Cricket Thread

It really had to come, there was no way he'd have been able to shake this off. It doesn't excuse the way he was exonerated, though - he knew full well what was going on.

The words Dick and Emery come to mind !

Crocodile tears.

It must be part of their coaching programme ;

.... and what a player Jos Buttler is!

Phenomenal effort from our bowlers to clinch the win and go 1-0 up in the series!

Ben Stokes, for all his controversy and baggage, is an absolutely box office cricketer. Beefy, Freddie, Stokesy. They just make things happen - they play with fire in their bellies and off the pitch are always teetering on the edge of disaster - but my god on the pitch they are mercurial.

Jimmy got the early wicket this morning to set us on our way, but it was that Ben Stokes over when he got rid of the main man Kohli and Shami 2 balls later that really set up the win. Adil Rashid worked his magic leg spin against the number 10 Sharma who had no answer, and fittingly Stokes got the winning wicket.

In a game of such performances by Stokes (with the ball) and Kohli (with the bat), above both of those stood 20 year old Sam Curran.

Awarded the man of the match in only his second test match, his excellent counter attacking innings to provide us with a defendable lead when the old guard were crumbling round him, and his threatening brand of skiddy left arm inswingers which tore through the Indian top order in the first innings was something to behold. Short in stature, but massive in impact on the game, it really looks like the lad has the perfect temperament for test cricket. I think we have a real find with him, and he should be taking the new ball with Jimmy at Lords next week. In the post match interviews, Root said having Sam in the team was like having 2 Ben Stokes. I don't think you can get much higher praise than that.

A word for Sir Jim (the other one)... he's now only 19 test wickets behind the great Glenn McGrath on the all time list!