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**Official** New Zealand in England

Flem274*

Flem274*

123/5
Athlai said:
My plan of raping you was destined to fail from the very word go, everyone knows you can't rape the willing (age plus 16).
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Ah well, I'm sure Heath wouldn't mind taking my place....

Funny how I always shift everything onto Heath, Richard or PEWPEW. I'll think of somebody else to use as a substitute now.
 
Prince EWS

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Richard said:
You might as well open with Shah, Collingwood or Bopara as the wicketkeeper. They're all likely to do an equally poor job.
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Yeah, but you'd waste them. The batting of the keeper is of less importance.

Anyway, the argument wasn't that the keeper should be thrust up to open just because he's the keeper. The argument was that a keeper who also happened to be a one-day opening batsman would suit the balance of the England team perfectly at present, which explained the initial selection of Mustard.

As it stands, I'd simply have to leave Dimitri M out. I don't particularly like the idea of Ambrose at 6 with Swann, Broad of DM at 7. I'd of course have Trott in for Bopara if I was selecting the team from scatch and I've said that several times, but now that Bopara has been picked you have to give him a fair run unless you want a different balance.
 
Richard

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Prince EWS said:
Yeah, but you'd waste them. The batting of the keeper is of less importance.
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Is it? I'd say the batting of the least capable batsman is of less importance. Currently we've no evidence that either Shah or Bopara are better batsmen than Ambrose. Certainly no evidence that you'd waste a potentially excellent middle-order batsman in either case.
Anyway, the argument wasn't that the keeper should be thrust up to open just because he's the keeper. The argument was that a keeper who also happened to be a one-day opening batsman would suit the balance of the England team perfectly at present, which explained the initial selection of Mustard.
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Mustard is no more an opening batsman than Ambrose though. Ambrose has opened in one-day cricket with some success. Such a thing happened the very first time I saw him in fact, he scored 80-odd (87 I think).

Also if you're going to pick a wicketkeeper who can open, you need to pick a good one, which Mustard isn't. There are better batsmen than Mustard (of those who keep wicket) in this country. Far better for the balance of the side is a wicketkeeper who can bat.
As it stands, I'd simply have to leave Dimitri M out. I don't particularly like the idea of Ambrose at 6 with Swann, Broad of DM at 7. I'd of course have Trott in for Bopara if I was selecting the team from scatch and I've said that several times, but now that Bopara has been picked you have to give him a fair run unless you want a different balance.
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I don't particularly like it either, but it's better than four bowlers (one of whom is Anderson) on a pitch that isn't difficult to bat on against a particularly good batting side.

BTW, rain has stopped for the moment. How much that'll mean we wait to see, as the forecast remains poor, but it's better than rain I suppose.

Last thing I want is a 31-over game though. Would almost prefer a complete washout.
 
Prince EWS

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Richard said:
Is it? I'd say the batting of the least capable batsman is of less importance. Currently we've no evidence that either Shah or Bopara are better batsmen than Ambrose.
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The fact that they both have significantly better List A records suggests so AFAIC. Imagine if I said something like "Currently we've no evidence that eiether Afzaal or Trott are better batsmen than Mustard". You'd spit the dummy without question.

=Richard said:
Mustard is no more an opening batsman than Ambrose though.
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In that case, I want Ambrose to open and ADM to replace Wright pronto. I also hope this ADM thing takes off because I'm definitely sick of having to sit and think how exactly "Mascarenhas" is spelt. :p
 
Prince EWS

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Flem274* said:
Ah well, I'm sure Heath wouldn't mind taking my place....

Funny how I always shift everything onto Heath, Richard or PEWPEW. I'll think of somebody else to use as a substitute now.
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I have Hay and Sinclair in my signature. Not many people who couldn't be accused of CD bias would do that; you should be protecting me! :p
 
Richard

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Prince EWS said:
The fact that they both have significantly better List A records suggests so AFAIC.
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Do they though? Yes, Shah has improved in recent seasons (after averaging, what, 28 or something when first picked for ODIs) but he's still been awful in ODIs in that time. Bopara has still done not-all-that-much before this season.

Ambrose, admittedly, only started properly looking the part in 2007 too, but he'd shown signs before that.

Shah has failed enough in ODIs for my money.
In that case, I want Ambrose to open and ADM to replace Wright pronto. I also hope this ADM thing takes off because I'm definitely sick of having to sit and think how exactly "Mascarenhas" is spelt. :p
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Meh, can spell Mascarenhas easily myself, even with a plaster on my finger.
 
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