As others have suggested this was a wasted opportunity. It was an opportunity to blood new players and give them three Tests to see what they were made of. Instead, we've really only learned what we knew all along:
Trott, mentally, is not cut out any longer for Test cricket. The rituals that once helped him to concentrate no longer have any affect as his self doubt has transferred itself to his legs and body - you really have to be at the top of your game to pull a ball off the front foot at 93/94 mph and Trott simply isn't.
Cook is still capable of getting a score but, with his record of the last two years, how many top sides would he really get in as a batsman? Let alone a skipper? I just hope that his three scores in this series are a reflection of a man back to his best rather than the three failures.
Ballance is a block builder and should have a place in the side but not with Trott and Cook in front of him and Bell behind. The four of them together only serve to give the initiative to the opposition and whilst I have mad no secret of my view that he is a limited batsman one can't argue with a Test average, albeit from a limited sample, of 62. Although from an even more limited example of two innings his average against Australia of just 12. And they will be the acid test.
Bell has always been a class act on and off the pitch but has his mental weaknesses too and you can get him early. A very good ton (dropped early doors I believe) was followed by 12 runs in four innings and whilst he will keep his place for now the clock is clearly ticking.
Root is a revelation and really should, in my opinion, be the captain right now. He leads from the front and has done from the early days when he merely smiled at a snarling Mitchell Johnson. An overall Test average of 55, his scores in this series were 1, 33, 59, 83 and 182*. He does the same job as Smith is currently doing for Australia who is being groomed as their next skipper and already done so. Why not give Root the job now? I have heard and read people say that it is too early in his development but I don't believe that and the removal of that job from Cook might actually alleviate some of the Essex player's burden.
Ali needs to stay in the side because he is capable at this level with both the bat and ball. His Test averages might not reflect that but he needs time and offers us a commodity that we have not had in living memory - a genuine spinning all rounder. We shouldn't forget that he came into this series having played one CC match the week before the second Test and having bowled just 11 overs in that game.
Stokes & Jordan - I really don't know what to make of these two. Stokes, day in day out, is our quickest bowler but doesn't seem to be a threat (3-246 in this series) and whilst he can be destructive with the bat it does rather seem to be all or very little with him. Jordan is probably the best slip catcher I have seen in a long time but no player can hold down a place based on that alone and his 6-256 doesn't quite justify him being there. What I would say is that they both need time but as intimated by other they can't both be in the same side. So, for now, I would suggest that if, for example, we play Ali plus another spinner, Jordan gets the spot at 8 but if we have three front line quickies then Stokes is in.
Buttler should and I think will be our Gilchrist. But he needs to bat at 7 to do that and not 8 as reflected by the fact that his scores, when batting at 7, have been 85, 45, 59 but 70, 0, 13, 3* and 35* when at 8.
Broad - once hailed as an all rounder, we can forget about him doing anything with the bat. He is scared of the bouncer and at his height it is a hell of a lot harder to get out of the way of a bouncer than it is for say Tendulkar or Lara. And with him at 9 or even 10 we shouldn't be expecting him to do much anyway. But we should with the ball and to be fair to him he has shown real signs in this series that he can still be a threat - 10 wickets at 32 isn't jaw droppingly good but his place is safe for now.
Anderson - magnificent as ever. 17 wickets at 18 apiece rather says it all but God help us if he breaks down during or prior to the Ashes. Because without him up front we have even less chance of beating the Aussies than we do now. And that is next to zero as it is.
I know I keep saying it but England's problems are at schoolboy level - will take decades to get it right - that's if the relevant people have the appetite for it and put the plan together properly , unfortunately I doubt it will happen in my lifetime.
As others have suggested this was a wasted opportunity. It was an opportunity to blood new players and give them three Tests to see what they were made of. Instead, we've really only learned what we knew all along:
Trott, mentally, is not cut out any longer for Test cricket. The rituals that once helped him to concentrate no longer have any affect as his self doubt has transferred itself to his legs and body - you really have to be at the top of your game to pull a ball off the front foot at 93/94 mph and Trott simply isn't.
Cook is still capable of getting a score but, with his record of the last two years, how many top sides would he really get in as a batsman? Let alone a skipper? I just hope that his three scores in this series are a reflection of a man back to his best rather than the three failures.
Ballance is a block builder and should have a place in the side but not with Trott and Cook in front of him and Bell behind. The four of them together only serve to give the initiative to the opposition and whilst I have mad no secret of my view that he is a limited batsman one can't argue with a Test average, albeit from a limited sample, of 62. Although from an even more limited example of two innings his average against Australia of just 12. And they will be the acid test.
Bell has always been a class act on and off the pitch but has his mental weaknesses too and you can get him early. A very good ton (dropped early doors I believe) was followed by 12 runs in four innings and whilst he will keep his place for now the clock is clearly ticking.
