jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 13, 2016 16:06:20 GMT
Yes they will need 3 spinners in the winter and Ansari would seem the logical choice but it wouldn't surprise me if Dawson was chosen, his white ball cricket may be an important factor. Wouldn't surprise me either but I hope his white ball form doesn't come into the selectors thinking. We're well and truly stuffed in this test I think. Not especially surprised as our record in London is dreadful over the last few years. Didn't think we bowled all that badly but the reoccurring themes are going to cost us again, namely: Moeen taking wickets but going at more than 5 an over. Our slip catching is woeful Our top order. We've discussed the Hales and the middle order to death but Root and Cook are culpable too. Cook has looked in the form of his life in this series and I think it's meant he's ended up getting out to shots he wouldn't normally dream of playing. How many hundreds has he scored in the last couple of years? I don't know the answer but it doesn't feel like he's won us as many games with the bat as you'd expect him to given his record. I think it's getting to the point where we need to have a serious think about whether Bairstows runs are so important to this side that he should drop the keeping. Inevitably, when you're in the field all day your batting suffers to some degree, all the more so as he must be working really hard at his keeping at the moment. If we had a middle order we could afford to sacrifice some of his runs but we aren't in that position. Moeen, Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler/Foakes/Billings, Woakes then Rashid batting from 4 to 9 is a real possibility this winter I think. Might need to get Wood back into the side too as we always seem to struggle to take wickets on good pitches. He has the ability to take the pitch out of the equation which might help.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 9, 2016 13:59:56 GMT
I saw the game last night too. I really don't like Notts (Steven Mullaney aside). The Surrey of the Midlands. That is all I have to add. I know - I think that's quite a common sentiment. Can't really disagree with it to be honest except to say that I was a member at Notts when I was at Uni there and retain a softspot for them mainly because Trent Bridge is an amazing place to watch cricket. I agree that it's hard not to like Mullaney - there's someone who came up the hard way but the rest of their squad and depth has largely been built off the back of pilfering from other sides in the East Midlands and spending silly money. Funny thing is though that 15 years ago they were basically broke and had no star names at all. When I first started going there they were a deeply unfashionable county and Leicester was considered the powerhouse team in that area - strange how things change. Notts bowled well last night but Essex really folded badly - the Ryder dismissal just seemed to suck all the life out of them. Yeh once Ryder got out I thought Essex's game management (horrible term, sorry!) was awful. Browne and Westley just needed to push and run hard for a few overs and try and score at 6 or 7 an over to get them within range so that the likes of Zaidi and Napier could have a whack. Instead they seemed to try and be a bit too clever and the pressure built and then they panicked. Instead of trying to tick over for a bit just to get things going again they tried to hit it even harder and lost wickets. Why Zaidi batted ahead of Bopara I don't know but I think that's classic Ravi, failing to influence a big game when his side needed him. The most frustrating player of his generation I think. Back to Notts and Will Gidman's signing was the one that really did it for me. Signed to the potential detriment to players of their own making like Ball, Wood and even Fletcher. In a way I'm glad it didn't work out. It was just a stupid signing. They didn't even need his batting as their middle order was renowned for getting them out of trouble when he signed.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 9, 2016 12:39:17 GMT
It was a really good test match. I went to day three and without anyone really doing anything especially inspired with the ball we just managed to hang on. For a while I thought Misbah was going to bat us out of the game but once we got him out with a bit of good fortune you always felt we could get through their tail relatively quickly. The Oval will be a good test of where we are. The pitches there don't really suit our team. We must have a terrible record their since Swann retired. Definitely the best I've seen Moeen bowl in the second innings. I think the work he did with Saqlain has helped because I've thought he's been bowling without enough loop since I saw him at Lords against New Zealand in May last year. Runs in the board will have helped too though as it changes the batsmans mindset. I think Hales, Vince and Ballance are all showing signs that they are trying to adapt their games but Vince looks vulnerable. I think in the subcontinent this winter Moeen will bat at 4 or 5 and will play instead of Vince or Ballance. I know it didn't work out for him as an opener last time out but he's used to batting in the top 4 for Worcester and he is one of our better players of spin. I think Stokes will come in for Finn and Rashid will bat at 9. 