jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Sept 12, 2014 11:57:30 GMT
I suspect he is a good guy to have around the dressing room but he's never fully fulfilled his potential. I don't think he scores enough 'tough runs' and a career average in the mid 30s does not suggest that he will be impossible to replace. He's not someone who ever seems to win Gloucester games of cricket which is what you want from your top earners and is what we have got from players like Klinger and Will Gidman over the last couple of years.
I always felt it was likely that either Alex Gidman or Marshall would leave this close season. I would have preferred Marshall to leave as he really has struggled to make an impact in recent years but I guess Gloucestershire will try and keep him, especially if Klinger doesn't return next year.
Hopefully Roderick can stay fit next season as I really rate him. Tavere has had a decent debut season too so if we can sign someone who can score over 1000 runs to bat in the middle order and keep Klinger then I think our batting will be OK especially if Dent and Cockbain can start to fulfill their potential.
Replacing Will Gidman is a hell of an ask though, all the more so as he has been one of our best performers with both bat and ball. Benny Howell has had a good season and his bowling has progressed but he isn't in Gidman's league at the moment. Life would be made easier if we could keep some of our bowlers fit as the likes of Paine and Norwell always seem to be injured.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Sept 5, 2014 9:44:40 GMT
I think the trap we’ve fallen into in the past is picking bits and pieces cricketers. I am not talking about picking jack of all trade types. I think the players I have listed are all genuinely decent cricketers, most of whom have two strings to their bow.
I know what you mean about having a couple of World Class players to hold it together though. Australia only really have Clarke, India have Kohli, South Africa have DeVillers and Sri Lanka have Sangakara. Bell is the obvious man to do that for England but his one day record is dreadful. I don’t think Cook is assertive enough to bat at the top of the order and I don’t think he’s adaptable enough to bat at 4. I guess they are hoping that Root will develop into that player.
Anyway, Cook has started with good intent today. Let’s hope the penny’s dropped.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Sept 4, 2014 21:06:51 GMT
Unusually I disagree with you Irish.
I think England have lost 6 of their last 7 ODI series and we are failing to get the best out of our better players. We've been awful since we lost he Champions Trophey final.
Hales has come into the side and been aggressive in the power play then dropped anchor. That's not how he plays in county cricket. When he gets off to a start he keeps going. Graham Swann has stated that that's the way the management want England to play and I think that's completely wrong. People have commended Moeen's innings the other day but I don't think he'd have come in and been so aggressive had he been batting at 3 and come in after 20 overs. I'm sure he'd have just looked to rotate the strike and play risk free cricket.
Cook even stated that we didn't attack the spinners last week because we'd lost wickets but even the best club players hit a couple over the top early on, push the field back and then take the single. The mentality is all wrong.
The spinner point is a good one and I agree that our county players don't get enough practice against quality spinners but most of the 50 over stuff is played later in the season now so hopefully some of our better spinners will get more of a chance.
I think we have the players to be better than we are at present but we pick players based on their record in test cricket not their performance for the counties in ODI cricket.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Sept 4, 2014 12:42:13 GMT
This one day series has been a nightmare for England.
If they are going to continue to try and build a platform then go hell for leather in the last 10 overs then Cook and Bell have got to start to score hundreds (something Bell has failed to do throughout his ODI career) and they need Trott back.
However, while this approach could yield success in the UK I don't see it being effective in the sub content (where it is easiest to score quickly against a newer ball) or in Australia (where you have to score 300+).
I would like us pick a more dynamic team. We might as well write-off this World Cup and start to build for 5 years time. The squad I would take is something like:
Hayles Vince Bopara Taylor Morgan Moeen Buttler Stokes Woakes Willey Broad
Tredwell Jordan Ballance Kieswetter
All of the bowlers in the squad are front line bowlers but they can hit the ball hard too giving us some depth to our batting. It also includes a left armer who is decent at the death and Woakes who I think has also matured into a decent death bowler with potential to improve further. I was really impressed with him on T20 finals day.
We'd have some dynamic batsmen up top and Taylor and Bopara should be adaptable enough and technically solid enough to hold the innings together.
