England Squad Form

[FBU]

A few of Rashid's wickets in first class matches

Bravo, Styris, Fleming, Prior, Jayasuriya, Hodge, Law, Goodwin, How, Redmond, Taylor, Ramprakash, Collingwood, Key, Langer, Simmons, Chanderpaul, Nash.

 

[Burgey]

A few of Rashid's wickets in first class matches

Bravo, Styris, Fleming, Prior, Jayasuriya, Hodge, Law, Goodwin, How, Redmond, Taylor, Ramprakash, Collingwood, Key, Langer, Simmons, Chanderpaul, Nash.

Yeah, and Zoe Goss got Brian Lara out.

 

[superkingdave]

Flintoff back in action for Lancashire today

 

[superkingdave]

Wicket with his second ball itbt

 

[Richard]

Wouldn't the weather have a bit to do with this as well? In 1993 Australia played two spinners to great effect, but IIRC that Northern summer was unusually dry, meaning the wickets took more turn than they otherwise may have.

Actually it wasn't - 1993 was on the poor side of moderate. The fact that four of the first five wickets that summer were pretty rank turners - as they indeed were - was nothing to do with the weather, and just to do with the fact that that's how the turf turned-out.

Whether the pitches turn in this country or not has precious little to do with the weather. The hottest, sunniest summers of recent times - 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2003 - have produced virtually nothing in the way of turners. The few summers that have produced an above-average number of turners - 1993, 2004 and 2006 - have been either below-average or moderate ones.

And of course there's been the odd summer that's produced one turner - 1997, 2007, 2008. Mostly, if a turner is produced it tends to be at Old Trafford.

 

[Richard]

I dunno given that AUS are currently playing spin like how did in the 90s again. The option of England playing Swann/Monty should not be ruled out.

There's no point playing spinners if those spinners are not going to bowl well. Neither Swann nor MSP are any use on a non-turner and MSP is currently in a serious rut which means that even if given a turner he is far from guaranteed to bowl well anyway.

 

[Trumpers_Ghost]

Yeah, and Zoe Goss got Brian Lara out.

shhhh......that still makes Brian upset

 

[GIMH]

Actually it wasn't - 1993 was on the poor side of moderate. The fact that four of the first five wickets that summer were pretty rank turners - as they indeed were - was nothing to do with the weather, and just to do with the fact that that's how the turf turned-out.

Whether the pitches turn in this country or not has precious little to do with the weather. The hottest, sunniest summers of recent times - 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2003 - have produced virtually nothing in the way of turners. The few summers that have produced an above-average number of turners - 1993, 2004 and 2006 - have been either below-average or moderate ones.

And of course there's been the odd summer that's produced one turner - 1997, 2007, 2008. Mostly, if a turner is produced it tends to be at Old Trafford.

I've no idea how you could possibly leave 06 off that list of hottest, sunniest summers. It was a bloody scorcher

 

[Scaly piscine]

Ugh people still suggesting Panesar. He has been awful for the past 12-18 months.

There's just no point in picking him and Swann. Swann is much better, a second finger spinner adds very little unless both are world class and the pitch is a turner. If you get a flat pitch that wears and you're trying to force a result Panesar is still useless in that situation - as shown in the past. He's most certainly not a partnership breaker either. Those two areas are where Rashid would be far more useful and when he's not bowling he contributes in the field and with the bat (seems like he has a lot of ability with the bat but his inexperience is really holding him back, but he could still chip in occasionally).

 

[Richard]

I've no idea how you could possibly leave 06 off that list of hottest, sunniest summers. It was a bloody scorcher

Nah, 2006 was merely above-average. It's probably gained a certain nostalgic air given that 2007 was dangerously wet and 2008 consistently damp.

Certainly 2006 was a good summer but it wasn't as good as 2003, 1994 or 1996 and wasn't close to 1989, 1990 or 1995. 2006 was in fact very similar to 1999, when the Tests missed almost all of the good weather.

2006 was the only summer of recent times that has produced a few turners (possibly two-and-a-half) which was vaguely "good" in terms of dry and sunny.

 

[Burgey]

I've no idea how you could possibly leave 06 off that list of hottest, sunniest summers. It was a bloody scorcher

Got up to 25 degrees did it?

 

[Richard]

1976 saw temperatures in any number of southern UK cities which were consistently hotter than the average for any city of Australia except Adelaide and Perth.

