*Official* Fourth Test at Chester-le-Street

[benchmark00]

He really has taken all that he's been expected to and some that he hasn't been expected to. Genuinely not sure what Riggins is on about. His footwork is sharp.

He's had one ball from memory that he should have gone for a couple of tests back (went through first slip) but there was no guarantee he could have pouched it anyway.

 

[dermo]

bell making runs again, must be a road

 

[Top_Cat]

Finding myself nodding to what both R00gins and Benchm00k are saying. Genuinely confused.

 

[Adders]

Thanks Cooky......with a little photoshop work that will be Uvos Avatar for the next 3 months.

 

[dermo]

Finding myself nodding to what both R00gins and Benchm00k are saying. Genuinely confused.

i dont think he's been as bad as r00g00ns is saying but at the same time he hasn't been as amazing as skidmark is saying.

regardless he's far better than wade and i think hes been overall good, and at times great. whether that's because of the technical flaws riggins says he has i'm really not sure

 

[Spikey]

i still cant believe they dropped mitch starc for john hastings

 

[dermo]

i still cant believe they dropped mitch starc for john hastings

they chose hastings over hazlewood #neverforget

 

[Maximas]

they chose hastings over hazlewood #neverforget

I thought Hazlewood got injured

 

[hendrix]

Haddin's footwork looked horrible in the second test, but Burgey made a good point about the lack of carry in the pitch. Certainly both keepers were struggling.

I still think Haddin's keeping is mediocre for an international player.

 

[NUFAN]

Haddin's footwork looked horrible in the second test, but Burgey made a good point about the lack of carry in the pitch. Certainly both keepers were struggling.

I still think Haddin's keeping is mediocre for an international player.

Lord's appears to be one of the hardest venues to keep at in International Cricket.

 

[Maximas]

Haddin's footwork looked horrible in the second test, but Burgey made a good point about the lack of carry in the pitch. Certainly both keepers were struggling.

I still think Haddin's keeping is mediocre for an international player.

BJ Watling sort of puts him to shame if you compare the Lord's tests they played in.

 

[Tangles]

Rads footwork isn't as good as it could be but he has taken most of the chances that have come his way. I'd rather not think on how many of them Wade would have grassed. A few for sure and anything of Lyon. Wade isn't the future so we should be grooming someone. Looks like Paine is still the one they like?

Some interesting stuff about Bell getting a bit of faith early in his career to help him settle and mature. Sounds a bit like what we did with Steve Waugh. I can't see us repeating it though. There's just too much focus on short term results right now from fans and selectors to have a specialist bat be seem to be carried. Can you imagine the talk if Hughes was in the team getting full on series after series "he'll come good" protection?

Kind of funny when I think about it that it's the sort of protection Watson has enjoyed. Maybe since he bowls they thought he would be another Waugh. I can see how a fighter like Waugh is similar to "I run from ghosts" Watson. They do both bat and bowl right handed though.

 

[Howe_zat]

In his first two years in Test cricket Bell averaged 48 and had hit five hundreds. Hardly being picked on faith alone. And he was dropped in 2009, which must have had some effect because after being recalled that summer he then hit 2000 Test runs at 70.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Bell is doing ok in the batting records for this decade too, only Cook, Amla, Clarke, Kallis and Sanga have more centuries than him and Bell averages more than Cook and Clarke. Not bad for a guy who doesn't get tough runs.

 

[King Pietersen]

Bell's been so awesome this series. So impressed by him. Had a pretty fantastic last 2 Ashes series, after struggling in his first 3. Averaged 66 in Australia, and now averaging 82 with 3 hundreds, and at least a half century in 5 out of 8 innings. Becoming the batsman Australia really need to worry about. 5th leading run scorer in the 2010's, with 3126 runs at 57.88. What a man.

Root got an absolute beauty from Harris, but still not convinced with him at the top. Time to blood a new opener in the final game of the series, drop Bairstow, and move Root down. Bairstow might have played reasonably well yesterday (compared to his performances to this point), but not well enough to save his place. Carberry or Compton in, with Root moving down to 6. Also, I was definitely wrong about Broadeh, really impressed with his effort. Still think Tremlett should be in ahead of Big Bres, but I think that's just my bias towards Tremlett more than anything.

 

[Swingpanzee]

Agree with King Pietersen - I prefer Tremlett to Bres.

 

[Adders]

Bell's been so awesome this series. So impressed by him. Had a pretty fantastic last 2 Ashes series, after struggling in his first 3. Averaged 66 in Australia, and now averaging 82 with 3 hundreds, and at least a half century in 5 out of 8 innings. Becoming the batsman Australia really need to worry about. 5th leading run scorer in the 2010's, with 3126 runs at 57.88. What a man.

He's a spud, ask Uvo.

 

[Johann]

Bell's been so awesome this series. So impressed by him. Had a pretty fantastic last 2 Ashes series, after struggling in his first 3. Averaged 66 in Australia, and now averaging 82 with 3 hundreds, and at least a half century in 5 out of 8 innings. Becoming the batsman Australia really need to worry about. 5th leading run scorer in the 2010's, with 3126 runs at 57.88. What a man.

Root got an absolute beauty from Harris, but still not convinced with him at the top. Time to blood a new opener in the final game of the series, drop Bairstow, and move Root down. Bairstow might have played reasonably well yesterday (compared to his performances to this point), but not well enough to save his place. Carberry or Compton in, with Root moving down to 6. Also, I was definitely wrong about Broadeh, really impressed with his effort. Still think Tremlett should be in ahead of Big Bres, but I think that's just my bias towards Tremlett more than anything.

I was against it from the start and don’t think Compo should ever have been dropped but I think we have to persevere with Root now we've made the decision to move him up. He’ll be given this series and probably the next one before we make any further decisions. Such a shame we took the very risky decision to move him up so soon into his career as his confidence will have taken a battering in this series.

Either way, there’s not a chance we’ll go back to Carberry and I think Compton is unlikely as well – it’s just not the way this England team works. I think it’s way more likely that we’d call up Sam Robson, who’s somehow qualified to play for England a year earlier than he was due to.

 

[ajdude]

time for bell to move up the order, stop hiding away at number 5. can't be walking in at 3/not many all the time and expecting him to do well

 

[Son Of Coco]

Just saw the Harris bouncer that almost collected Bell end between the eyes...what an absolute cracker of a delivery that was!