The Awful Awfully New Newer Cricket Cricketing Thread

[the midnight watch baboon]

Rain may save you!

England's fielding has been sub standard this summer, both Amla and especially Ab should have been caught.

Cook dropping Peterson at Leeds was mega costly too.

But, we've a couple of wickets and're back in it!

[rjd2]

South Africa historically aren't the best in these type of situations, they will want 350 or so lead to feel comfortable because this pitch is fine.

[rjd2]

So then what are the alternatives to Stauss apart from Root? I don't follow County Cricket as closely as I used to so I am curious about possible replacements?

I suppose the one consolation for Strauss is it is England and their piss poor bowlers next so he has to fancy some runs even if he isn't in much form.

[The Duck Man]

So then what are the alternatives to Stauss apart from Root? I don't follow County Cricket as closely as I used to so I am curious about possible replacements?

No outstanding candidate. Root would be the most likely option, there's also Michael Carberry, capped against Bangladesh under Flower. He had a very good end to last season after coming back from a heart murmur (or similar - I know there were doubts to whether he could fly) but is only averaging 30 in the Championship this year. He came back today for Hampshire after being out for two months. Good fielder too, supposedly.

Nick Compton's leading the county batting charts and used to open for Middlesex, but bats in the middle-order for Somerset. He did open against Australia A in Manchester earlier in the month, scoring 46, but was a DNB in the second innings and didn't play in the second match in the series. He was replaced by Varun Chopra, who had an excellent start of the season for Warwickshire last year - he's averaging 37 in first-class cricket this summer. Alex Hales would be an outside bet, but he's perceived as a one-day specialist at the moment, I think - he's only averaging 28 in the longer-form this year.

[biggytitbo]

This is slightly exciting...

[biggytitbo]

Awesome effort by the tail, but you have to blame Strauss, Cook and bell for being so gash.

[Harry Badger]

Is Strauss going to become the third England captain seen off by Graeme Smith?

[alcoholic messiah]

This afternoon, at 4:30, the batting averages for the series looked like this:



Here are the sortable batting and bowling[nb]Perhaps it wasn't such a wise idea to drop our top performing bowler for the third test...[/nb] averages for the series.

Despite competitive second and third tests, the average runs per wicket of each team confirms the superiority of the Saffers in this series.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Especially not when Pietersen took 4 wickets. Dreadful errors. I still feel that Swann's dodgy elbow might have triggered it though.

I think apart from the catching which was a disgrace, we can hold our heads up after this game. It was very close, and we were in it all the way through.

While Philander made Alistair Cook his bitch, and Morkel to Strauss, we didn't quite have that level of fear over them. Finn showed that he is a top class bowler with wicket taking ability- structuring an over to improve his economy rate will come to him as he gets older.

South Africa can't keep on with ABDV keeping and batting though- thismust be a one off because the summit was in sight- they will have to drop a batsman and that's when they might start having some problems. All their keepers are seemingly shite at batting. Smith and Petersen opening can be got at, and eventually they won't have Kallis to rely on as a fourth seamer and awesome batter.

[rjd2]

Aye, Ab has to be a short term option and no more, it will only affect his batting and also you are depriving your team of a beast of a fielder when he is keeping wicket.

The wicket keeper in the squad has some poor batting stats, they do have alternatives who on paper at least seem somewhat competent.

Kuhn

http//www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/45955.html

Vilas

http//www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/262456.html



Rudolph probably should make way, Duminy was quite impressive in the last two tests batting with the tail and also offers a decent alternative bowling option.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

And he's nice and black.

(Srsly tho he does deserve to be there on merit over Rudolph)

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-new-zealand-2012/engine/current/match/565817.html

Another baffling selection by New Zealand here, picking four seamers and one 'spinner', or Jeetan Patel if you don't like that description of him. They've all been pretty expensive and ineffective, though Boult once again has something about him. Watling and Brownlie are out, which isn't too surprising as they didn't offer much, but the side is still probably the weakest I can remember.

India have only seen fit to pick Zaheer and Yadav, which means if Zaheer breaks down again poor old Yadav will be the only pace option. Might not matter- Ashwin may well pick up 8-9 wickets in this match.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-under19-world-cup-2012/engine/current/match/554560.html

Absently clicking on the Under 19 World Cup results I noticed West Indies had picked the slowest scoring cricketer of current times to open the innings! And he did okayish, with a strike rate of 65. Oh to have watched him scything away those two fours he scored!

Tournaments like these are useful to see the opposition coming through. Unlike in England where they are obsessed with giving a cricketer a fully rounded first class career, some of these guys will be featuring for West Indies, Bangladesh, New Zealand etc very soon, or in some cases, such as Brathwaite, have already.

This guy has scored 2 centuries in the tournament and will probably be knocking on the door of the one-day team for Bangladesh soon:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-under19-world-cup-2012/content/player/380354.html
Played the same amount of first class games as David Warner who is 25 years old.

[rjd2]

I actually thought New Zealand would do a little bit better batting then they are at the moment,they have had some high scoring draws with India recently, pitch is ok and unlike India they have been playing test cricket recently.But alas its up to James Franklin who for reasons unknown is considered as some sort of a 20/20 specialist these days to save them along with the tail.

Would be nice for Sachin to get some runs for confidence and all that with Australia and England on the way.
Also

Raina been picked again? Rohit Sharma hang your head in shame~!

At least they have dropped Ishant so some credit their!

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

What a shambles. The top order have once again failed. Unsurprisingly New Zealand clueless against Ashwin and even Ojha getting in on the act. Worries about picking two seamers look to be illfounded- they've only bowled 8 overs between them so far. Could've got away with one.

