I'm enjoying the attacking approach of the top sides but I think it may have gone too much in the '20/20' direction

Scoring at 6 an over is fine unless you are losing a wicket every 2.5 overs....

australia have played that was for awhile now

even when most teams would consolidate and try and build a partnership after losing a couple of wickets, even if it meant going along at 3-4 runs per over, australia would just back the depth in their batting and keep going for it

on days like today they lose

i think alot it comes down to whether you are batting first or second tho, if you are setting a target, especially at a high scoring venue, then you probably have to take the risk of maintaining the positive approach, as just batting through and setting 275 means you will probably lose anyway. batting second however like australia were today there was no need to be so aggressive after losing a couple of quick wickets and they probably needed to be a bit more savvy about the game situation than they were.

I agree , especially having a Plan B when chasing if you get off to a poor start

Just watching the U-19 game and they put up a list of previous winners

We have only won it once in 1998, so I have looked up the team to see how many I would know from the final team

Peters
Key
Franks
Shah
Swann
Schofield
Haywood
Napier
Powell
Wilton
Logan

I remember all the batsmen but only Napier from the quicker bowlers

I'm sure there's a reason why the quicks seem to disappear or is it that they are just more susceptible to injury

Might be that at that age group size and physical ability might determine which lads get picked, ie the relatively big fully developed ones

But as time goes on the less physical guys from their age group catch them up and then talent is more important than size

same thing happens in football.........watch international schoolboy games, the England team will be full of lads with beards and hairy legs but once the others catch them up then they have to compete on the basis of talent and most of them fade away

I am not sure why mankad is bad sportsmaship, whilst a batsman that clearly edges it and stands his ground isnt. Think Broad against the Aussies. Although nearly every player would stand his ground. There arent any "walkers" left in the game. How is that not bad sportsmanship?

Its within the rules, so tough if you are mankad. Also dont agree with giving the batsman warning. The batsman knows, he could be mankded. Whats next, the bowler to give the batsman that he is about to bowl an outswinger, yorker, short ball?

I think that probably does have a lot to do with it but I also think that over - use and poor coaching contributes

Everything you say is correct but I think the point is being missed that cricket has always had a 'proper way' of doing things

The warning is part of this heritage

I know things move on but I think we are losing what makes cricket special

As the saying goes....it's just not cricket !

Morgan wins the toss and elects to bat


Starting X1's

Hales
Roy
Root
Morgan
Stokes
Buttler
Moeen
Jordan
Willey
Rashid
Topley

South Africa

Amla
De Kock
Du Plessis
ABVD
Duminy
Rossouw
Behardien
Morris
Morkel
de Lange
Tahir

2 non starters in my fantasy team

and i had taylor down for top run scorer

and rabada as top wicket taker

So did I .

Trouble with these long One day series.

There will be lots of changes - even more so after a tough test series and a T20 World Cup to come.

i am just not keen on the balance of that batting lineup , lots of strokeplayers but root is the only one that really provides any stability

It is not cheating but it is trying to gain an advantage. Perhaps being given out is too much of a penalty and a one run deduction would be more appropriate? A kind of anti-no ball if you like.

I think to cover all match situations the bowler should then have the option to ball the bowl again or not.

Opens with a wide

There's one for the bookies....

Opening spreads on England runs were 275 - 285

Now showing 295 - 305

20 off the first 2 overs , 500 is on

They're now up to 320 -330

Poor bowling but a terrific start from England

50/0 in the 6th

Excellent

I've got to go out now -

50 up in just the 6th over

hope that problem roy had with his knee isn't anything serious as he is flying

100 up already in just the 14th over

going along at almost 8 per over

sad that it took a debacle like last years world cup for england to realise this was the approach required to one day cricket

Anyone seen this young Sri Lankan..

Handy spin blower with either hand..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/35482072

Who needs stability

i just like having a plan B if we lose a couple of early wickets , when we get off to a flying start like today you just keep going and can switch the order around if need be

So who would you have picked and dropped ?