***Official*** English Domestic Season 2008

[gettingbetter]

Although, its pretty strange how Langeveldt was given clearance to play whilst Friedel de Wet, Justin Kemp, Andrew Hall and Johan van der Wath were all refused permission to play by the ECB not because of their ties with the ICL (in the cases of the latter three) but due to their prior involvement with the South African national team (de Wet with RSA A) in the past twelve months. Yet, Charl was only playing for South Africa last month…

I don't really understand that, Bond and Klusener are still playing and they were with the ICL.

 

[gettingbetter]

S. Jones not playing today, I'm guessing he may be a 4 day specialist.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Brad Hodge has jumped ship to the IPL for five weeks. Faf du Plessis should be arriving in the UK anytime soon so presumably he will just slot in for Hodge and despite being a part-timer Faf’s leg-spin is probably no worse than what Marshall sends down as well.

Bit harsh on Marshall there I think - he's no real force in First-Class cricket but in the shorter stuff he is more than handy. I've no idea of what du Plessis bowls exactly though? Is it orthodox leg-spin?

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Might be a chance of an upset there - Lancs are missing a couple of key players.

I think I was perhaps a bit over-cautious. Scotland 24-6 after 12.4 overs. Two for Anderson, one each for Chapple and Smith and bizarrely two run outs.

 

[gettingbetter]

Another 50 for Bopara, great start to the season for him, hopefully he can get a start in the ODI team.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Just watching Notts play Ireland (the former 112/4 off 33 FTR). Voges just gone LBW for a well-made 60 to bring Read on.

Instantly the debate goes to "should he play for England"; Allott performs one of the more adroit pieces of fence-sitting one's likely to hear "Shabbily treated by last regime, great keeper, attacking in one-dayers, but will he score enough runs?, yadda, yadda".

& Samit Patel goes for 28 as I type. LBW on the front-foot. Looked stone-dead to be fair. 114/5. Swann comes in.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Ireland chasing 218. Porterfield opens his account with a 4 off Sid's 4th ball. Rank half-volley. & another off the last ball too. Not a great opening over from England's current champion.

Shreck takes the new-ball with Sidebottom, which is maybe a slight surprise with Broad in the team too. Good bowling line-up Notts have actually: Sidebottom, Broad, Shreck, Ealham & Swann with Pattison missing out this game.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Bit disappointing to see Adil Rashid being ushered towards a batsman who bowls leg spin part time. Hope he becomes more than a bit part 6th bowler as the season goes on.

 

[Goughy]

Bit disappointing to see Adil Rashid being ushered towards a batsman who bowls leg spin part time. Hope he becomes more than a bit part 6th bowler as the season goes on.

Ive never seen him play, but the insiders whispers Ive always heard is that his legspin is very ordinary.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Ive never seen him play, but the insiders whispers Ive always heard is that his legspin is very ordinary.

Well he's 20 and if he's not gonna bowl in matches then he'll stay very ordinary.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Ive never seen him play, but the insiders whispers Ive always heard is that his legspin is very ordinary.

Harsh, I'd say. Only seen him bowl four overs & based on that I don't think he'll ever be an absolutely massive turner of the ball because he delivers it with a very high arm action and seems to push it through quite briskly. Obviously it was a one day game I saw him bowl in, so he might give the ball more air in the longer game. He's supposed to have a googly, but he didn't bowl it when I saw him. Shahid Afridi is probably the closest reference point, bowling-wise.

He's very accurate tho, it must be said, especially for a junior leggie. Bowled his four overs for only ten runs & the pitch offered as much help to spinners as you'd expect an April pitch in Duham too. I would imagine he'll make his ODI or 20/20 debut before the end of the summer.

 

[Goughy]

Harsh, I'd say. Only seen him bowl four overs & based on that I don't think he'll ever be an absolutely massive turner of the ball because he delivers it with a very high arm action and seems to push it through quite briskly. Obviously it was a one day game I saw him bowl in, so he might give the ball more air in the longer game. He's supposed to have a googly, but he didn't bowl it when I saw him. Shahid Afridi is probably the closest reference point, bowling-wise.

He's very accurate tho, it must be said, especially for a junior leggie. Bowled his four overs for only ten runs & the pitch offered as much help to spinners as you'd expect an April pitch in Duham too. I would imagine he'll make his ODI or 20/20 debut before the end of the summer.

Interesting. All my info is 2nd and 3rd hand but people seem to think he is too slow through the air. Maybe he has made massive changes in the past 12 months.

Id be interested where those in the know rank him compared to Lawson as purely a legspinner.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Interesting. All my info is 2nd and 3rd hand but people seem to think he is too slow through the air. Maybe he has made massive changes in the past 12 months.

Id be interested where those in the know rank him compared to Lawson as purely a legspinner.

On the sky game i saw him on last year, he bowled it slow and turned it square. Wasnt a one day game though, maybe thats how he bowls in the shorter form of the game as he feels he'll go for too many if he tosses it up.

 

[BoyBrumby]

On the sky game i saw him on last year, he bowled it slow and turned it square. Wasnt a one day game though, maybe thats how he bowls in the shorter form of the game as he feels he'll go for too many if he tosses it up.

Could be. Was consistently up near 60mph when I saw him & hardly gave it any air at all.

 

[Pup Clarke]

I would imagine he'll make his ODI or 20/20 debut before the end of the summer.

Haha, not a chance. He's played only 8 List-A matches and done poorly.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Haha, not a chance. He's played only 8 List-A matches and done poorly.

Form's not how we generally pick our ODI team tho. If a chap looks like he might be made of the right stuff as often as not he plays in the one day team before the test team to give him a taste of international cricket, regardless of actual aptitude for the format. Happened with Strauss & Tremlett and they're both v ordinary one day players.

Not saying it's right or wrong, but it does happen.

 

[Prince EWS]

Form's not how we generally pick our ODI team tho. If a chap looks like he might be made of the right stuff as often as not he plays in the one day team before the test team to give him a taste of international cricket, regardless of actual aptitude for the format. Happened with Strauss & Tremlett and they're both v ordinary one day players.

Not saying it's right or wrong, but it does happen.

Tremlett's List A stats/career/form at the time actually justified his selection to some extent, really.

 

[gettingbetter]

Swann seems to be rather comfortable in the team too. I doubt Rashid will come in too early (possibly 22+), if Swann can out do Montymania, he is doing something right.

 

[Prince EWS]

Swann seems to be rather comfortable in the team too.

He should be, but isn't. He got dropped in New Zealand.

 

[gettingbetter]

For Monty? I can't recall too much from the ODI series there except the NZ openers blasting the English bowling attack.