Enough doubt for it to be not out for me. Whilst he undoubtedly got a couple of fingers under it did look like it just bounced. Not conclusive either way mind.
Routine slip catch dropped by Root. As my late dad used to say "drop catches lose matches" Yesterday a stat was given out about slip catch %'s New Zealand top of the table with in excess of 90%, England 3rd from bottom on 77%
Ollie Robinson (Kent) is one of best young England keepers. His development as a batsman has been somewhat stifled by having to bat at 6 in the County Championship but he is now opening and has had scores of 43, 14 and 120 doing so. I'm certainly not saying that Ollie is ready as a Test batsman yet though he wouldn't be far behind Bracey in that respect.
But if we are talking about pure glove work there are few better. An example of this is the catch that he took the other night down the leg side off Darren Stevens to dismiss D'Arcy Short. Ollie has to adopt a wide stance to get a view of the ball because Stevens is bowling across the left hander - the hands go first and are followed by the head and body rather than the old style of getting the body across first:
Even some white ball slogging in the Blast and 100 would surely help Zak at least get some bat on ball
As I said during the last Test, it's Crawley's shot selection that has become the issue. You don't score 267 without having the patience and skill to bat for a very very long time. But you have to earn the right to do that.
I firmly believe that, actually, it is playing white ball cricket that it the problem. In this and the last Test Crawley was caught throwing his hands at wide balls with no semblance of foot movement. If he goes back to doing that in the T20s he will be rewarded for playing that way because there won't be a 3rd slip. From age group cricket to the senior team very little time is spent training for the longer form of the game. It is all about power plays, scenario batting, where are my scoring options, hitting big etc etc. This and when the CC is played is why we produce so few top 3 bats.
Crawley is a naturally attacking player but just needs to rein that in, especially early doors and play the percentages. My worry is that, with so few CC games at this time of year he will go back to hitting in T20s and mentally not be in the right place for a return to Test cricket.
Even some white ball slogging in the Blast and 100 would surely help Zak at least get some bat on ball
As I said during the last Test, it's Crawley's shot selection that has become the issue. You don't score 267 without having the patience and skill to bat for a very very long time. But you have to earn the right to do that.
I firmly believe that, actually, it is playing white ball cricket that it the problem. In this and the last Test Crawley was caught throwing his hands at wide balls with no semblance of foot movement. If he goes back to doing that in the T20s he will be rewarded for playing that way because there won't be a 3rd slip. From age group cricket to the senior team very little time is spent training for the longer form of the game. It is all about power plays, scenario batting, where are my scoring options, hitting big etc etc. This and when the CC is played is why we produce so few top 3 bats.
Crawley is a naturally attacking player but just needs to rein that in, especially early doors and play the percentages. My worry is that, with so few CC games at this time of year he will go back to hitting in T20s and mentally not be in the right place for a return to Test cricket.
But then Zak has played no white ball cricket since last summer
He's not in any of the overseas franchises, and this summer for Kent has just played red ball cricket. Unsuccessfully.
Even some white ball slogging in the Blast and 100 would surely help Zak at least get some bat on ball
As I said during the last Test, it's Crawley's shot selection that has become the issue. You don't score 267 without having the patience and skill to bat for a very very long time. But you have to earn the right to do that.
I firmly believe that, actually, it is playing white ball cricket that it the problem. In this and the last Test Crawley was caught throwing his hands at wide balls with no semblance of foot movement. If he goes back to doing that in the T20s he will be rewarded for playing that way because there won't be a 3rd slip. From age group cricket to the senior team very little time is spent training for the longer form of the game. It is all about power plays, scenario batting, where are my scoring options, hitting big etc etc. This and when the CC is played is why we produce so few top 3 bats.
Crawley is a naturally attacking player but just needs to rein that in, especially early doors and play the percentages. My worry is that, with so few CC games at this time of year he will go back to hitting in T20s and mentally not be in the right place for a return to Test cricket.
But then Zak has played no white ball cricket since last summer
He's not in any of the overseas franchises, and this summer for Kent has just played red ball cricket. Unsuccessfully.