4 seamers and 2 spinners has a nice balance I think. I would like to see that too. I honestly think that, given the lack of obvious middle order candidates out there, Moeen should be given a run at 5/6 (possibly promote Bairstow to 6). That was originally what he was selected to do and his primary skill has always been as a middle order batsmen. If he could just average 35-40 at 6 then he's worth his place in the team for the next 5 years because of the options he gives us to play 2 spinners, an extra seamer, an extra batsmen etc. Remember that when Moeen gets scores they are nearly always match turning runs because of the speed at which he gets them. If he stays down at 8 and is seen primarily as our number 1 spinner then he probably has a somewhat limited future as a Test player because a better one will come along in the not too distant future. I thought it was a terrific Test Match - 2 out of 3 in this series have been excellent to watch. Truth is, in my lifetime, we've probably matched up more consistantly evenly against Pakistan and South Africa then anybody else. Series against everyone else tend to have been quite one sided one way or the other. I've enjoyed this series more than most of last two home Ashes series. To a degree I think we need to adapt our expectations a little bit regarding our spin attach - we may have been a bit spoiled by Swann. It's not like England has much of a pedigree of developing spinner like that. Ashley Giles did a perfectly adquate job for England and in many ways he was more typical of the classic English spinner than Swann - ie. the defensive bowler who eats up overs and can occasionally be a threat on helpful tracks. It's true that you probably need a World Class spinner to become a truly great Test side (although the great Windies side didn't need one) or you are going to struggle to break down the final frontier of winning consistantly in Asia but England can still be a very good team without one and Moeen is arguably overly criticised. He's OK - he's just never going to be Graeme Swann and he's always going to struggle to hold down an end during the 1st innings of Tests. I think one of our problems is that our leg spinners are generally being developed as T20 specialists. Beer, Waller, Critchley etc. These guys have been developed for their value in white ball cricket. So they bowl quite flat (which to be fair leggy's in England probably have to do anyway) and straight. The system encourages them to develop defensive techniques before they develop their attacking game fully - otherwise they just won't last long enough to earn a county contract. I saw Pakinson take that 5 for on debut for Lancs - it was some impressive stuff and he bagged some big wickets in that 5. But he bowled noticeable attacking lines and drfits on or outside off stump looking for the false drive or the big spin - not enough of our spinners are encouraged to do that and I wonder if Lancs will keep him out of the white ball stuff. Tufnell was making the point that the attacking left arm/leg spinner who aims to tempt the batsmen into false shots outside the off stump (ie bowler like Tufnell) is increasingly doing out of the game as bowlers come straighter in order to prevent batsmen freeing their arms. Lancashire seem to be a bit of an exception in that they produce pitches that are good for spinners and they have one day and four day specialists. Steven Parry is really unlucky not to have played more times for England's ODI side. He's definitely better than Dawson in my eyes. What I like about Moeen's batting is that he scores runs when they matter and he seems to do better at 6 or 7 rather than 8 which suggests a bit of extra responsibility might not be a bad thing. He tends to give it away when he thinks he is running out of partners. Has anyone seen much of Jack Leach bowl in the Championship? I have only seen him in the odd limited over game and he has a tall action and bowls pretty defensively. I know nothing about him as a longer format bowler but based on an average of less than 30, and an economy rate less than 3 and a match winning performance recently I'd definitely be asking some questions and watching him between now and the end of the season if I was a selector. He's also seen off George Dockrell who I always thought was a decent bowler which suggests he must be decent. He's a left armer too isn't he so I wonder if he might end up vying with Zafar Ansari for the third spinners spot this winter. I just hope they go with the best bowler. We don't need to worry about whether he can bat.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 9, 2016 12:27:03 GMT
Have seen the last two Somerset 50 overs matches against Sussex and Hampshire and have been very impressed with how Somerset have recovered from losing positions in both to win both matches. Lower order are capable with the bat and our bowlers don't give anything away. Now we only have to do the same against Worcestershire and then Warks / Essex to get to final. (Only!!) We seem to be a very hard team to beat, except in 20/20 when any team can beat us, in the 50 over and Championship. I know most on here will be Gloucestershire fans and will probably dislike Somerset but as a Somerset fan wouldn't it be good if both Gloucs (20/20) and Somerset won things this year? Absolutely - nothing would make me happier than a Westcountry cleansweep! I would love it if Somerset won the Championship and the One Day cup while Gloucs won promotion and the T20. I think the Somerset double is the more likely of the 2 to occur though. I like your route in the one day competition - home advantage matters. It strikes me anyone could win it in the Championship really provided the long awaited Yorkshire surge fails to materialise. I still quite like Gloucs chances of promotion despite the dissapointing slip up v Leicester. I'm less convinced about them as a T20 side - especially looking at who is left and how beefed up some of these sides are. I saw Notts beat Essex last night - that was some mighty fine T20 bowling from Mullaney (sp?) and Tahir. If you have that plus Broad, Plus Patel, Plus Ball, Plus Gurney that's a pretty fearsome lineup to score against. Still, you get to finals day and who knows. I was there when Gloucs upset a powerful Lancs team in the 2007 and then Carl Greenidge gave us nightmare's for the rest of our lives..... I saw the game last night too. I really don't like Notts (Steven Mullaney aside). The Surrey of the Midlands. That is all I have to add.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 9, 2016 8:59:01 GMT