That would mean no place for Cook, Bell, Root (bit unlucky perhaps), Gurney (Willey is a better batsman and I think he's at least as good a bowler from what I've seen), Anderson (never really rated him as ODI bowler, he's a bit too predictable) or Finn (who I still don't think is back to his best yet but I could be persuaded to take instead of Jordan).
I suspect though we'll keep the same squad for the World Cup, it will be a disaster and then senior players like Cook, Bell and Anderson will retire from ODI cricket giving us a chance to change our approach.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Aug 27, 2014 9:51:26 GMT
If Higgs needed our support he'd have issued a rallying cry at the weekend. His attempt to brush this under the carpet suggests the board don't need the supporters help.
I'm sure you are right and that Sainsbury's are the bad guys in all this but the board have history. I don't trust them.
It's no longer my club. It hasn't been for years.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 28, 2014 17:39:06 GMT
Apart from Clarkson so far it seems that most of last seasons the experienced players are getting signed by Div 2, or better, teams. Which suggests they were good enough just poorly managed. Quite possibly so, Topper. Or perhaps self-motivation comes into the equation somewhere. After all, the manager/coach cannot be held responsible for everything . . . can they? Or maybe as individuals most of the players were good enough but we just lacked balance in the squad and a pace in the final third. I reckon we could have finished in the top half if we had a decent winger, a midfielder who could pass the ball forward and a striker to play off the shoulder. Our defence minded players were fine.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 21, 2014 22:35:59 GMT
Bell and cook are much of a muchness aren't they? Both pretty dull personalities. Synonymous of the age we live in I guess.
I'm well aware that neither Read nor Foster will get a look in. Buttler has been in the squad after all. I just don't think the England side needs another youngster in it at the moment. I'm worried they will ruin Buttler and at this stage his batting isn't sufficiently better than Read's (who I've always thought is very under rated) to make up for his inferior keeping. Regardless of his age we just need to win a match and I think Read is the best option in the short run.
I think Lyth is pretty aggressive. Not in the modern sense perhaps but certainly more so than his contemporaries. Carberry is another one who just gets stuck. Fine in the second division of the county championship where he gets a regular 4 ball to keep him ticking over but I don't think he has the capability to rotate the strike and keep the scoreboard ticking that way. That's just based on what I've seen of him. Certainly wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong though.
Agreed on Stokes too. Rushed back too quickly and will only keep his place if they send Broad off to have an operation I suspect.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jul 21, 2014 21:24:22 GMT
England just keep losing the key sessions. In my opinion they lack leadership especially as the senior players in the dressing room have failed to deliver.
Irish, I agree regarding Swann but the concern at the moment is over a lack of a defensive spinner rather than an attacking one. Even players like Croft, Giles and Such were better than the options we have at the moment. We have some good young spinners but I think picking any of them at the moment would be detrimental to their development,
Australia turned it around by adding the right characters to their talented squad. I think we should try and do the same. Either Read or Foster should play instead of Prior and if we need a spinner Batty should play. Neither are world beaters but they are leaders and that would help cook I think. If the wicket at the rose bowl is green we should stick with Moeen (I would keep him in the side even if it's a turner, I'd leave out one if the seamers if we need a front line spinner).
Broad should go and get iis knee sorted. Jordan should come back in to the side.
Finally, I'd leave out Robson. The balance of the side is wrong at the moment. We need an aggressive opener to complement Cook. Adam Lyth is in great form. Harsh on Robson who I think is a decent player but the balance of the side is important.
