Life is a Rollercoaster - England Story

[Frosty10]

when is this going to be updated

[Frosty10]

when is this going to be updated

[Chasjs]

First Test

England look forward to a four Test series vs Pakistan. The first big selection issue is the injured Swann. Rashid deputises. Woakes is also injured but he would've probably have lost his place in the Test side to the returning Broad anyway.
Pakistan win the toss and chose to bat.
England bowl okay in the first innings with Anderson taking 4 wickets. Bopara picks up a couple in the few overs he's given but 90 from Khan, 52 from Alam and 48 from Yousuf help Paksian to 301.
Englands response gets off to a poor start and with only Pietersen and Bell maing any contribution they slump to 181 all out.
England take wickets regularly in the Pakistan's second innings with Anderson again taking 4.

However, a century first from opener Umar and then a madien First Class century from Munir batting at 8 mean Pakistan set England a daunting 453 runs to win.
England begin their chase tentatively with 7 full sessions left. However, with the last day forecast to be a washout it looks like it will more likely be little more than 4. Strauss is the only wicket to fall before the close of play on day 3. Heavy cloud and a deteriorating pitch make batting conditions difficult as England losing quick wickets but the batsmen dig in with Cook, Bopara and Pietersen all making long time-consuming 50s. With Rashid falling late in the day Cobb and Broad hope for rain on the final day. They get their wish with only a few overs before tea, in which Broad is the only casualty. However, the rain stops late in the day leaving 16 overs to bat out. However, Anderson compliments his bowling with some good blocking.

He does a good job in Cobb and they survive the final few overs of the Test to earn their side a draw in the opening Test.

England Man of the Match - Anderson for two good performances with the ball and some vital blocking in the final session.
Other Notable Mentions:
Bopara, Bell, Pietersen
Poor Game:
Rashid, Strauss, Ambrose, Broad

[6ry4nj]

Welcome back. Great to see you resuming your story. (Well, it’s great to see anyone resuming a story in here, but especially your one)

It’s great fun watching the evolution of the England lineup into the near future. I’ve looked into the issue of spinners before, so I know there’s very few to choose from apart from Swann and Rashid. In real-life the next one could be Wainwright, or maybe Patel then Wainwright. Still, anything could happen.

Congratulations on prophesying the emergence of Finn. How did that come about? Has he cemented his place now, or are there others still breathing down his neck?

Same with Cobb. Have you decided to stick with him for the medium term, or are you still looking at his rivals in case he experiences a slump? He’s pretty young, isn’t he? (In that pic of him you put up he looked about 14. I was going to ask if he needed a note from his mum to go on the tour)

[Chasjs]

1) It's just something I occasionally come back to when I have some spare time. Not sure how long I'll continue it, last year I had planned to go up till the World Cup and then probably start a new story on ICC10. Now I think that it'll either be a new story on ICC10 if I get bored of this, unlikely (as much as I enjoy playing ICC10) or more probably look at starting a new one when ICC11 comes out (probably after a couple of patches though).

2) I have no idea what's happening to the team.

3) Spinners... hmmm... Rashid does seem second choice but he hasn't done that well really. I see Patel as more a number 6/7 and second spinner, he's performed quite well in this role in ICC10 when I've picked him there, especially in India. Don't know about Wainwright really, I suppose I'm waiting for a Warne/Murili-like regen.

4) I'd heard of him even before his England début, I think he's a better bowler in ICC10 though but he's still doing okay on this. He's currently fighting with Woakes for that 3rd seamer role.

5) Cobb... hmmm, he's still young... he's always been good on ICC09, less so on ICC10. Not seen too much of him IRL but looks like he could still be a decent player, in the shadow of Taylor though now. His place isn't nailed down and even now he's only getting in the side because of the 4 man attack.

Also... playing ICC09 again just makes you realise what a huge leap forward ICC10 is. So I'd just like to say well done to the development team!!!

If ICC11 moves forward in the same vein then it's going to be a great game and it'd be interesting to see what they have planned.

