The Cricket Thread

[Aber gas]

The lads picked better be on it, Ireland are no mugs .

 

[hodge]

Batting wise I think we've got enough, but if thats a definite XI bowling might be a worry if one or two have an off day.

 

[Aber gas]

I can see ansari getting a bit of stick , not overly impressed with ( admittedly limited ) what I've seen . Probably would have preferred borthwick to have been given a go .

 

[hodge]

We should just pinch Dockrell and get it over with

 

[Aber gas]

Is he eligible yet ? Not sure he's going to play too much with rehman the main spinner although he should be learning a lot .

 

[hodge]

Signed for Somerset July 2010, is it 3 or 5 years?

 

[Aber gas]

According to Twitter ( I know ) he has been for a year .

 

[hodge]

If they're not planning on playing Rashid I'd just fly him back and play him.

 

[Aber gas]

That would royally piss off Yorkshire hopefully the lad will be playing on Friday .

 

[JonBCFC]

HAHA Trott out for a 3 ball duck. This guy should NEVER have gone on this tour. Even if we were going by county/lions form there would of been 2 or 3 guys better than him!

 

[hodge]

Needs to be given the boot, Lyth to play first game against the Kiwi's

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

Root gone :jones:

 

[Super_horns]

Can Cook reach 3 figures this time?

 

[St Nick]

100

 

[Saddlerrad]

Century aside, pathetic day for England. It's a 300-3 kind of wicket, not 240-7. If the Windies weren't so fragile, we would already be fighting to save this.

 

[JJH]

Long time coming that for Cook - good innings.

Poor day though. No-one barring Cook, and debate-ably Ali got themselves going.

As for Trott - I was very glad to see him back in the side, but not as an opener. I'd have him a 3, and Ballance at 5, in their natural positions.

Possibly give Bell another go at opening?

 

[Pyeman]

Long time coming that for Cook - good innings.

Poor day though. No-one barring Cook, and debate-ably Ali got themselves going.

As for Trott - I was very glad to see him back in the side, but not as an opener. I'd have him a 3, and Ballance at 5, in their natural positions.

Possibly give Bell another go at opening?

I'd be wary of messing around with the order too much. Ballance has looked very good at three, Root has looked excellent at five and Bell has had some good scores at four, albeit it with some shockers too. I'm happy with those three as they are; I certainly wouldn't want them displaced to accommodate an out of sorts Trott.

I will admit that I was also happy to see Trott back in the side and given a shot at opening, but it's become blatantly clear that he just isn't up to it. Let's be honest, it was clear before his latest failure, but yet again the England management team show their reluctance to change something that is so very obviously not working.

Their unwillingness to be proactive in decision making is stubbornness at best, and downright incompetence at worst.

 

[Aber gas]

I'd be wary of messing around with the order too much. Ballance has looked very good at three, Root has looked excellent at five and Bell has had some good scores at four, albeit it with some shockers too. I'm happy with those three as they are; I certainly wouldn't want them displaced to accommodate an out of sorts Trott.

I will admit that I was also happy to see Trott back in the side and given a shot at opening, but it's become blatantly clear that he just isn't up to it. Let's be honest, it was clear before his latest failure, but yet again the England management team show their reluctance to change something that is so very obviously not working.

Their unwillingness to be proactive in decision making is stubbornness at best, and downright incompetence at worst.

The worst part of the trott experiment is that if a change is made which it surely must , the first match for lyth or whoever is chosen will be early summer against a talented , motivated and confident New Zealand seam attack . Chucked in the deep end doesn't cover it .

 

[Pyeman]

The worst part of the trott experiment is that if a change is made which it surely must , the first match for lyth or whoever is chosen will be early summer against a talented , motivated and confident New Zealand seam attack . Chucked in the deep end doesn't cover it .

To a point I can see some logic in what England are doing. They've clearly made a decision that Trott is who they want to open, and so they've committed to giving him an opportunity in this series. You kind of understand their thinking - it's harsh to give someone a go in the team and then drop them almost immediately because of a couple of bad innings.

The real problem here is the nature of Trott's lack of success. It's not necessarily the fact that he hasn't made runs, it's the way in which he's attempted to play and how he's been dismissed. He's obviously still a good player, but there are serious flaws in his technique and I'm really not convinced he's fully over his 'demons'. When he's at the crease he just seems to be trying so hard to get things right that it goes horribly wrong. He doesn't look like a player at ease with his game.

The real worry from an England point of view is that while most of the world recognised this almost immediately, the England management just plough on regardless. Like you say, we now have to find a replacement [most likely Lyth] whose only chance to establish themselves before the Ashes is against a very good NZ team.

Lyth should have been in for the third test. It might not have made a huge difference in terms of settling into the team, after all it's only one additional game before the NZ series. But what it would have done is shown that the management team are being proactive in their selection and are forward thinking in their approach.

 

[JJH]

Two wickets already - Jimmy in.

257-9.

Deary me.

 

[SpireiteDan]

The Kiwi's and Aussies are going to ruin us aren't they?

 

[LeoRahi]

This is not a 257 all out wicket. What the flying fuck?!

 

[LeoRahi]

We're doomed!

 

[JJH]

Wicket 2nd ball.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

WI 5-2 it would be 5-3 if Cook didn't drop an easy chance.

 

[LeoRahi]

It's still not a 257 a.o pitch.

 

[SpireiteDan]

Go on Jimmy!!!

 

[JJH]

37-3

Ooooohhhhh Jimmy Jimmy

 

[JJH]

Steve Harmison looks ridiculously overweight..

 

[LeoRahi]

Now this looks like a 220 a.o wicket