***Official** West Indies in England***

[Richard]

at least geraint looked interested. i read a very worrying article in the times just after the development squad had been announced, it was about how prior really dislikes keeping wicket, and how he often lets his over confidence in himself turn into arrogance, not a team man by any means according to the article.

Who wrote that?

 

[Richard]

being a middlesex follower i've seen a fair amount of him. he can be a bit of a mindless biffer at times, not much thought goes into his batting, he sees, he hits. thats about it. works at county level, would fail at international level.

A sadly common pattern at the domestic level!

Jones, Prior, Nash, Sutton, Mustard, Adshead, Gazzard (though he didn't even come-off at the domestic level), Batty, the list goes on...

Then you have those who're useful nurdlers and hardly ever play any real flowing strokes like Robert Charles, Hegg, Blakey, Rhodes and Nixon.

 

[UncleTheOne]

hmmm, was either cmj or the times other major cricket writer, can't believe i've forgotten.

 

[Pup Clarke]

A sadly common pattern at the domestic level!

Jones, Prior, Nash, Sutton, Mustard, Adshead, Gazzard (though he didn't even come-off at the domestic level), Batty, the list goes on...

Jon Batty an attacking batsmen?.

 

[UncleTheOne]

heres hoping the selectors realise what a huge mistake they've made ignoring james foster, and that steven davies is the real deal.

 

[Pup Clarke]

@ Davies average this season, a measly 5.5

Dismissed by Hoggard for 0 today.

 

[Richard]

Jon Batty an attacking batsmen?.

Um... yeah, everso slightly.

Scored 164* in a one-day game once IIRR. It was certainly something like that, possibly 144* actually.

And has played some incredibly fast innings in the longer game, too.

 

[Richard]

hmmm, was either cmj or the times other major cricket writer, can't believe i've forgotten.

Haha, that was the point, if it was CMJ I'd be very interested indeed, because for him to make such a grevious accusation would be unusual indeed, and I'd be inclined to take it deadly serious.

I'm actually not sure who The Times' other major writer is.

 

[UncleTheOne]

hoggard, on a damp, breezy yorkshire spring day= batsmens worst nightmare

the guys only 20, we'll see in time if he lives up to the hype.

 

[Richard]

@ Davies average this season, a measly 5.5

Dismissed by Hoggard for 0 today.

No ing matter, TBH. Though the season's none too old yet, of course.

He'd not be the first to get out to Hoggard, though. EDIT: UTO's beaten me to it.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Um... yeah, everso slightly.

Scored 164* in a one-day game once IIRR. It was certainly something like that, possibly 144* actually.

And has played some incredibly fast innings in the longer game, too.

Just thought of him as someone who batted time in the 4 day game compared to the ultra aggresive players like a Jones, Prior or a Mustard.

 

[UncleTheOne]

btw, when is englands squad for the first test announced?

 

[Richard]

Just thought of him as someone who batted time in the 4 day game compared to the ultra aggresive players like a Jones, Prior or a Mustard.

Haha, nooooo. Perhaps not quite as bad as Prior or Mustard (Jones barely scores a run these days) but certainly a strokeplayer par extreme. Playing at The Oval, of course, encourages that sort of thing, with generall flat pitches and decent-size boundaries.

 

[Richard]

btw, when is englands squad for the first test announced?

Later today, I presume?

 

[marc71178]

I don't know why Shah fell behind Joyce in the pecking-order

In the grand scheme of things, I don't think Shah was ever actualy ahead of Joyce in the pecking order...

 

[Richard]

Was Joyce unavailable for the India tour or sumate? Can't remember.

 

[marc71178]

btw, when is englands squad for the first test announced?

Sunday I believe - they usually are.

My bet is there'll be an extended squad to cover for the doubts over Pietersen and Vaughan.

Would guess at.

Vaughan (c if fit)
Strauss(c if not)
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Joyce
Shah
Flintoff
Nixon
Panesar
Plunkett
Harmison
Hoggard

With Plunkett the unlucky bowler and Joyce and Shah to miss out if Pietersen and Vaughan are fit.

 

[marc71178]

Was Joyce unavailable for the India tour or sumate? Can't remember.

Yes, on account of not being English at the time!

 

[Richard]

Haha, serious...?

Clean forgot he only completed his qualification in 2006... but it'd have been (and was) unfair for him to leapfrog Shah IMO once Shah got the debut he got.

 

[Prince EWS]

Haha, serious...?

Clean forgot he only completed his qualification in 2006... but it'd have been (and was) unfair for him to leapfrog Shah IMO once Shah got the debut he got.

As Marc said though, he didn't leapfrog him - he was just never behind him. Shah simply failed to leapfrog Joyce.