English Cricket Blog - Cricket News And Comment

Making The Same Mistakes

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 29 May 2010 08:18:00 +0000

England has made great strides in selecting squads for the one day and twenty20 formats. However, where test cricket is concerned the same mistakes are being made. If five bowlers were selected instead of four against the South Africans during the winter, they would have probably won that series instead of narrowly scraping a draw.

The worrying thing is, England has gone into a test match against Bangladesh with the same set-up. If we have not got the courage to use five bowlers against Bangladesh, then it is unlikely that will change for the Ashes series later this year. It is doubtful that England could win a series in Australia playing four bowlers.

It is a defensive selection policy and sends all the wrong messages to the opposition. A four pronged attack, suggests the objective is to merely avoid defeat rather than to aggressively pursue victory. England should not be short of runs and there should be no need for an extra batsman. After all, bowlers like Swann and Broad can both score runs down the order.

It is time the emphasis was once again placed on bowling sides out. That means taking 20 wickets to win a test match. You are not going to achieve that by constantly playing four bowlers.

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Getting The Hang Of Twenty20 Cricket

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 12 May 2010 08:00:00 +0000

The twenty20 world cup has seen some polished performances by England. If it were not for the unfair Duckworth/Lewis inspired loss to the West Indies, they would have a 100% record. The players have performed to a high standard and deserve much praise. However, the coach Andy Flower is arguably the one individual responsible for engineering such a change in England’s fortunes in 20 over cricket.

In the past, England would just send out a side that was more suited to test cricket. Thankfully, those days are gone and we no longer have to watch Ian Bell and endless forward defensive shots while the run rate is soaring. Now we have batsmen like Eoin Morgan and Craig Kieswetter who know how to clear the boundary rope. Throw in a canny bowling unit and the side has twenty20 written all over it.

Because everyone makes a contribution, Paul Collingwood probably finds it easier to captain this team than he did previously. England and Australia are the 2 outstanding sides in this tournament. It would not be a surprise to see the teams contesting the final. If that were to occur, then it will surely be a game worthy of the occasion.

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Some Meaningful Test Cricket

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:38:00 +0000

It seems ages since there were some meaningful test cricket to enjoy. The winter tour of Bangladesh was never going to be a serious test. That was followed by a glut of twenty20 cricket courtesy of the Indian Premier League. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy the IPL but it drags on and on and on. Surely the tournament would benefit from a shorter duration. Unfortunately, the money men might not agree with that suggestion.

This summer’s fixture list is unusual to say the least. After the world twenty20 competition is out of the way. Things begin with two tests against Bangladesh. This is followed by a series of one-dayers against Australia and Bangladesh which spans a month. Pakistan is the opposition for a four test series during August followed by yet more one day international matches.

It is fair to say the Pakistan national team is going through a transitional phase so how much resistance they will provide is anyone’s guess. However, at least the visit of Australia provides some top class opposition although it is in the 50 over format. If nothing else, the summer will be a confidence building exercise prior to the Ashes defence later this year.

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England Lucky To Draw Series

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:10:00 +0000

The Springboks made no secret of the fact they felt they had been the better of the two sides throughout the test series. After the 4th test where England was comprehensively demolished, it is hard to disagree with that opinion. Apart from their one below par display in the 2nd test, South Africa played positive, aggressive cricket. England on the other hand seemed more interested in avoiding defeat as opposed to pursuing victory.

Overall, it was a decent series for England but you can’t help wondering what might have happened if they had been more positive. Now that Flintoff is no longer around the side continues to lack balance. Selecting an extra batsman is not the answer if you want to win test matches. Indeed, right throughout the series England have not scored enough runs even with the additional batsman. England bat down the order with Swann and Broad so runs should not be too much of a problem.

Taking 20 wickets must surely be the priority but in the final test England once again selected only four bowlers. Unfairly ditching Onions in favour of Sidebottom with his novelty left-arm bowling merely compounded the error. We keep hearing about our world class attack but if you take Swann and his wickets out of the equation we would have struggled. They have potential to be a world class attack but are certainly not the finished article. England still requires a long term replacement for Harmison as the current attack would benefit from the addition of genuine pace.