[6ry4nj]

Also... playing ICC09 again just makes you realise what a huge leap forward ICC10 is. So I'd just like to say well done to the development team!!!

That's a great advertisement for ICC10. I've only played the trial, due to having so much invested (for so little return lol) in my 09 saves. But it generally takes me about 4 hours to play a 50-over innings (bowling/fielding that is - batting takes no time) so two days was a rush and I was mostly simming. I know you can keep the program open to get more time, but my computer isn't stable enough (keeps crashing) for that to help much. I didn't notice much difference so here I am.

So do tell, what are the big improvements you have noticed?

[Chasjs]

Two of the biggest things I miss from ICC10 is the search features... sorting by economy strike rates aswell as sorting by type make finding the right players really easy.

The other is the strike rates displayed on the match screen. It's really nice to have the information right in front of you without having to check the match analysis or work it out roughly.

Several other minor things but they are my two favourites.

Doesn't take me too much time to play the matches, would use my own fields but even on ICC10, too many catches are taken at short leg. So annoying as you always have to have a fielder their in all formats.

[timmydart]

i would say you have to drop strauss! well done though

[Chasjs]

Second Test

With Sawnn and Woakes still injured England name an identical squad for the second Test in the series and coose to stick with the same team, Wright again finding himself 12th man.

England win the toss and bat on what looks to be a perfect wicket.
Cook makes just 1 but England recover to 87/2 at lunch with Strauss(35) falling just before the break. Pietersen and Bopara survive until tea but both lose their wickets in the final session, 62 and 98 respectively, with Bell and Cobb batting out the rest of the day to leave England 264/4. Pakistan finally bowl England out half way through the day for 385 with Bell making 51 and Cobb 67.
Pakistan bat aggressively but Broad and Anderson rip through their batting bowling them out for 243 with Broad getting 5 and Anderson 3 while Rashid and Finn share the other 2.
England look to press on during the last couple of sessions of day 3. Cook makes 30 and Bopara 26 but a century from Strauss puts England 333 ahead at the close of play. England push on with an unbroken 239 run partnership with Pietersen bringing up his century and Strauss his madien Test doube-century before England declare shortly after tea for 385/2, a lead of 528.

England pick up 4 wickets in the final session of day 4 leaving themselves huge favourites going into the fifth and final day. England strike early with Anderson picking up his third and fouth of the innings in the first over of the day. Anderson gets his fifth with Rashid also chipping in but Pakistan survive until lunch.

Younis Kahn brings up his century but is powerless to stop England with Rashid and Anderson picking up the final 2 wickets in the second session of the day.

England Man of the Match - Strauss, could've gone to Anderson for his 9 wickets but it isn't often someone steals the limelight from an in form Pietersen and with his first Test double ton Strauss did exactly that.
Other Notable Mentions - Bopara, Broad, Anderson, Pietersen
Poor Game - Cook, Ambrose

[Chasjs]

Well that went well .

i would say you have to drop strauss! well done though

No...

[Chasjs]

For those interested Strauss has 156 more runs that KP and 1 more century for England in Tests.

That puts them first and second in the all-time England 100s list and seventh and eighth in the all-time runs list.

EDIT: On the wickets front Flintoff would have retired in fifth with Anderson fast catching him up in sixth.

[Chasjs]

Third Test

Only one change for England with the fit again Swann replacing Rashid as the sides spinner.

England win the toss and again elect to bat.
England again lose their openers early and again Bopara and Pietersen recover but with neither going on to three figures as England collapse.

Bell tries to marshall the tail but falls for 37 as England are bowled out on the first day for 248.
Pakistan start strongly with Jamshed taking the attack to the bowlers. He brings up his century off a blistering 133 balls but edges Swann to slip two overs later. Swann takes a further two wickets. England get their fourth with a run out but Pakistan go into day 3 with a lead of 104 and 6 wickets in hand. Broad gets the first for the quicks, removing the other opener Manzoor for 143.

