Yesterday I wrote a serious post. It was a post where I had to do research, and be reasonable. The England / Bangladesh test was drawing to a close, and Ajmal Shahzad was bowling. If all was equal, Shahzad would not have been bowling. In the England pecking order, Shahzad is well down.the list, nestling between Steve Harmison and a light breeze. Shahzad, as useful a bowler as he is, will struggle to make the plane for the Ashes tour; let alone the reckoning. Batting at five for England was one of my favourite players, Eoin Morgan. But as much as I see Morgs obvious awesomeness, he is not a test batsman. Last year, he averaged about 23 for Middlesex, and before the tests he'd only played one FC game in the past 9 months. As world-class a 20 and 50 over player as he is, he is not a test player. Ravi Bopara and Michael Carberry (who probably are) must be sitting at home wondering where they stand. As must Steve Davies, Tim Ambrose and James Foster (who have all played for England in the past two years), who appear to have been usurped by Craig Kieswetter as Matt Prior's successor. This rotation policy has probably also confused Geoff Miller.
So, in the order of public service, I've decided to handily create the pecking order list, for future reference for the Pakistan tests and beyond.
Batsmen
Strauss
Pietersen
Collingwood
Cook
Bell
Trott
Morgan
Bopara
Carberry
Vaughan
Boycott
Ramprakash
Bowlers
Swann
Anderson
Broad
Finn
Onions
Bresnan
Shahzad
Sidebottom
Woakes
Harmison
Leventhal
Wicket-Keepers
Prior
Davies
Kieswetter
Foster
Jones
Ambrose
Atkins
No need to thank me Geoff...
You can be Geoff Miller or Ashley Giles by voting on the Short Third Man's latest poll - "Who should be England's bowlers for the first Ashes test in Brisbane?"
Showing posts with label Carbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carbs. Show all posts
Monday, 7 June 2010
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
What we learned from Bangladesh
Before this series started, I named the team who I thought would play in the 1st Test against Bangladesh at Lord's in the summer. The team of Cook, Strauss, Bell, Pietersen, Collingwood, Prior, Wright, Swann, Broad, Anderson and Onions. With Strauss, Anderson and Onions unavailable for the tour, there were opportunities for Carberry, Finn, Tredwell and Bresnan to stamp their authority on the team, and put forward a good case for their inclusion, with Cook given the chance to show why he has been regarded as a Future England Captain since he first broke into the team. And nobody really took that chance.
Yes, Tredwell bowled well in his only test, and yes, Bresnan batted well in the second test. Yes, Carberry looked good in the first test, and yes, Finn did cause some problems when he was allowed to bowl. But none of them proved to be better than any of the men they replaced, and as such, none of them will play in the first test at Lord's. Tredwell toiled away on a pitch which offered little to him, and probably out-bowled Swann in the second test; but Swann's continued high level of performances (including a ten wicket haul in the first test) means he will retain his place, with two spinners in England unfeasible. Bresnan bowled OK, taking some good wickets, and took advantage of a weak attack, but the nature of England's defensive team line-ups mean that they will play 7 batsmen, and Bresnan will not get into the team on his bowling alone. While he will probably travel to Australia in the winter, it will be as a reserve for Broad and Anderson. Finn likewise will go to the Ashes, but did nothing spectacular to show why he was playing test cricket at 20. The fact that Carberry was dropped for the second test shows he has no chance of playing in the summer; now acting as England's fourth choice opener behind Cook, Strauss and Trott.
Alastair Cook did not cover himself in glory as captain, proving to be more reactive than pro-active, but it was not "his" team, and when he is allowed to be full captain, he will have much more influence and a bigger say in the team direction. While his fields were often defensive and bizarre, he is an inexperienced captain, and the tour will help him gain that experience before he gets the job full-time (remember Strauss captaining England against Pakistan in 2006 before being appointed in 2009).
Following the series, my team for Lord's has changed, with Jonathan Trott retaining his place ahead of perennial water-boy Luke Wright. England have won 100% of their matches in the Desh, and while they have now a better idea of their squad at large, they know that those replacements proved that the first choice team (even in the absence of Strauss, Onions, Anderson and Sidebottom) are England's best eleven.