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Time To Forget About Flintoff

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 11:17:00 +0000

After turning down the incremental contract that was offered by the ECB Andrew Flintoff should not be allowed to play for his country again. It has become clear that money and not cricket is now his number one priority. Good luck to the bloke and he deserves any financial opportunities that might come his way. But please let us not have a ridiculous situation where the player picks and chooses the one day games and tournaments he is interested in participating.

When the ECB felt Kevin Pietersen was getting too big for his boots they were not having any of it. The same treatment needs dishing out to Flintoff. He either wants to play for his country or he does not. If he wants to earn lucrative sums from bungee jumping, extreme ironing, or television then he has no business being a member of the England squad. His inclusion would be an insult to his fellow players and a slap in the face of every England supporter.

He has been a hugely influential player for a number of years but not any more. These days Flintoff is a spent force. In the Ashes, he delivered one major bowling performance of any note. This only served to aggravate more injury problems and he was virtually a passenger for the rest of the series. The same thing happened in the West Indies. Domestic clubs around the World are willing to spend huge sums of money on Flintoff. They should give him a contract based on appearances because he will probably miss more games through injury than he plays.

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The One Day Cricket Farce Continues

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:29:00 +0000

Australia has raced into a 4-0 lead in the one day series without breaking sweat. England’s one day team look like they could not care less. The excuses have already started to emerge. James Anderson has complained about the atmosphere stating it is nothing like it was during the Ashes series. This is hardly surprising given the rubbish the spectators have paid to watch. Players could follow Flintoff’s example and try to get the crowd going but the team is full of followers instead of leaders.

Another popular excuse is that old chestnut tiredness. The funny thing about tiredness is it seems to rear its head at convenient times of the year. Funnily enough, there does not seem to be many players complaining of tiredness when the IPL is on the horizon. Paul Collingwood must have been absolutely knackered after his sting with the Delhi Daredevils.

The selection of Trott for the final Ashes test demonstrated that better players exist in the domestic game than the cosy group who fail to justify their selection. England has made the same mistakes again, and again, and again both in this series and in recent years. It is getting somewhat tedious having to watch a comedy of errors. Then you have the captain saying all the right things afterwards.

England favour a defensive approach rather than attacking the opposition. Delaying the final power play until tail-enders is at the crease defies all logic although it sums things up perfectly. Either the players cannot be bothered or they are demonstrating a lack of intelligence. If players are not performing then others should be given their opportunity. Geoff Miller talks about consistency in selection but this is a weakness when it produces endless defeats.

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England Win The Ashes

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:45:00 +0000

It was like 2005 all over again as England took the 10 Australian wickets needed to win The Ashes. England has a reputation for making strong comebacks after a poor result. And after crumbling at Headingley there was no margin for any errors. The toss was crucial and allowed England to dictate proceedings. They were helped by the lack of a frontline spinner in the opposition ranks. In hindsight, England could have gone with 2 spinners.

The 2009 Ashes series will be remembered for years to come. There will be inevitable comparisons with the 2005 series triumph. Of course, back then the Australian team contained some huge players which made the win special. It could be argued that both teams are now weaker and in transition. Otherwise the obvious difference with this series is the fact it was won on the field. When Swann took the last wicket, a packed Oval was rocking amid amazing scenes.

This has been a strange series where facts and figures are concerned. If anyone studied the batting and bowling statistics, they would wrongly assume that Australia had won hands down. The crucial match was the 1st test which England should have lost. When the Aussies did not get the win they deserved it was always a possibility it could come back to haunt them.

Andrew Strauss has carried the top order throughout the series. A special mention must go to Matt Prior whose wicket keeping has been faultless during the five test matches. He has eradicated the dropped catches and missed stumpings and he now looks to be the best option behind the stumps. Jonathan Trott proved a fantastic selection and a player who looks completely at home in the test match arena.

Flintoff had a quiet game by his standards yet still managed to run out Ricky Ponting with some excellent fielding. His buddy Steve Harmison also got in on the act with 3 wickets. Overall this was a tremendous display by England who had to remain patient when Australia built some strong partnerships. Andy Flower might not have been first choice but the partnership between him and the skipper appears to be work well.

There will be no over the top celebrations this time which is a good thing. This triumph gives Strauss, Flower and the team a great platform to build on. The tour to South Africa is already looking like a mouth watering proposition.

