I think Borthwick was going to get called however then had a series of single figure scores. For me I think Ballance will be a good test match batsmen. His test match average speaks for itself and with 6 hundreds already. He does need to bed down and get some scores though.
England Cricket 2016 - Sri Lanka & Pakistan
- Thread starter ChrisNelson
- Start date
I think Borthwick was going to get called however then had a series of single figure scores. For me I think Ballance will be a good test match batsmen. His test match average speaks for itself and with 6 hundreds already. He does need to bed down and get some scores though.
Unfortunately at county level, we are lacking quality spinners.
Ballance is a bit like Woakes for me; I don't really get the hate he gets.
His techniques not great, and he'll never ever be a great stylist, but he just looks like a guy that will score runs.
People will point to his struggles vs Australia and New Zealand, but if you watch what he was actually doing it was the story of a man who was just horrifically out of nick - no player in the world intends to go out there staring down the middle of the pitch rather than watching the ball. He looked easily the most comfortable of all our batsmen against both Yasir and the left arm death squad at the other end.
Around that he averaged 60. Admittedly not against great sides, but he still went out there and did it which is more than can be said for most of this side. I just think he's got what matters between the ears, if technique was all that mattered then Ian Bell would still be in the side.
His techniques not great, and he'll never ever be a great stylist, but he just looks like a guy that will score runs.
People will point to his struggles vs Australia and New Zealand, but if you watch what he was actually doing it was the story of a man who was just horrifically out of nick - no player in the world intends to go out there staring down the middle of the pitch rather than watching the ball. He looked easily the most comfortable of all our batsmen against both Yasir and the left arm death squad at the other end.
Around that he averaged 60. Admittedly not against great sides, but he still went out there and did it which is more than can be said for most of this side. I just think he's got what matters between the ears, if technique was all that mattered then Ian Bell would still be in the side.
14 man team includes Rashid, Anderson and Stokes as well as the 11 who started, think it will be Anderson and Stokes in Ball and Finn out.
Not sure how Moeen Ali gets into this England lineup. We really did you guys no favour by acting like arrogant idiots against him and gifting him wickets.
Don't think Pakistan will any more tests though. Anderson and Broad are too good on any swinging pitch.
Don't think Pakistan will any more tests though. Anderson and Broad are too good on any swinging pitch.
Anderson+Stokes will be huge upgrade on Finn+Ball. Add to that Stokes' batting. If Ali retains his place (I personally think he should be dropped just for the 2nd innings wicket gifting brainfart), Broad will be batting at 10. That is a very deep batting lineup.
There are unfortunately a lack of quality spinners in the county game at the moment.
Moeen has talent but just lacks something between the ears for me. FWIW I could say the same about Rashid.
Moeen's action for an off spinner is quite wonderful, just doesn't have the aggression and the discipline to make the most out of it. Lacks variety too. His batting is lackadaisical.
Someone like Swann, he was a winner.. that in itself made him a more potent bowler, half the battle for a spinner is the aura they bring to the crease.
Anderson if he is fully fit, agreed - game changer. Thing with Pakistan is that I don't think their bowling attack outside of Yasir was even fully firing in that first game, alot of loose deliveries. So I expect another tough test for the batsmen next game.
Don't agree with it mate.
Rashid has more guile and is just a better bowler. Ali gets into the team purely because of the fact that he can supposedly bat but then his batting is nothing special too.
Agreed with your last point, was a bit disappointed with Amir tbh. After all the hype, he was the worst of all the 4 bowlers Pakistan used.
I won't be surprised to see you guys poach that young Irish left arm spinner in the near future. He's a very good prospect when I watched him play. Think his name is George Dockerell.
As much as I love him, agreed. Looked quite flat and by his standards, unfit and short of a yard of spring. The dropped catches didn't help mind.
Rashid by virtue of being a leggie (naturally has more variety, easier to bowl a googly than a doosra) and he is a natural bowler, so understandably the bigger talent but whether he can be effective in test cricket I don't know. Having bowled off spin/leg spin myself, I must admit I have never been that impressed with Rashid (whereas as soon as I saw Yasir, i fell in love immediately - you could straight away tell he had it).
I always thought Moeen's action and the way he grips the ball, the flight he can get.. I just don't understand why he isn't doing better. He needs to get his head in the right place, work on line, length, economy, work on a mystery ball.
Either way if Rashid was given a sustained run, maybe he could develop into a much better player than Moeen.. I think he deserves a shot after Moeen's poor showing last match.