Have seen the last two Somerset 50 overs matches against Sussex and Hampshire and have been very impressed with how Somerset have recovered from losing positions in both to win both matches. Lower order are capable with the bat and our bowlers don't give anything away. Now we only have to do the same against Worcestershire and then Warks / Essex to get to final. (Only!!) We seem to be a very hard team to beat, except in 20/20 when any team can beat us, in the 50 over and Championship. I know most on here will be Gloucestershire fans and will probably dislike Somerset but as a Somerset fan wouldn't it be good if both Gloucs (20/20) and Somerset won things this year? I'm a Gloucestershire fan living in Worcester so come on you pears! Worcester are a really talented 50 over side. Brett D'Olivera has developed into a really good white ball leggy and Joe Leach usually seems to make something happen whenever I see him bowl. They have a plethora of good young batsme too and that is their strength (as always seems to be the way with Worcs; Hick and Solanki still give me nightmares!) I saw Tom Fell make an exceptional hundred not out against Lancashire a few weeks ago and Joe Clarke and Tom Kohler-Cadmore are exciting prospects too. I think Kyle Abbott is on international duty now though so that will help Somerset. What's happened to the pitches at Taunton recently wareham? The Championship game against Durham suggested it was a bit of a minefield and I read that Jack Leach took 9 wickets. The one dayer I saw on the TV recently too, in which Tom Abell scored a hundred, was much slower and lower and harder to score on than normal too. Is it just the time of he year or a bit of a ploy to produce some result pitches given that wins have been so hard to come by this season?
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 9, 2016 8:41:00 GMT
It was a really good test match. I went to day three and without anyone really doing anything especially inspired with the ball we just managed to hang on. For a while I thought Misbah was going to bat us out of the game but once we got him out with a bit of good fortune you always felt we could get through their tail relatively quickly. The Oval will be a good test of where we are. The pitches there don't really suit our team. We must have a terrible record their since Swann retired.
Definitely the best I've seen Moeen bowl in the second innings. I think the work he did with Saqlain has helped because I've thought he's been bowling without enough loop since I saw him at Lords against New Zealand in May last year. Runs in the board will have helped too though as it changes the batsmans mindset.
I think Hales, Vince and Ballance are all showing signs that they are trying to adapt their games but Vince looks vulnerable. I think in the subcontinent this winter Moeen will bat at 4 or 5 and will play instead of Vince or Ballance. I know it didn't work out for him as an opener last time out but he's used to batting in the top 4 for Worcester and he is one of our better players of spin. I think Stokes will come in for Finn and Rashid will bat at 9. 4 seamers and 2 spinners has a nice balance I think.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 29, 2016 23:17:19 GMT
Who bowls legspin at them in the nets? I'd pick a bowler in place of Stokes, and I think Ball deserves another crack ahead of Finn, who needs to go away and find some form. Bowling machine or Rashid. They used to bring in club cricketers back along, don't know if they still do. But they will have brought people in to replicate as close as possible Yasir. Agree Ball deserves another chance, not sure that Finn is even best choice for Middlesex at the moment! Think I read that Parkinson the Lancashire leggy was one of the net bowlers. We have a couple of leg spinners who have made promising starts to their professional careers; Mason Crane being the other one at the forefront of my mind. That said we do have a habit of over estimating English wrist spinners probably through sheer desperation. We should have picked Rashid for the last test instead of Vince I think but it's harder to do that now Stokes is injured as I think we need 4 seamers. I reckon we'll make one change. Ball or Finn for Stokes.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 19, 2016 11:21:24 GMT
The whole batting unit was a let down. The top order have all got to 70 or 80 fairly consistently this summer but I can't remember a match winning score from any of them. The middle order lacks experience and with that consistency. They all look like they have technical deficiencies too. Vince plays across the line when it's straight and his foot goes down the pitch rather than to the ball when it's full and wide. Ballance is the same player he was last summer and Bairstow clearly finds it hard against spin (though to his credit he toughed it out second time around).
