David Arrow

Everton by birth, Surrey Cricket by choice. Living life in cruise control, messing about on the river and drinking cider from a lemon. ‘Tramps like us'...

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@cricketslave @TheCricketerMag @GeorgeDobell1 I have some sympathy for the Ground Staff, there’s so much cricket played on that square they have no time to undertake serious remedial work except to prepare a track for the next game.
The MCC and the ECB have a false sense of priorities.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@mickmcSNB If that had been Moshiri and Koeman they’d have paid £1.47p 😉

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@rawedgespassion @blackrodblue As my first gig, to hear the tracks live that I’d listened to on vinyl on my little record player was mind blowing.
It was only in retrospect, and as I got older, that I realised just how special that gig was.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@_PaulHayward @willis_macp The Lords square is a microcosm of the problems facing English cricket.
Lord’s, the self proclaimed ‘home of cricket’, can’t produce an acceptable Test track because they continue to chase the cash and play too much cricket on the square.
English cricket in a nutshell.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@blackrodblue @rawedgespassion The first gig I ever went to was The Faces at the Empire on a school night in the early 70’s. It was phenomenal.
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink and Ooh-La-La are brilliant albums.
When Rod left the Faces it all went south for me.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@toffee_tower It’s very early in the window, plenty of time for negotiation.
We’re still recovering from the Moshiri years when we overpaid for average players and put them in top 6 wages.
The time to assess the window is when it’s closed.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@TheCricketerMag @GeorgeDobell1 The grit and determination to not give away their wickets is an encouraging Bazball evolution.
However, any bowling success or batting failure in this Test needs to be off-set against a sub-standard track that is a microcosm of everything wrong with English cricket.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@nikokadiKE It’s only taken nearly 50 years for China to emulate Bobby Latchford.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@toffeedoug @ajhume @Chrisgill95 It’s a big square at the Oval and whilst it has a reputation for being a bit of a road it’s levelled up a lot in recent seasons.
I’m a little biased but I’d say the Oval consistently gets the balance between bat and ball better than most other Test grounds.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@toffeedoug @ajhume @Chrisgill95 The issue with the Lords square is a microcosm of the wider problems in English cricket, they’re chasing the cash and playing too much cricket on it and haven’t got the time to sort the problems out.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@ajhume @toffeedoug @Chrisgill95 Doug saw more of pre-Bazball Crawley than I did, but I always felt that he had the technique but altered his game to fit in with the Bazball demands of a swashbuckling no consequences opener.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@toffeedoug @ajhume @Chrisgill95 It’s a fair point and no doubt this track is an exception in modern day Tests.
The batters clearly don’t trust it, and it’s difficult to defend against some of these deliveries, Bethell’s dismissal was a joke for instance, but tbf to Bazball Mk2 they are trying to dig in.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@toffeedoug @ajhume @Chrisgill95 Was impressed with the way Gay dug in and ground out a score.
Looks to have decent technique, got away with a non-review LVW straight after lunch but batted ‘properly’ in difficult conditions.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@toffeedoug @ajhume @Chrisgill95 As you know Doug, I’ve been very critical of England in the Bazball era for giving their wickets away but in this Test most of the dismissals have been a combination of the sub-standard track and decent bowling in favourable conditions.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@Chrisgill95 I’m not sure you can criticise the batters of either side.
There’s been decent bowling in favourable conditions but it’s a sub-standard track that’s to blame for the number of wickets to fall.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@TheCricketerMag @GeorgeDobell1 By his own admission he wasn’t ready for the Ashes and maybe it was the time he had to reflect on past failings that gave him the drive to make the most of this reprieve…together with a perfect seam bowlers track which, whilst proving a compelling watch, was sub-standard.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@benjonescricket With maybe a couple of exceptions, you couldn’t say with any conviction that the wickets were given away.
A combination of the steam induced track and the overheads made it a bowlers dream.
As compelling as it was 16 wkts for 200 runs doesn’t help the Test match cause.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

@joalhe1997 It’s not unreasonable to point to the track which, combined with the overhead conditions, has had an undue influence on the outcome of the Test.
16 wickets and 200 runs on the 1st day was compelling on one level but on another the balance between bat and ball was totally lost.

[David Arrow @DavidArrow04]

The only upside of being skittled out in under 40 overs, you get to also benefit from the bowler friendly conditions.
@englandcricket has bowled their way back into this Test and regained the momentum.
The track and the weather will no doubt continue to influence the outcome.