Ashley Giles could atleast tie up one end while we attacked with 4 quality seamers. Moeen and Rashid are too expensive which means the seamers get no respite. Cook would give anything to have an Ashley Giles in the side, especially since we have some good fast bowlers who can get 20 wickets.
In England we don't need an attacking spinner necessarily. Just someone to tie up an end.
One of the great wtf moments of this England side is thst Treadwell came in and did that and got dropped after two tests.
I'm no fan of Treadwell, he's thoroughly average, but surely you stick with a bloke who's doing his job once you've picked him.
Think England could help whatever spinner they choose by actually giving them a remit and setting fields accordingly, it's hard to figure out what they're trying to do with Ali sometimes although he doesn't help with his bowling. I think he struggles to read the pitch sometimes and doesn't adjust his speed and lines accordingly, although sometimes that can be down to a lack of confidence. He was fizzing them down in the first innings whereas Yasir was a few mph slower than normal. I don't think all the one-day cricket allows Ali to develop into a good 4/5 day bowler either.
He got released by Somerset at the back end of last season and is back playing cricket in Ireland, so I think that's highly unlikely.
Interesting selection tidbit, apparently both Rashid and Ali are warming up. Rumours that Vince will be dropped and Ali moved up to 5. Could be worth a go, Mooen generally bats better higher up.
And then as I type, different rumours saying he isn't warming up after all.
And then as I type, different rumours saying he isn't warming up after all.
Only 2 changes, Stokes and Anderson in, Ball and Finn out
England bat 1st
England bat 1st
Selectors were getting a lot of stick for leaving Anderson out, have to say it was the right decision, because:
1. If he wasn't fit and played and broke down, he could have been fecked for the rest of the series.
2. It was our batting that let us down, not our bowling.
1. If he wasn't fit and played and broke down, he could have been fecked for the rest of the series.
2. It was our batting that let us down, not our bowling.
I understand that all but he was bowling whilst the test was happening for Lancs (22 overs at that too) and in a test where 70 odd runs were in it, Jimmy Anderson could have definitely been the difference. I'm aware he only bowled for one innings but the first test just smacks of selectors getting too funky for no good reason, something which they've been doing far too much of in recent times.
County cricket and Test cricket are completely different animals though. Also, he could have bowled one over (or one ball) for Lancashire and decided that he needed another weeks rest and not bowled for the rest of the match.
We're talking about Jimmy Anderson here, he only knows one way how to play. I doubt there is any difference in the intensity he plays with whether it's county or test cricket. He'd bowled quite a bit in the nets too prior, if you're worried about someone breaking done after one ball you don't send them away to play any cricket.
Cook, Bayliss and Anderson all wanted him to play, they were overruled.
They effectively used county cricket as a fitness test to prove his fitness before calling him up. I thought Dobell as usual made a sensible point about it:
What a ball 
Hales
Don't think Jimmy is anything like Flintoff though, firstly purely in terms of physical condition and I also don't think he's going to unnecessarily risk himself at his age. You have to trust the player.
Very good.
Hales in a different postcode though, has to be better against the moving ball.
Hales in a different postcode though, has to be better against the moving ball.
If only Amir didn't feck up & get banned. Fantastic bowler, great delivery
Isn't there one fecking English opener that can support Cook for more than half an hour, ffs? There must be someone who is any good.
I thought Lyth was gonna make it after 2014, but sigh...
What a shot to get off the mark.
They don't even have to do much, just stay there, Cook will do the hard work.
England somehow need to unearth top players to replace Struess, KP, Bell and Swann
They picked the two most likely ones (Robson and Lyth) too early, imo but also Stoneman and Browne should be in with a shout. Neither of them are going to be liked by England fans though.
I'd actually stick with Hales even if he gets a duck every game from now on. The two tours we have coming up don't really require him to do anything he can't do.
First session that England have won outright since the tour begun, I think. Cook and Root both good.
Absolute class.
Now can Root convert or will this be another classy 70/80?
One of these two need to convert otherwise I'd not be surprised to see a <300 innings.
Last time I checked Root was on 52 and Cook on 40 odd. Now Cook is getting his century and Root is nowhere close.
To lead from the front as a captain coming off the back of a somewhat shocking defeat... Top, top quality. #29!
Cook is quality. His record is brilliant but he's shown a lot of mental strength to get back to his early form after a slump a few years back where everyone was calling for his head. Top player.
England in firm control.
England in firm control.