I don't know what the answer is but I think Ballance at 5 was a step in the right direction. We need some solidity and steel to bat with the dashers. I think we need a bit of experience and I wouldn't completely rule out bringing Bell back at 5. He has a great record in the lower middle order and only ended up losing his place whenever he batted up the order. Failing that maybe an old county pro like Hildrith wouldn't be a bad idea. Someone who knows his game inside out. Players like Rodgers and Voges made a real difference to Australia, although they both had more experience of playing overseas.
I too would pick Rashid. We have 4 seamers and so the need for a holding spinner is less important and I think Rashid would be more of a threat in this series as they have a lot of right handers. Moeen seems to have become obsessed with bowlin as quick as he can. I think it was Ian Bell who told he he needed to bowl quicker to succeed in tests but I think it's too flat and he doesn't get the ball above the batsmans eyeline enough.
Easy to be wise after the event but I've thought Woakes has been on the cusp of a breakthrough for a few years. I saw him bowl really well in T20 finals day the year before last and he handled the occasion really well. He never seemed to have much luck when he played for England but I always thought a run of 4 or 5 tests at the right time would do him the world of good.
Final point, our record on the relatively docile London pitches is dreadful. This does not bode well for next winter.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Jun 10, 2016 12:06:55 GMT
I think Hales has shown enough in this series to suggest he could adapt to test cricket but Compton has had it and I've seen Vince get bowled after defending with a less than straight bat before. That said it would be really unfair to drop him after 4 (or possibly even 3) innings. How long before England decide that Bairstow's runs are too important for him to continue with the gloves? He is one of the top 3 batsmen in the country at the moment and his keeping isn't that good. If Buttler was playing more red ball cricket, Buttler for Compton with Vince moving up to 3 and Bairstow to 5 would be an obvious switch I think. As it is it sounds like Borthwick will come into the side as a top order batsman. I just hope that if the selectors go down that route they pick him purely based on his batting ability rather than with half an eye on this winter. His isn't in the top 10 spin bowlers in this country in my opinion and given how bare the cupboard is that really is saying something! Yeah - they seem very up on Borthwick. He's a decent player and probably as worthy of a chance as anyone else but I agree - I can't help but think that he's at the top of the pecking order largely because he offers something with the ball rather than being considered the superior batting option. England have done the business this morning - Woakes really grabbing the chance with both hands this time around. If he takes wickets in this game there will be pressure on Finn I think. Given how rubbish our top order has been you might as well have YJB, Stokes, Moeen, Woakes as 5-8 and pick 4 all-rounders!
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Jun 10, 2016 11:25:47 GMT
Well England's top order showed it's fragility again today. First time I've watch a full day this year and I thought it was an day's cricket. I was so impressed with how Sri Lanka battled back. They really do have a superb attitude - 2-0 down in the series and a pretty flat pitch and dispiriting first hour, I think a lot of teams might mail it in at that point. But, they really battled like crazy to get back in the game and at times genuinely had England wobbling. If Bairstow hadn't been dropped I think we'd have been in deep trouble. It was just really disciplined defensive bowling and it built pressure up. Genuinely not a bad way to go against a side that has so many players that are not 100% sure of their medium term future in the team. There's a lot of England players who are probably feeling like they need a score or 2 to really cement their place and if they're getting tied down you could see that playing on them a bit. Hales played a terrible shot but it was a product of having failed to score for 20 minutes, Compton I think is finished - he just looks like a beaten man at the moment. Vince got a very good ball to be fair. But it was a very competitive days cricket. England are still in a pretty strong position thanks to Bairstow and Cook but it was a much closer day than it was looking like at one stage. Should get to 400+ tomorrow but you never know - if they sneak one out early with the new ball we might not get to 350 and then this Test Match is nicely set up.