He gets another couple soon after. Anderson, Bopara and Finn join in to bowl Pakistan out for 436 and daunting lead of 188.
England's top four all get starts but get out leaving England 168/4 at the close, still 20 runs behind. Cobb and Bell fall early the next day and Pakistan wrap up the tail leaving themselves a schase of 24.
They don't make the best of starts losing an opener on 0 but make recover to make short work of the target to level the series.

England Man of the Match - Swann, Announced his return with a few wickets but was let down by the lack of support from the pace attack.
Other Notable Mentions - Bopara, Pietersen
Poor Game - Cook, Cobb, Ambrose, Anderson, Finn

[Chasjs]

Fourth Test

England go into the series' deciding Test making just one change. Finn is dropped and an in form Woakes returns to the side.

England win the toss and bat.
Cook again disappoints and Bopara fails to convert his start into a good score. Strauss and Pietersen rebuild but Pietersen gets out just before lunch and is quickly followed by Bell and Cobb. Strauss meanwhile reaches his century as England reach tea in the precarious postion of 212/5. Ambrose only makes 20 and Strauss falls at the sessions halfway point. Pakistan wrap up the tail just before the close, England all out for 295.
Broad takes all three wickets in the morning session as Pakistan reach lunch on 108/3. Broad takes another couple of wickets to secure his 5 wicket haul and Swann picks up two with the old ball either side of lunch. England take the new ball and wrap up Pakistan for 312 with two wickets for Anderson and Broad picking up his sixth.

England go into their second innings with a deficit of 17 runs and 3 overs left in the day. Cook doesn't make it to the close to put further pressure on his place. With rain the next morning England restart their innings halfway through the afternoon session. Bopara is the only wicket to fall before the close for 34. England lose a further three wickets the next morning. Pietersen early on for 38 while Bell makes just 20 and Cobb 5. Strauss brings up his second hundred of the match and 30th in Test cricket with a 6 in the final over before lunch with England 5 down and a lead of 200.

England lose Ambrose for 26 and Strauss for 123 as Pakistans spinners make short work of the tail leaving themselves a chase of 251.
Pakistan get off to a solid start before losing 3 wickets late on day 4 to finish on 118/3 just 132 runs behind. They get to 212 before Swann makes the next breakthrough as Pakistan look increasingly more likely to win. Woakes picks up the new batsman Ghumman for a duck as the score moves to 217/5. Pakistan creep closer but Woakes removes another newcomer, Ahmed for 3, with Paksitan still requiring 18. Pakistan reach lunch for no further loss and only requiring 6 runs as they now look certain to seal the series win. They do just that with Umar hitting a 6 to take victory by 4 wickets in the deciding Test with Umar not out on 81 off just 97 balls.

England Man of the Match - Strauss for his hundred in each innings.
Other Notable Mentions - Pietersen, Broad
Poor Game - Cook, Cobb, Bell, Ambrose, Anderson, Woakes, Swann

[Chasjs]

Series Reaction
Pakistan win the series 2-1

To be one up with 2 to play is a strong postion. One which you shouldn't lose from but with a few batting collapses anything is possible that thats just what happened. Too many players got in and didn't even get to 50. Even Strauss is guilty of that but, unlike Bopara and Pietersen, when he did he made sure he reached three figures. On the bowling front Anderson and Broad played well but the third pace bowler is still a problem with Finn and Woakes appearing in this series but neither impressing too much. The biggest Test is yet to come with India away in the winter but first it's time for the shorter formats.

Man of the Series - Strauss, 555 runs at and average of 79.29 including two hundreds and a double hundred. Batted well when others didn't.


Magic Moment - Strauss bringing up his first double hundred.

[Chasjs]

The ECB Selection Committee has announced the 15 man squad for the ODI Series at home to Pakistan:

ECB Selection Committee
A Cook*
J Anderson
I Bell
R Bopara
S Broad
J Clare
S Davies
A Flintoff
E Morgan
S Patel
K Pietersen
A Rashid
G Swann
C Woakes
L Wright

Despite a disapointing first series against India Cook and Davies get another chance to open the batting in the ODIs. Yardy loses his place to Patel who has impressed with both bat and ball domestically this season. The other change is Broad coming back in for Finn.