England tour of the West Indies

[number11]

Anderson keeps getting dropped but Bell never does. Stinks of inconsistency.

It does seem to be the way that Batsmen get far more leeway. Look at how ruthlessly they discarded Hoggard (and to a lesser extent Harmison) last year, Anderson is getting dropped as regularly as a hookers knickers, yet Bell, Collingwood, Vaughan, Strauss have all enjoyed extended spells of underperforming with the hope that the class will come good. (Which admittedly it has in some cases).

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Strauss dropped.

Should have been taken.

 

[Perth Bambi]

Well that was lucky, wouldn't have been a very good start to his captaincy.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Fielding is going to be big this series, so that could be a telling moment.

 

[Perth Bambi]

Well that didn't take long. I predict Bell to follow soon.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Strauss edges for the third and final time.

 

[Pubey]

jesus wept

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Oh dear.

tame end for Cook, pulling a short ball to mid-on.


Bell's looking fluent, so that is dangerous as well.

 

[MrB]

Bell's looking fluent, so that is dangerous as well.

Slowed to a halt and now gone.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

It does seem to be the way that Batsmen get far more leeway... to enjoy extended spells of underperforming with the hope that the class will come good.

Spot on. Sadly, it seems to be a bit of a numbers game though, isn't it? By that I mean that there are usually only 4 front-line bowlers, so if one of them is underperforming, we're in deep trouble; while we have 6 front-line batsmen, one of whom is KP, so anyone else in the top order who is struggling is a bit more insulated.

Bloody unfair, isn't it? Bell is surely on borrowed time, though, and Cook can't be far behind - the latter protected only by the fact that he doesn't have as obvious a replacement as Bell does in Shah (given that Key must have run over one of the selectors' cat, so ruthlessly is he overlooked).

Matt

 

[SUFC Forever]

How many more chances does Bell have to have in this team? Disgraceful that Shah was not picked instead, especially in view of the fact he scored a century in the warm up game before the Test.

Bloody dreadful shot from Cook. What was he thinking? That would have been a bad shot from a club cricketer let alone a Test player.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

jesus wept

I'm not surprised with 4 bloody great nails hammered through his hands and feet .. imagine i might shed a tear or two myself if someone did that to me

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Spot on. Sadly, it seems to be a bit of a numbers game though, isn't it? By that I mean that there are usually only 4 front-line bowlers, so if one of them is underperforming, we're in deep trouble; while we have 6 front-line batsmen, one of whom is KP, so anyone else in the top order who is struggling is a bit more insulated.

Bloody unfair, isn't it? Bell is surely on borrowed time, though, and Cook can't be far behind - the latter protected only by the fact that he doesn't have as obvious a replacement as Bell does in Shah (given that Key must have run over one of the selectors' cat, so ruthlessly is he overlooked).

Matt

Last season's fc averages

Bell 50.18
Shah 42.16
Cook 38.52
Key 38.25

FWIW I'd drop Bell, but neither Shah nor Key are knocking on the door particularly hard. The only candidate who is, is Ravi Bopara (1254 at 54.60), but Bopara is better suited to the number five or six spot, so I'd struggle to find a spot for him.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

I'd rather see Ravi playing for Essex to be honest

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

Last season's fc averages

Bell 50.18
Shah 42.16
Cook 38.52
Key 38.25

FWIW I'd drop Bell, but neither Shah nor Key are knocking on the door particularly hard. The only candidate who is, is Ravi Bopara (1254 at 54.60), but Bopara is better suited to the number five or six spot, so I'd struggle to find a spot for him.

I think there's a ready-made spot for him, right about where Collingwood is at the moment.

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

Last season's fc averages

Bell 50.18
Shah 42.16
Cook 38.52
Key 38.25

FWIW I'd drop Bell, but neither Shah nor Key are knocking on the door particularly hard. The only candidate who is, is Ravi Bopara (1254 at 54.60), but Bopara is better suited to the number five or six spot, so I'd struggle to find a spot for him.

Bopara's runs were made in the second division of the Championship, though, and I'd guess that that doesn't work in his favour, as has been pointed out on numerous occasions about James Foster.

I think Shah has carried the drinks long enough on tour to warrant being given a run in Bell's place, and although Bopara bats at 3 or 4 for Essex, I think that he is a more natural successor to Collingwood (even given that England don't seem to trust his bowling), so number 5 appears to be the spot where an opening could appear for him there.

I don't think Cook is in the same last chance saloon as Bell (I loved this quote from Michael Atherton in The Times this morning: Unlike Pietersen, the champagne cricketer, Ian Bell is forever supping in the last chance saloon these days. He bustles in, has a couple of drinks, leaves just enough change on the bar to buy the next round and scurries away, promising to stay longer next time.) However, he will have to start getting runs shortly, even if, Key aside - and I think with the difficulties Kent were having last season, and the fact that he was captain, should be factored into his average - there aren't many names knocking on the door.

 

[Jay_Shrimper]

241 - 6. Flintoff gone for 43.

 

[SUFC Forever]

308 for 8. Sidebottom 18 not out and Harmy 6 not out.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

All out.

Looks like they'll have to change the referral system, maybe by making the decisions over the entire game or both team's innings, otherwise no.s 10 and 11 will always refer their decisions as they have nothing to lose.

I don't like the reversal of the benefit of doubt. Both Monty and Harmy would have been given not out as the ball was only clipping leg stump, but the evidence wasn't sufficient for the decisions to be overturned. If England appeal against an identical delivery given not out, it isn't going to be given. This is encouraging inconsistency as the same delivery is producing different results. Otherwise I think the system is a good one, is working well and is a positive move.

 

[Thorpe Groyney]

There we are, a bit of history, England's first ever wicket after a referral. Plum lbw, no shot played.