The scorecard says it all really- awful shot selection and batsmen not sure whether to block or take them on, and failing either way.

There's no batting to come, they are going to fall to an innings defeat.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-new-zealand-2012/engine/current/match/565817.html

And they did. Should've put a bet on, as that was one of the surer results in test cricket.

Kruger van Wyk has now had 11 innings in test cricket with an average of 18 and top score of 39. When you consider his quite respectable pedigree, got to wonder what's going on there.

[The Duck Man]

ECB presser at Lord's at 12 tomorrow with Hugh Morris, announced half an hour ago, with no one-to-ones afterwards. Then Giles Clarke available to media at 2pm at Derby.

Bizarre. You'd guess Strauss is retiring - Graeme Smith strikes again.

[rjd2]

Or Flower is leaving, Strauss has a good record against India so I'd expect he would back himself to get runs their.

Poor from England today, sub standard fielding, Amla dropped and unimpressive bowling from Bresnan towards the end, the batting wasn't much fun either, way to many gifted wickets. I'd like to see Bairstow and Woakes to get an opportunity next game. Ravi really doesn't inspire me to much really.

[rjd2]

Kruger van Wyk has now had 11 innings in test cricket with an average of 18 and top score of 39. When you consider his quite respectable pedigree, got to wonder what's going on there.

Most of his runs were in New Zealand domestic cricket weren't they? So therefore I wouldn't be to excited, so many players capped over the years from their with monster domestic records only to fail miserably in Test cricket.

Not sure what tvey can do though about him, they have tried every wicket keeper in the country and all have failed and Mc Cullum doesn't want the gloves. Even if he did would it matter? Obviously it would be nice to have room for a specialist batsman, but all their reserves are failures, bloody Franklin is in the team!


If Ryder could stop been such an arse and sort himself out then he would boost the side but apart from that slim pickings.

[rjd2]

Ducky was correct, Strauss is gone. Runs haven't really flowed over the last few years except against the piss poor West Indies attack. I really thought he would have toured India as he has a fine record their and I don't think their bowling is anything special really.

Anyways replacements? Joe Root will be the favorite, Carberry was suggested on the previous page but I think his time has passed, maybe Compton?
They could rejig the order either, Trott to open and Bell at three. Someone like hildreth, Taylor or Morgan in the middle order.  Problems with that scenario, Bell's figures when batting at 3 were nothing special and it does leave a brittle middle order especially if KP does not return.

[Harry Badger]

Some internet rumours that Strauss may stand for the Tories in the forthcoming Corby by-election. He apparently raised £25,000 for them last year.

My opinion of him has dropped faster than an Alastair Cook slip chance.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Fuck, I hope that's not true.

Anyway, a great leader and at times a great batsman, his centuries against the Australians in particular stand out, and his captaincy won people over, it was idea for the personnel at his disposal.

Transition again, I think we will slip back into Moores-era mediocrity for a little while. I don't think the Pietersen situation is going away either.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Didn't see this coming, but New Zealand look to be posting a half-decent total, with the advantage of batting first. The man I was berating has finally scored some runs and Ross Taylor with a classy century. Must be a featherbed as Yadav was destroyed. The next Indian seamer to be run into the ground, unless he's dropped of course.

[Nobody Soup]

the whinging from somerset about kartik mankading one of their batsman is pathetic. one of my pet hates is complaining about mankading. kartik warned him, as I think a bowler should, and the batsman was still coming way down the crease, I don't see how mankading someone is against the spirit but trying to take a 5 yeard head start on a run isn't.

[rjd2]

Agreed, lad was warned, as a professional cricketer he should know better.

Anyways any chance to post this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvCKacRIkDk

I never seen Ashwin to move so quick before!


Anyways, how shit does Clarke think XXX Doherty is not to give his main spinner a game in the UAE, Ricky Ponting would be proud. The Pakistan opener Jamshed looks a real prospect, needs to lose weight and is unproven outside sub continent but already a much better option than the useless Farhat.


http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan-v-australia-2012/engine/current/match/571146.html

[rjd2]

This series has done little for the reputation of Faf Du Plesis.

[biggytitbo]

Shite batting performance from England. Another 20 runs and we might have had a chance.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

This series has done little for the reputation of Faf Du Plesis.

He and Ryan McLaren, I have no idea what they add. In McLaren's case, one of the worst cases in recent history of failing to convert first class form into international cricket. Faf Du Plessis doesn't even have that much of an outstanding case to be in the side in the first place.

[The Duck Man]

Surely the ultimate example of South African rotated-in dross is Justin Ontong?[nb]32, 28 ODIs over 11 years, batting average 13.14, high score 33, 9 wickets at 44.[/nb]

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Haha. I don't remember him at all. Wasn't there a guy called Van Der Meurwe who was similarly bits-and-pieces and not much when it came to it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roelof_van_der_Merwe There was! Is!

Oh and- Anderson bashes Michael Vaughan as England cricket captain:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/19535313

I don't like Vaughan that much as a person- he disappeared up his own arse after 2005 as well as batting like a useless tosser from then on, but his record suggests that he was wrong. His only real job, when it comes to it, was to make England win. Inheriting Nasser Hussain's squad, Vaughan helped transform our results and turn us into a respectable outfit, which we have been for the last 10 years. His eventual record is worth holding in higher regard than Strauss' because he had an inferior batting line-up and no quality spinner at any point. His bowling plans and field placings were often imaginative and astute and he understood the psychology of the opposition as well as the team dynamic very well.

He didn't do much for James Anderson, is what he means. And that's certainly true, Anderson's record pre-2007 compared with the Strauss era are like two different people.