The failure of Vince gives the selectors a bit of headache I think. I'd be inclined to drop Compton but keep Vince for the Pakistan series but there's definitely a debate to be had there. Stokes is presumably coming back in and so accounts for 1 spot. I have to say I'm genuinely a bit worried about our batting - the Pakistan bowling attack is a whole other step up from this. I think Hales has shown enough in this series to suggest he could adapt to test cricket but Compton has had it and I've seen Vince get bowled after defending with a less than straight bat before. That said it would be really unfair to drop him after 4 (or possibly even 3) innings. How long before England decide that Bairstow's runs are too important for him to continue with the gloves? He is one of the top 3 batsmen in the country at the moment and his keeping isn't that good. If Buttler was playing more red ball cricket, Buttler for Compton with Vince moving up to 3 and Bairstow to 5 would be an obvious switch I think. As it is it sounds like Borthwick will come into the side as a top order batsman. I just hope that if the selectors go down that route they pick him purely based on his batting ability rather than with half an eye on this winter. His isn't in the top 10 spin bowlers in this country in my opinion and given how bare the cupboard is that really is saying something!
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Jun 1, 2016 10:41:22 GMT
Well this series been a bit of a mismatch. I think the problem is that the Sri Lankans come to us in April and May and the conditions are totally alien to them. First of all they stand around getting frozen like all cricketers at this time of year and must find it impossible to play anything like their best. It looked as if none of their best players were there or just prefer to play white ball cricket nowadays. Whatever, the crowds must be down and as counties have to guarantee gate money to get a test I bet Durham with all their financial problems must be regretting having one at this time of the year. But well done to Alistair Cook for such an achievement. That he has done this after his problems a few years ago is a testament to how tough he is. Comes over as a mild mannered and pleasant guy, but he must also be a hardened, tough competitor to have done what he has. Well done AC. Yes - I think that's basically it really although worth pointing out the Sri Lankans beat us last time they came over 2 years ago in similar circumstances. Since then their phenomenally impressive batting lineup has been demolished though. We spent the best part of 20 years criminally underrating Sri Lanka and then being surprised when they beat us on a fairly consistent basis in all formats. But, this team is clearly one in transition and asking them to go to Northern Test Grounds in May was always going to be a big ask for their woefully inexperienced batsmen. Their bowlers have generally done the usual decent job in English conditions though - something else we tend to underrated, Sri Lanka often produces very English style seamers that are very suited to early English summer conditions. Chaminda Vaas being the A1 example.
Not sure we've learnt an awful though other than England are pretty much close to unbeatable in English conditions with the ball moving around a bit and so they bloody should be! Broadly speaking though Test Cricket has a big problem - away sides are finding it harder and harder to win. I fully expect us to comfortably beat Pakistan but don't forget we lost to them equally handily in the winter in Dubai. Same thing with India 2 years ago. We even failed to beat an absolutely decimated Windies team last winter. England winning in South Africa was a far bigger achievement than last summer's Ashes in that context.
Hales and Bairstow are the 2 players who have cemented their place in the England side for the summer and beyond with this series. Question marks still over Compton and Vince. Think Lords is Compton's very last chance - dismissal at Durham (though a brilliant catch) was the shot of a man desperately feeling the pressure. I have some sympathy - part of it seems media concocted because they have decided they don't like him. I remain convinced that if Moeen has a future as an England player it is as a middle order batsmen who bowls spin - and I worry that's a pretty longshot to be honest. Jury still very much out there, as glorious as his 150 was. I love watching Moeen but in the long run I'm not sure there will be a place for him although versatility, great attitude and pure talent could yet prove me wrong (I certainly hope so - no better batsman to watch in the country). Cook's 10K is a fantastic achievement - good point made in an article I saw about how lucky we are to have Anderson and Cook having played together for 100 tests. Still think their contributions are quite underrated and won't realise their full value until they are gone. Woakes has done a decent job deputising Stokes just when it looked like he was probably destined to be forever the odd man out. Unless Compton delivers at 3, I'd stick with Vince and give someone else a crack. There are a ton of openers scoring runs in the Championship this season - wouldn't be the worst idea to give one of them a crack at 3.
