It's sort of an odd one, yet not an odd one. Meaker's List A pedigree is far from great - not many games (21), even fewer wickets (19) and a lofty average of 38. Indeed he barely got into Surrey's CB40 winning side all year, which makes the decision to take him on tour a surprise one. (Certainly surprising to Graham Onions who labelled the decision [on Twitter of course] "bizarre").
However, from what I've seen of Stuart Meaker, he is a very, very talented bowler. He has serious pace (supposedly topping 96 mph), and at 22 he's only going to get quicker. He can reverse it, and again, at a young age, he's only going to become more experienced on how to use and exploit such a dark art of bowling. He will eventually be an England bowler, so why not give him a taste of a subcontinental tour to get used to what being an international entails, pick the brains of the bowling coaches and work alongside some of the best bowlers in the world? And who knows, with Stuart Broad injured and Jimmy Anderson rested he might even get a game against the World Champions, which can hardly be bad for his development.
Yes, there is the almost inevitable elephant in the room of the fact that he was born in Durban which has kicked up quite a debate on Twitter, but I've grown tired of all of that, and it's probably quite irrelevant. Stuart Meaker is a hugely promising fast bowler who learnt his trade in England, is committed to England, and will probably take bagfuls of wickets for England. While I'd have liked to have seen a more experienced young buck getting a go, the selection of Meaker is certainly very exciting. We might be seeing the start of a very long, and very good international career.
Showing posts with label Surrey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Surrey. Show all posts
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Dernbach's Dilemma
Jade Dernbach was picked for this limited over series against Sri Lanka after coming on leaps and bounds for Surrey over the past couple of years. A skiddy-ish swing bowler who can move it either way, much of Jade's trumpeting has been due to his slower ball. Coming from the back of the hand, it reduces Jade's regular high 80's to a deceptive low 60 mph, and has been a big part of getting him a lot of county wickets over the past couple of years, which has been instrumental in his rise to the full England squad.
But.
But Dernbach is using it far too often. It's clear he knows just what a good slower ball he has, and is deploying it far more readily than he should. Whether it's a question of him not having the experience to know exactly when it should come or whether it's him showing the selectors that he has a good slower ball is beside the point. In his first six international balls he bowled three slower balls, and has been going at that sort of rate ever since. The Sri Lankan batsmen, knowing a slower ball is likely almost every ball, are hanging back in their creases and waiting for it - massively negating any effect that the slower ball could have.
It's been long complained that England don't have enough One Day variation, and Jade's slower ball can be exactly that. However, it will only be effective if used properly. An "X Factor" ball should not be the stock ball - it should be used as a surprise tactic. Batsmen should always have the possibility of a slower ball in the back of their minds, but it should only be used when they've been lulled into a false sense of security after being worn down by 'regular' bowling. At the moment, the Sri Lankan batsmen are readying themselves each ball expecting it to be slower, which means that when it inevitably comes every couple of balls, the main bonus of a 'surprise ball' of it being a suprise is lost. Hence Jade not being hugely effective so far in his three international outings.
Jade's slower ball can in time become lethal. But first he should look over to the other dressing room to see how an "X Factor" ball is deployed properly. Malinga's yorkers are world reknowned as the best in the business, and is pretty much a wicket taking ball every time (just like Steven Crook's). But Malinga's effectiveness is enhanced because he doesn't use the yorker every ball (only towards the end of the innings does he revert to the toe-crushers). Batsmen know the ball could come at any time, but unable to confidently predict it, they over-compensate and end up working themselves into a lot of bother. Part of the reason Malinga is so successful is because batsmen ready themselves for a yorker that doesn't come, and are unable to adjust for anything different.
Jade Dernbach is only new to international cricket, and can become an important part of England's ODI attack. However, he first needs to realise that the shock ball isn't much of a shock when he bowls it more often than his stock ball.
But.
But Dernbach is using it far too often. It's clear he knows just what a good slower ball he has, and is deploying it far more readily than he should. Whether it's a question of him not having the experience to know exactly when it should come or whether it's him showing the selectors that he has a good slower ball is beside the point. In his first six international balls he bowled three slower balls, and has been going at that sort of rate ever since. The Sri Lankan batsmen, knowing a slower ball is likely almost every ball, are hanging back in their creases and waiting for it - massively negating any effect that the slower ball could have.
