I don't understand what you're suggesting? That England only bowled at the stumps? I don't get why you'd try and push the limit with wides in test cricket, even when you're deliberately sending the ball well outside off stump to entice the batsman to chase a wide one and be out of control of their shot.

Wides are used as a tactic in test cricket

Bowl 3 wides in a row to make the batsman think you can't bowl for toffee before delivering a heat seeking missile of a yorker right at the toes.

comment by The Candlestick Maker (U8959)
posted 28 minutes ago
Bowl 3 wides in a row to make the batsman think you can't bowl for toffee before delivering a heat seeking missile of a yorker right at the toes.
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This, Brett Lee did this with bouncers, bowl about two or three then hit with a yorker or fuller length delivery

its pretty difficult to bowl a wide in test cricket nowdays, you literally have to almost pitch it on the grass, but I still don't get the point of the post? bowl 3 feet wide of off stump to entice a edge?

Nothing wrong with England's slip fielders now.
Cook is very good... Root is one of the best slip fielders in the world. he wont get the credit though. Don't think ive seen him drop a catch yet
And Stokes slip fielding to the spinner is world class.

comment by Thudd - The Big 6. (U1029)
posted 3 hours, 25 minutes ago
comment by The Candlestick Maker (U8959)
posted 28 minutes ago
Bowl 3 wides in a row to make the batsman think you can't bowl for toffee before delivering a heat seeking missile of a yorker right at the toes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This, Brett Lee did this with bouncers, bowl about two or three then hit with a yorker or fuller length delivery
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Bouncers into the ribs and the throat make sense, but wides? I remember Lee getting Strauss by smashing one into his head before a slower ball yorker.

comment by Liverpoolwhoelse17 (U16825)
posted 28 minutes ago
Nothing wrong with England's slip fielders now.
Cook is very good... Root is one of the best slip fielders in the world. he wont get the credit though. Don't think ive seen him drop a catch yet
And Stokes slip fielding to the spinner is world class.
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Agreed, Root is very good, Cook is surprisingly poor, takes a lot of catches and is capable of some smart catches but drops a fair few dollies as well.

The comment about "lack of confidence" and "afraid of being hit" were made tongue-in-cheek. My point was that I found it unusual for a team not to bowl at least one wide delivery in a whole test series. It might be more likely to happen on the Indian sub-continent where the wickets may be more conducive to spin, although even spinners lose one now and then, but how often has it happened in a test series elsewhere for Aus, NZ, SAF and WI?

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

I think South Africa bowled 9 wides in the series.