Stokes fulsomely praising Lees and Crawley. I imagine that's kept Zak in the team for the start of the S Africa series
I don't think they will or can drop Crawley now due to the nature of that innings - the way he was positive and left well - and the fact we've won the last four Tests. If they eventually do leave him out, it will be to give someone a decent run at doing the job and for that reason Crawley is unlikely to get back for some time. I just hope that playing in that Mickey Mouse comp isn't going to undo what he is trying to achieve at Test level.
Stokes fulsomely praising Lees and Crawley. I imagine that's kept Zak in the team for the start of the S Africa series
I don't think they will or can drop Crawley now due to the nature of that innings - the way he was positive and left well - and the fact we've won the last four Tests. If they eventually do leave him out, it will be to give someone a decent run at doing the job and for that reason Crawley is unlikely to get back for some time. I just hope that playing in that Mickey Mouse comp isn't going to undo what he is trying to achieve at Test level.
I think the way Crawley left balls that he would of usually taken a swipe at was just as impressive as the balls he hit for four. Hopefully he's learning.
Stokes fulsomely praising Lees and Crawley. I imagine that's kept Zak in the team for the start of the S Africa series
I don't think they will or can drop Crawley now due to the nature of that innings - the way he was positive and left well - and the fact we've won the last four Tests. If they eventually do leave him out, it will be to give someone a decent run at doing the job and for that reason Crawley is unlikely to get back for some time. I just hope that playing in that Mickey Mouse comp isn't going to undo what he is trying to achieve at Test level.
Kent have 3 CC matches in July. You presume he'll play in all of them, or at least 2
That was a real pleasure to watch .Test cricket will always be the ultimate cricketing challenge but the approach to how its played has now changed for the better.
Really hope the approach is adopted by all test nations..reckon the authors would be up for it
It will be interesting to see how this pans out for the IPL ..oh and the hundred
Whats the point of the above when you can feast on this for 5 days..its been a gourmet sitting as opposed to a quick munch on a mass produced burger
Stokes fulsomely praising Lees and Crawley. I imagine that's kept Zak in the team for the start of the S Africa series
I don't think they will or can drop Crawley now due to the nature of that innings - the way he was positive and left well - and the fact we've won the last four Tests. If they eventually do leave him out, it will be to give someone a decent run at doing the job and for that reason Crawley is unlikely to get back for some time. I just hope that playing in that Mickey Mouse comp isn't going to undo what he is trying to achieve at Test level.
Whilst I have been critical of Crawley I was willing him to succeed yesterday..I thought it took a lot of guts to play that way ( as each over passed you could see him grow) .He's gone up in my estimation provided he can carry on with the outside off leave ..the bloke has some character
Stokes fulsomely praising Lees and Crawley. I imagine that's kept Zak in the team for the start of the S Africa series
I don't think they will or can drop Crawley now due to the nature of that innings - the way he was positive and left well - and the fact we've won the last four Tests. If they eventually do leave him out, it will be to give someone a decent run at doing the job and for that reason Crawley is unlikely to get back for some time. I just hope that playing in that Mickey Mouse comp isn't going to undo what he is trying to achieve at Test level.
Kent have 3 CC matches in July. You presume he'll play in all of them, or at least 2
You would and I sincerely hope he does. There have been, however, one or two occasions this season where he could have done so but didn't. England and Crawley himself decide that and not Kent.
Since February 2020, Kohli has batted 32 times in Tests, scoring 872 runs at an average of 27.25. His last Test hundred was in November 2019 against Bangladesh. Any other Indian batsman would have been dropped a long time ago with that record.
I know it's still relatively early, but the decisions he's made and people he has appointed have single handedly transformed this side.
Old Bob has a great cricketing mind, if he was a slightly better batsman he would have captained England.
i think he didn't quite "look" like the kind of cricketer fletcher and vaughan wanted at a time when attitudes to conditioning and nutrition were changing dramatically. Which meant that he was dropped at the first opportunity after forcing his way into the side. Certainly think that if attitudes to the white ball game were the same back then as now, he would've had a stint as white ball captain.
Is it just me or is this highest run chance not as good as what Stokes did at Headingley in 2019 ? This one might be the "highest" but it's not as significant or awe inspiring. In a way I wished we didnt make it as Stokes' efforts will now not be "recognised" .....iyswim.
Just popping in to say how well Crawley (Creepy as I call him), was playing until he got an absolute snorter which would have bowled many a top player from any era ……but did he do enough to satisfy his detractors? I hope so.
the third man from hussain just after he got out was fantastic. Showing all the deliveries crawley left perfectly, that before this match he would have gone after. Forced the bowlers to bowl straighter, which he loves and then when the ball got old he could go after the wider ones. Form is temporary but showing you're adapting your game when you get found out is the key attribute for a great test batsman. I agree, it was an absolute jaffer to get him out.
I'm delighted with the improvement too, but the approach that Hussain describes is Opening Batsman 101. Why wasn't Crawley and others already aware of the need to leave the wide ball? How do you get to that level without understanding that?
Boycott, Atherton, Cook etc would roll their collective eyes after Nasser's 'third man'.
Test cricket is a five-day game. A dot ball, lots of dot balls are OK if it means that you survive until conditions are more in the batman's favour. You don't have to chase everything outside the off stump.
Crawley and others suffer from the white-ball mentality ... looking to score off the majority of the deliveries faced. This is high-risk at Test level. It's coming off at the moment, but it's high-risk, so don't be surprised if it goes wrong too.
