Pakistan, Sky Sports are airing a documentary on Pakistans greatest and fastest bowler Shoaib Akhtar. As good as he was, and it is a good documentary, what are people’s opinion of him, not as a cricketer, but as person?

There was no doubting he was a top world class cricketer, but in the documentary speaking as he is now, what do people think?

I can't find any team announcement for the first test tomorrow, am I blind or have they chosen not to release the playing XI early for this test?

Despite its criticisms, all of which I agree with, I’ve still watched the Hundred every year and gone to a handful of games.

I follow West Indies vs Pakistan, Bangladesh vs Australia, random T20 leagues round the world, realistically I’m going to watch an English tournament with our best English talent and a sprinkle of overseas guns, despite the issues.

But this year just really struggled to get into it. Watched a few games on TV, mainly ladies whilst working in the afternoon. Followed the scorecards on Cricinfo. Played the fantasy game.

But for the first time didn’t go to a single game, which wasn’t a conscious decision. Actually ended up going to two One Day Cup games which I’ve never done before and loved.

What I did enjoy this year was seeing players make unexpected breakthroughs. Loved seeing Donald get his chance and take it. Same for Walter towards the end of the tournament. And pleasing to see the battery of international English pace bowlers showing off throughout the tournament. But are enjoying individual performances enough to keep a tournament going.

Anyone else go in previous years but find 2026 didn’t really click for them?

The heatwave is over, clouds are rolling in, the country is in recovery from a bout of Metro Bank fever and the cricket formally known as Crisp is at an end.

The new-old era of test side begins under New-Old Captain Joe Root on Wednesday and for the first time in what must be about 10 years given the amount of complaining about it…oh…for the first time since 2024(I’ve done my share of complaining about it too, don’t worry.), a full round of County Championship fixtures begins on Thursday, in August, which is just lovely isn’t it. All eyes probably will be on Durham where Englands most recent captain will presumably be looking to pull off something silly whilst hobbling about and generally looking uncomfortable to steal some headline from his former international team mates.

Anyway, just nice to have red ball cricket back, i recommend if you get the chance, then get out there and watch some of it. This is the time of year we want to see red ball cricket being played so we have to vote with our feet and get ourselves out there and watching it, to have any chance of that happening.

Oh and if all of that isn’t enough to wet your whistle and ruining your sleep pattern for the opportunity to laugh at Australians is your thing then the second test between Australia and Bangladesh is free to watch over next weekend.

I’m very pleased Bangladesh won with a solid all around team effort, and it makes it quite clear that the Ashes last year were winnable.

There are some serious flaws in the Australian team that Bangladesh knew how to exploit, I don’t think any of this is news. Labuchagne’s luck ran out, clear issues with getting 2 opening batters, the bowling attack is superb but aging, and a lack of test experienced replacements ready to fill in roles for injured players.

Bangladesh played proper test cricket, focused on winning sessions and being willing to grind out some runs. I think back to Perth 3rd innings, where if England just played Starc out they could have hit the other bowlers out before Bolland got his radar in and made it a much more challenging chase. Bangladesh bowled a tight line to Head and he chopped on, sounds so easy but the English bowlers gave him width and he thrashed them.

Bangladesh played a tour game and lost terribly, and then turned it around, England’s lack of match practice prior to the series has been constantly criticized.

I know I’m going around in circles but it just seems so clear that a clearer game plan and more grit would have turned last year around.

Has anyone noticed any difference in The Hundred since IPL franchises started investing in it? Any changes in the overall experience, team strategies, player recruitment, fan engagement, or the league itself?