It's been long complained that England don't have enough One Day variation, and Jade's slower ball can be exactly that. However, it will only be effective if used properly. An "X Factor" ball should not be the stock ball - it should be used as a surprise tactic. Batsmen should always have the possibility of a slower ball in the back of their minds, but it should only be used when they've been lulled into a false sense of security after being worn down by 'regular' bowling. At the moment, the Sri Lankan batsmen are readying themselves each ball expecting it to be slower, which means that when it inevitably comes every couple of balls, the main bonus of a 'surprise ball' of it being a suprise is lost. Hence Jade not being hugely effective so far in his three international outings.
Jade's slower ball can in time become lethal. But first he should look over to the other dressing room to see how an "X Factor" ball is deployed properly. Malinga's yorkers are world reknowned as the best in the business, and is pretty much a wicket taking ball every time (just like Steven Crook's). But Malinga's effectiveness is enhanced because he doesn't use the yorker every ball (only towards the end of the innings does he revert to the toe-crushers). Batsmen know the ball could come at any time, but unable to confidently predict it, they over-compensate and end up working themselves into a lot of bother. Part of the reason Malinga is so successful is because batsmen ready themselves for a yorker that doesn't come, and are unable to adjust for anything different.
Jade Dernbach is only new to international cricket, and can become an important part of England's ODI attack. However, he first needs to realise that the shock ball isn't much of a shock when he bowls it more often than his stock ball.
Friday, 3 June 2011
Why Jade Dernbach Should Play At Lord's
I've been putting this blog off for quite a while. All week, in fact, since the announcement that Jade Dernbach was called into the England squad for the second test at Lord's. Quite honestly, it's because I feel a bit naughty doing it. I've been a long term champion of Steve Finn, ever since his Middlesex debut as a gangly teen through to his England debut as a gangly 20-odd year old. But were I Andy Flower, I'd overlook Finn in favour of some tattooed South-African born lout from Surrey. It goes against everything I should stand for as a cricket blogger.
But it sort of doesn't. I'll overlook Jade's tats, background and general Surrey-ness for a minute to look at England's bowling options for this test. Tremlett. Finn. Broad. All big men. If they're all selected, England will field their tallest ever fast bowling attack, measuring in at not far under 20 feet between the three of them. While it would be unfair to generalise the games of all three in such a way, it could be said that all are "bang-it-in" bowlers. Yes, Sri Lanka appear to have a weakness to the short ball, but not to that extent. By all means, play two quicks who are going to stick it back of a length and work the Lankans over, but playing all three smacks of unneccessary overkill. Quite simply, England's attack will be very samey and far too simplistic. What if the pitch doesn't offer much bounce? Or if the Sri Lankans play the short ball well? Suddenly three-quarters of England's plans go down the proverbial Lord's gurgler.
With England naming four fast bowling options, and a tall three man attack unfeasible, there can only be one option. Playing Jade Dernbach.
So onto Jade himself. Looking at the stats, you'd think Jade is more of a one-day specialist, but he has improved leaps and bounds in four-day cricket. Averaging 29 in last year's County Championship (no mean feat when playing half of your cricket at the run-friendly Kia-Ora Oval and considering he had a pretty bad injury right way through the season), Dernbach has pushed his way through the England pecking order to appear a genuine international prospect. At the start of the season, all of the county coaches were polled as to who the best bowler on the circuit was. Dernbach won with 33% of the vote. He's certainly taken his chances when they've been offered to him - his excellent form over the winter (and against Sri Lanka where he took 9 wickets) for the Lions has shown he has the ability to succeed, and the big-match temprament to do it on the big-stage. (In that he knew how important the Lions matches were for his international chances and took his opportunity). With Shahzad bowling balloons and Onions not really fit yet, Dernbach's selection wasn't the biggest shock in the world, and he more than deserves his chance in England colours.