Root is a revelation and really should, in my opinion, be the captain right now. He leads from the front and has done from the early days when he merely smiled at a snarling Mitchell Johnson. An overall Test average of 55, his scores in this series were 1, 33, 59, 83 and 182*. He does the same job as Smith is currently doing for Australia who is being groomed as their next skipper and already done so. Why not give Root the job now? I have heard and read people say that it is too early in his development but I don't believe that and the removal of that job from Cook might actually alleviate some of the Essex player's burden.
Ali needs to stay in the side because he is capable at this level with both the bat and ball. His Test averages might not reflect that but he needs time and offers us a commodity that we have not had in living memory - a genuine spinning all rounder. We shouldn't forget that he came into this series having played one CC match the week before the second Test and having bowled just 11 overs in that game.
Stokes & Jordan - I really don't know what to make of these two. Stokes, day in day out, is our quickest bowler but doesn't seem to be a threat (3-246 in this series) and whilst he can be destructive with the bat it does rather seem to be all or very little with him. Jordan is probably the best slip catcher I have seen in a long time but no player can hold down a place based on that alone and his 6-256 doesn't quite justify him being there. What I would say is that they both need time but as intimated by other they can't both be in the same side. So, for now, I would suggest that if, for example, we play Ali plus another spinner, Jordan gets the spot at 8 but if we have three front line quickies then Stokes is in.
Buttler should and I think will be our Gilchrist. But he needs to bat at 7 to do that and not 8 as reflected by the fact that his scores, when batting at 7, have been 85, 45, 59 but 70, 0, 13, 3* and 35* when at 8.
Broad - once hailed as an all rounder, we can forget about him doing anything with the bat. He is scared of the bouncer and at his height it is a hell of a lot harder to get out of the way of a bouncer than it is for say Tendulkar or Lara. And with him at 9 or even 10 we shouldn't be expecting him to do much anyway. But we should with the ball and to be fair to him he has shown real signs in this series that he can still be a threat - 10 wickets at 32 isn't jaw droppingly good but his place is safe for now.
Anderson - magnificent as ever. 17 wickets at 18 apiece rather says it all but God help us if he breaks down during or prior to the Ashes. Because without him up front we have even less chance of beating the Aussies than we do now. And that is next to zero as it is.
great analysis AA don't think Moores will or even should keep his job now.
A lot of admiration for Trott here. It must be hard to admit to yourself that you're no longer able to compete at the highest level & step aside for the good of the team. Fair play to him!
James Harris, the Middlesex seamer, has taken 9-34 (Finn stopped him getting all 10) in Durham's 2nd innings and 13-104 in the match. He has taken a total of 26 wickets at less than 17 in three CC matches this season.
Not sure how quick he is but he played for England U16s and U19s.
James Harris, the Middlesex seamer, has taken 9-34 (Finn stopped him getting all 10) in Durham's 2nd innings and 13-104 in the match. He has taken a total of 26 wickets at less than 17 in three CC matches this season.
Not sure how quick he is but he played for England U16s and U19s.
Think Anderson, but less skilled. Not good enough for international cricket, IMO
Trott was good in his day with a decent average .. however, this WI trip was a trip too far .. Taylor or Hildreth of Somerset should have been given a bash .. as said, Lyth must come in v NZ .. personally I am worried about the bowling, Anderson looks knackered, is Broad past it ? .. and Ali, Stokes and Jordan are nowhere near test standard a t m
Cannot stand Strauss and think he'll be a dismal failure tbh
Wouldn't say I cannot stand him, he is is a clever bloke and has come on immensely as a commentator and analyst on Sky since his awkward start, however would rather have had Vaughan but ideally Nasser who I called for years ago. All Vaughan's success came from what Nasser had built after the awful Stewart years.
Nasser would be great. He & Atherton run rings around Strauss in the commentary box (best observed when all three are on at once). I'd have liked some insane leftfield choice like Darren Gough as well, but no, careful old Straussy it is
Not too unhappy with Strauss - intelligent guy who has recent experience and in a winning team. Don't get the love for Hussain - having a big gob doesn't necessarily mean you are the best man for the job.
The old have had Billings above bairstow.. and someone I'm for bresnan... Other than that a good side! Good luck to Surrey boys Jason Roy and Zafar Ansari!
Again just don't understand the selection of Bresnan. Can't be on merit because he shouldn't be getting anywhere near our ODI team. Can't be as an up and coming youngster. And I don't buy the "someone who brings experience to the team" because the likes of Taylor, Bairstow, Finn, and Hales have all played enough times between them at the very highest level to know what it's about and help any newcomers.