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What A Load Of Rubbish

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:43:00 +0000

They played Jerusalem just before the start of play but after this load of rubbish by England the theme tune from the Benny Hill Show would have been more appropriate. The batting was just like the collapses of the bad old days. Without the two genuine world class performers, the side looks positively ordinary. The century count now stands at 7-1 in Australia’s favour, enough said really.

The batting was abysmal but the bowling was equally inept. England should be experts where Headingley is concerned and should know exactly the correct length to bowl. Instead they choose to bowl to the opposition batsman’s strengths and then wonder why the ball keeps finding its way to the boundary.

Some of the bowling was quite frankly embarrassing from individuals that are supposed to be the finest bunch of cricketers we have at our disposal. The coaching and backroom staff people do not escape criticism either. England sent down a huge number of short and wide deliveries. The coaches must have seen this and should have sent a message out to them instead of waiting for the end of the session.

Australia made a bold decision where team selection was concerned choosing to recall Stuart Clark and ditching the spinner. This guy creates pressure regardless of the conditions by bowling accurately. That is a skill the England attack is not able to replicate. Clark is 33 years old and let’s be honest if he were English he would have been discarded two years ago because of his age.

The only way England will win the Ashes is by taking 20 wickets in The Oval test match. That looks remote if Flintoff is not in the team. No doubt the former players will warn against knee-jerk reactions with team selection. They need not worry as the selectors will probably continue with the same squad. Maybe it is because they have not got a clue who else to bring in. They talk about the need for consistency but the selectors consistently make the wrong selections.

In 2005, we had good test match players but now we are carrying far too many potentially good test match players. Potential does not win the Ashes and there comes a time when players have to start delivering the goods or lose their place. The whole set-up continues to be far too cosy with players not having to worry about being dropped due to poor performances.

When Andrew Strauss said the Aussies had lost their aura he also made Ricky Ponting’s team talk much easier. Talk about putting your foot in it. They may have lost their aura but they seem to have quickly found a new one. England better put the thinking caps on because they only have one chance left to win the series.

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England Must Not Be Complacent

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:56:00 +0000

A sizeable chunk of playing time was lost due to bad weather so the third Ashes test at Edgbaston fizzled out into a bore draw. Significantly the Australian batsmen helped themselves to another century and once again England’s batsmen missed out. The century count now stands at 6-1 in favour of the Aussies.

England has plenty of batsmen who are capable of scoring half centuries. They do not place enough value on their wickets and seldom convert to a three figure score. With Kevin Pietersen absent through injury this could have an impact on the two remaining test matches.

To combat the lack of big runs from the top order, England select their lower order with one eye on a bowler’s prowess with the bat. This is a defensive strategy and ultimately does not win test matches. If a bowler does not take wickets and if the captain is reluctant to utilize him then he should not be in the side.

With Brett Lee and Stuart Clark waiting on the sidelines Australia will be able to improve their bowling attack. In comparison England will probably continue to select Stuart Broad who is the weak link in the bowling department. It is ironic that his batting is what keeps him in the team. Having a famous surname does not do any harm either.

When Broad comes on to bowl the Australians heave a visible sigh of relief. He is a young player and his time will come in future Ashes series. England needs to be ruthless in selection as well as on the field. Genuine pace and hostility have been absent at times during this series. This is something that Harmison would provide especially since Flintoff is almost a spent force due to injury concerns.

The attack is not well balanced as there is an over reliance on swinging the ball. This is fine when conditions are conducive to swing bowling. However, when the ball does not swing on unhelpful pitches then England is devoid of ideas and inspiration.

As the series approaches its climax, the concern is Australia is getting stronger as England are weakened by the loss of Pietersen and the consequences of persevering with an unfit Flintoff. England cannot afford to be carrying non contributing passengers such as Bopara and Broad coupled with injured players if they want to regain the Ashes. Australia only needs to draw the series to keep the urn and they will fancy their chances of doing exactly that.

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Vintage Flintoff Destroys Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:21:00 +0000

The body may be on its last legs but Flintoff is well and truly up for this particular Ashes series. A quick glance at his bowling speeds demonstrates that Flintoff is determined to enjoy his final few test matches. There are not many bowlers in World cricket who can bowl with such pace and hostility for long periods. The fact they are against Australia will make them extra special. He might have a few niggles but you would not notice due to his 90mph plus deliveries.

