The Cricket Thread

[Archibald&Crooks]

England's bowling coach Otis Gibson is leaving to become head coach of South Africa. He is a mentor of Broad's IIRC.

 

[dimiSpur]

Could be a blessing in disguise in my view. Root has had the rub of the green up until now, and our team still think they are better than they are. I didn't agree with the declaration, we were 1-0 and in no need of chasing anything. Now we are going into a pressure game at Lords to try and win a series against statistically the "worst test playing nation".

I'm not a huge fan of Broad but the comments are a bit unjust to be honest, he had Cook drop a relative sitter and then shelled one of his own bowling, things could have been a bit different. Woakes was horribly undercooked and down on pace from before his injury, I can see why we put him in but it's backfired on us.

Mo bowled pretty poorly, ridiculously from the wrong end for about two hours though, couldn't understand that one.

All to play for at Lords, wouldn't be shocked to see ToRoJo come in for one of the seamers that have played all through the summer. Also be interesting to see what sort of pitch they prepare at Lords, hopefully not the usual featherbed.

Last note, Shai Hope is some player though, what a superstar.

I'd hope Woakes stays in the team purely because with an Ashes tour coming up, we have to have one eye on that and by that I mean play the team we expect to play down under now, or as close to that as possible. Whilst there are flaws in that logic, ie you can't pick a team on paper but who is in good form, I really really really don't want to see TRJ in the team down under. The pitches out there do not suit his bowling one bit and are much better suited to Woakes who has more pace about him.

Whilst I agree that Broad isn't remarkable anymore and that we probably only have one world class bowler in Jimmy Anderson (and even he relies heavily on conditions) I don't think there are very many truly world class bowlers around anymore and any that are around are certainly not in Australia's team. That makes me confident that we can retain the urn down under, so long as we turn up.

 

[dimiSpur]

England's bowling coach Otis Gibson is leaving to become head coach of South Africa. He is a mentor of Broad's IIRC.

Hopefully the new coach gets them bowling a tad fuller with the new ball and not so scared of getting driven.

 

[LeSoupeKitchen]

We're gonna lose.

This will have a safety-first effect on Root's future declarations!

Exactly. I'm happy for Windies but gutted this means we'll be subjected to the continuation of epic leads before putting the other team into bat.

 

[LSUY]

Play at The Oval has been suspended, fans told to leave the stands, the stadium locked down and armed police have arrived after a crossbow bolt with a metal tip landed about two strips away from the wicket.

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

Stoneman, Westley and Malan (to a lesser extent, dont wanna call him bad whilst he's still in otherwise he'll score a ton and i'll look like an idiot) are all embarrassingly bad.

Are they really the best we have to offer? Is our county cricket that bad?!

Australia are going to destroy us.

 

[Buggsy61]

When we pick this ashes team we really need to think about who will be able to perform in Australian conditions.
Roland Jones. Like many county steamers looks okay on a green wicket here but when the sun is out on the hard pitches over there he will look village green standard.

 

[UncleBuck]

Conditions were a great leveller today. Cook got a snorter but the other three fell to shots they didn't need to be playing, especially as it was Root's third ball although it did climb on him quite dramatically.
Oz are struggling in Bangladesh but then most teams do in the sub continent so the Ashes series is going to be extremely entertaining, I do fear for our batting and first changers though.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

When we pick this ashes team we really need to think about who will be able to perform in Australian conditions.
Roland Jones. Like many county steamers looks okay on a green wicket here but when the sun is out on the hard pitches over there he will look village green standard.

We'll take all of them. Jennings, Malan, Westley, Roland Jones, Ballance, Stoneman, the lot. And act surprised when we get trounced.

It's what our selectors do.

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

Eoin Morgan should go. He's an excellent technical batsmen who has faced every top bowler in every conditions imaginable.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

Eoin Morgan should go. He's an excellent technical batsmen who has faced every top bowler in every conditions imaginable.

He also hasn't played red ball cricket for about 2 years?

I think Malan is the only one out of the load you mentioned who would survive in Oz, he hasn't scored heaps but I like the way he dug in at Headingley in the second innings. The other two, just add them to the long list of players who tried and failed to make the step up to Test cricket.

The only leveller we have is that the Aussies have as many disgusting players in the side as we do at the moment, it's just going to come down to a shootout between which worldies turn up and which don't. I have a fear I'll be seeing us at 120/5 off 18 overs a hell of a lot this winter.

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

He also hasn't played red ball cricket for about 2 years?

I think Malan is the only one out of the load you mentioned who would survive in Oz, he hasn't scored heaps but I like the way he dug in at Headingley in the second innings. The other two, just add them to the long list of players who tried and failed to make the step up to Test cricket.

The only leveller we have is that the Aussies have as many disgusting players in the side as we do at the moment, it's just going to come down to a shootout between which worldies turn up and which don't. I have a fear I'll be seeing us at 120/5 off 18 overs a hell of a lot this winter.

With it being in Australia, i'd say it's heavily weighed in the Aussie's favour. The conditions are perfect for their bowlers whilst ours always struggle in Australian conditions. Cook, Root, Stokes, Bairstow and Ali need to bat long and hard otherwise I think we'll get embarrassed.

Root seems to be a huge fan of Ballance and I wouldnt be at all surprised if he shoehorned him in for the Ashes. Personally, I really, really rate Ballance and I think he's a really gifted cricketer but his technique currently has huge flaws. I'd like to see him bat at 5.

What has become of James Vince? He looked crap for England but he is another who came in with huge potential and looked to be a good stroke maker but he seems to have fallen off the radar.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

With it being in Australia, i'd say it's heavily weighed in the Aussie's favour. The conditions are perfect for their bowlers whilst ours always struggle in Australian conditions. Cook, Root, Stokes, Bairstow and Ali need to bat long and hard otherwise I think we'll get embarrassed.

