7 months away from the Ashes...

[Richard]

Pietersen?

In his first 3 innings, yeah, but even he tailed-off after that and had Warne taken that catch his series would've been regarded as a pretty poor one. It's only Warne's catching, not Pietersen's batting, that made his series seem all that good.

 

[Richard]

Was referring more to your point about Read still being the best ODI keeper-batsman in the country.

O I C. Well, he still is IMO, last season was the first time Davies looked anything other than utterly hopeless at the shorter game. Obviously have hopes for him though, but would so much prefer it if he was batting three or four rather than opening. Can just see him being picked to open for England at this rate, and don't see him doing that with any more success than the last Worcestershire non-opener who was picked to open in ODIs.

 

[Pothas]

I wonder who the last England player to do well when facing Australia (a better-than-diabolical Australia - Tim Robinson doesn't count) right at the start of his career (be it debut or sophomore series) was? I might be missing someone but I can't think of anyone for quite some time.

If you are ruling out Pietersen (unfairly) then it would have to be Graham Thorpe who started with a century. Had a poor second game but his performance over his first 3 tests has to be considered a success.

 

[Jamee999]

I'm still hoping for:

Trescothick
Cook
Strauss
Pietersen*
Collingwood
Flintoff
Prior+
Broad/Swann
Sidebottom
Anderson
Harmison

 

[Penguinissimo]

I'm still hoping for:

Trescothick

So are most English cricket fans, but we'll be waiting a loooooong time...

 

[Jigga988]

I'm still hoping for:

Trescothick
Cook
Strauss
Pietersen*
Collingwood
Flintoff
Prior+
Broad/Swann
Sidebottom
Anderson
Harmison

slightly ambitious

 

[Jamee999]

So are most English cricket fans, but we'll be waiting a loooooong time...

Still don't see why he can't play just home internationals - that's not different from playing CC in terms of the time away from home factor.

 

[Richard]

Trescothick won't play The Ashes, or for England ever again, though if Australia's opening bowling is wayward again as it was in 2005 it might indeed be useful to have him as he's a fine punisher of wayward bowling.

If it's good though, which it might be, and if the catching is up-to-scratch (which it should be but then it always should and never was with him), he'd be a walking wicket.

And if you wanted another opener why on Earth would you push Strauss down to three rather than Cook, given Cook's had a measure of success there and Strauss hasn't? AND Strauss' technique is in far better shape than Cook's currently.

 

[Richard]

If you are ruling out Pietersen (unfairly) then it would have to be Graham Thorpe who started with a century. Had a poor second game but his performance over his first 3 tests has to be considered a success.

Yeah, that's true, forgot about him. Don't think it's unfair to rule-out Pietersen though, though as I say his first 3 innings were immensely impressive he went downhill after them.

 

[Jamee999]

Trescothick won't play The Ashes, or for England ever again, though if Australia's opening bowling is wayward again as it was in 2005 it might indeed be useful to have him as he's a fine punisher of wayward bowling.

If it's good though, which it might be, and if the catching is up-to-scratch (which it should be but then it always should and never was with him), he'd be a walking wicket.

And if you wanted another opener why on Earth would you push Strauss down to three rather than Cook, given Cook's had a measure of success there and Strauss hasn't? AND Strauss' technique is in far better shape than Cook's currently.

I briefly thought about who should bat at 3 but I decided I didn't really care. And Trescothick would be brilliant, he's such an awesome batsman. Are you really saying you'd rather have Trescothick than Bell?

 

[PhoenixFire]

Hell will freeze over before Trescothick plays for England again, sadly. I reckon with him and Strauss at 1 and 2 and perhaps Cook at 3, we would be a much more solid lineup than with Bell at 3, obv.

 

[Durham_CCC]

I'm still hoping for:

Trescothick
Cook
Strauss
Pietersen*
Collingwood
Flintoff
Prior+
Broad/Swann
Sidebottom
Anderson
Harmison

Put Strauss at no.2 and put Shah in at 3.

Simon Jones could be back, so I'd have him ahead of Harmison.

 

[Uppercut]

Put Strauss at no.2 and put Shah in at 3.

