August 11, 200915 yr What does it say though if we change our batsmen after one or two poor performances? Stuart Broad has seriously under-performed since he joined England (with the ball) and we haven't dropped him after 20 tests, why should we drop Bell and Bopara? Bell has statistically been one of the best County players this year and it would make the whole county scene look pointless if we dropped him because he got two low scores... One easy swap is Flintoff > Harmison for the next test though.
August 11, 200915 yr Author Bopora has been $h!t all series. Has he ever scored over 50 runs in the Ashes?
August 11, 200915 yr What does it say though if we change our batsmen after one or two poor performances? Stuart Broad has seriously under-performed since he joined England (with the ball) and we haven't dropped him after 20 tests, why should we drop Bell and Bopara? Bell has statistically been one of the best County players this year and it would make the whole county scene look pointless if we dropped him because he got two low scores... One easy swap is Flintoff > Harmison for the next test though. You are joking, arent you. :o: Broad average in 21 Tests is 30.5 with the bat; and a wicket every 37.6 runs. That is pretty damn good going for a #7/8 batsman/4th bowling option. In the last home and away test series against West Indies Broad's wickets came at an average of just eighteen. So he is a young player improving fast. As he proved in the last test, him and Swann were the only two English players who did not give in to a defeatest attitude. As for Bell: In the 2005 Ashes series which we won - Bell averaged just 17.10 with the bat. Whilst in the 2006/7 Ashes series, he averaged a very mediocre 33.10 for the series. That is nowhere near test standard. Like Graham Hick & Mark Ramprakash before him, he could score big hundreds against canon fodder in county cricket & lesser test sides like Bangladesh & Zimbabwe. But he does not possess the extra quality required to step up against the top test sides like Australia. That is why he should never have been picked for the last test; they would have been better trying out a raw recruit like Trott instead. Remember when a certain Kevin Peterson made his Test debut in the 2005 Ashes series, he did not do too badly did he. So why the hell they failed to select Trott ahead of Bell was a reckless act of stupidity IMHO. As for Bopara: In the 2009 Ashes series: 4 Tests 7 Innings 105 Runs, Average 15.00 = Drop immediately. Simples. If Marcus Trescothick can not be begged to make a one off return to the Test arena, then Bopara & Bell must be dropped for Key & Trott IMHO. Trescothick (or Trott) Cook Strauss Trott (or Key, if Treschothick is not available) Collingwood Prior Flintoff Broad Swann (& 2 out of the 3 of:) Anderson Harmison Panesar (depending on the state of the pitch)
August 12, 200915 yr You are joking, arent you. :o: Broad average in 21 Tests is 30.5 with the bat; and a wicket every 37.6 runs. That is pretty damn good going for a #7/8 batsman/4th bowling option. In the last home and away test series against West Indies Broad's wickets came at an average of just eighteen. So he is a young player improving fast. As he proved in the last test, him and Swann were the only two English players who did not give in to a defeatest attitude. As for Bell: In the 2005 Ashes series which we won - Bell averaged just 17.10 with the bat. Whilst in the 2006/7 Ashes series, he averaged a very mediocre 33.10 for the series. That is nowhere near test standard. Like Graham Hick & Mark Ramprakash before him, he could score big hundreds against canon fodder in county cricket & lesser test sides like Bangladesh & Zimbabwe. But he does not possess the extra quality required to step up against the top test sides like Australia. That is why he should never have been picked for the last test; they would have been better trying out a raw recruit like Trott instead. Remember when a certain Kevin Peterson made his Test debut in the 2005 Ashes series, he did not do too badly did he. So why the hell they failed to select Trott ahead of Bell was a reckless act of stupidity IMHO. As for Bopara: In the 2009 Ashes series: 4 Tests 7 Innings 105 Runs, Average 15.00 = Drop immediately. Simples. If Marcus Trescothick can not be begged to make a one off return to the Test arena, then Bopara & Bell must be dropped for Key & Trott IMHO. Trescothick (or Trott) Cook Strauss Trott (or Key, if Treschothick is not available) Collingwood Prior Flintoff Broad Swann (& 2 out of the 3 of:) Anderson Harmison Panesar (depending on the state of the pitch) Broad has picked up 50-odd wickets in his 21 tests, Ryan Sidebottom (who never actually did anything wrong to get dropped imo) has picked up 77 at 27.7. Fair enough he's not as good with the bat but I think we need people who can take wickets and Sidebottom can do that. You can say Broad did well against West Indies but that's not really a hard task; you can't compare that one to this one or say the South Africa tour. completely different class of opposition. Sidebottom is a constant performer while as Broad isn't. Bopara needs to be given a chance at this level. He's not going to improve unless he plays quality opposition. Let's say you bring Jonathan Trott in and he gets 1 and 0 in his two innings, do you drop him straight away for the next test? And why isn't Onions in your test team? I fail to see what he has done wrong since coming into the side...