Root seems to be a huge fan of Ballance and I wouldnt be at all surprised if he shoehorned him in for the Ashes. Personally, I really, really rate Ballance and I think he's a really gifted cricketer but his technique currently has huge flaws. I'd like to see him bat at 5.

What has become of James Vince? He looked crap for England but he is another who came in with huge potential and looked to be a good stroke maker but he seems to have fallen off the radar.

I genuinely think Ballance is in serious trouble against pace, they have Cummins who is currently bowling rapid, and Starc pushes it through as well if he is fit enough. He can score runs, just technical flaws stop him from being able to get in line against heat.

You're right about the Aussies having it heavily weighted being at home, I cant get away from the thinking we are going to get smoked. I'm seriously hoping that Cook without the pressures of captaincy that did for him last time we were out there, can replicate something in the region of what he did in 2011 series.

Vince is another strange one, I think he's a better player than Westley who has serious technical issues again, but like Carberry he seems have gone into the forgotten pot.

 

[alfie103]

Stoneman, Westley and Malan (to a lesser extent, dont wanna call him bad whilst he's still in otherwise he'll score a ton and i'll look like an idiot) are all embarrassingly bad.

Are they really the best we have to offer? Is our county cricket that bad?!

Australia are going to destroy us.

I don't think they are embarrassingly bad. In fact Stoneman and Malan might fare better in Oz as the ball won't move around as much and the ball will come onto the bat more.

There are just too many counties at the moment so the talent pool gets diluted. We need to get around 6 to 8 teams in the four day format to sort the wheat from the chaff.

 

[mpickard2087]

To be fair, in this game the conditions have been pretty lethal. The bit I saw yesterday Stokes had the ball going at right angles. 120 odd, amazingly, doesn't look a bad effort. Whoever gets to bat in a bit of sunshine needs to make the most of it!

 

[deano27]

We'll take all of them. Jennings, Malan, Westley, Roland Jones, Ballance, Stoneman, the lot. And act surprised when we get trounced.

It's what our selectors do.

I would be shocked if they take Ballance. I think Stoneman has something about him so id stick with him

 

[WorcesterTHFC]

Ladies and gentlemen, this season's County Champions are

ESSEX.

Come on, you Eagles!!!!

 

[Spurs_Bear]

Neither Hameed or Westley doing themselves any favours in yesterdays round of County matches.

Is there a case for doing something mental like bringing in Foakes to keep and getting Bairstow to bat 3 in Tests??

 

[mpickard2087]

Neither Hameed or Westley doing themselves any favours in yesterdays round of County matches.

Is there a case for doing something mental like bringing in Foakes to keep and getting Bairstow to bat 3 in Tests??

I don't think Bairstow would be happy having the gloves taken off him.

I'd still take Hameed. It is a big risk, but they talk about playing 'brave cricket'... does that include sticking your neck out on selections? As I've said all summer, he didn't fail in an England shirt which is all I'm concerned with, until he does I'd back him - poor season or not.

Westley might just get in by default, I'm not sure who would be in the running to replace him. If it's Ballance then no thanks. As I've said before I think the England teams should be as separated and simplified as possible so Hales, Buttler and the like should just stick to concentrating on whacking the white ball out of the ground.

Cook, Stoneman, Hameed, Root, Malan, maybe Westley, Bairstow, Spare Keeper, Stokes, Ali, Crane/Rashid, Woakes, TRJ, Wood, Anderson, Broad

Hope they take a leg-spinner at least in the squad. Bowling attack is still far too one-dimensional but what else do we have.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

I don't think Bairstow would be happy having the gloves taken off him.

I'd still take Hameed. It is a big risk, but they talk about playing 'brave cricket'... does that include sticking your neck out on selections? As I've said all summer, he didn't fail in an England shirt which is all I'm concerned with, until he does I'd back him - poor season or not.

Westley might just get in by default, I'm not sure who would be in the running to replace him. If it's Ballance then no thanks. As I've said before I think the England teams should be as separated and simplified as possible so Hales, Buttler and the like should just stick to concentrating on whacking the white ball out of the ground.

Cook, Stoneman, Hameed, Root, Malan, maybe Westley, Bairstow, Spare Keeper, Stokes, Ali, Crane/Rashid, Woakes, TRJ, Wood, Anderson, Broad

Hope they take a leg-spinner at least in the squad. Bowling attack is still far too one-dimensional but what else do we have.

Bairstow doesn't keep in the ODI's, and to me Buttler isn't a sensational gloveman, and I see the number 3 position as our weakest point and potentially the most important. If Root isn't going to move up, then I could envisage something like:

Cook
Stoneman
Bairstow
Root
Malan / Hales
Stokes
Ali
Foakes
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

I know what you are saying against Hameed, but it's a common thought (apparently) that seam bowling is his weakness, he may not have failed on slow and low pitches in the sub continent but facing a fearsome quartet on a fast and bouncy wicket in Oz is a different kettle of fish. He's averaged about 19 in the County Championship which is very poor.

Second spinner for me would be Leach, cant keep ignoring the amount of wickets he takes and now he is over any problems that he had with his action he needs to be rewarded with a shot. Crane couldn't get in Hants side early doors this year and has done very little when he has played. Sure he averages over 40 with the ball which again, like Hameed is not worthy of an International call up.

I'm not interested in taking Buttler anywhere near the Test side, but I fundamentally disagree with you on Hales. He can play and he's got an edge to him (a busy **** if you want to put it in @Bus-Conductor speak), coming in at 5 would be spot on in my opinion.