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alfie103

Well-Known Member
Jun 4, 2005
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I hope that this is used as a catalyst to really change the county set up. Frankly, there are far too many counties and the quality really does get diluted and too much cricket means intensity is lost.

We need to shrink the number of counties down and force them to combine into new teams.
 
D

Deleted member 27995

I hope that this is used as a catalyst to really change the county set up. Frankly, there are far too many counties and the quality really does get diluted and too much cricket means intensity is lost.

We need to shrink the number of counties down and force them to combine into new teams.
Slimming the Championship down doesn't change the fact that the majority of the England side are made up of the top 4-6 counties in the game.

As for the too much Cricket - T20 is the money maker, and when the ECB hired Baylis the priority was the shorter formats of the game. I love the longer version of the game, but the art of how to play is something that isn't as favoured as clouting the ball to all parts while wearing pjama's.

Lastly, you can't teach mental fortitude, you either have it or you don't.
 

aussiespursguy

Well-Known Member
Mar 21, 2015
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"We haven't been blown away. We've not been completely outplayed. We've put up some really good performances, just not for long enough, simple as that, really." - Joe Root.

Uhmm.
An innings plus runs...He is a nice lad but tell him he is dreaming!
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2003
9,187
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In fairness the new guys have actually emerged with a bit of credit, it’s the senior players who have really let the side down.
Cook, Root, Broad and Ali haven’t been at the races. From a batting perspective over the last two years you could guarantee 150+ from the three batsmen above per innings but in three tests they’ve only scored 375 runs between them.
We’ve all known that our reliance on Cook or Root would eventually come home to roost and by god it’s come crashing through the roof on this tour.
 

alfie103

Well-Known Member
Jun 4, 2005
3,967
4,441
Slimming the Championship down doesn't change the fact that the majority of the England side are made up of the top 4-6 counties in the game.

As for the too much Cricket - T20 is the money maker, and when the ECB hired Baylis the priority was the shorter formats of the game. I love the longer version of the game, but the art of how to play is something that isn't as favoured as clouting the ball to all parts while wearing pjama's.

Lastly, you can't teach mental fortitude, you either have it or you don't.

Well your first point I believe reninforces my point that most counties teams aren't producing players for England so we would be better served to concentrate the talent pool with fewer teams. The better players would play each other (as well as some international players) more often and therefore improve rather than playing against average journeyman most of the time. The large number of teams also means the summer is so packed that most players can only play with full intensity in some games so end up just drifting through most of the season.

You're correct that T20 is the money maker but I think we could also improve our own players at T20 and also attract more interest by concentrating funds into fewer teams so we could attract the big name of world cricket to play in this tournament (Probably the thinking behind the city T20 franchise).
 
D

Deleted member 27995

Well your first point I believe reninforces my point that most counties teams aren't producing players for England so we would be better served to concentrate the talent pool with fewer teams. The better players would play each other (as well as some international players) more often and therefore improve rather than playing against average journeyman most of the time. The large number of teams also means the summer is so packed that most players can only play with full intensity in some games so end up just drifting through most of the season.

You're correct that T20 is the money maker but I think we could also improve our own players at T20 and also attract more interest by concentrating funds into fewer teams so we could attract the big name of world cricket to play in this tournament (Probably the thinking behind the city T20 franchise).
What's the point of attracting top names to T20 cricket when we're getting beaten in the longer format of the game? The middle of the summer is now all about limited overs cricket in England with the county championship book ending it.

The ECB have gone all in on limited overs cricket in this country and it started with the hire of Baylis. The man himself has said he hasn't been out to watch players in the longer format so how would he know if we have the kind of player he is looking for if he isn't viewing them with his own two eyes?

There is far more to this than just 'plodding' county cricket.
 