There aren't that many openers scoring runs in division one though. Stoneman and Robson are the two exceptions and I haven't seen much of Stoneman, nor have I seen Robson since his last test outing. The clamor at the moment seems to be for Borthwick but I can't really offer much insight there either as, since his test debut, I've only seen him bat in limited overs matches. I do agree that Lords is probably Compton's last chance. He seems to struggle to get off strike with a low risk push into the covers or nudge off the hip which is an imperative if you are going to make a success of it at the top level. It's a worry I have of Hales too, although I think he is developing that side of his game. He also has the ability to make good bowling look average once he's well set. If Vince doesn't work out at 5 I wonder if they'll give Hildrith a chance? He's got a damn fine record over a number of years and I've never quite worked out why England haven't given him a go. I agree regarding Moeen too. He's fine when we're playing in England with a 5 man attack but we need better in order to win on flat pitches abroad. Not many other options around at the moment but it looks like the change to giving the away side the option to bowl first in the Championship has helped. Pitches seem to be flatter giving spinners more opportunity. Look at Gloucestershire for example, rather than picking Benny Howells to bowl medium pace, they've picked Jack Taylor to play every game this season. He's bowled 150 overs which I would guess is close to the total overs of spin bowled by Gloucester in the entirety of last season. The likes of Kerrigan, Jack Leach, Ollie Rayner and even Samit Patel have all had really good starts to the season. Woakes is someone I have seen a lot of and I'm always really impressed. What I especially like is that he seems to have a good understanding of what he needs to do in order to improve. In recent years he's developed his inswinger and found an extra yard of pace. I don't think he'll ever replace Stokes in the side but he's a really good understudy. We're lucky to have a couple of good all-rounders.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on May 26, 2016 8:53:13 GMT
I agree with the thrust of the chairman's argument and I've said for years that the Supporters Club should concentrate on doing what they're good at; supporting the board, while a separate entity should represent the fans. In this instance though I think responding publicly was a mistake. A conversation between the two of them behind closed doors in order to attempt to clear the air would have sufficed. Hopefully with this new board and owner there's no reason why we would need two supporters' bodies, which almost by their existence causes discord. We are back with the old argument of BRISA, the Welly 3 and a trust and talk from each, when we really needed a counter voice to the old board, came to nothing. Don't forget we have a Supporters' Liaison Officer: www.fsf.org.uk/slo/slo-for-fans/#LeagueTwo if needed. Let's not open this can of worms again, and accept that gasheads, although numerous and fiercely loyal, are mainly apathetic. Maybe but in my opinion, the biggest thing that stopped GIFT from growing into anything meaningful many years ago was that the Board wanted nothing to do it. Not much point in supporting a body designed to hold the board to account if they won't engage. While at present there appears to be no need things won't also be so rosy. As the adage goes, you should fix the roof while the sun is shining. It would take some nurturing and I think in the short term the board would have to support it, which sounds perverse, but I don't think it's impossible.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on May 26, 2016 8:26:45 GMT
I agree with the thrust of the chairman's argument and I've said for years that the Supporters Club should concentrate on doing what they're good at; supporting the board, while a separate entity should represent the fans.
In this instance though I think responding publicly was a mistake. A conversation between the two of them behind closed doors in order to attempt to clear the air would have sufficed.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on May 24, 2016 12:54:52 GMT
I'm glad the board have offered DC a 3 year deal, but that means nothing other than a PR move if the wage offer is unsatisfactory. I hope for all concerned that it's a bumper 3 year deal that can be signed and sealed and we can get on with the summer break. I want him to stay but not at any cost. I'm sure the board have offered him a contract that reflects his worth to us as a club but I'm sure they will be considering alternatives. There is no point offering him silly money. Perpetual success will lead to further offers, one of which will no doubt prove too good to turn down. Life will go on and having a long term plan and a clearly defined ethos should help us appoint the right successor be that now or sometime down the line. Successful clubs aren't afraid of losing their best players and managers but they have the ability to find replacements of equal or better quality more often than not. From DC's perspective I think they will be hard to turn down regardless of whatever we offer if he feels he can succeed despite their setup. He'd be one good season away from the Premier League. Despite it all, Leeds finished last season mid-table in the second tier; a feat we haven't achieved for 25 years. Our best chance of keeping him is that he concludes that he won't be able to manage the way he wants to at Leeds and that as a result no one could succeed at the club.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Mar 1, 2016 21:38:31 GMT
Decent shirt manufacturer.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
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Post by jackthegas on Jan 26, 2016 19:47:31 GMT
Mixed feelings on this series. Beating South Africa is a good achievement but looking to the long term I can't work out of the pieces are falling into place or not. It almost feels like we won by being the least inept which kind of leaves a hollow feeling.
