The Cricket Thread

by **Baxter** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 5:55 pm

Juneau20 wrote:
Baxter wrote:
Juneau20 wrote:Dreadful performance by pretty much all. The one thing I keep asking myself is why exactly is Vaughan still in the team? Taking aside his captaincy, his batting form is utterly dire, he doesn't bowl (though he can) and can hardly field, so why do others have to suffer whilst he stays in on captaincy alone?

I was talking about this today; granted Collingwood has been out of form but Vaughan has been far, far worse!

I'd also take into account that Colly's been extremely unlucky with decisions, whilst Vaughan seems to get out to anything that's pitched even remotely up in the slot.

or even those that are pitched halfway down the track

by **Juneau20** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:57 pm

And those. It's hard to believe this is the same bloke that only 2/3 years ago was consistently scoring 150/200 every test inning.

by **Juneau20** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:45 am

Well, what a shambles all that was. Bizarre selection tactics, tired bowling and a real lack of commitment. Drop Pattinson who just isn't international quality, get Collingwood back in however they can, and get one of Sidebottom/Harmison/Hoggard back in the team.

by **recluse** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:36 pm

just seen Harmison in the 20/20 quarters and he seems to have his fire back. My team for the next test would be:

Vaughan (c)
Cook
Strauss
Pieterson
Bell
Shah (surely he deserves a chance, he was brilliant in the ODI's)
Prior/Foster
Flintoff
Anderson
Harmison
Panesar

Sidebottom and Broad just miss out, but they will be back. I'm not sure they have the penetration to skittle out the South Africans. I've been reading a lot of rubbish about Broad being good enough to bat at 6, this will never happen. I would be happy if he averaged 25 ish and could be a good number 8 (in the mold of Vettori)

I would pick Prior if his keeping has improved, otherwise foster has to be given another chance. His batting has improved greatly and he's always been a good keeper.

I would open the batting with Vaughan. He has always performed best as an opener in test cricket and I Think it would have little effect on Strauss.
We would also be opening with a Right,Left Hand partnership.

I feel pretty bad for Collingwood but he is in dire form. Soon as he makes a hundred for Durham then whip him back in. Shah is the best replacement at the moment, but Bopara is hot on his tail. Bopara needs to get mentaly tough, but he has all the shots. He reminds a bit of a young Ian Bell, technically beautiful but gets out playing wafty shots.

by **Bassmonger** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:46 pm

You can't drop Broad, that's crazy talk. And is Harmison really looking that good? I'd rather see (a hopefully consistent) Hoggard in than him. Our strike bowlers are a bit shit at the minute, to be fair...so let's go "line and length", as everyone's favourite wifebeating egomaniac would no doubt say.

As for Piggy Vaughan...well, if he wasn't captain, his place would have been in danger long before now.

by **sam yon go** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 1:57 am

man saturday was a pretty difficult day to watch! it was like bowling against a brick wall.

i don't get why shah hasn't been played.

by **Juneau20** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 6:28 am

Drop Broad? Is someone having a laugh...

He's been easily one of our best batsmen so far, which is saying something. If anything, he's the one bowler that shouldn't be dropped.

by **jimgoessolo** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 10:32 pm

Today really was quite gutting.

Four bleedin' runs...

Robert Key remains an utter legend in my eyes nonetheless.

Saying that, a great day of cricket, really just utterly enjoyable. Fairplay to Middlesex, they deserved it on the basis of their bowling (which was nothing less than solid, the spinners were excellent) and the big batting performances from Doodah and Shah.

by **Juneau20** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:15 pm

Broad's been dropped for tomorrow's test, further evidence if any were ever needed of England's selectors incompetence.

by **Baxter** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:26 pm

Juneau20 wrote:Broad's been dropped for tomorrow's test, further evidence if any were ever needed of England's selectors incompetence.

Agreed, ridiculous.

In other news I hit the winning runs for our team tonight and took my 9th catch of the season - win next week and we're champions

Website · by mark* » Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:55 pm

vaughan out, he's been shit for ages. pietersen or collingwood could do the captain job, between them if necessary, and it wouldn't be a waste of a batting spot. shah should be in there. i'd back hoggard, broad and anderson to bowl - hoggard is at least reliable and takes as many wickets as the more glamorous bowlers.

by **Juneau20** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:36 am

Vaughan out first ball, you just couldn't make it up.

by **huxley pig** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:37 am

Vaughan gone for a golden duck he must be in real danger of losing his place now.

by **Juneau20** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:42 am

You know as well as I do that there's absolutely no chance in hell Vaughan'll be dropped.

by **huxley pig** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:59 am

Juneau20 wrote:You know as well as I do that there's absolutely no chance in hell Vaughan'll be dropped.

When he is playing fluently there are not many better to watch but the harsh truth is he has been average at best for a while. I think there is more chance of Moores going than him being dropped.

by **Juneau20** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:33 pm

Comedic ending there. Flintoff knows he needs to take the bulk of the strike, so he goes and calls two stupid run-outs in consecutive balls to ensure he can't get it. Clever.

by **-Steve-** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:40 pm

231 is simply not good enough drop Vaughan now

by **-adam-** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:09 pm

Freddie is back.

by **Wilcox** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:44 pm

-adam- wrote:Freddie is back.

Just shows that England need an out and out pace bowler in the attack not just Swingers and Monty.

by **-adam-** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:58 pm

And a bit of good old fire in the belly!

by **huxley pig** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:59 pm

The problem is when Freddie is taken out of the attack there is no one to continue applying pressure. In the ashes we had Harmison and Jones to keep the pace and aggression up. However in saying that Anderson bowled well in the evening without much luck.

by **Bassmonger** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 10:23 am

Rubbish. A decent attempt to rally, but ultimately not good enough. None of them play with any brains. The tail-enders should just leave it if we've not set a big enough target, and the ball's not heading for them or the stumps. Pietersen has the brains of a rocking horse. And Vaughan still needs dropping.

by **Bassmonger** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 12:17 pm

Vaughan's stood down as captain then. About time. There's no reason he can't start piling on the runs for Yorkshire and get picked for England again, but I think it's about time someone else got a chance for now.

Not that (m)any English batsmen are good enough, mind...

by **-adam-** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 1:18 pm

You've got to wander if they watch other teams bat. The amount of times our top order gets caught behind wafting at a ball which is nowhere near anything is ridiculous. Even worse compared to how often other teams do it. I'm constantly shouting 'leave the bastard thing' at the TV.

by **gergory** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 12:00 pm

Pietersen as captain, that could change things a bit. I think he will be ok though.


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