 

[GIMH]

Nah, 2006 was merely above-average. It's probably gained a certain nostalgic air given that 2007 was dangerously wet and 2008 consistently damp.

Certainly 2006 was a good summer but it wasn't as good as 2003, 1994 or 1996 and wasn't close to 1989, 1990 or 1995. 2006 was in fact very similar to 1999, when the Tests missed almost all of the good weather.

2006 was the only summer of recent times that has produced a few turners (possibly two-and-a-half) which was vaguely "good" in terms of dry and sunny.

No it was definitely a scorcher, nothing to do with the summers that followed. Will have to research this tomorrow, going to bed now. It is, of course, possible that the weather was better here than where you are, though that would be unusual

 

[Burgey]

1976 saw temperatures in any number of southern UK cities which were consistently hotter than the average for any city of Australia except Adelaide and Perth.

Stiff ****.

It was one degree celsius at my joint this morning, doesn't mean it's consistently as cold and bleak here as it is in England.

 

[stephen]

Stiff ****.

It was one degree celsius at my joint this morning, doesn't mean it's consistently as cold and bleak here as it is in England.

I live in "warm" Brisbane and when I left for work at 8 AM this morning it was bloody 9 degrees. The radio was saying that today's temperatures are 4 below average.

 

[Richard]

No it was definitely a scorcher, nothing to do with the summers that followed. Will have to research this tomorrow, going to bed now. It is, of course, possible that the weather was better here than where you are, though that would be unusual

On the Wisden summer index, 2006 rated 633 as a nationwide average. With 1000 as the theoretical best-possible and 0 as the theoretical best, broadly speaking, a really good summer is over 650. 2003, which was pretty damn good but not quite up with the very best, rated 648. 1989, 1990 and 1995 were both well over 700. 1994 and 1996 were both something like 670.

As Phillip Eden says virtually every year, the human memory is a fallible instrument and most people recall the weather of a summer incorrectly to some degree. You seem to have a little nostalgia about 2006. It was certainly pretty good, but far from outstanding.

 

[Uppercut]

While Richard is insisting that Onions is useless and should never have been picked, the man himself is busy absolutely destroying sides in the CC this year. Got 3/28 in his opening spell this morning to go with his 15 wickets @ 16 for the rest of the season.

 

[GIMH]

On the Wisden summer index, 2006 rated 633 as a nationwide average. With 1000 as the theoretical best-possible and 0 as the theoretical best, broadly speaking, a really good summer is over 650. 2003, which was pretty damn good but not quite up with the very best, rated 648. 1989, 1990 and 1995 were both well over 700. 1994 and 1996 were both something like 670.

As Phillip Eden says virtually every year, the human memory is a fallible instrument and most people recall the weather of a summer incorrectly to some degree. You seem to have a little nostalgia about 2006. It was certainly pretty good, but far from outstanding.

don't really know how to go about looking this up, tried the metoffice, found the following:

Met Office: UK climate: August 2006

July 2006
The averaging period used for the following assessment was 1961-1990.

UK overview
An exceptionally warm month. Many areas had their warmest July, with some areas also experiencing their warmest month (using areal series back to 1914). Sunshine was also exceptionally above average, with the sunniest areas compared to average over NE England. Rainfall was generally below average, although there were some notable exceptions.

The averaging period used for the following assessment was 1961-1990.

UK overview
Mean temperatures were slightly above average in most places. Monthly average maximum temperatures were over 5 °C lower in the Midlands area than was recorded in July. Exceptionally above average rainfall across East Anglia, where around double the average rainfall was recorded. Sunshine levels generally close to or below average.

basically is was as hot as **** at times but not throughout the whole summer. Which would back up me remembering it being absolutely sweltering (especially July it would seem) but the index not being as high as other years.

 

[Richard]

Yeah, looks like July was distinctly above-average and the rest of the summer was about on par with normal standards.

One month - especially when it's July and more so than ever August - can completely colour memories of an entire summer.

For instance, much of my family insist that 2007 was actually quite good, because August was decent enough. They seem to have completely forgotten the fact that much of the country was flooded in June.

 

[aussie]

There's no point playing spinners if those spinners are not going to bowl well. Neither Swann nor MSP are any use on a non-turner and MSP is currently in a serious rut which means that even if given a turner he is far from guaranteed to bowl well anyway.

Well yea. I'd only pick them on a turner, which Cardiff & maybe the Oval in sept could be.