Stokes and Finn certainly seem to have nailed down the 3rd and 4th seamer spots and Wood is probably our back up. I don't think they'll pick Woakes as the 3rd seamer again but he may deputise for Stokes if he gets injured. Was rubbish this test but unlucky the last couple of times he played for England I think.
Top order is still a mess. No idea what they will do this summer but I think Hales is the least convincing option they've tried and that is saying something. Not convinced by Compton at 3 but I think he will get another go unless Vince starts the season exceptionally well. Taylor is probably the easiest to replace as Ballance is waiting in the wings and is a like for like replacement in terms of tempo but I think Taylor will make it at this level so I would stick with him. Besides, his ability to play spin will be handy next winter.
I was wrong with Bairstow. I thought he did ok with the gloves when I saw him for Yorkshire but his footwork is woeful. Buttler is the better keeper when stood back to the quicks but I think Bairstow will score more runs. I don't think we can pick Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler and Moeen though as they're all too similar so I think I'd stick with Bairstow and hope hard work pays off.
Not convinced by Moeen either. Batting average in the low 20s isn't enough to get him up the order so he has to be judged as a spinner. Lucky for him we've got no one better but he'll have to get better or we'll need better to progress.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Dec 31, 2015 15:43:08 GMT
I think this 'adapting your game if we're 150/1' thing is a bit of a red herring; firstly, it doesn't matter if he plays his natural game in that situation, as we've still got the whackers to come in after him, and secondly, when was the last time we were anywhere near 150/1?! He's earned his chance, let him get on with it. And fortunately, it no longer matters a jot whether Graham Swann liked him and the influence of the 'old guard' will wane as time goes on anyway. Maybe. I'm glad he's back in the side and he's a safe pair of hands but i do think that in the long term we will need someone a bit more adaptable at 3. He is capable of being a bit more expansive when the situation calls for it though. I think the key for him is not being paralysed by fear of failure. Adaptability, or at least showing willing is important. Blocking when we're well ahead would be no different to KP giving it away in the past when we were trying to save games. I did think Swann had a bit of an agenda in the first innings though. I was watching Compton bat when he was on 40 odd and I thought he looked safe as houses. BBC live text kept quoting Swann as saying that he was struggling though.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Dec 31, 2015 14:27:26 GMT
A good win for sure but beating India a away a few years ago was better I think.
I like the balance the England batting line up has. If Hales can succeed at playing his natural game he should be a good foil for Cook. Root and Taylor are both gritty and busy players and then we've got some players who can take the game away from the opposition in a session at 6-9. Much better than the one paced top order we have had recently (although I remain to be convinced that Hales will succeed or that Compton can adapt his game if we're 150-1) and more steel in the middle order than we've had since Collingwood retired.