Yes, Tredwell bowled well in his only test, and yes, Bresnan batted well in the second test. Yes, Carberry looked good in the first test, and yes, Finn did cause some problems when he was allowed to bowl. But none of them proved to be better than any of the men they replaced, and as such, none of them will play in the first test at Lord's. Tredwell toiled away on a pitch which offered little to him, and probably out-bowled Swann in the second test; but Swann's continued high level of performances (including a ten wicket haul in the first test) means he will retain his place, with two spinners in England unfeasible. Bresnan bowled OK, taking some good wickets, and took advantage of a weak attack, but the nature of England's defensive team line-ups mean that they will play 7 batsmen, and Bresnan will not get into the team on his bowling alone. While he will probably travel to Australia in the winter, it will be as a reserve for Broad and Anderson. Finn likewise will go to the Ashes, but did nothing spectacular to show why he was playing test cricket at 20. The fact that Carberry was dropped for the second test shows he has no chance of playing in the summer; now acting as England's fourth choice opener behind Cook, Strauss and Trott.
Alastair Cook did not cover himself in glory as captain, proving to be more reactive than pro-active, but it was not "his" team, and when he is allowed to be full captain, he will have much more influence and a bigger say in the team direction. While his fields were often defensive and bizarre, he is an inexperienced captain, and the tour will help him gain that experience before he gets the job full-time (remember Strauss captaining England against Pakistan in 2006 before being appointed in 2009).
Following the series, my team for Lord's has changed, with Jonathan Trott retaining his place ahead of perennial water-boy Luke Wright. England have won 100% of their matches in the Desh, and while they have now a better idea of their squad at large, they know that those replacements proved that the first choice team (even in the absence of Strauss, Onions, Anderson and Sidebottom) are England's best eleven.
Friday, 12 March 2010
Tea Time Thoughts (Bangladesh v England 1st Test)
Despite my best intentions to get up early and watch the cricket from the bitter beginning, I didn't. A week's worth of fatigue (plus a bad case of man flu) meant I didn't awake to watch Steven Finn and Michael Carberry being given their test caps, or Cook passing 50. However, having got up for 6.30 (ready to start my day) I did see Jonathan Trott being given out by an absolute shocker. Yesterday, the ICC said that the UDRS was "here to stay". However, with no such technology being used in this series, Trott was given out - and he was looking like maintaining his good form and making a big score - a score which could guarentee his place in the team when Andrew Strauss returns. While the umpire's decision was poor (and ultimately just wrong, as proved by TV replays), this is a prime example as to why the UDRS should be implemented across the board.
While Trott was looking good before getting out, by all accounts captaincy debutant Alastair Cook was even better. Amazingly hitting two sixes (which probably says more about the bowling then anything else), Cook reached his century just before the tea interval. Having never reached 200 in professional cricket (his best being 195 v Northants in 2005), Cook must fancy his chances of making what his batting mentor Graham Gooch would call a "daddy". While the bowlers have hardly been Warne, Laker or Holding, Cook has shown good mental fortitude and technique to keep scoring at a good rate.
In other news, Kevin Pietersen has astounded critics by making double figures - when most pundits were of the impression that his switch hit was actually confusion as to whether he was left or right handed. KP seemed to have a new technique against those left handed spinners which had so plagued him; getting his front foot well out of the way - taking LBW well out of the equation. Hopefully KP can go on and make a 'gritty' century - something he has not always done in England colours.
England are firmly in the box seat at 243-2, and with Cook's century comes the inevitable century from Ian Bell (he can only make them when someone else has done it first). I predicted an English victory within three days, and if they can keep up the scoring rate, it could well be quicker.
While Trott was looking good before getting out, by all accounts captaincy debutant Alastair Cook was even better. Amazingly hitting two sixes (which probably says more about the bowling then anything else), Cook reached his century just before the tea interval. Having never reached 200 in professional cricket (his best being 195 v Northants in 2005), Cook must fancy his chances of making what his batting mentor Graham Gooch would call a "daddy". While the bowlers have hardly been Warne, Laker or Holding, Cook has shown good mental fortitude and technique to keep scoring at a good rate.
In other news, Kevin Pietersen has astounded critics by making double figures - when most pundits were of the impression that his switch hit was actually confusion as to whether he was left or right handed. KP seemed to have a new technique against those left handed spinners which had so plagued him; getting his front foot well out of the way - taking LBW well out of the equation. Hopefully KP can go on and make a 'gritty' century - something he has not always done in England colours.
England are firmly in the box seat at 243-2, and with Cook's century comes the inevitable century from Ian Bell (he can only make them when someone else has done it first). I predicted an English victory within three days, and if they can keep up the scoring rate, it could well be quicker.
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