Archibald&Crooks

Aegina Expat
Admin
Feb 1, 2005
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Well your first point I believe reninforces my point that most counties teams aren't producing players for England so we would be better served to concentrate the talent pool with fewer teams. The better players would play each other (as well as some international players) more often and therefore improve rather than playing against average journeyman most of the time. The large number of teams also means the summer is so packed that most players can only play with full intensity in some games so end up just drifting through most of the season.
I don't see how fewer teams with more intense competition will produce pace or spin bowlers. The emphasis, in my humble onion, of course, is that we start preparing wickets that'll do something other than suit the likes of Broad and Anderson, wickets that will reward faster bowling and at times spin. Counties need to be encouraged to bring different types of bowler through and having these wickets will also encourage batsmen to play with more nous. We need to do whatever it takes to produce more 'proper' fast bowlers. Having said all of that, I'm not familiar with what, if anything is actually being done so I might be wide of the mark. But I suspect not much is being done yet.
 

LeSoupeKitchen

Well-Known Member
Aug 18, 2011
3,102
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Why does this series always result in talks of retirement? We know what's going to happen on these surfaces. We just need to learn to take it on the chin and move on. Talking about three top players retiring after one series is just embarrassing and always make these series all the more humiliating especially after the "career ending" comments.

It's like one of our best player having just one off game and saying we should ship them off to China...no one would be that ridiculous.
 

Twizzle

The Alpha Male
May 25, 2008
4,955
4,735
In fairness the new guys have actually emerged with a bit of credit, it’s the senior players who have really let the side down.
Cook, Root, Broad and Ali haven’t been at the races. From a batting perspective over the last two years you could guarantee 150+ from the three batsmen above per innings but in three tests they’ve only scored 375 runs between them.
We’ve all known that our reliance on Cook or Root would eventually come home to roost and by god it’s come crashing through the roof on this tour.

the new guys have done well, you just need more new guys
 

Spurs_Bear

Well-Known Member
Jan 7, 2009
17,094
22,286
Why does this series always result in talks of retirement? We know what's going to happen on these surfaces. We just need to learn to take it on the chin and move on. Talking about three top players retiring after one series is just embarrassing and always make these series all the more humiliating especially after the "career ending" comments.

It's like one of our best player having just one off game and saying we should ship them off to China...no one would be that ridiculous.

I agree, I think the retirement talk is mainly to do with the Ashes series being the pinnacle (for the fans anyway) of a Test Career for an England player. Jimmy is still class, Cook has looked out of sorts for about two seasons (not helped by the fact he cant get a reliable opening partner although Stoneman has looked ok since he came in) but Broad is the one that worries me. Him and Anderson broke the record for the most wickets by an opening pair in Tests in the Perth Test, although the last few have certainly been heavily weighted by Jimmy's wickets. Broad hasn't looked the same for a long while.
 

dondo

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2006
8,603
14,091
What we need is more flat pitches to play on in county cricket, if this is possible with our weather?
County bowlers just bowl the ball in the right areas and they get assistance from the pitch/conditions.
If we had more flat pitches and hot sunny days (dream on) the bowlers would have to try something different to be successful. It might take a while but eventually we would produce faster bowlers and better spinners and maybe even batsmen who can occupy the crease longer
 

dondo

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2006
8,603
14,091
England must pick crane for this test. We be very pissed off if as I suspect it’s ball or Curran.
Crane offers something different to what we have, going in with 80mph swing/seam bowlers in not favourable conditions would be a stupid call.
Anderson broad and woakes with spin of crane and a few overs of alli when needed would be a better balanced attack
 

dondo

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2006
8,603
14,091
Just seen Curran is playing :mad:
We never learn do we?
Nothing against Curran, wouldn’t mind him getting a game if it was at the expense of broad or woakes, who have both been very poor this series but the attack lacks variety the option of a leg spinner would add something different
 
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dondo

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2006
8,603
14,091
I *think* it's 11.30pm GMT. Which would be effing awesome if so.


Shame (from my point of view) it’s a dead rubber as Boxing Day ashes test is a great event and something to look forward to after my usual Xmas day family BS
 

WiganSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
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32,682
First innings prediction: Australia declare on over 600, England 300-3 then 350 all out
 
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