Cook gets a stay of execution as captain for now. If things haven't picked up by the end of the summer then I think I'd try Bell. He has done ok when he's captained his county and hasn't got any form to lose.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jun 26, 2014 8:51:00 GMT
I've seen Finn a couple of times this season, all be it once when he was suffering with a bug, and he still looks brittle when someone takes the game to him. Not sure he's ready yet and I think Plunkett doing well last week makes it less likely we'll see Finn in an England shirt this summer. Definitely take your point regarding Stokes. I suppose I shouldn't confuse the media hype surrounding him with selectors backing! If they go with a front line spinner I think they'll have to go with whoever is in form. They might get away without picking a spinner again in the first two tests at Trent bridge and lords though. Even if they do pick one Cook has really struggled to utilise and bring the best out of both Kerrigan and Moeen. He has seemed reluctant to bowl his spinner which can't make his bowler feel particularly confident. So much of spin bowling is between the ears that even a small knock in confidence must have a detrimental affect. Well I dispute that - as a lifelong left arm (non) spinner I have absolutely nothing between the ears.....But it's definitely true that at whatever level you play it's a lot easier if your Captain backs you as a spinner. The last thing you need to be thinking is 'if I concede one more boundary I'm off' etc. Completely detrimental that's bang on. There's definitely an art to managing spinners, particularly less impressive ones or ones that are new to Tests (not so difficult with someone like Swann - 'there's your end Swanny and you can just bowl from there all afternoon!') and Cook may need to think about that. I think he did Kerrigan quite a lot of damage actually. Moeen seems a stronger personality. The problem of who to pick maybe that none of them may be in form of course! I like your shout of Dockerell by the way but I don't see that happening really. Interesting insight into Finn, I was just going by the stats that give the impression he's done quite well but that certainly isn't everything so I defer to you on that if you don't think he's ready. I saw Woakes take 5 wickets in a game early this season yet he wasn't even one of the top 3 bowlers in the Warwicks attack that day. You're certainly right that Plunkett doing well decreases the temptation to rush Finn back. I'm not sure Prior has completely answered critics either. He had a pretty poor game in all departments at Headingley but again there's not a clear standout competitor. Buttler's had a middling season at Lancs - he's done OK but is not screaming out to be picked in Tests and has done little to challenge the idea that the long format is comfortably his weakest area. Ah the old left arm slow bowler! Is your mystery ball the one that actually turns or the one that the batsman thinks might turn but actually still goes straight on?! I saw Woakes in a couple of the one dayers on the TV and I thought he looked more potent than he has done when I've seen him previously. Difficult to judge on TV though and he missed the championship game I saw at Edgbaston in May. Agree with regard to Prior and I'm one of his biggest fans. Buttler's stats look good this year - averaging 47 for Lancashire and has hit 4 fifty's and a hundred, but I haven't seen him play first class cricket this year. He looked a really ropey starter when I saw him bat in the Championship last year though. I think the selectors would like him to have a year or two with Lancashire to really learn how to play the longer form of the game at that level rather than on the test stage. I think the selectors will be delighted that all of the young batsmen hit hundreds and Plunkett and Jordan had a good game each. Not sure you can ask for much more than that, although I think all of the batsmen have technical flaws and are by no means the finished article. They all appear to have good temperaments though which is often enough as long as you have some ability. Cook is testament to that I think. On the other hand all of the established players had limited success. Stating the obvious but it would really help if Cook and Bell could start scoring some big hundreds again and Anderson and Broad could pick up a few five wicket hauls as the young players are bound to be up and down for a while.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jun 25, 2014 23:28:59 GMT
Moeen's completely out of character innings makes a mockery of Pietersons "that's how I bat" comments. Hats off to him. I am starting to think Anderson is done at this level. He's gone from being our best fielder to looking like an old man once he's stiffened up after a bowling spell. Broad is a worry too. He's well down on pace at the moment. I suspect he is carrying a knock but he's had so many injuries I worry that they will catch up with him. It will be interesting to see how they balance the side if it stays dry and they need to pick a front line spinner. Jordan has done well but I think they will want to get Stokes back in. Of the front line spinners Patel at Middlesex and Riley at Kent are the ones in form but they are desperately inexperienced. I wonder whether they might make a play for Dockrell of Ireland and Somerset? Bang on about Moeen in relation to Pieterson's attitude. I think it just might be time to accept that Jimmy isn't going to be able to win us game forever. I think he's still a very good test bowler but he might not be that consistent match winning strike bowler he has been for the last 5 years. Broad's always frustrated the hell out of me - never seems to sling together 2 good performances in a row but is capable of winning games no one else could. Hard to see how you could drop either as the cupboard is a bit bare but perhaps we need to rethink strategy a bit around who does the bulk of the bowling; reducing Anderson's workload might not be the worst idea at his age. Not sure how desperate they are to work Stokes back in. Undoubtedly a quality player but upset a few people with his attitude I think and people have done well in his absence so I think making him work for it is good. Also he's struggled with fitness for a lot of thus season. There may be a case to look at Finn again. As for spinners - all of those are potentially interesting but none have really made the clear case yet with consistent match winning performances. As you say the balance of the attack is a problem and with Monty out of the equation they'll have to take a punt on someone for August tests. No one clearly stands massively out really. I've seen Finn a couple of times this season, all be it once when he was suffering with a bug, and he still looks brittle when someone takes the game to him. Not sure he's ready yet and I think Plunkett doing well last week makes it less likely we'll see Finn in an England shirt this summer. Definitely take your point regarding Stokes. I suppose I shouldn't confuse the media hype surrounding him with selectors backing! If they go with a front line spinner I think they'll have to go with whoever is in form. They might get away without picking a spinner again in the first two tests at Trent bridge and lords though. Even if they do pick one Cook has really struggled to utilise and bring the best out of both Kerrigan and Moeen. He has seemed reluctant to bowl his spinner which can't make his bowler feel particularly confident. So much of spin bowling is between the ears that even a small knock in confidence must have a detrimental affect.
