Cricket 2026

[whiteswan]

And wow, the crowd give him a standing ovation and he takes a wicket with his next ball. You couldn't write it.

Great catch from Brookes

Brilliant. I do have a tear in my eye watching him lead his team off at tea and the massive ovation he received. He will be greatly missed. Who will now be captain?

[wilsdenwhite]

Ben Stokes retires from international cricket... Huge loss, almost impossible to replace as captain, talisman and game changer. Legend

He's had his moments yes but he's had his day at this level now I think. His batting has been very poor for a number of years. Not completely surprised at the announcement just the timing. The only conceivable reason to announce it in the middle of a test of this magnitude is that it will be to rouse the team to victory in their final innings. He'll want to keep his mate McCullum in a job. It's a shame hardly anyone seems to share his sentiments on that.

He's done the right thing. Key and McCullum need to go too.

[Barlow Boy]

[media] [/media]

[The Subhuman]

54 for Vince... we're 59-0, 6 overs, so that's weird

[The Subhuman]

He's had his moments yes but he's had his day at this level now I think. His batting has been very poor for a number of years. Not completely surprised at the announcement just the timing. The only conceivable reason to announce it in the middle of a test of this magnitude is that it will be to rouse the team to victory in their final innings. He'll want to keep his mate McCullum in a job. It's a shame hardly anyone seems to share his sentiments on that.

He's done the right thing. Key and McCullum need to go too.

He surpasses Botham and Flintoff as all time great All rounders for me. He's so important to us it seems impossible to replace him as captain, bowler and batsman.. Teh hardest thing about being test captain is maintaining your own form and Stokes did that brilliantly

Would be a mistake to re-appoint Root for his sake, and I don't think Brook is the right person either.

I agree the powers that be need to go

[wilsdenwhite]

He surpasses Botham and Flintoff as all time great All rounders for me. He's so important to us it seems impossible to replace him as captain, bowler and batsman.. Teh hardest thing about being test captain is maintaining your own form and Stokes did that brilliantly

Would be a mistake to re-appoint Root for his sake, and I don't think Brook is the right person either.

I agree the powers that be need to go

Botham, Flintoff, Stokes. All 3 invaluable at their peak in their own right. Whether there is a case for one over the others is a really tough call for me. I just know an all-rounder who can win you a game with either bat or ball consistently is a rare commodity in test cricket and all 3 could tick the box on their day.

Going forward. Root, Brook, no. I just think England have missed a good opportunity for a major reset after the Ashes. With hindsight it now seems pointless Stokes continued for another 6 months after that. What do we have 3 more series before the big one next summer? Pakistan and South Africa and someone at home before Australia. Probably 9 tests in all. Still not too late imo for a new broom and ideas but it has got to happen now.

[The Subhuman]

Struggling to think of a new captain to be honest. Rory Burns seems most qualified, the rest of the county captains are all just ok cricketers

[whiteswan]

Struggling to think of a new captain to be honest. Rory Burns seems most qualified, the rest of the county captains are all just ok cricketers

End of an era faaip

[whiteswan]

....and as I type that he's caught for the last time for England

[The Subhuman]

We're going to miss that kind of captaincy, Stokes opening the batting to see if he can cut deep into the target. With Bethell coming in 3 we're definitely going for it

Could be two down, Bethell reviewing an lbw

[The Subhuman]

Out not offering a shot, he's not out if plays a shot, hit outside off

[The Subhuman]

50-2

Brook owes us an innings I think

[whiteswan]

Brook is the biggest dipstick going. What a twerp. It's a test match!!

[whiteswan]

50-2

Brook owes us an innings I think

He obviously wasn't listening to you....

[The Subhuman]

OK fine with Stokes going for it but now it's getting silly. Brook goes for 21 off 9, after being promoted over Root and Gay. gift wrapping the series for NZ atm

[whiteswan]

OK fine with Stokes going for it but now it's getting silly. Brook goes for 21 off 9, after being promoted over Root and Gay. gift wrapping the series for NZ atm

The commentators on SKY, Athers, Butcher, Broad etc cannot believe the strange goings on out there from our batsmen. It really is extraordinary....or should I say stupidity.

[The Subhuman]

Duckett gone, great catch. 95-4...

Basically need Root and Gay to bat tomorrow out, but feels like we've given up.

[whiteswan]

Duckett gone, great catch. 95-4...

Basically need Root and Gay to bat tomorrow out, but feels like we've given up.

I thought that when Harry Brook was out, the way he walked off like he didn't care Hope I'm wrong,
Stumps for the day.

[whiteswan]

Self indulgent batting is how Atherton has just described those inept four wickets.

[wilsdenwhite]

We have become a team (Root aside) who can't bat in test cricket anymore. Unless it's a 2/3 day wicket, we are cooked. This is the end result of the McCullum/Stokes era. We have forgotten the basics and our batsmen have a one track mind, no one more so than Harry Brook. Bethell will go down the same path if he has to stomach more years of McCullum's preferred style. Our batsmen are making so few centuries these days due to the embedded rashness of their shot selection they just end up looking like fools who are doing the same thing over and over again.

I think today will prove definitive. Seemed very much self before side as far as Stokes was concerned in coming out to open the batting and when you do things like that its probably just as well you don't plan on playing for England again. I get why he did it but that doesn't make it right. What did McCullum think about that I wonder? Who is really in charge? Who thought it a good idea to announce the captain is retiring midway through the day of a test match? England are a shambles. The ECB are a shambles.

If this is a side that still thinks it is going in the right direction, they couldn't be more wrong and have been for some time. That's on Stokes, McCullum and Key. Stokes has stood down but we can only hope the other two do the same asap.

Stokes will cash in on the franchise cricket now I expect while featuring as regularly as he can for Durham. I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if he gets a call to arms before or during the Ashes next year if things still aren't going England's way by then and I doubt he would be able to resist having one last crack at the Aussies if he is still in good shape with Durham.