Simon Jones could be back, so I'd have him ahead of Harmison.

Simon Jones still wants to play, despite undergoing recent knee surgery and turning thirty today. Nothing would be better than to see him opening the bowling on day one of the first test at Cardiff next summer.

 

[susudear]

Simon Jones will be fit

Simon Jones still wants to play, despite undergoing recent knee surgery and turning thirty today. Nothing would be better than to see him opening the bowling on day one of the first test at Cardiff next summer.

He will be fit in time for veterans ashes.

 

[GIMH]

Simon Jones still wants to play, despite undergoing recent knee surgery and turning thirty today. Nothing would be better than to see him opening the bowling on day one of the first test at Cardiff next summer.

DWTA, a better sight would be him ending the series by uprooting an Aussie stump to complete our whitewash of them.

 

[Burgey]

DWTA, a better sight would be him ending the series by uprooting an Aussie stump to complete our whitewash of them.

Or having his already rotten teeth fall out from over-consumption of mints.

 

[pup11]

Or having his already rotten teeth fall out from over-consumption of mints.

It will be interesting who England assign the duty off mint-consumption in the absence of Tresco, because whoever is doing that job atm since Tresco has gone, isn't exactly doing a great job it....

 

[fredfertang]

Interesting book Tresco's - he clearly had a torrid time for years with his mental health issues and the account he gives of his condition is at the same time fascinating and harrowing and quite clearly was understood at the time by not a single soul

Now to me it is quite inconceivable that at no point in Tresco's career did some England colleague or member of staff either by accident or design piss him off big time either at the time, with hindsight or both

Now the point of an autobiography for the likes of Tresco is to sell lots of books 'cos it's your last big pay day and a good way of doing that is to do a Duncan Fletcher and lambast all and sundry

So why does Tresco not have a single word of criticism/admonishment for anyone connected with the ECB or the England team?

I'll tell you why not and it's not just 'cos he's a nice guy it's because he doesn't want to jeopardise the real plan which is keep reiterating you're never going to play for England again, carry on scoring shed loads of runs for Somerset and then just as the selectors are tearing their hair out with Ian Bell step back up to the plate and help the boys take back the Ashes in '09

There is no other explanation for the lack of whining and whinging in Tresco's book and of course to add to the credibility of my argument he then has a second chance to write a best seller when he deals with his recovery and international rebirth at which time he can then slag off all the bastards who crossed him when he was ill

So I'm sorry Punter but the real Marcus Trescothick is waiting for you just round the corner and you popgun attack is going to wish it stayed behind

Blast - I've lost my medication now ........................................ Nurse come here please .........

 

[Uppercut]

DWTA, a better sight would be him ending the series by uprooting an Aussie stump to complete our whitewash of them.

I meant "No conceivable better sight." My bad.

 

[GIMH]

Interesting book Tresco's - he clearly had a torrid time for years with his mental health issues and the account he gives of his condition is at the same time fascinating and harrowing and quite clearly was understood at the time by not a single soul

Now to me it is quite inconceivable that at no point in Tresco's career did some England colleague or member of staff either by accident or design piss him off big time either at the time, with hindsight or both

Now the point of an autobiography for the likes of Tresco is to sell lots of books 'cos it's your last big pay day and a good way of doing that is to do a Duncan Fletcher and lambast all and sundry

So why does Tresco not have a single word of criticism/admonishment for anyone connected with the ECB or the England team?

I'll tell you why not and it's not just 'cos he's a nice guy it's because he doesn't want to jeopardise the real plan which is keep reiterating you're never going to play for England again, carry on scoring shed loads of runs for Somerset and then just as the selectors are tearing their hair out with Ian Bell step back up to the plate and help the boys take back the Ashes in '09

There is no other explanation for the lack of whining and whinging in Tresco's book and of course to add to the credibility of my argument he then has a second chance to write a best seller when he deals with his recovery and international rebirth at which time he can then slag off all the bastards who crossed him when he was ill

So I'm sorry Punter but the real Marcus Trescothick is waiting for you just round the corner and you popgun attack is going to wish it stayed behind

Blast - I've lost my medication now ........................................ Nurse come here please .........