Edit - I originally said "selection of Bairstow" but meant, of course, "selection of Bresnan". Mind you, as a Kent supporter, would have preferred to have seen Billings and we probably know as much as we can about Bairstow's game anyway. And Bairstow has a List average of 31 whereas Billings stands at 42.
Speculation is mounting that Moores is set to lose his job once Strauss is appointed next week. Maybe Strauss isn't going to be the conservative appointment we all think he is after all:
Moores sacked as Strauss gets ECB job. Paul Farbrace to take charge for 2 test series against New Zealand. I actually think Farbrace could do a good job. A very good coach who won the T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka. It'll be an interesting few months for English cricket I think.
Comments
Trott, mentally, is not cut out any longer for Test cricket. The rituals that once helped him to concentrate no longer have any affect as his self doubt has transferred itself to his legs and body - you really have to be at the top of your game to pull a ball off the front foot at 93/94 mph and Trott simply isn't.
Cook is still capable of getting a score but, with his record of the last two years, how many top sides would he really get in as a batsman? Let alone a skipper? I just hope that his three scores in this series are a reflection of a man back to his best rather than the three failures.
Ballance is a block builder and should have a place in the side but not with Trott and Cook in front of him and Bell behind. The four of them together only serve to give the initiative to the opposition and whilst I have mad no secret of my view that he is a limited batsman one can't argue with a Test average, albeit from a limited sample, of 62. Although from an even more limited example of two innings his average against Australia of just 12. And they will be the acid test.
Bell has always been a class act on and off the pitch but has his mental weaknesses too and you can get him early. A very good ton (dropped early doors I believe) was followed by 12 runs in four innings and whilst he will keep his place for now the clock is clearly ticking.
Root is a revelation and really should, in my opinion, be the captain right now. He leads from the front and has done from the early days when he merely smiled at a snarling Mitchell Johnson. An overall Test average of 55, his scores in this series were 1, 33, 59, 83 and 182*. He does the same job as Smith is currently doing for Australia who is being groomed as their next skipper and already done so. Why not give Root the job now? I have heard and read people say that it is too early in his development but I don't believe that and the removal of that job from Cook might actually alleviate some of the Essex player's burden.
Ali needs to stay in the side because he is capable at this level with both the bat and ball. His Test averages might not reflect that but he needs time and offers us a commodity that we have not had in living memory - a genuine spinning all rounder. We shouldn't forget that he came into this series having played one CC match the week before the second Test and having bowled just 11 overs in that game.
Stokes & Jordan - I really don't know what to make of these two. Stokes, day in day out, is our quickest bowler but doesn't seem to be a threat (3-246 in this series) and whilst he can be destructive with the bat it does rather seem to be all or very little with him. Jordan is probably the best slip catcher I have seen in a long time but no player can hold down a place based on that alone and his 6-256 doesn't quite justify him being there. What I would say is that they both need time but as intimated by other they can't both be in the same side. So, for now, I would suggest that if, for example, we play Ali plus another spinner, Jordan gets the spot at 8 but if we have three front line quickies then Stokes is in.
Buttler should and I think will be our Gilchrist. But he needs to bat at 7 to do that and not 8 as reflected by the fact that his scores, when batting at 7, have been 85, 45, 59 but 70, 0, 13, 3* and 35* when at 8.
Broad - once hailed as an all rounder, we can forget about him doing anything with the bat. He is scared of the bouncer and at his height it is a hell of a lot harder to get out of the way of a bouncer than it is for say Tendulkar or Lara. And with him at 9 or even 10 we shouldn't be expecting him to do much anyway. But we should with the ball and to be fair to him he has shown real signs in this series that he can still be a threat - 10 wickets at 32 isn't jaw droppingly good but his place is safe for now.
Anderson - magnificent as ever. 17 wickets at 18 apiece rather says it all but God help us if he breaks down during or prior to the Ashes. Because without him up front we have even less chance of beating the Aussies than we do now. And that is next to zero as it is.
don't think Moores will or even should keep his job now.
Not sure how quick he is but he played for England U16s and U19s.
That'll be the signal for widespread changes - not!
England:
Hales Roy Vince Taylor Bairstow Ansari Rashid Bresnan Willey Wood Finn
Again just don't understand the selection of Bresnan. Can't be on merit because he shouldn't be getting anywhere near our ODI team. Can't be as an up and coming youngster. And I don't buy the "someone who brings experience to the team" because the likes of Taylor, Bairstow, Finn, and Hales have all played enough times between them at the very highest level to know what it's about and help any newcomers.
Edit - I originally said "selection of Bairstow" but meant, of course, "selection of Bresnan". Mind you, as a Kent supporter, would have preferred to have seen Billings and we probably know as much as we can about Bairstow's game anyway. And Bairstow has a List average of 31 whereas Billings stands at 42.
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/may/08/peter-moores-removed-england-coach-andrew-strauss
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/32658620