Winning an Ashes test for the first time in 75 years is highly significant. This is usually one English venue that inspires the Aussies and hampers the home side. On this occasion, nothing was further from the truth. England dominated this match from start to finish with the minor exception of some admirable resistance from Clarke and Haddin.

Not everything is rosy for England with concerns over Kevin Pietersen and his Achilles injury. If the problem persists, then an opportunity for Ian Bell or Rob Key will beckon. Both players would be determined to grasp an Ashes call up. If that happens, Michael Vaughan will privately be kicking himself for retiring. Bell would probably be the favourite as he has not been short of runs for his county since being dropped.

Graham Onions did not pull any trees up so the selectors might decide to go for the pace and hostility of Steve Harmison for the 3rd test at Edgbaston. Even though Harmy has had countless second chances his inclusion could be an inspired selection. Harmison has always been more effective at home. He may be considering calling it a day himself at some point at least where overseas tours are concerned. There is no better stage than the Ashes to call time on a test career. That could give him the perfect encouragement to produce his best performance.

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Monty And Jimmy Save The Day

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:47:00 +0000

It took a while to get going but the 1st test of this Ashes series finally delivered some excitement for the home supporters. On the final day England had an unlikely challenge of batting for a huge 90 plus overs. The task looked doomed to failure with England losing regular wickets throughout the day.

The top 3 batsmen failed in both innings and should take a good look at themselves after letting the side down. It was left to the lower order and they came to the rescue with notable contributions from Flintoff, Swann and especially Collingwood. The last two of Anderson and Panesar played with distinction and negotiated the final tense minutes. What looked an Australian win turned into a draw although it felt more like an England victory.

In this test match Australia was the better outfit in all departments. They batted better, bowled better and fielded better. England was fortunate to escape with a draw. On the other hand, it shows what could happen if batsmen play with discipline and maintain concentration. Most of the top order batsmen got themselves out by playing poor and unnecessary shots.

The experiment with playing two spinners backfired partly because Australia turned the tables on England. They posted enough runs in the 1st innings to ensure that England would be batting last on a supposedly turning pitch. In truth, the pitch was flat and had the draw written all over it but England made life difficult as per usual.

Some fine tuning is required with regard to selection for the next test. Genuine pace is required to get the Aussie batsmen jumping around. Panesar will probably make way for Harmison, Onions or Sidebottom as England search for a formula that will deliver 20 wickets.

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Fasten Your Seatbelts For The Ashes 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:33:00 +0000

The wait is finally over and the Ashes 2009 series is about to get underway. It feels like an age since the 5-0 whitewash down under in 2006/07. During that series England got most things wrong while the Aussies did everything right. This time things should be a little different. Australia is without a host of players who have retired. England will be glad to see the back of Warne, McGrath and Gilchrist to name but three.

The two sides are relatively evenly matched on paper with several players being new to the whole Ashes experience. It promises to be a series with some interesting battles between batsmen and bowlers. Australia is not a team of mugs as the recent series win in South Africa proved. They are still up there in number one spot with the Springboks and India competing to dethrone them.

The spin department is the obvious weakness Australia has to overcome. In contrast England has an embarrassment of riches with Swann, Panesar and Rashid competing for a place. If the pitches are conducive to spin this summer, the aforementioned trio will play a major role in deciding the outcome.

England also has options in the fast bowling department. Anderson and Broad will continue to develop and Flintoff will have a point to prove after the last Ashes series. The captaincy of Strauss will be crucial especially if he finds himself in a position to declare. Positive and aggressive cricket is essential if you want to succeed against Australia.

For the Australians batsman Philip Hughes and bowler Mitchell Johnson have impressed in recent months. Both players will be eager to make their mark on an Ashes series. Johnson in particular has starred with the ball but has also demonstrated a flair for batting which promises to give him all rounder status.

The series should be very close with a 2-1 score line looking the most likely outcome. Whether it is to be in favour of England or Australia is debatable. Much depends on Flintoff and Pietersen and whether they can remain free from injury. If those two players enjoy a productive summer then it is hard to see England losing. Fasten your seatbelts and let us hope we are in for a repeat of 2005. That will do nicely.

