Good series win, predictable last Test result. We still have problems that haven't been solved at opener, number three and number five. Hales certainly doesn't look to have the technique as an opener at Test level. I think the next cab off the rank is Malan or Vince.
Good series win, predictable last Test result. We still have problems that haven't been solved at opener, number three and number five. Hales certainly doesn't look to have the technique as an opener at Test level. I think the next cab off the rank is Malan or Vince.
Rory Burns by the end of the summer! Mark my words..
should have played Footit, fast left arm might have been a hand ful on that wicket.
Yes, there's something rather negative about choosing Woakes, and it would have been a perfect chance to blood Footit, against top opposition BUT in a low pressure situation with the series won
Malan isnt Test class - however, i believe Vince is - i think he could be one of those players who revels in the Test scene. No. 3 problem easily solved - Gary Ballance - the guy still has a Test average of nearly 50 in Tests and over 50 in FC.
Think Robson will be worth returning to long term. But it was a bit early for him to be opening for England. Will be a class player just needs to fully learn his game first.
Agree with the points above about Footit playing, Woakes adds nothing in my opinion, and if you are not going to look at Footit now, then I am not sure the point in taking him.
It seems that they are desperate to get Ballance back in the side, and he definitely deserves another crack - not sure where though.
Hales, Compton and Taylor all have as many question marks over them as at the start of the series - possibly move Compton up to open, drop Hales and leave Taylor at five, and Ballance comes in at three.
I believe that Michael Vaughan's county Championship average's were poor. But he turned out alright. The selectors must see something in Malan to pick him for the Lions.
Agree with Taylor, he played very well on in Pakistan, who arguably have better spinners than India.
Compton has probably (just) done enough to perservere with, but I think that Hales will need to go away and remodel his defensive technique, as rather like Chris Adams, all those years ago he is a real 'nicker', and keeps getting out the same way.
The worry about bringing Balance back is that whilst I am sure he will make runs against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India, his technique against high quality fast bowling is a worry.
i don't get the negativity about Balance, ok, he lost form and got 'sussed' a bit by the Aussies - but cant argue with a man who has a Test average approaching 50- and this encompasses series against OZ(x2), India, Windies,NZ and Sl, so its not as if he's a flat-track bully mullering the lesser teams for a high average. He might not be the fastest scoring but I bet he's faster than Cook,Compton and probably Hales too. He is FAR better player than Compton. Vaughan average wasn't good coz he had to play every other match at Headingley !
Cook Compton Ballance is not the way to go. The snail is not the answer, you keep on going on about his Test average of 50 but the Aussies spotted a weakness and exploited it. That weakness is still there.
Cook Compton Ballance is not the way to go. The snail is not the answer, you keep on going on about his Test average of 50 but the Aussies spotted a weakness and exploited it. That weakness is still there.
So did Cook with nibbling outside off - but he went away and worked it out - as i hear Ballance has done too. The difference between GB,AH and NC is that GB has the ability,skill and application to be a good Test match player whereas the others simply dont have 'it'.
From his wiki page...'On 25 April 2015 Ballance became the third fastest England Test cricketer to reach 1,000 runs, in the second test against West Indies.'
I dunno about you - but i actually feel a bit sorry for Amir - he was 18 when it happened , was under the 'guidance' of Butt - and all he did was bowl a noball. I honestly feel for the kid - especially as he will possibly be one of the best bowlers of this generation.
All too often in the last Ashes, we were 40-3 and were being saved by the likes of Root and Stokes futher down the order.
Roobish!!! As Sir Geoffery would say. We were more often than not 30-3! Same in 2013 when Bell saved us. We have won some big series over the past few years but we still have serious issues. We need another opener, still, and soon we'll need two. We need a No.3, a No.5 and a spinner. Root should bat 3, your best batsmen bats three and he should step up. Of course no country has the divine right to have 11 world class players in all the key positions and very few ever do. Overall England are pretty good and I really expect a good showing in the up and coming T20 WC.
I dunno about you - but i actually feel a bit sorry for Amir - he was 18 when it happened , was under the 'guidance' of Butt - and all he did was bowl a noball. I honestly feel for the kid - especially as he will possibly be one of the best bowlers of this generation.
Comments
No. 3 problem easily solved - Gary Ballance - the guy still has a Test average of nearly 50 in Tests and over 50 in FC.
It seems that they are desperate to get Ballance back in the side, and he definitely deserves another crack - not sure where though.
Hales, Compton and Taylor all have as many question marks over them as at the start of the series - possibly move Compton up to open, drop Hales and leave Taylor at five, and Ballance comes in at three.
Worth persevering with.
Compton has probably (just) done enough to perservere with, but I think that Hales will need to go away and remodel his defensive technique, as rather like Chris Adams, all those years ago he is a real 'nicker', and keeps getting out the same way.
The worry about bringing Balance back is that whilst I am sure he will make runs against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India, his technique against high quality fast bowling is a worry.
Vaughan average wasn't good coz he had to play every other match at Headingley !
Vince
Cook
Compton/Ballance
Root
Taylor
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/35417545
From his wiki page...'On 25 April 2015 Ballance became the third fastest England Test cricketer to reach 1,000 runs, in the second test against West Indies.'
All three are of the slow and steady type, and none of them are the sort to counter attack and take some initiative.
All too often in the last Ashes, we were 40-3 and were being saved by the likes of Root and Stokes futher down the order.
Think that you can have two out of those three, but either one of the openers or the number three has to be more of a positive player.
On another topic it will be interesting to see what they do with Monty Panesar this year.
It will be a painful tour of India without a specialist spinner, and I think that he and Ali make a good pairing.
Would like to include Rashid, but am not sure that he has got the consistency for test cricket, too many four balls being bowled I am afraid to say.
We have won some big series over the past few years but we still have serious issues. We need another opener, still, and soon we'll need two. We need a No.3, a No.5 and a spinner. Root should bat 3, your best batsmen bats three and he should step up.
Of course no country has the divine right to have 11 world class players in all the key positions and very few ever do. Overall England are pretty good and I really expect a good showing in the up and coming T20 WC.