August 12, 200915 yr And why isn't Onions in your test team? I fail to see what he has done wrong since coming into the side... Easy, he has not, as a swing bowling replacement for Sidebottom he has performed pretty good. But historically the Oval pitch is not conducive for swing bowlers like Sidebottom or Onions (whom replaced Sidebottom in the squad due to injury). Hence, I would not look to include a specialist swing bowling option amongst the five bowlers included, especially if Flintoff is fit.
August 12, 200915 yr Well in todays County games Bopara got 1, Bell 1 and Cook 4! :manson: Moving Broad up the order as a batsman who can bowl (like Collingwood) doesn't seem too wacky an idea at the moment.
August 14, 200915 yr Hmm England need to go all out to win back the Ashes. We're doomed! 2013 is our next chance then! As I don't ever see us winning it in Australia.
August 21, 200915 yr Author After a great bowling display, it looks like the batters might fuck it up. :(
August 21, 200915 yr If we can match what Australia got then we've done well. It means they need 350 on a bowlers wicket with four of our bowlers on excellent form. And anyway, it was only the batsmen that who've been regularly f***ing it up throughout the summer that got out. I can't say I was expecting much more.
August 21, 200915 yr Author If we can match what Australia got then we've done well. It means they need 350 on a bowlers wicket with four of our bowlers on excellent form. And anyway, it was only the batsmen that who've been regularly f***ing it up throughout the summer that got out. I can't say I was expecting much more. Yeah, we've definitely got the upper hand now. It's ours to lose. The Aussie collapse has got to be one of the biggest suprises ever? Was mental. Broad's my favourite cricketer, and I couldn't believe some of the stick he was getting earlier in the series. The guy's a top talent.
August 21, 200915 yr Stuart Broad has seriously under-performed since he joined England (with the ball) and we haven't dropped him after 20 tests :rofl: More like Freddie who? :w00t: 11 wickets for 128 in his last two innings with the ball and 99 runs in his last two innings. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bendirs/broadhaddin595.jpg If England can set Australia a target above 350+ then the Ashes is there for the taking on this dustball of a pitch.
August 23, 200915 yr Great sporting day :cheer: Spurs top of the league, England regain the Ashes, Hamilton's dodgy pit stop costing him a win :wub:
August 23, 200915 yr http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46255000/jpg/_46255744_ajstrauss466x282getty.jpg "Kylie Minogue! Greg Norman! Elle MacPherson! Are you watching? Crocodile Dundee! Natalie Imbruglia! Ian Thorpe! Mrs. Mangel! Can you hear me? Hugh Jackman! Nicole Kidman! Mel Gibson! Skippy The Bush Kangaroo! Olivia Newton-John! Rolf Harris! Cathy Freeman! Your boys took one hell of a beating!"
August 23, 200915 yr Author HA AT U PONTING! Better team over the series won, even with our 'star' two players out for a test(s)! Is always a great sporting achivemement to beat the Aussies. Wonder who'll get Sports personality of the year now?
August 24, 200915 yr Really good series from England, they were the superior team in the 2nd, 3rd and 5th tests, despite a wobble in the 4th they really deserved it :P
Create an account or sign in to comment