Ravi Bopara - another pretender?

[Craig]

I really really want the selectors to make a one off reach out plea to Trescothick to ask him to come back for one final match, obviously will never happen, but so wish it would.

And ask Graham Thorpe to make a comeback for the last Test. Will still score more then Bell and Bopara IMO.

 

[TT Boy]

Haha, the CC can be bloody tough to bat in at times. The quality's obviously heavily diluted from what you Aussies have but I'd have some serious respect for a batsman averaging over 50 in England. In Australia it's almost the given.

Joyce can score runs in really tough conditions, and people on these boards seem to ****ing adore players like that, but unfortunately that's not what makes a test batsman at the moment. Consistency and concentration on flat decks is what gives you the difference between India or Australia's batsmen and England or New Zealand's. How you perform in that one-match-every-30 where you're facing top-quality pace on a minefield seems to hold more water with some of the posters here for some reason, but it's not what you should really be looking for in a test batsman.

That said, I'd still pick Joyce. The bloke's quality.

Tend to find the reason why so many Aussie batsman average over 50 is because they have played so much county cricket. What do guys like David Hussey, Michael Hussey et cetera average when you take out their county exploits?

 

[Craig]

Michael Holding would do this:

Play Rob Key at 3, move Matt Prior to number 5 as purely as a batsman, Collingwood at 6, and Foster at 7 as your 'keeper.

 

[sledger]

Prior purely as a batsman is a poor idea imo, if he couldn't keep he wouldn't be anywhere near the team on his batting alone. And his performances have hardly been poor, he is the one part of the team that needs no changing whatsoever for mine.

 

[GIMH]

Disagree, he is definitely good enough to play as a batsman alone. The fact that we bat him in the top six in fact suggests this IMO. That being said, I would agree that there has been nothing wrong with his keeping, it's been good in fact.

 

[sledger]

Disagree, he is definitely good enough to play as a batsman alone. The fact that we bat him in the top six in fact suggests this IMO. That being said, I would agree that there has been nothing wrong with his keeping, it's been good in fact.

Tbh the only reason he batted at 6 is because Freddies batting was so poor for so long, and in the most recent match because the selectors foolishly thought Broad was an allrounder.

 

[GIMH]

Maybe, but he's averaging what? Something like 45. That to me suggests he's good enough to bat in the top 6, especially when you look at the other options.

 

[Pothas]

I really really want the selectors to make a one off reach out plea to Trescothick to ask him to come back for one final match, obviously will never happen, but so wish it would.

Think they have already tried plenty of times (they definetly asked if he would play the twenty20 world cup.)

Would not actually mind Ramps coming back, its his home ground where he has scored about 67 million runs in the last few years and despite his test history I would be an awful lot more confident of him scoring runs at number 3 than pretty much anyone else in the country. Obviously not going to happen, most I can see England doing is dropping Bopara and bringing in old fat face, who I have little confidence in.

 

[Pothas]

Maybe, but he's averaging what? Something like 45. That to me suggests he's good enough to bat in the top 6, especially when you look at the other options.

Yeah Prior is perfectly capable of batting at number 6 but with Flintoff retiring I would like to see him at number 7 from now on really, he is perfect for that role. England have no business playing 5 bowlers without Flintoff so there should be no need for Prior to bat at 6.

 

[sledger]

Maybe, but he's averaging what? Something like 45. That to me suggests he's good enough to bat in the top 6, especially when you look at the other options.

Possibly, but it is fair to point out that a lot of Priors runs have come against the West Indies, much like Ravi. Which may make his average look a bit better than it ought to.

 

[GIMH]

True, averages 33 with them taken out. But he has done well against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, and against Australia. Basically the only time he's been poor was at home to India and he's improved since then.

 

[Bloody Hell]

Tend to find the reason why so many Aussie batsman average over 50 is because they have played so much county cricket. What do guys like David Hussey, Michael Hussey et cetera average when you take out their county exploits?

Uh...no.

The reason Aussie batsmen average 50 is because Shield Cricket is so strong, and it is demanded if you want to play for Australia.

 

[TT Boy]

Uh...no.

The reason Aussie batsmen average 50 is because Shield Cricket is so strong, and it is demanded if you want to play for Australia.

Newbie, both Hussey's average under 45 in Australian State cricket. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.

 

[Uppercut]

Tend to find the reason why so many Aussie batsman average over 50 is because they have played so much county cricket. What do guys like David Hussey, Michael Hussey et cetera average when you take out their county exploits?

They were given 6 or 7 years practice playing a higher standard of cricket in Australia though, tbf.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Uh...no.

The reason Aussie batsmen average 50 is because Shield Cricket is so strong, and it is demanded if you want to play for Australia.

Mike Hussey averages 30's in Australia I'm pretty sure, at most low 40's.

 

[sledger]

Think the standard of county cricket is underated at least to a degree to a degree to be honest. Several very decent internation batsmen have had really torrid times. Michael Clarke for example was largely dissapointing for Hampshire, but then immediately after leaving went over to India and hit all those runs for Australia.

 

[TT Boy]

Mike Hussey averages 30's in Australia I'm pretty sure, at most low 40's.

42.12 according to Cricket Archive. Over 70 in county cricket.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Newbie, both Hussey's average under 45 in Australian State cricket. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Wouldn't that add to the argument that Aussie state cricket is strong? I don't think you get a good average in any form of cricket just by playing it a lot. You have to be semi-decent too.

 

[TT Boy]

Wouldn't that add to the argument that Aussie state cricket is strong? I don't think you get a good average in any form of cricket just by playing it a lot. You have to be semi-decent too.

Of course it is.

I was just riled that he thought what I said was incorrect. The reason why so many Australian batsman average over 50 is because of county cricket. That is unquestionable, the odd anomaly (Michael Clarke) aside.

 

[Bloody Hell]

Newbie, both Hussey's average under 45 in Australian State cricket. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Your 10,000 posts at an "international level" undoubtedly make you more knowledgable about cricket.

What about Love and Law - average 50 at FC and not good enough to play tests...for Australia anyway?

You were speaking in generalities, not specifics. And since you are now looking at specifics and you are so knowledgable - What was the last test match D.Hussey played in? And ever wondered why Hussey was carving up County Cricket, but couldn't break into the Australian team? (his current form is a hint)