The Cricket Thread 2016

[PaulWinch again]

Good to see that dropping catches no longer justifies players being left out of the side -at least now that Bell's gone.

How times change, eh?

Well not really Bell's batting form had been poor  overall since the 2013 Ashes. His dropping of catching just added to it. England have actually been very good in the field for the most part lately, they just had a horrible game at Cape Town.

[paul_e]

Good to see that dropping catches no longer justifies players being left out of the side -at least now that Bell's gone.

How times change, eh?

Well not really Bell's batting form had been poor  overall since the 2013 Ashes. His dropping of catching just added to it. England have actually been very good in the field for the most part lately, they just had a horrible game at Cape Town.

I agree, I'm a massive fan of Bell and i actually think his form was fine, in that he always looked in good nick, it was, in my opinion, a mental issue which led to his poor average, and the catches are another sign of that, I just think some of that 'edge' you need to be a top international athlete left him, I suspect he'll coast along with warks for 2-3 seasons getting decent scores but nothing spectacular before retiring.  Whatever happens he should be considered as having been a genuine world class batsman who played a massive part in a superb run of Ashes victories who just reached the natural end of his England career, maybe a season or 2 faster than most expected.

[PaulWinch again]

I'd agree with that, he had a successful career but I feel at international level it fell a bit short of what he could have achieved. That's almost a compliment, as he had a very good record. But he's finished as an international.

[dcdavecollett]

Fair points.

My bitterness is down to the fact that the London-based media were constantly trying to write Bell out of the side from when he first got in so that Key/Ramprakash could take his place.

The biggest laugh of all was after the Headingley defeat in 2009 when two hacks on TMS agreed that not only should Bell be dropped from the team but that Trott should be dropped from the squad as both were 'obviously not good enough'.

In the next, decisive, Test at the Oval, Bell top-scored in the first innings and Trott got a ton in the second.

Oh, to be such an 'expert'!!

[peter w]

I think that was Trott's debut wasn't it? Ramprakash was being pushed forward simply because he was London based and had scored runs in the County Championship. As you say dc, Trott then went on to score a ton.

[OCD]

Presumably Bell was a bit tired out and considering retirement. I hope a reduced schedule means he can freshen up and come back motivated and that maybe he still has something to offer. We've got some good options at the moment but you can never have enough competition for places.

[Villan For Life]

Presumably Bell was a bit tired out and considering retirement. I hope a reduced schedule means he can freshen up and come back motivated and that maybe he still has something to offer. We've got some good options at the moment but you can never have enough competition for places.

He hinted at retirement after the summer's Ashes victory so maybe his heart wasn't in it anymore. His record compares well with his contemporaries and with Botham he is the only English player to have won 5 Ashes series.

In other news, Steyn is out of the third test.

[PaulWinch again]

Not been a great start from the bowlers.

[Dave Cooper please]

Too short. It's swinging (a bit) so bowl full.

[Villan For Life]

Our attack has looked very ordinary so far.

[Dave Cooper please]

Uncanny flashback to the Edgbaston Test in the 2005 Ashes there.

England struggling to take a wicket and the batsmen looking comfortable so bring on the all-rounder with the dodgy shoulder (see Stokes grab his shoulder after his first ball?) who had scored a few in his last innings and, bam, there's the wicket!

[paul_e]

The story with the wicket keeper is bizarre, I can't recall hearing of anything like that before in test cricket.  Shame we didn't win the toss just to see what they'd have done.

[spangley1812]

The story with the wicket keeper is bizarre, I can't recall hearing of anything like that before in test cricket.  Shame we didn't win the toss just to see what they'd have done.

De Villiers would have kept and England had agreed they could use a substitute until the keeper arrives

[PaulWinch again]

Pretty poor morning from Jimmy and Broad in particular. Hopefully they'll step up in the next session.

[paul_e]

The story with the wicket keeper is bizarre, I can't recall hearing of anything like that before in test cricket.  Shame we didn't win the toss just to see what they'd have done.

De Villiers would have kept and England had agreed they could use a substitute until the keeper arrives

I assume so and I guess TMS/Sky covered this already this morning, I just find it fascinating that they hadn't asked the guy to travel when de kock hurt himself rather than knocking him out of bed to travel down this morning.