There's more to this argument than just "England shouldn't play three back-of-a-length" bowlers - Jade Dernbach has earned the right to play test cricket. While there are eyebrows raised about his earrings, tattoos and South-African heritage (he has a Croydon accent, which is good enough for me), there are certainly no questions over his bowling, which ultimately is why he should be selected for this game. While I'd personally prefer to see Finn, Tremlett and Dernbach play (with Broad dropped), this won't happen, so a Trem-Broad-Dernbach triumvirate would be good enough for me. Jade Dernbach has been banging on the door of test cricket - now I just hope the selectors are brave enough to let him in.
But it sort of doesn't. I'll overlook Jade's tats, background and general Surrey-ness for a minute to look at England's bowling options for this test. Tremlett. Finn. Broad. All big men. If they're all selected, England will field their tallest ever fast bowling attack, measuring in at not far under 20 feet between the three of them. While it would be unfair to generalise the games of all three in such a way, it could be said that all are "bang-it-in" bowlers. Yes, Sri Lanka appear to have a weakness to the short ball, but not to that extent. By all means, play two quicks who are going to stick it back of a length and work the Lankans over, but playing all three smacks of unneccessary overkill. Quite simply, England's attack will be very samey and far too simplistic. What if the pitch doesn't offer much bounce? Or if the Sri Lankans play the short ball well? Suddenly three-quarters of England's plans go down the proverbial Lord's gurgler.
With England naming four fast bowling options, and a tall three man attack unfeasible, there can only be one option. Playing Jade Dernbach.
So onto Jade himself. Looking at the stats, you'd think Jade is more of a one-day specialist, but he has improved leaps and bounds in four-day cricket. Averaging 29 in last year's County Championship (no mean feat when playing half of your cricket at the run-friendly Kia-Ora Oval and considering he had a pretty bad injury right way through the season), Dernbach has pushed his way through the England pecking order to appear a genuine international prospect. At the start of the season, all of the county coaches were polled as to who the best bowler on the circuit was. Dernbach won with 33% of the vote. He's certainly taken his chances when they've been offered to him - his excellent form over the winter (and against Sri Lanka where he took 9 wickets) for the Lions has shown he has the ability to succeed, and the big-match temprament to do it on the big-stage. (In that he knew how important the Lions matches were for his international chances and took his opportunity). With Shahzad bowling balloons and Onions not really fit yet, Dernbach's selection wasn't the biggest shock in the world, and he more than deserves his chance in England colours.
There's more to this argument than just "England shouldn't play three back-of-a-length" bowlers - Jade Dernbach has earned the right to play test cricket. While there are eyebrows raised about his earrings, tattoos and South-African heritage (he has a Croydon accent, which is good enough for me), there are certainly no questions over his bowling, which ultimately is why he should be selected for this game. While I'd personally prefer to see Finn, Tremlett and Dernbach play (with Broad dropped), this won't happen, so a Trem-Broad-Dernbach triumvirate would be good enough for me. Jade Dernbach has been banging on the door of test cricket - now I just hope the selectors are brave enough to let him in.
Sunday, 3 April 2011
2011 County Players To Watch - Knocking On England's Door
The County Championship gets going on Friday, and after I named my three young bucks ready to make their mark, I've now picked three others who have been consistently at the top of their games over the past few years, and will all be clamouring for international honours should the chance arise...
Knocking on England's Door
James Hildreth - Somerset: After a season last year where he scored a ridiculous amount of runs, as well as scoring well for the Lions, Hildreth can't be far away from getting a call up. Helped by the handy batting conditions down at Taunton (as well as the freedom that being in a successful side gives to batting), don't count out Hildreth being called upon to fill Paul Collingwood's vacant spot in the test team if he sets off the county season at a good pace...
Jimmy Adams - Hampshire: 30 years old Jimmy Adams has certainly left his push for England recognition late, but could yet be a surprise pick. After a frankly ridiculous pair of T20 tons pushed him into the spotlight, Adams may be a dark horse to come in at the top of England's ODI order if there is a re-think in the summer. It may be unlikely, and one good summer does not a good player make, but Adams certainly isn't completely out of the running for one final shot at international glory.