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Foiled By Windies And The Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:59:00 +0000

England did well to scrape past India by a relatively small margin and would have expected to capitalise on that victory by taking their place in the semi-finals. Sadly the weather conspired to make life difficult and the West Indies had a shortened target thanks to Duckworth Lewis. This meant an easier run chase which was always going to put them in the driving seat.

Team selection for this match was surprising as England decided to leave out Dimitri Mascarenhas and play Adil Rashid instead. This is not the first time that Mascarenhas has been omitted and those lessons have still not sunk in. The all rounder should be one of the first names on the team sheet when it comes to Twenty20 cricket. The fact England is without Flintoff makes the decision to leave him out even more mystifying.

As per usual England did not quite get enough runs and if they are to become a force in this form of the game this is something that needs to be addressed and rectified. If the totals are consistently short of a par score when batting first this puts immediate pressure on the bowlers which is not ideal.

England is not far from finding a winning formula although you have to wonder whether they will be ruthless enough to do what still needs to be done. A new captain for Twenty20 is a must and this should be sorted out quickly. One player who many observers thought would make an impact is Graham Napier. More Twenty20 specialists need to be given an opportunity to show what they are capable of.

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Embarrassed By The Netherlands

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:43:00 +0000

The winter tour of the Caribbean provided ample humiliation but England really embarrassed the nation in their opening Twenty20 world cup match. They somehow conspired to lose the opener by 4 wickets. Right throughout the Dutch innings England had numerous chances to win the game. Catches were dropped and a number of run out opportunities were thrown away by failing to hit the stumps.

If any newcomers were watching they could be forgiven for assuming the international cricketers were playing in Orange. The Netherlands played well but the England display was enough to make you cringe. Instead of the host nation having a good tournament, England will do well just to progress beyond the first round of matches.

The penny will not drop with England where Twenty20 cricket is concerned. It is not rocket science when you have only a 20 over innings. Yet again England did not clear the boundary rope. Our batsmen should not have to be taught how to score sixes by playing in the IPL. It is a skill they should already possess as international cricketers. Twenty20 is all about getting a move on and scoring at a competitive rate.

Strauss decided that Twenty20 was not his thing but if he is not suited to the shortest form of the game the same could be said of Collingwood. He may be a respectable one day cricketer but nudging and nurdling does not win games in the 20 over arena. The fact Collingwood was given the captaincy probably saved his place. It was a move that smacked of desperation considering he has already failed as skipper.

Plenty of variation is required on the bowling front to keep the batsmen guessing. Dot balls and sixes make the difference in Twenty20 cricket and England seems to have a problem with both.

England has made some progress where team selection is concerned but more needs to be done. Twenty20 specialists should be selected and players from the one day side should only be picked on merit. To be successful in 20 over cricket, there can be no room for passengers. Every member of the team needs to be able to contribute when required.

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Rare Test Match Victory

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 09 May 2009 15:46:00 +0000

England did well to defeat the West Indies with two days to spare but that is exactly what they should be doing if they are to have any hope of an Ashes win. Some people said the wicket at Lords was flat but it was nowhere near as flat as some of the pitches the West Indies groundsmen served up over the winter. On the recent Caribbean tour, the England bowlers actually bowled to Sarwan’s strengths allowing him to fill his boots. In this test match, it was refreshing to see those lessons have been learned.

Ravi Bopara helped himself to another hundred and barring a dramatic loss of form he is certain to keep the number three position. You cannot argue with two centuries in two test matches and he is now the man in possession. Later this summer he will face stiffer challenges than this Windies bowling attack offered him.

Graham Onions had a tremendous debut although Australia will be a different proposition if he retains his place. He does not possess express pace but is accurate and bowls at the stumps which is something the England attack has not done enough recently. Onions will develop into some player if he can generate some more pace.

In the spin bowling department Swann continues to look a far better selection than Panesar. He offers aggression as well as runs with the bat plus he has no problem taking wickets.

England has got off to the perfect start and the team can only beat the opposition that is put in front of them. Taking wickets and scoring runs against Australia and South Africa will prove to be an entirely different proposition.

