England Cricket - Our bowlers

[Archibald&Crooks]

How do our resident experts view our bowling attack? IMO Sidebottom, Broad and Anderson aren't quite good enough against the top teams. Would recalling Harmison, Hoggard and even Simon Jones for the final test give us some 'bite' back?

 

[alfie103]

I rate anderson and think he can be a very good bowler if he more consistent, good pace and swings it and can reverse swing it. Sidebottom gives good variety but i heard the commentators say he may have had an injury so was down on pace. Broad just ain't taking wickets but he is very young and needs time to develop and fill out. Flintoff is just fantastic and really is a superb bowler, both langer and kallis saying he was extremely difficult to face. TBH, it is the batting that is the main worry and not the bowling. Not sure about harmison but i think hoggard have a shout if sidebottom isn't fit but i think jones could be a good idea but we can't risk too early and when he is at his best is one of two of england's best bowlers.

 

[sharky_marky]

I would certainly agree that we need some more bite in our bowling attack - I'm just not sure that Hoggard and Harmison are the men to add that. Hoggard has lost that bit of nip which was apparent in Sidebottom's bowling in the last match and Harmison's action and state of mind can self-destruct at any moment, which we simply cannot afford anymore especially away from home.

For me, Simon Jones is the man to come back now and add a bit of pace and aggression to the attack to suport Flintoff. He deserves a chance for his returns this summer and all the hard work he has put in getting back to full-fitness. He should replace Sidebottom in the next match.

I agree with the post above in that the batting is largely to blame for our failures. We consistently post sub-300 scores in the first innings and this gets us off to a bad start (and as the commentators often say, it puts us behind on the 8-ball!). Strauss is too negative and while he does a good job in seeing off the new ball, he rarely takes us on from there into a dominating position. Rob Key or Joe Denly should be given the chance up the top.

In place of Vaughan in the batting line-up there are the usual candidates; Shah and Bopara. Out of these two, Shah possibly most deserves the chance as he's been waiting for ages, kept on getting the runs in county cricket and has the most experienced head.

In terms of keepers, if we are to have him batting at 8 then James Foster has to come into the reckoning as he is the best English gloveman by far. He also deserves another chance due to his great attitude in working to get back into contention.

So, all-in-all England need to make a few changes but I don't think that they are too radical. Will the selectors have the guts to make such changes? We'll find out soon.....

 

[fazza]

I see Sidebottom as the replacement for Hoggard, good swing bowler but we need Harmison back for his pace to bowl with Flintoff. I'd go with a 5 man attack in a team of:
Cook
Strauss
Bell
Pietersen (C)
Collingwood
Prior
Flintoff
Jones
Sidebottom
Harmison
Panesar

With Bopara, Shah, Key, Anderson and Broad as backups.

 

[dvdhopeful]

The batsmen are the main concern at the moment. Sad though I was about Michael Vaughan's resignation, I think that bringing in a Bopara or a Key, could sure the batting up a bit. For me Vaughan looks even more out of touch than Collingwood looked, but I know others wouldn't agree with that. I'm not sure you'd want to pick Key as that for me is a bit of a backward step. I'd prefer to look to the future and give Bopara a crack, with the Ashes in mind next year.

I'd love to see Simon Jones back in the side and if he is fit and raring to go, then get him back in for the final test. He was the unsung hero of the Ashes series and was as important in that test as any of our other batsmen.

I'm not sure about Harmison, I think the things that makes him a bit of a fragile lad are not things that can be got rid of by practice and games under his belt. His action is still going to melt down, he's still gonna get homesick and for me just isn't steady enough to be relied on.

Hoggie is gone for me and the selection of Pattinson proved that. To pick a guy like Pattinson over Hoggard and at Hoggards home ground of all venues, showed that he is far from the selectors thoughts. If he has lost some pace, fair enough, but he carried the England team for about 18 months and was a vital part to our bowling attack.

I'd go with something along the lines of

Strauss
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Bopara
Collingwood
Flintoff
Ambrose
Sidebottom
Jones
Panesar

Although not sure about leaving Anderson out, but I'm tired and just realised I'd put in 12 players, so had to delete a name

 

[JKSpurs]

Time for some major changes.

I see Bopara as a replacement for Colly and Shah as a replacement for Vaughan. Ambrose needs to go, if your going for young potential then I like the look of Stephen Davies, but otherwise it has to be prior.

I would bring back Simon Jones over Harrmion I don't think mentally Harmy is quite there.

 

[nidge]

Apart from the batting (which is a big worry) at the moment the bowling attack just doesn't look like it's able to take the 20 wickets needed to win a test match. As soon as they came up against a decent batting lineup the only bowler that looks likely to take a wicket is Flintoff.

So at the moment Flintoff would make it into the team, I would definately look to bring Jones back into the side as he was definately the unsung hero of the Ashes and after all his injuries he seems to be bowling back at his best and fastest. Harmison just can't travel he gets homesick so it's not really fair on the other bowlers that are desperate to play for England. Broad while he has played really well with the bat needs to start taking wickets if he is going to get into the side unless he comes in as a batsman first how can then hold up and end with his bowling. (The good thing about Broad is he is still young so should improve a lot more.) Hoggard has just gone in my opinion I just don't think the selectors want to go back to him which is a shame as he was Mr. Consistant for a while.

So at the moment if England are going to play only 4 bowlers (is there an arguement to play 5 who can bowl?) My bowling attack would look like this.

Flintoff
???????
Jones
Panesar

As you can see I am not sure who the 4th bowler would be?

 

[al_pacino]

As you can see I am not sure who the 4th bowler would be?

Anderson has earned that place with consistant bowling since the NZ tour.

I'm glad they gave Broard a rest because at test level he doesnt look like taking wickets and it doesn't matter if he may be good for the Ashes we're playing matches now.

on the batting front I am starting to wonder what Rob Key did that pissed the selectors off so much.

 

[JKSpurs]

The batting line up I don't think is to much of a problem. I honestly think there is enough talent either in the side or waiting in the wings to ensure we are competive in most games, its the fact we can't take 20 wickets which will stop us winning test matches

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Anderson has earned that place with consistant bowling since the NZ tour.

Consistenly erratic? :wink:

 

[The Apprentice]

Strauss
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Prior
Flintoff
Broad
Anderson
Jones
Panesar

 

[Yiddosmithy]

Broad isnt taking wickets. I like him but he doesnt deserve to be in the team at the moment IMO. IVe been impressed with Jimmy and Flintoff. Harmy looked good when he came back. I would like to see Jones back in the team. This is going to be very controversial but should Monty be in the team?

I do think the main poroblems lie with our inability to put a big score up though. We need to get rid of Ambrose aswell.

 

[SpursMadJames]

need to look to the future, broad is the way forward, so needs the experience, i would also like to see ravi bopara get another chance, he has done very well in the county set up, and now is his time to step up.

my team would be

Cook
Strauss
Bell
Pietersen
Bopara
Flintoff
Prior
Broad
Harmison
Anderson
Panesar

 

[JKSpurs]

I like that team SMJ I would only add that I would put Jones (if he can prove fitness, which I think he has recently) back in for the Test matches probably infront of broad as although I prefer Broad to Anderson as a all round cricketer I feel he is not a test match strike bowler just yet where by Jimmy has the occasional moment fo brillance.