I thought all of our bowlers were excellent. Even Woakes looked the part. Pace, control and he moved the ball just enough. I think that, in contrast to Moeen and Finn he is an unlucky bowler. We do seem to have a good group of quick bowlers now though which is an improvement on where were last year. If we can find an opener and the recent additions continue to improve then we should have a good 10 years or so.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Nov 4, 2015 13:28:27 GMT
I think James Tredwell is knashing his teeth somewhere. In fairness, the guy never let England down and he was a very good substitute for when Swann couldn't play. Moving Root to opener is a silly idea. He's No.1 in the World right now. Why mess with that? Tredwell's 1st Class record isn't really that good though and he's getting on a bit so didn't fit the image of an England team in rebuild. Not to mention that he lost his place in a poor Kent side this summer and went out on loan so he wasn't exactly banging down the door for this tour party. He only played 2 Tests, for the second one in the West Indies last winter he failed to win us the game on a 5th day wicket against a very average lineup which is known to have a major weakness v spin; I think that combined with his relative age probably sealed his fate as a Test prospect. He was just seen a conservative option. Where I think he does have a grievance is as a one day player - he deserved more chances there than he got; best one day spinner in the country but doesn't have enough variation in the long format. The next cabs off the rank spin wise are Riley at Kent (who took Tredwell's place) and Lilley at Lancs but neither is really ready. Jack Leach at Somerset ended the season very well and could get himself in the frame with a good season. I don't really think we currently have anyone who would have made the difference in this series though really. Tredwell got his place back last season didn't he? I don't think Riley had a great season but he is young and has plenty of time to develop (if the system allows). I don't really rate Lilley. Kerrigan keeps him out of the 4 day side and Lilley is more of a T20 specialist, much like Parry. From the little I've seen of them I like Josh Poysden at Warwickshire and the wonderfully named Mason Crane although my guess is that both may find their progress stunted by the experienced men they shadow. Crane is a teenager too so it could be 10 years before he reaches his potential. I like Moeen but I don't understand his role in this side. Despite a difficult start I think Rashid is a more likely match winner. That leaves Moeen as the man to try and contain, which is more typically and English off spinners role anyway. He struggles with this though. If we were picking a short term stop gap option to help us try and win in the UAE I think Gareth Batty would have been as good an option as any. Players seem to get to 24/25, the age at which they should be nearing their prime, and then get released never to be seen again. Dockrell is a good example. I have seen plenty of him and he is a good bowler. I know Somerset have got options but 15 years ago he'd have been picked up by a County as a second spinner. Azeem Rafiq is another example. Captained England under 19s, Averaged 35 with the ball in first class cricket for Yorkshire, picked up an injury which stunted his development, left in search of games and then disappeared off the face of the Earth. The main problem as I see it is that counties like Gloucester, Leicester, Northants, Derby and Glamorgan can't afford to take a punt on a raw spinner. Both the players I mentioned above would be better for Gloucester in 4 day cricket than Tom Smith and Jack Taylor but a bang average medium pacer offers a far greater and more instant reward than a spinner who might take 5 years of nurturing. That added to the fact that when a pitch offers an abnormal amount of spin, counties get fined makes it bloody tough. I think I'm right in saying that Counties are financially rewarded for having young, english qualified home grown players which also acts as a disincentive for solid county pros. Would cricketers like Martin Ball still play hundreds of first class matches in this era? The counties with money spend it on experienced internationals (Batty, Jeetan Patel, Rehman, Ajmal) rather than giving their own a chance, with a few exceptions, notably Lancashire, Hampshire and Yorkshire. I think we have to find a way of playing more first class cricket in July and August, or even, dare I say it, playing a couple of games in March in the UAE or in the Caribbean.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Nov 2, 2015 13:33:31 GMT
Good first couple of days for England. The seamers were immense yesterday and the spinners did just enough (although aided by some poor cricket from Pakistan). I suspect the wickets they gifted Moeen were as a result of the pressure Anderson and Broad were able to exert.
I thought England batted really well today. On pitches like this you have to keep the opposition in the field and win the battle of attrition. It's hot and we are bound to get some lose stuff tomorrow afternoon if we can bat well tomorrow morning.
It's scandalous that Taylor was left out for so long even more so as he's exactly what England need in the middle order. We have an aggressive middle order and it's important that the players compliment each other. I think Bairstow has done well too. I think 6 is a good place for him. He's a bit too bottom handed but he's gritty and I think that, with the right support, he can become a good test match cricketer. His keeping is under rated too.
Looking to the future, I would ask Root to open in South Africa. I know I'll be on my own here but I think he's ready for the challenge and his technique has tightened up since he last did it. He might end up only average 40 as opposed to 50 at the top of the order but we have options for the middle order. Ballance could come back into the side and he is capable of averaging 40 too. In my opinion, that's a better option than Root averaging 50 and Hayles averaging 20. I might be wrong but I just don't think Hayles is a test cricketer and there are no obvious other options.
A top 5 of Cook, Root, Bell, Taylor and Ballance has 5 cricketers in positions they have all played throughout their career and with Baristow, Stokes and Moeen at 6-8 we'd have a nice balance.
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