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Flintoff Injured In The IPL

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 08:26:00 +0000

It was always a concern that Andrew Flintoff would succumb to injury after going to play in the IPL. It came as no real surprise to learn that he has sustained an injury on his right knee. He is returning home to have more surgery which will rule him out of the forthcoming West Indies series.

It seems to be one injury after another for Flintoff and the extent of his participation in the Ashes series must surely be in doubt. You have to wonder whether his body can continue to cope with the demands of being a pace bowler. He will work hard and overcome this latest setback just like previous ones. When he is match fit again how long will it be before he is injured again?

There is a nagging feeling the all rounder will struggle to avoid injuries for the rest of his career. Flintoff is a giant of a man and his size puts enormous stress on his body when he is bowling. It is possible that with age his body is no longer able to stand up to such rigorous activity. Many sportsmen suffer terrible luck with injuries and there comes a time when you have to question whether the body can keep going.

Nobody wants to see Flintoff retire because he is such a key player for England. When he regains full fitness then surely his workload needs to be lightened. This has been said before but then we had the farcical scenes in the West Indies where Flintoff was continuing to bowl whilst clearly injured. That was a classic example of how dependant on Flintoff the team has become.

They have not said so but privately England would have preferred Flintoff to sit out the IPL. They now face an anxious wait to get him fit and firing for the important series against Australia.

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Search For New England Coach

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 09:41:00 +0000

Hugh Morris seems to have been in the spotlight in recently which is interesting because the England team is no longer a force in test cricket according to the rankings. He has heaped praise on the job done by the caretaker coach Andy Flower in overseeing a test series defeat and several poor one day performances. This is an ominous sign and it probably indicates that Flower gets his vote for the job permanently. All this promoting from within rubbish has gotten us nowhere fast ever since Duncan Fletcher left the post.

The way the ECB has gone about the quest for a new coach leaves a lot to be desired. What is wrong with these people? Sometimes they cannot identify the nation’s best cricketers and now they invite applications for a head coach. What they should have done is decided who they wanted beforehand then moved heaven and earth to get their man. But instead they have outsourced the search to a recruitment firm. If I were Tom Moody, I would think they were having a laugh. No wonder he turned the job down England did not exactly make him feel wanted.

Presumably Flower like Moores will say all the right things, interview well impressing the relevant people. Whether he is good enough to be the England cricket coach is irrelevant. The most important thing it seems is getting on well with people at the ECB and if he pulls that off you can almost guarantee he will be the one they choose. Graham Ford who was among the favourites has withdrawn his application because of the lengthy process. They seem to be running out of credible candidates and it is not hard to work out why that is.

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Weather Rules Out The IPL

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:39:00 +0000

Switching the IPL to South Africa instead of England was the correct decision especially when you consider the climate of the two countries involved. April is usually a damp month with more than a few showers. This means that even a Twenty20 game would probably have delays due to the weather.

South Africa was always going to be the sensible choice as the weather is fair and is unlikely to have an adverse effect on any of the matches. Staging the IPL even at such short notice will give the economy a boost which is no doubt why England was so keen to host it.

It does come as something of a surprise that the tournament has been switched at all considering how successful it has been. Sadly this is another example of non sporting matters that dictate when and where sporting events are held if at all.

Many players have commented that it will not be the same and that is true but it is far better to stage it in another country than cancel the tournament altogether. The IPL will continue to be a good thing for cricket worldwide regardless of where it is held.

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West Indies Get What They Deserve

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:32:00 +0000

They may have gotten away with playing negative cricket in the test series but on this occasion the West Indies got exactly what they deserved. Coach John Dyson gestured for his players to come off for bad light whilst wrongly thinking they were ahead on Duckworth Lewis when they were actually one run behind. This extraordinary turn of events left his team on 244-7 and therefore handed the game to England on a plate.

The light was fading but there were only a few balls left of the match and Windies were in a great position to win needing roughly a run a ball to win. Both batsmen at the crease seemed more concerned with the light than winning the game.

The confusion was rumoured to have stemmed from a correction to the score earlier in the West Indies innings where two runs were deducted. All parties were informed of this at the time but it appears the Windies backroom staff either did not take this correction into account or just got their sums wrong in general. D/L calculations need to be double and triple checked simply because they change with every ball.