Now ... on to this morning.
COYE
I've explained for years the reasons why we don't produce Test openers and that is because of the insistence of Strauss back in 2015 that not just England but County age group teams concentrate on white ball. From that point onwards all the emphasis of training changed from knowing where your off stump is to how many runs can I score off this ball - the starting point being six, then four etc etc.
I just checked and this is the breakdown on games scheduled and played by Kent U18s last season:
Red ball 4 day games - 7 White ball 50 over games - 7 White ball T20 matches - 24
I know I am like a warped record here but that is what makes Ben Compton so different - getting his first meaningful contract at this year at 28 (and spending a lot of time in South Africa too) meant that he avoided all of this. I watched him score a ton on Saturday at Club level and he made everything look so simple and easy. Yes that was a club game but it's only what he's been doing for Kent - over 1,000 runs while Crawley has struggled to average 30 at the other end. I spoke to someone in the Kent set up who trains and has played with him and he says he practises relentlessly against 90mph bowling but within the confines of those three or four run scoring shots. The rest of the time it is block or leave.
This makes sense.
I hope Crawley is able to adopt the correct mindset in future Tests. The inherent loathing of dot balls has to be overcome. I'd also like him to see him stand 'less tall' as he addresses the ball. His height can work against him on occasions.
Compton is a different animal entirely. I saw him for the first time at Chelmsford in April (brrr!) and you could see immediately that he had the right mentality.
There's room for all types in most team games but, as a batsman, being able to use your one life to good effect is crucial. Different players find different methods, but history shows us that some approaches are more successful than others. Things move on though (Source: Edgbaston July 22).
However, we don't have to choose between two options ... a suitable blend of positivity (not recklessness) backed up with sensible defensive technique works a treat ... as we saw this morning.
Its been clear since Jonny came back into the side in the india series last summer he had worked on his technique and looked much more put together. He is now seeing the rewards and i really hope it continues. Would love it if we see Jonny the quality test match player of 2016-18 without losing anything in his white ball game.
Canters, be honest, when you wrote this in March, did you have any idea how well this would come true?
Its been clear since Jonny came back into the side in the india series last summer he had worked on his technique and looked much more put together. He is now seeing the rewards and i really hope it continues. Would love it if we see Jonny the quality test match player of 2016-18 without losing anything in his white ball game.
Canters, be honest, when you wrote this in March, did you have any idea how well this would come true?
Cant believe I wrote thay to be honest. I've been pretty critical of him (and happy to eat my words).
He had looked better since that series but I still didn't think it was enough. I think the last sentence was what I really thought I'd love it but didn't think it was possible. He could be class in either red or white ball but would lose something in the other one by adapting his game.
Couldn't have been more wrong and couldn't be happier about it.
Still everyone can read that and think I can see the future!!
Its been clear since Jonny came back into the side in the india series last summer he had worked on his technique and looked much more put together. He is now seeing the rewards and i really hope it continues. Would love it if we see Jonny the quality test match player of 2016-18 without losing anything in his white ball game.
Canters, be honest, when you wrote this in March, did you have any idea how well this would come true?
Cant believe I wrote thay to be honest. I've been pretty critical of him (and happy to eat my words).
He had looked better since that series but I still didn't think it was enough. I think the last sentence was what I really thought I'd love it but didn't think it was possible. He could be class in either red or white ball but would lose something in the other one by adapting his game.
Couldn't have been more wrong and couldn't be happier about it.
Still everyone can read that and think I can see the future!!
Maybe still too early to say he’s found form in both, hasn’t played enough white ball cricket recently. I’d back him though because of the set up.
Comments
Cook and Trott at the Gabba?
that aged well...
I don't think they will or can drop Crawley now due to the nature of that innings - the way he was positive and left well - and the fact we've won the last four Tests. If they eventually do leave him out, it will be to give someone a decent run at doing the job and for that reason Crawley is unlikely to get back for some time. I just hope that playing in that Mickey Mouse comp isn't going to undo what he is trying to achieve at Test level.
I know it's still relatively early, but the decisions he's made and people he has appointed have single handedly transformed this side.
Hopefully he's learning.
Really hope the approach is adopted by all test nations..reckon the authors would be up for it
It will be interesting to see how this pans out for the IPL ..oh and the hundred
Whats the point of the above when you can feast on this for 5 days..its been a gourmet sitting as opposed to a quick munch on a mass produced burger
I hope Crawley is able to adopt the correct mindset in future Tests. The inherent loathing of dot balls has to be overcome. I'd also like him to see him stand 'less tall' as he addresses the ball. His height can work against him on occasions.
Compton is a different animal entirely. I saw him for the first time at Chelmsford in April (brrr!) and you could see immediately that he had the right mentality.
There's room for all types in most team games but, as a batsman, being able to use your one life to good effect is crucial. Different players find different methods, but history shows us that some approaches are more successful than others. Things move on though (Source: Edgbaston July 22).
However, we don't have to choose between two options ... a suitable blend of positivity (not recklessness) backed up with sensible defensive technique works a treat ... as we saw this morning.
He had looked better since that series but I still didn't think it was enough. I think the last sentence was what I really thought I'd love it but didn't think it was possible. He could be class in either red or white ball but would lose something in the other one by adapting his game.
Couldn't have been more wrong and couldn't be happier about it.
Still everyone can read that and think I can see the future!!