The International Cricket Thread

[PaulWinch again]

Blimey two innings and two ducks for Bracey.

[UK Redsox]

Blimey two innings and two ducks for Bracey.

Same as Gooch

[Rory]

Blimey two innings and two ducks for Bracey.

He doesn't look ready, I don't think. Looks very fragile.

[UK Redsox]

Just discussed on TMS.....the start of Marvan Atapattu's career

Making his Test debut in November 1990 just after his 20th birthday, Atapattu's first six innings yielded five ducks and a 1, and he was the first Sri Lankan batsman to be dismissed for a pair on debut. After this difficult start in his first three matches, he did not score above 29 in his next 11 innings, before hitting his first Test century in his 10th match, against India, seven years after his debut. He has 22 Test-match career ducks and four pairs (two ducks in a single Test), both records for a top-order batsman.

Finished with 16 Test centuries, including 6 doubles

[PaulWinch again]

Blimey two innings and two ducks for Bracey.

He doesn't look ready, I don't think. Looks very fragile.

Also it’s another case of dropping a player in in a role that differs from the one he was selected for. Now I’m not saying he would have fared better opening, but I do think putting a player in an unfamiliar role, or at least not the one that got him selected, doesn’t help a new player.

[Rory]

Agreed, Paul.

[paul_e]

I agree on that, it's something England have been really bad for over the years, pick an opener at 6 and then drop him when he doesn't know how to bat there and gets out trying to play shots he wouldn't take on in the first 20 overs.

[tomd2103]

Appreciate Stokes and Buttler aren’t there, but our batting looks pretty fragile at the moment.

Problem area of 1-3 persists Paul, though Burns has started the series well.  One-by-one, Strauss, Trott and Cook departed and haven't been replaced by players of the same quality.

Adding Stokes and Buttler to the 5-7 positions along with one other will strengthen the middle order, but we need that solid foundation from the top three. 

[PaulWinch again]

Hameed is key to the top 3. I think he’s a class above what we have now, but clearly his return needs to be delicately managed.

[UK Redsox]

Blimey two innings and two ducks for Bracey.

He doesn't look ready, I don't think. Looks very fragile.

Also it’s another case of dropping a player in in a role that differs from the one he was selected for. Now I’m not saying he would have fared better opening, but I do think putting a player in an unfamiliar role, or at least not the one that got him selected, doesn’t help a new player.

It's disappointing for Bracey. A decent couple of innings could have seen him stay in the Test team at the expense of one of the top three (probably Crawley on current form) when Buttler returns.

Hopefully he can return to Glos and play well for the rest of the summer.

[PaulWinch again]

I think Billings would have been a better horses for courses selection in these Tests. It is at least a role he performs, and he has more experience albeit obviously not as a Test player. With a young player coming in you shouldn’t mess them about. I’m sure Bracey can battle back from this, but it’s an unnecessary challenge at the start of his career.

[PaulWinch again]

It’s really good to see the work Mark Wood has done on this batting bearing fruit. It really helps with the balance of the side.

[PaulWinch again]

Broad’s batting is what will ultimately cost him the place in the side. You can’t really have Broad, Jimmy, and Leach (if you want a spinner) in the side.

[Rory]

Has Jimmy gained some pace? I only just flicked it on, but last over he was 87, 86, 84, 87, 86, 87mph.

[PaulWinch again]

New Zealand are putting our batting performance into sharp focus. Again I know Stokes and Buttler aren’t there, but we look bloody ordinary with the bat.

I won’t count Lawrence in this, because he hasn’t played enough. But Sibley, Crawley, Burns, and Pope have all played a good number of Tests now. The least is Crawley with 13 and they all average about 30. There’s no great mystery as to why we’re struggling when 4 of your top 6 over a period of time average 30 odd.

Obviously Burns is in good nick at the moment and the others are young, but bloody hell the returns need to start appearing fast.