It is actually good for cricket that England won the first one day international because if the West Indies had won it then they would probably have resorted to attempting to tie the remainder of the matches in the series. As mistakes go this was a massive clanger and after the recent test series, there will not be much sympathy on offer.

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Team Selection For The Ashes 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:24:00 +0000

Selecting the team should be very simple if you compile a list of the players the Australian team would rather not face then you will not go far wrong. Sadly the selectors will not choose the strongest possible team or even squad. Australia has come back strongly against South Africa while England continues to slip down the test rankings. Instead of embracing our better players, we seem to be more interested in trying to make them jump through hoops.

The number three batting spot needs sorting out quickly. Owais Shah waited patiently for a chance but did not make the most of what was tailor made batting wickets in the West Indies. The issue he has with recurring cramp does not help his case either. You get the feeling the selectors will not need much encouragement to quickly go back to Ian Bell when there are more experienced and better equipped candidates in both Michael Vaughan and Robert Key. Kent skipper Key is England’s forgotten man but he has a double hundred in test cricket.

Wicketkeeping is a constant issue with the limitations of Matt Prior being exposed yet again. People talk about his batting but what you get with runs you lose with missed chances, dropped catches and a generous helping of byes. England had this problem many years ago with a reluctance to pick Jack Russell. It is easier to pick the best keeper and work on his batting rather than pick a batsman and teach him how to use the gloves. James Foster should be in the test side at the very least and let Prior do the job in one day cricket if needs be.

The bowling attack is a shadow of the 2005 side and lacks a genuine fast bowler and the aggression of Simon Jones. Harmison has been hit and miss for a long time now so England needs to decide whether to get him firing or move on to someone else. There are not many alternatives but an obvious choice would be Sajid Mahmood who was frozen out after the appointment of Peter Moores. Anderson and Broad seem to be sure of their places and there is competition at last in the spin department. As usual a lot will rest on Andrew Flintoff and whether he can remain fit.

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Test Cricket Is The Loser

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:39:00 +0000

The West Indies unlikely victory in the 1st test has been exposed for the fluke that it was. Ever since that shocking result the Windies have been happy to play for a draw which they are perfectly entitled to do. The disappointing aspect of this test series has been the pitches which have constantly favoured the batsmen. This is not a good example of professional sport where contests should be even and talent should be allowed to decide the outcome.

The farce that was the 2nd test pitch was mystifying at the time but now becomes clearer. Perhaps the ground staff misinterpreted their instructions and took things a little too far. Instead of just making life difficult for the bowlers, the pitch would probably have seen a few injuries sustained.

Overall, batting has been far too easy in this series and runs have been cheap. The only obstacle to a century has been the batsmen’s own levels of concentration. This goes against what test match cricket is supposed to be all about. Test cricket should be competitive, aggressive, intense and most importantly a fair contest between the batsman and the bowler.

The loser in this series has been the sport of cricket itself. Supporters should not be forgotten as many have spent large sums of money to go and watch test cricket and quite rightly expect to be entertained. Contrast these matches with the recent encounters between Australia and South Africa. Those two teams rely on skill and hard work to get results as opposed to killing the pitch and along with it any hope of a positive result.

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A Bowler Short

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:58:00 +0000

The drawn test match in Barbados did not produce the most entertaining cricket and it was hard work at times to watch it. The wickets on this tour have not been particularly helpful to the bowlers although England made life harder by selecting an unfit bowler in Sidebottom and dropping Steve Harmison.

Leaving out Harmison because of his lack of wickets is one thing but replacing him with a bowler who has an injury prior to the match is too ridiculous for words. Sidebottom constantly seems to suffer one injury after another but even if he was fit he does not offer much away from English conditions. In addition, he does not take wickets against the better sides in test cricket.

When Flintoff is not available the balance of the side is adversely affected. The four bowler experiment has been used before without much success so it was never going to work in this test. The occasional bowling of batsmen like Collingwood and Bopara may be useful in the domestic limited overs game but is not effective in test cricket.

England has been up against it after the damage done in the shambolic 1st test surrender. All the West Indies have to do is avoid defeat for the remainder of the series and they are home and dry. There is rumour that the Trinidad wicket will offer more assistance to the bowlers but if England once again go with four then a positive result will be more difficult.

