**Official** Sri Lanka in England / Scotland - 2011

[flibbertyjibber]

Southern based media in southern player bias shock.

 

[wpdavid]

Southern based media in southern player bias shock.

I'd be slightly more convinced if Bopara hadn't lost out to the equally southern-based Morgan.

 

[Furball]

You would have thought Bopara had averaged 100+ the way the media had been banging on about him.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I'd be slightly more convinced if Bopara hadn't lost out to the equally southern-based Morgan.

So why was Taylor not even mentioned despite the fact he is a superior player to both Morgan and Bopara?

Oh yes he doesn't play for a southern based county.

Maybe Bopara would be better served scoring runs instead of whining in the press like a little *****. I see he got a big fat 0 this week, enhancing his brilliant claim for a test place isn't he. An average of 34.43 this season shows why he should be nowhere near any England test side ever again.

 

[wpdavid]

So why was Taylor not even mentioned despite the fact he is a superior player to both Morgan and Bopara?

Oh yes he doesn't play for a southern based county.

Maybe Bopara would be better served scoring runs instead of whining in the press like a little *****. I see he got a big fat 0 this week, enhancing his brilliant claim for a test place isn't he. An average of 34.43 this season shows why he should be nowhere near any England test side ever again.

I don't remember saying that Bopara should be in the side. Simply that one or two journalists pushing his case ahead of a Middlesex player can hardly be simply due to southern bias. And I'll have to take your word for it that Taylor hasn't been mentioned at all, as I haven't read all of the press over the last month or so.

Beyond that, yes Bopara's comments were pretty dumb, especially following equally dim moans a few weeks ago about the standard of pitch he was being expected to play on. He isn't doing himself any favours, and I suspect that Flower's drawn the same conclusion until he learns to stfu and score some serious runs over a decent period of time.

 

[Furball]

"I was told I'd have to do something exceptional to take his [Morgan's] spot, "Bopara said. "I'm not sure what that is; maybe score a few more hundreds."

Here's a clue Ravi: scoring 417 runs @ 35 in Division 2 isn't exceptional.

 

[Jono]

I really don't understand why Bopara has an ego. What the hell has he done to expect to be in the test XI or one of the best sides going around right now?

 

[Spark]

I think he's just "like" that tbf. Came off as a bit ****y at the start of the 09 Ashes when I first watched him.

 

[Howe_zat]

I quite liked his attitude back then. Came across as not bothered rather than ****y, the sort of bloke who didn't crack under pressure because he never really noticed the pressure was there.

That was when he was scoring runs, of course, so it turns out it bothered him a lot.

 

[vcs]

He went about it the right way TBF.. turned down an IPL contract to try and score runs in County Cricket.. which unfortunately he couldn't quite do enough of. I'm not too fussed though, much rather watch Morgan out of the two, as a neutral.

 

[Woodster]

He went about it the right way TBF.. turned down an IPL contract to try and score runs in County Cricket.. which unfortunately he couldn't quite do enough of. I'm not too fussed though, much rather watch Morgan out of the two, as a neutral.

Absolutely agree, he went about it exactly the right way, but that doesn't give him any right to be selected. I hoped he would dominate the County attacks as a reward for his decision to fight for that England vacany ahead of money, I also wished Morgan would do the same.

However, despite a couple of impressive knocks, Bopara failed to score the amount of runs that would almost have demanded national selection. He can't be upset they didn't go with him, but I don't think he can feel too hard done to. It's a long summer and he needs to put this disappointment behind him and start scoring heavily so they simply cannot ignore him.

 

[Cevno]

The Fact that Morgan's IPL contract was nearly worth 3.5 times more than what Bopara was offered after being rejected the first time (When he put his name up for auction) also may have made it easier to reject.

 

[Furball]

The Fact that Morgan's IPL contract was nearly worth 3.5 times more than what Bopara was offered after being rejected the first time (When he put his name up for auction) also may have made it easier to reject.

Bopara isn't centrally contracted, so his IPL contract would have given him a pretty decent pay rise I think.

 

[hang on]

come on, rav, u have a big enough chin...

 

[Stapel]

This talk gets me thinking about when the "current" England side came about. The Flower/Strauss Axis of Reasonableness is obviously a big part of it, but I tend to think it's when Flintoff retired.

His leaving caused a major shift in the balance of the side, from the 6-5 to 7-4 lineup that's been stuck with. And around the same time, Trott came in and Bell was recalled to fill the 6 batting spaces. Cutting down to 4 bowlers meant Swann was more of a key man too, just as he was nailing down his place.

I don't think I'm cherry picking, as our first series after that was one where England were admitedly second best, even though we drew it. Not saying his retirement "improved" the side either, just that it was probably the biggest factor in the current side taking shape.

I can see your point about Freddy. He's been in and out so many times, that England were always looking for a stand-in / replacement #6. Since his retirement, the idée fixe of needing an all-rounder has vanquished.

However, I do not think that was the main part. Not the decision to use 4 bowlers made Swann bowl a lot, but the fact Swann appeared to be the best spinner in the world, made it possible to use 4 bowlers.

Imho, the biggest factors in the current side taking shape, are:
-Having a spinner that can take the bulk of the overs, when required.
-This spinner being of world class, even the best currently around
-Thus being able to have 7 specialised batsmen (including a keeper)
-Having Broad & Swann (both averaging 25+) at 8 & 9.
-Cook & Trott

 

[MW1304]

Going to Day 1 of the Lord's Test tomorrow, which (believe it or not) will be my first time at a cricket ground, as well as my first time at Lord's, obviously.

Got restricted view tickets, which is all I could afford atm, but just wondering how restricted they are? I've seen pictures of the stand and it looks open enough, but anyone got these before?

 

[four_or_six]

Going to Day 1 of the Lord's Test tomorrow, which (believe it or not) will be my first time at a cricket ground, as well as my first time at Lord's, obviously.

Got restricted view tickets, which is all I could afford atm, but just wondering how restricted they are? I've seen pictures of the stand and it looks open enough, but anyone got these before?

Which stand are you in?

 

[superkingdave]

Was working over at one of our sites near Bradford today and it was cracking the flags, so if its decent weather in that godforsaken county it must be saharan conditions down in London, so hopefully no repeat of the Cardiff shenanigans

 

[MW1304]

Its The Mound Stand. Row 29, don't know if that makes any difference?

 

[vic_orthdox]

Was working over at one of our sites near Bradford today and it was cracking the flags, so if its decent weather in that godforsaken county it must be saharan conditions down in London, so hopefully no repeat of the Cardiff shenanigans

Funnily enough, was working in Oldham yesterday.