Jade Dernbach - Surrey: It may be an obvious one to pick the guy who got called into the World Cup squad, but Dernbach really does tick the boxes for an ODI bowler. Keeps it tight, check. Good slower ball, check. Pretty nippy, check. South African, check. Jade seems to have the full package, and has improved leaps and bounds in the last few years, and must certainly be on the radar after excelling for the Lions and being called into the World Cup squad. And for a much better view of Jade, read Surrey Cricket Blog's thoughts on him. He's much more qualified to speak about Jade.
Check back later for some more county players to watch...
Knocking on England's Door
James Hildreth - Somerset: After a season last year where he scored a ridiculous amount of runs, as well as scoring well for the Lions, Hildreth can't be far away from getting a call up. Helped by the handy batting conditions down at Taunton (as well as the freedom that being in a successful side gives to batting), don't count out Hildreth being called upon to fill Paul Collingwood's vacant spot in the test team if he sets off the county season at a good pace...
Jimmy Adams - Hampshire: 30 years old Jimmy Adams has certainly left his push for England recognition late, but could yet be a surprise pick. After a frankly ridiculous pair of T20 tons pushed him into the spotlight, Adams may be a dark horse to come in at the top of England's ODI order if there is a re-think in the summer. It may be unlikely, and one good summer does not a good player make, but Adams certainly isn't completely out of the running for one final shot at international glory.
Jade Dernbach - Surrey: It may be an obvious one to pick the guy who got called into the World Cup squad, but Dernbach really does tick the boxes for an ODI bowler. Keeps it tight, check. Good slower ball, check. Pretty nippy, check. South African, check. Jade seems to have the full package, and has improved leaps and bounds in the last few years, and must certainly be on the radar after excelling for the Lions and being called into the World Cup squad. And for a much better view of Jade, read Surrey Cricket Blog's thoughts on him. He's much more qualified to speak about Jade.
Check back later for some more county players to watch...
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
KP's Twitter "F*ck Up"
Cricket administrators look at Twitter with an air of trepidation, knowing that cricketers are likely to stick their feet in it.
People who follow cricketers on Twitter rub their hands with expectation, knowing it won't be long before some cricketers stick their feet in it.
And Kevin Pietersen is the latest.
Following in the footsteps of such tweeting luminaries as Tim Bresnan and Phil Hughes, KP tweeted (ahead of schedule) that he'd been dropped from England's one day squads, and that he'd signed for Surrey. All stuff he probably wished he hadn't said.
The tweet itself: "Done for rest of summer!! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too.. Its a fuck up!! Surrey have signed me for l.."
So what can we garner from this ill advised admission? Firstly that KP won't be in the squads for the one day series - something he evidently disagrees with. To be honest, KP has been in awful form, and a break from the pressures of international cricket may do him some good. However, he clearly wants to prove himself and get some much needed scores under his belt ahead of the Ashes, and isn't too complimentary about his apparant non-selection. (Note - the squads are yet to be confirmed at this stage!)
He's also apparently revealed that he's signed for Surrey. Somewhat surprising, as everyone assumed he was on his way to Middlesex! But he's evidently Oval-bound. Well done to Surrey for signing him up (allegedly...)
So why, how or what was going on with KP's head to make him post that tweet? Well, so far Kev's solely posted via Ubertwitter (iPhone app), and this latest one was by text. So we can perhaps assume that he sent a private message to the wrong contact on his phone... thus publishing it to his 30,000 followers! Oops!
So was it a simple mistake? Or something more sinister? Cricket has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the past few days. So was KP told to "mistakenly" tweet that in order to get tongues wagging about something else?
Probably not. He was just being a cricketer on Twitter. Which is why an inevitable "fuck up" was just around the corner.
People who follow cricketers on Twitter rub their hands with expectation, knowing it won't be long before some cricketers stick their feet in it.
And Kevin Pietersen is the latest.
Following in the footsteps of such tweeting luminaries as Tim Bresnan and Phil Hughes, KP tweeted (ahead of schedule) that he'd been dropped from England's one day squads, and that he'd signed for Surrey. All stuff he probably wished he hadn't said.
The tweet itself: "Done for rest of summer!! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too.. Its a fuck up!! Surrey have signed me for l.."
