The Cricket Thread 2016

[tomd2103]

We need to improve our domestic 50 over and 20 over cricket, but that'll take time. I think a team moving forward should be something like -

Hales
Vince
Ali
Taylor
Root
Roy
Buttler
Stokes
Rashid
Overton
Willey

That might lack a fourth seamer, but it would be a reasonable template moving forward. Obviously if the likes of Morgan and Finn get back to their best they'd be in.

I think Root is a bit too slow to be batting at 5 and Buttler is too far down at 7.  Someone made a good point on Talksport yesterday, saying that the likes of McCullum and DeVilliers no longer keep wicket and are used only as batsmen.  Maybe we should do that with Buttler and have someone like the kid Billings from Kent keeping wicket.

It would help massively of course if Morgan, Stokes, Jordan and Finn could get back to top form.  It's not going to happen, but having Pietersen at three would also strengthen the side massively.

[PaulWinch again]

We need to improve our domestic 50 over and 20 over cricket, but that'll take time. I think a team moving forward should be something like -

Hales
Vince
Ali
Taylor
Root
Roy
Buttler
Stokes
Rashid
Overton
Willey

That might lack a fourth seamer, but it would be a reasonable template moving forward. Obviously if the likes of Morgan and Finn get back to their best they'd be in.

I think Root is a bit too slow to be batting at 5 and Buttler is too far down at 7.  Someone made a good point on Talksport yesterday, saying that the likes of McCullum and DeVilliers no longer keep wicket and are used only as batsmen.  Maybe we should do that with Buttler and have someone like the kid Billings from Kent keeping wicket.

It would help massively of course if Morgan, Stokes, Jordan and Finn could get back to top form.  It's not going to happen, but having Pietersen at three would also strengthen the side massively.

I think Stokes would find top form if we put him up the order. I get the impression that he thrives on responsibility and would be a devestating bat if he was given time to get in. Morgan can get his form back, if he stops crouching too much at the crease. That's always the signal that he's out of form. Jordan needs to go back to trying to bowl fast and hostile and same for Finn. It's critical that Finn gets his pace back.

The difference with Buttler and De Villiers and McCullum is that he's at the start of his career. So I think it's good for him to keep at the moment as well. I think we need to be a lot more flexible with our batting line up anyway, so say we're only one wicket down after 20-25 overs then maybe send Buttler up the order.

[tomd2103]

We need to improve our domestic 50 over and 20 over cricket, but that'll take time. I think a team moving forward should be something like -

Hales
Vince
Ali
Taylor
Root
Roy
Buttler
Stokes
Rashid
Overton
Willey

That might lack a fourth seamer, but it would be a reasonable template moving forward. Obviously if the likes of Morgan and Finn get back to their best they'd be in.

I think Root is a bit too slow to be batting at 5 and Buttler is too far down at 7.  Someone made a good point on Talksport yesterday, saying that the likes of McCullum and DeVilliers no longer keep wicket and are used only as batsmen.  Maybe we should do that with Buttler and have someone like the kid Billings from Kent keeping wicket.

It would help massively of course if Morgan, Stokes, Jordan and Finn could get back to top form.  It's not going to happen, but having Pietersen at three would also strengthen the side massively.

I think Stokes would find top form if we put him up the order. I get the impression that he thrives on responsibility and would be a devestating bat if he was given time to get in. Morgan can get his form back, if he stops crouching too much at the crease. That's always the signal that he's out of form. Jordan needs to go back to trying to bowl fast and hostile and same for Finn. It's critical that Finn gets his pace back.

The difference with Buttler and De Villiers and McCullum is that he's at the start of his career. So I think it's good for him to keep at the moment as well. I think we need to be a lot more flexible with our batting line up anyway, so say we're only one wicket down after 20-25 overs then maybe send Buttler up the order.

Of that there is no doubt.  I go back to the Scotland game when we lost our first wicket with 170 on the board and 30 odd overs gone.  Did we send in Taylor, Morgan or Buttler to build on the momentum?  No, we sent in Ballance who scratched around for a few overs and the momentum was totally lost and pressure was created on those coming in next.

[paul_e]

We've made that mistake loads of times, that scotland game I'd have had Taylor in at 3 and then Buttler in at 4, would've set them 360+

[Villan For Life]

Seems we have found our level.......Afghanistan 93-6

[Villan For Life]

They've been off for rain so Mr Duckworth and Mr Lewis have put their heads together and set us 101 off 25 overs.

Alex Hales dropped off the third ball of the first over.

[PaulWinch again]

Nice to see England aren't bothering to be flexible with the batting order.

[PaulWinch again]

We're going to win this comfortably, but we could have used this game to make a statement for a more positive approach in future. We haven't done that we've just plodded along.

[PaulWinch again]

"Jonathan Trott should bat at number three in the Test team, he's played better over a longer period than Gary Ballance. He needs to get back into the team in his own position. It will be a big thing for him."

Completely disagree with Boycott there.

[Villan For Life]

Nice for Bell to get a fifty in what should be his last one-day innings for England.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm hoping Jordan can get back to bowling quick and aggressive rather than the line and length bowler he's been coached into. He's definitely got wicket taking ability,  he's an excellent fielder and a pretty good bat too. He's worth perservering with.

[tomd2103]

Nice for Bell to get a fifty in what should be his last one-day innings for England.

Being a Warwickshire fan and a fan of Ian Bell, I can't help but think some of the criticism of him in the last few days has been a bit harsh.  Yes he hasn't gone on to make big scores, but he has scored 50's in the last three innings which others haven't done. 

[tomd2103]

"Jonathan Trott should bat at number three in the Test team, he's played better over a longer period than Gary Ballance. He needs to get back into the team in his own position. It will be a big thing for him."

Completely disagree with Boycott there.

I disagree as well.  Ballance looked comfortable at three last summer and I don't think he should be changed.  Being totally selfish, I'd like Trotty have a full summer at Edgbaston, but if he is going to come back then I would consider playing him as an opener with Cook. 

[tomd2103]

I'm hoping Jordan can get back to bowling quick and aggressive rather than the line and length bowler he's been coached into. He's definitely got wicket taking ability,  he's an excellent fielder and a pretty good bat too. He's worth perservering with.

I think it's part of the problem Paul.  Young bowlers come into the international fold and it seems that the coaching set up want to change everything about them.  Look at what has happened to Finn. 

[paul_e]

Nice for Bell to get a fifty in what should be his last one-day innings for England.

Being a Warwickshire fan and a fan of Ian Bell, I can't help but think some of the criticism of him in the last few days has been a bit harsh.  Yes he hasn't gone on to make big scores, but he has scored 50's in the last three innings which others haven't done. 

The more I think on it the more I'm coming round to thinking that we can't drop him.  If Morgan were in form then it'd be ok but with Morgan struggling to deserve his place (even before being made captain) I'd be tempted to make Bell captain for the next year with the plan being to move that on to someone else once the new ethos is in place.  As harsh as it may sound the critical requirement is to get Broad and Anderson out of the way as I'm utterly convinced that they are the root of a lot of the problems.