Not sure if this has been shared yet but a nice piece on the differences between County & Test bowling and why Carse’s performances and numbers are so different between the two
Not sure if this has been shared yet but a nice piece on the differences between County & Test bowling and why Carse’s performances and numbers are so different between the two
This bit applies to both seamers and spinners but then we know exactly why and how it happens that 10/14 CC matches are played in April, May and September. But then the ECB have other priorities in August when wickets are at their best for fast bowlers, spinners and batters alike. It's why our bowlers, especially someone like Bashir, has to learn his craft at Test level:
Without falling down the rabbit hole of the domestic schedule, it also needs a mention.
Across April and May, when a county can play around seven Championship matches, a player's life can look like this: play for four days, travel home (often arriving late if you've been away), day off, training day, travel to the next game, play for four days and repeat.
Travel is done sitting in a car or on a coach, floating from one game to another. The goal is not getting injured, rather than bowling flat out.
In my experience, all kinds of cricketers have to modify their games in order to stay afloat in the domestic game, let alone get recognised by England.
Fast bowlers bowling within themselves, spinners snatching an over here or there in freezing conditions in April, batters batting outside of their crease in order to mitigate the movement from a nagging seamer. All of these are vastly different from playing in a Test.
It's really important to say that records in domestic cricket should not be completely overlooked just because there is a new way of assessing attributes and skillsets.
There is so, so much to love about county cricket. The domestic game nurtures talent and its importance to the sport in our country should not be underestimated.
An interesting contrast in styles between England and Australia.
England's approach in tough conditions is to be aggressive, to hits the bowlers out of rhythm, to stop them settling. It worked spectacularly for Brook (with a bit of luck early on), but Crawley in particular looked a bit desperate.
Australia by contrast ground it out, just batting to survive when the ball was hard and Bumrah almost unplayable under the lights, but then cashing in when the ball started getting soft and the backup seamers reduced the pressure.
Brook has batted 6 times in NZ - 3 hundreds, 2 fifties and a run out without facing for a duck. In total, 623 runs at an average of 103.83 at more than a run-a-ball strike rate of 102.13. His overall average stands at an incredible 61.80 from 37 innings which includes 8 hundreds and 9 fifties.
Surely only a matter of time before the question becomes should he be at 4 to get the most from him. Wont happen under this regime but would be another push factor on Root to 3.
Brook has batted 6 times in NZ - 3 hundreds, 2 fifties and a run out without facing for a duck. In total, 623 runs at an average of 103.83 at more than a run-a-ball strike rate of 102.13. His overall average stands at an incredible 61.80 from 37 innings which includes 8 hundreds and 9 fifties.
Surely only a matter of time before the question becomes should he be at 4 to get the most from him. Wont happen under this regime but would be another push factor on Root to 3.
Brook has batted 6 times in NZ - 3 hundreds, 2 fifties and a run out without facing for a duck. In total, 623 runs at an average of 103.83 at more than a run-a-ball strike rate of 102.13. His overall average stands at an incredible 61.80 from 37 innings which includes 8 hundreds and 9 fifties.
Surely only a matter of time before the question becomes should he be at 4 to get the most from him. Wont happen under this regime but would be another push factor on Root to 3.
Why move him if he’s playing well?
That's exactly the argument put forward about Steve Waugh when he was scoring millions at number six.
Brook has batted 6 times in NZ - 3 hundreds, 2 fifties and a run out without facing for a duck. In total, 623 runs at an average of 103.83 at more than a run-a-ball strike rate of 102.13. His overall average stands at an incredible 61.80 from 37 innings which includes 8 hundreds and 9 fifties.
Surely only a matter of time before the question becomes should he be at 4 to get the most from him. Wont happen under this regime but would be another push factor on Root to 3.
Why move him if he’s playing well?
That's exactly the argument put forward about Steve Waugh when he was scoring millions at number six.
Steve Waugh wasn't scoring "millions" at six. And he did move from six. In fact, he batted on 79 occasions at six and averaged 51.04 but at five his average from 142 innings improved to 56.28. Why did he ever move from six to five? He only batted 8 times at four and 7 times at three by comparison so roughly 16 times less than at three/four than five/six. Hardly enough innings to make any sort of comparison. Some batters even thrive for the move. Simon Katich, for example, had an average of 36.05 batting at six but when moved to open he scored almost 2,928 runs at an average of 50.48.
If Brook going to four and Root to three stops us from constantly being in a position where Brook has to rescue our innings then that has to be a positive and that will enable the likes of Pope, Stokes and Smith to follow and bat with more freedom if that is successful. But if moving Brook that one place causes him to totally lose his form then he can always go back to five. Somehow I don't think it will because he will play in exactly the same way in whichever of those positions he is in. In fact, coming in at 26-3 instead of 21-2 yesterday and in the First Test coming in at 45-3 instead of 43-2 did not make one ounce of difference to his game in scoring 123 and 171 respectively.
Comments
Golfie would approve
Without falling down the rabbit hole of the domestic schedule, it also needs a mention.
Across April and May, when a county can play around seven Championship matches, a player's life can look like this: play for four days, travel home (often arriving late if you've been away), day off, training day, travel to the next game, play for four days and repeat.
Travel is done sitting in a car or on a coach, floating from one game to another. The goal is not getting injured, rather than bowling flat out.
In my experience, all kinds of cricketers have to modify their games in order to stay afloat in the domestic game, let alone get recognised by England.
Fast bowlers bowling within themselves, spinners snatching an over here or there in freezing conditions in April, batters batting outside of their crease in order to mitigate the movement from a nagging seamer. All of these are vastly different from playing in a Test.
It's really important to say that records in domestic cricket should not be completely overlooked just because there is a new way of assessing attributes and skillsets.
There is so, so much to love about county cricket. The domestic game nurtures talent and its importance to the sport in our country should not be underestimated.
England's approach in tough conditions is to be aggressive, to hits the bowlers out of rhythm, to stop them settling. It worked spectacularly for Brook (with a bit of luck early on), but Crawley in particular looked a bit desperate.
Australia by contrast ground it out, just batting to survive when the ball was hard and Bumrah almost unplayable under the lights, but then cashing in when the ball started getting soft and the backup seamers reduced the pressure.
If Brook going to four and Root to three stops us from constantly being in a position where Brook has to rescue our innings then that has to be a positive and that will enable the likes of Pope, Stokes and Smith to follow and bat with more freedom if that is successful. But if moving Brook that one place causes him to totally lose his form then he can always go back to five. Somehow I don't think it will because he will play in exactly the same way in whichever of those positions he is in. In fact, coming in at 26-3 instead of 21-2 yesterday and in the First Test coming in at 45-3 instead of 43-2 did not make one ounce of difference to his game in scoring 123 and 171 respectively.
Duckett
Root
Brook
Pope
Stokes
Smith
Atkinson
Carse
Wood
Bashir
It’s certainly a lot easier to balance to side for the Ashes if you do move Root and Brook one.
A justifiable reason for Labuschagne to halt play!
Ignore , it's 200 in Tests
Always good to see a hat trick ball delivered perfectly. A bit like VAR the review spoilt the celebrations a little.