I'm saying that his relative failings in the Tests and CC it is an historic legacy of the way he and others practice now. It is so difficult to switch from the mentality of playing red to white ball and back again especially when we play all our CC matches in seamer friendly conditions and that stops you from "having a track to run on".
Crawley is an attacking batsman by nature (has a strike rate of 53.58 in Test Cricket compared to Sibley's 34.94 for example), did well in T20 last season and as a result is in The Hundred too so I doubt whether, at the age of 23, he would happy to give up playing white ball cricket - and why should he with an average of 31 in T20 and strike rate of 150? But he has to learn, early on especially, not to throw his hands at the ball in red ball cricket because four of five catchers are waiting for him to do just that.
I have to say Stone looks pretty poor to me. If all the England pace and seam bowlers were available I'd have him at about 10th pick at best.
I’ve seen Stone bowl a few times live and never rated him that highly. Even when I saw him take 7 wickets at Edgbaston v Sussex, he bowled a lot of dross at times. I think 10th might be generous, but maybe I’m missing something.
I have to say Stone looks pretty poor to me. If all the England pace and seam bowlers were available I'd have him at about 10th pick at best.
I’ve seen Stone bowl a few times live and never rated him that highly. Even when I saw him take 7 wickets at Edgbaston v Sussex, he bowled a lot of dross at times. I think 10th might be generous, but maybe I’m missing something.
i have to say he hasn't impressed me at all either in the few times i've seen him play.
I have to say Stone looks pretty poor to me. If all the England pace and seam bowlers were available I'd have him at about 10th pick at best.
Unless the conditions really suit him, Robinson looks a much better bowler
And of course Jack Leach should have played anyway. It's a shame that none of England's top 6 can bowl part time medium pacers, to provide a 4th seam option. Instead with Root being a (decent) part time spinner it's tempting to then leave the spinner out.
Overton is twice the cricketer Stone is, but for semi-understandable political reasons they didn't pick him. Really should have been Leach in that case yes
Comments
Just yawned, saying this is getting boring now, adding that wickets are few & far between for Broady , then YES !!!
As my late dad used to say "drop catches lose matches"
Yesterday a stat was given out about slip catch %'s New Zealand top of the table with in excess of 90%, England 3rd from bottom on 77%
But if we are talking about pure glove work there are few better. An example of this is the catch that he took the other night down the leg side off Darren Stevens to dismiss D'Arcy Short. Ollie has to adopt a wide stance to get a view of the ball because Stevens is bowling across the left hander - the hands go first and are followed by the head and body rather than the old style of getting the body across first:
https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/#ve52bb638-311d-4572-a581-1f1eb2ede5c6
I firmly believe that, actually, it is playing white ball cricket that it the problem. In this and the last Test Crawley was caught throwing his hands at wide balls with no semblance of foot movement. If he goes back to doing that in the T20s he will be rewarded for playing that way because there won't be a 3rd slip. From age group cricket to the senior team very little time is spent training for the longer form of the game. It is all about power plays, scenario batting, where are my scoring options, hitting big etc etc. This and when the CC is played is why we produce so few top 3 bats.
Crawley is a naturally attacking player but just needs to rein that in, especially early doors and play the percentages. My worry is that, with so few CC games at this time of year he will go back to hitting in T20s and mentally not be in the right place for a return to Test cricket.
He's not in any of the overseas franchises, and this summer for Kent has just played red ball cricket. Unsuccessfully.
If all the England pace and seam bowlers were available I'd have him at about 10th pick at best.
Crawley is an attacking batsman by nature (has a strike rate of 53.58 in Test Cricket compared to Sibley's 34.94 for example), did well in T20 last season and as a result is in The Hundred too so I doubt whether, at the age of 23, he would happy to give up playing white ball cricket - and why should he with an average of 31 in T20 and strike rate of 150? But he has to learn, early on especially, not to throw his hands at the ball in red ball cricket because four of five catchers are waiting for him to do just that.
We needed that
Without stating the obvious we have to make the most of it.
Brown nosing at it's worse
I never knew he was that desperate.
And of course Jack Leach should have played anyway. It's a shame that none of England's top 6 can bowl part time medium pacers, to provide a 4th seam option. Instead with Root being a (decent) part time spinner it's tempting to then leave the spinner out.