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jun 25, 2014 21:43:39 GMT
*WOW* What a finish, Sri Lanka taking the last wicket with 2 balls to go. Reminds me of the 2005 Ashes at Edgbaston I think it was when we beat them with 2 runs to spare, it was that close. We really are on a downward spiral, it says a lot when we can't beat Sri Lanka at home in a test series. That's 8 matches now in a row in which we haven't won a single game. Getting a bit worrying now. What discipline, because on no level is he that kind of player. I'm not sure he's ever played an innings like that before but he reigned in his attacking instincts and was 2 balls from being an England legend only to have it taken away from him at the last through no fault of his own; cruel. I think he's done enough to win over England fans though, which is good because he's an exciting player who deserves a good run in the side. Jordan was also a positive I think and Robson and Ballance did well. Plunkett's performance at Headingly was good. Question marks really are over Jimmy and Broad's failure to win this game for us with the ball; it was set up for them and basically they were outbowled by an inexperienced Sri Lankan attack. Along with Cook's awful run, these are the questions that need asking. India series will be good I think - both us and India are in a similar rebuilding stage. Moeen's completely out of character innings makes a mockery of Pietersons "that's how I bat" comments. Hats off to him. I am starting to think Anderson is done at this level. He's gone from being our best fielder to looking like an old man once he's stiffened up after a bowling spell. Broad is a worry too. He's well down on pace at the moment. I suspect he is carrying a knock but he's had so many injuries I worry that they will catch up with him. It will be interesting to see how they balance the side if it stays dry and they need to pick a front line spinner. Jordan has done well but I think they will want to get Stokes back in. Of the front line spinners Patel at Middlesex and Riley at Kent are the ones in form but they are desperately inexperienced. I wonder whether they might make a play for Dockrell of Ireland and Somerset?
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on Jun 5, 2014 10:45:08 GMT
Cook* Robson Bell Root Ballance Ali Prior+ Jordan Broad Plunkett Anderson Woakes
What do we think then?
Despite all the uncertainty I think that's the squad most punters were predicting with the exception of Woakes who has been picked at the expense of Stokes. I think he will be the name on that list to miss out though.
Clearly the lack of a first class spinner is far from ideal and despite the inclusion of Jordan and Plunkett the seam attack is still fairly one dimensional. Three of them bowl between 85-90mph and will bowl back of a length. Having said that I don't think there is a test class left armer or 90mph+ bowler in County cricket at the moment. Finn certainly has the potential but I think they are right to leave him in County Cricket for a season. Others like Jamie Overton, Meaker and Mills can bowl quick but are no where near ready yet.
Not surprised they've gone with Robson although his form does seem to have dropped away a bit recently. I also think that in modern cricket you need an opener who is prepared to take the attack to the opposition which isn't really Robson or Cook's game so it will be interesting to see how that partnership develops. The batting attack looks a bit one paced in general actually, although Ballance and Ali are both pretty aggressive middle order batsmen in first class cricket I think (seen more of Ballance than Ali).
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jackthegas
David Pritchard
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 313
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Post by jackthegas on May 31, 2014 6:36:03 GMT
Can I have David Pritchard please?
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