So what can we garner from this ill advised admission? Firstly that KP won't be in the squads for the one day series - something he evidently disagrees with. To be honest, KP has been in awful form, and a break from the pressures of international cricket may do him some good. However, he clearly wants to prove himself and get some much needed scores under his belt ahead of the Ashes, and isn't too complimentary about his apparant non-selection. (Note - the squads are yet to be confirmed at this stage!)
He's also apparently revealed that he's signed for Surrey. Somewhat surprising, as everyone assumed he was on his way to Middlesex! But he's evidently Oval-bound. Well done to Surrey for signing him up (allegedly...)
So why, how or what was going on with KP's head to make him post that tweet? Well, so far Kev's solely posted via Ubertwitter (iPhone app), and this latest one was by text. So we can perhaps assume that he sent a private message to the wrong contact on his phone... thus publishing it to his 30,000 followers! Oops!
So was it a simple mistake? Or something more sinister? Cricket has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the past few days. So was KP told to "mistakenly" tweet that in order to get tongues wagging about something else?
Probably not. He was just being a cricketer on Twitter. Which is why an inevitable "fuck up" was just around the corner.
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
A Tale of Two Counties.
Middlesex have the oldest captain in County Cricket; Shaun Udal is now 41.
On the other side of the Thames, Surrey have the youngest; Rory Hamilton-Brown is 22 and has never captained a county side before.
Yesterday Middlesex signed young Australian T20 opener David Warner for their FP T20 campaign.
Yesterday Surrey signed Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds for theirs.
Warner is 23, and has a long international career ahead of him.
Symonds is 34; and having been suspended from Australian selection thrice in a year, is very unlikely to ever play internationally again.
Warner is in top form in the IPL, having hit a brutal 107 from 69 balls for the Delhi Daredevils as they beat the Kolkata Knight Riders, with Delhi sure to reach the semi-finals
Symonds has been inconsistent as the Deccans have struggled to defend their IPL title; looking set to miss out on the knockout stage.
Warner will join Adam Gilchrist at Middlesex, as well as internationals Eoin Morgan, Owais Shah, Pedro Collins and Iain O'Brien.
Symonds will join world record holder James Benning, Mark Ramprakash and Piyush Chawla.
Middlesex are a side who are rebuilding.
Surrey are a side who are rebuilding.
I look forward to the opening partnership of Gilchrist and Warner at Lord's - and pub landlords around Vauxhall are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Symonds. I'd guess that Udal will have an easier time captaining Gilly and Lloyd than Chris Adams and RH-B do with Roy. With such world stars as Symonds, Warner, Gilchrist, Sangakkara, Tait, Nannes, Pollard, Dilshan and Gibbs, it's clear that this years Twenty20 Cup will be of great quality. And hopefully there'll be the same result as 2008.
On the other side of the Thames, Surrey have the youngest; Rory Hamilton-Brown is 22 and has never captained a county side before.
Yesterday Middlesex signed young Australian T20 opener David Warner for their FP T20 campaign.
Yesterday Surrey signed Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds for theirs.
Warner is 23, and has a long international career ahead of him.
Symonds is 34; and having been suspended from Australian selection thrice in a year, is very unlikely to ever play internationally again.
Warner is in top form in the IPL, having hit a brutal 107 from 69 balls for the Delhi Daredevils as they beat the Kolkata Knight Riders, with Delhi sure to reach the semi-finals
Symonds has been inconsistent as the Deccans have struggled to defend their IPL title; looking set to miss out on the knockout stage.
Warner will join Adam Gilchrist at Middlesex, as well as internationals Eoin Morgan, Owais Shah, Pedro Collins and Iain O'Brien.
Symonds will join world record holder James Benning, Mark Ramprakash and Piyush Chawla.
Middlesex are a side who are rebuilding.
Surrey are a side who are rebuilding.
I look forward to the opening partnership of Gilchrist and Warner at Lord's - and pub landlords around Vauxhall are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Symonds. I'd guess that Udal will have an easier time captaining Gilly and Lloyd than Chris Adams and RH-B do with Roy. With such world stars as Symonds, Warner, Gilchrist, Sangakkara, Tait, Nannes, Pollard, Dilshan and Gibbs, it's clear that this years Twenty20 Cup will be of great quality. And hopefully there'll be the same result as 2008.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)