den

Better 2nd half for sure. Quicker, more urgency all round. the defence still worries me though. Whenever we lose possession we are caught out of position and opposition strikers have big spaces to exploit. Why can’t Mowbray sort this out, just like Howard Kendall sorted it out. There’s a good comparison there.

The players look uninspired and stale. Not surprising really considering summer business.

I know it’s a friendly but that was quite pathetic.

4 points out of 33 was it in that awful run? That wasn’t down to luck. That showed we were indeed a long way off. Good teams don’t go on runs like that at any stage.

The pitch was a disgrace for a 50 overs World Cup final. Same as in football poor pitches are great levellers and today couldn’t been more even. However what a fantastic game. From our batting from the first over we never looked quite good enough to win it but massive credit to Stokes and Buttler in particular, we never lied down. Football has its nerve biters but not in the way cricket can give you so much stress for so long. This is a superb English one day team, possibly the best we’ll see for a long time. Got to feel sorry for NZ. They were superb. They fought with the bat every bit as hard as England and I thought their bowling was brilliant. Easy to say the ricochet from Stokes won it for us but cricket is a game of very fine margins and in the end we won it and NZ lost it by the bat being probably two feet short of the crease when everything else had levelled out. brilliant game.

The academy is there for the future. £12m spent in this league, by a club like ours must provide first team regulars. There really can’t be any arguments with that.

Would you call this a turning wicket? ?

It was meant to be a joke DE.

As someone else pointed out to me, he can’t play right wing because Brereton will be there.

? just a question Stuart.

So, £12m on Gallagher and Brereton - is that right?

The final is on channel4 as well as sky. Free to air.

Brilliant from England. I don’t think there’s a weakness in their side.

124/0 after 17. shows what I know about cricket. ?

Only thing I will say is that England won’t find it any easier on this wicket. There’s something in it for every bowler. Need to stop Aussies batting full 50 overs.

Vince second ball duck. Worst possible start. somewhere along the line England need a partnership to match the Aussies opening partnership of 100+

There’s no doubt Australia have played the conditions well but they have had a lot of luck particularly early on. I have a feeling England won’t get as lucky.

Everyone can form an opinion. It might be right or it might be wrong but we can all form an opinion. Blimey, you can form a general opinion of a players technical ability after just one or two games and you wouldn’t be far wrong. His technique isn’t going to change a lot. The way a player can adapt that technique for the benefit of the team is generally the unknown bit. I think most fans on here are judging his technique and most of them including myself just don’t see it. So if you don’t see the players technical ability, it’s very difficult to see how he’s ever going to succeed - especially for a striker.

You must know someone who is Tyrone. They would show you the photos I’m sure.

I can help a little here. I don’t have videos, but if you are on Facebook, join “the Talbot archive” group. On there you will find some great photos of that game plus other wonderful photos of rovers, football in general and all things Blackburn.

You weren’t wrong. Last couple of games have highlighted Lancs weaknesses both in the middle order batting and with Jimmy absent they look very short of penetration in their bowling - Mahmood apart. quite disappointing.

Easy win ? lancs middle order bowlers looking ordinary. Mahmood looks fast, accurate with a bit of movement. Onions looked poor, looked tired.

Well, dead or not, this is so funny.

Well maybe, but it possibly depends on what we want. I’m talking about having a squad good enough for promotion and I think we’re a long way from that.