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England Run Out Of Time

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:45:00 +0000

After dominating the hastily arranged 3rd test against the West Indies for all five days England will feel they did not get the result they deserved. They have a point but also there were critical times when they did not help themselves. They allowed the game to drift instead of adopting a positive approach and using an aggressive declaration.

Deciding not to enforce the follow-on was understandable given the illness to Harmison and the niggling injury that Flintoff had picked up. England needed to score quick runs second time around especially considering there would be some time lost to rain on the final day.

Sending James Anderson in as a night watchman works in some situations but was a counter-productive tactic on this occasion. The victory target of 500 for the Windies to win was pretty pointless as no team has managed such a score in the history of the game anyway. It was not just the extra runs that hurt England it was the fall of quick wickets and the farcical sight of Flintoff batting with an injury.

It will take quite an effort from England to come back and win this series with only two test matches left. Flintoff will probably miss the next test at the very least so there will be an enforced change. Harmison has not made the impact everyone was hoping for which has lead to some labelling him a spent force but overseas tours have never been his strong point.

England was unlucky and could not have come any closer to the win than they did. Strauss will learn from the experience and perhaps may not be so cautious or defensive minded the next time he has to declare. Sometimes you have to dangle the carrot rather than bat the opposition completely out of the game.

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Just What The Doctor Ordered

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:35:00 +0000

The England team at test level has been a closed shop for too long. Changes in personnel were long overdue and after the embarrassing 1st test defeat there was no way anyone could argue differently. Bell, Panesar and Sidebottom were dropped and none of them can have too many complaints after recent performances.

Owais Shah replaced Bell in the batting line up and took his chance in the first innings by helping himself to a respectable half century. Although he played well, he will be kicking himself after throwing his wicket away with a needless run out. Centuries were there for the taking on the first two days. The omission of Bell also looks to have given Collingwood a bit of a wake up call as he batted well for his century. Competition for places is healthy but players should know their spot is not bullet proof.

Swann replacing Panesar is not too much of a surprise considering how Monty has stagnated in the past year or so. Swann offers much more in the batting and fielding departments and did not do too badly where the bowling was concerned on the recent India tour. The fast bowlers are a different proposition and a case could be made for or against each one of them. Because of his injury problems and lack of recent form Sidebottom is the obvious one to make way. You could easily choose any two from Harmison, Anderson and Sidebottom.

The team looks much stronger on paper for these changes and they look a different proposition from the sorry outfit of last week. The batting performance on the first two days was just what the doctor ordered. All they need now is some penetration from the bowling attack.

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Keystone Cops Performance

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 23:31:00 +0000

England crashed to a humiliating defeat against the West Indies losing by an innings and 23 runs. They could only manage a pathetic 51 runs between them and just like the first innings most of the wickets were soft dismissals. It is a simple game and the West Indies bowlers bowled fast and straight at the stumps. They realised that to get wickets on this pitch it was important to bowl straighter.

In the run up to this game, the talk was of England blowing the West Indies away again but that is certainly not going to happen if this evidence is anything to go by. England has been going backwards for a while and it is now time for changes. Owais Shah should have been picked for this game but once again Miller and his cronies stayed loyal to Bell who failed in both innings. Shah must be given his chance now otherwise the selectors will be a laughing stock

It is a pity the squad does not contain Michael Vaughan or Rob Key because either of those two would be candidates to replace Collingwood who seems to be competing with Bell to see who can contribute the least runs for longest. Collingwood is an all rounder who only occasionally bowls his gentle pace and does not take wickets yet is selected as a batsman. That is fine except he does not score runs and does not look like doing so.

Then we come to Panesar who is a shadow of the bowler we had under Duncan Fletcher. Swann showed in India that he is worth a run in the team and is a better all round cricketer than Monty. The selectors are an absolute joke sometimes. Poor old Matthew Hoggard was cast into the wilderness after one poor performance while some bowlers keep their place regardless of how poorly they play. Sidebottom is continually picked simply because he offers variety as a left arm bowler which is ridiculous if he is not doing the business.

We are currently relying on two players to see us through. Pietersen is carrying the batsmen and Flintoff is carrying the bowlers. This is nothing new and has been going on for some time. Yes they are the two outstanding players but too many of their team mates are not making a contribution. The selectors need to get ruthless and ditch the passengers otherwise a series defeat is on the cards.

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