Ben Duckett averages 60.08 at a SR of 96.39 since his return to international cricket which is extraordinary for someone who wasn't considered an opener. Here's the even more extraordinary thing - in that time he has left just 8 out of 710 balls faced.
His strength is the dab and the cut and if the opposition bowl too straight he will work the ball off his legs. In the last Test he faced 38 balls and did not leave one. The Aussies opted to bowl consistently 5th/6th stump to him and had 3rd slip and gully strategically placed for his favourite shot and Duckett got out both innings trying to cut the ball. The battle for him will be to be slightly more selective but also to throw the kitchen sink at the ball if he is going to cut and not guide it into the hands of the fielder waiting to catch it.
Dan Moriarty has joined Yorkshire on loan. He played his one and only first team game for Surrey this season two weeks ago. Virdi last played a first team match last August, a Royal London game and his last CC match was in July. And we wonder why we don't produce spinners!!!
We a fast approaching one of, there are many, the brilliant things about test cricket. That the team that are a long way ahead's chances of winning are getting smaller while the team that are well behind are favourites.
Tomorrow's county championship games will be the first of two to feature the Aussie Kookaburra ball.
The theory is that players will benefit from gaining experience of the machine-stitched Kookaburra rather than seeing it for the first time when selected for an Ashes series in Australian conditions.
Not sure many of the players playing these games will be in the Ashes in Australia
Tomorrow's county championship games will be the first of two to feature the Aussie Kookaburra ball.
The theory is that players will benefit from gaining experience of the machine-stitched Kookaburra rather than seeing it for the first time when selected for an Ashes series in Australian conditions.
Not sure many of the players playing these games will be in the Ashes in Australia
Are they going to play all the games in Perth as well?
Sam Curran playing a red ball game for Surrey today. Definitely another option for England if they go with another seamer instead of a specialist spinner.
Sam Curran playing a red ball game for Surrey today. Definitely another option for England if they go with another seamer instead of a specialist spinner.
Dan Moriarty has joined Yorkshire on loan. He played his one and only first team game for Surrey this season two weeks ago. Virdi last played a first team match last August, a Royal London game and his last CC match was in July. And we wonder why we don't produce spinners!!!
It's becoming a "pass the parcel" of spinners no one really wants - following Moriarty's arrival, Dom Bess has now gone on loan from Yorkshire to Warwickshire. If you have a child right now and they have any ambition to be a pro make sure that they aren't a spinner or, if they are, that they are a batsman first!
One for memory lane - the last ball of the 5th and final Test of the 1968 Ashes Series. John Inverarity had batted through the innings, having opened for Australia. With three minutes to go Inverarity tried to pad up to one to Derek Underwood. LBW and that decision made the Series 1-1.
All the fielders in one picture, in a clockwise direction from keeper Alan Knott, Colin Cowdrey, Tom Graveney, Ray Illingworth, John Edrich, Ted Dexter, Derek Underwood, John Snow, David Brown, Colin Milburn and Basil D'Oliveira
Comments
His strength is the dab and the cut and if the opposition bowl too straight he will work the ball off his legs. In the last Test he faced 38 balls and did not leave one. The Aussies opted to bowl consistently 5th/6th stump to him and had 3rd slip and gully strategically placed for his favourite shot and Duckett got out both innings trying to cut the ball. The battle for him will be to be slightly more selective but also to throw the kitchen sink at the ball if he is going to cut and not guide it into the hands of the fielder waiting to catch it.
Bravo for "washes".
Tomorrow's county championship games will be the first of two to feature the Aussie Kookaburra ball.
It's becoming a "pass the parcel" of spinners no one really wants - following Moriarty's arrival, Dom Bess has now gone on loan from Yorkshire to Warwickshire. If you have a child right now and they have any ambition to be a pro make sure that they aren't a spinner or, if they are, that they are a batsman first!
edited as it was 20 mins not 2!
All the fielders in one picture, in a clockwise direction from keeper Alan Knott, Colin Cowdrey, Tom Graveney, Ray Illingworth, John Edrich, Ted Dexter, Derek Underwood, John Snow, David Brown, Colin Milburn and Basil D'Oliveira