Maximas
Cricketer Of The Year
We're about to win Burgey!!!
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***Official*** India in England 2014
- Thread starter Daemon
- Start date
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Oh yeah no doubt, but there's a big gap in the middle between that and "he is a part-time bowler", the latter of which is the rhetoric we got from the commentators and some of the members of this forum when he was selected.
That he'd do so well in his first few Tests was not something that could reasonably have been expected with any great probability, and there's no guarantee it'll continue - as is the case with any new player - but I think the fact that he was in fact a genuine bowler and amongst the top few spinners in the country on bowling alone should've been spotted by reasonable judges at the time. Too many people jumped to his overall First Class record and his original playing role as a "batsman".
He may not even prove to be a medium- or long-term success as a Test spinner, but I think beyond all else he has proven that he is in fact a genuine bowler, even if he drops off from here. I think it was reasonable to have that foreseen by professional commentators, especially since about twenty minutes research could've told you as much.
Instead of focussing on the negative though, I'd like to applaud the selectors for selecting him in that role. Too often it's the fans here and the more astute commentators such as Atherton calling out the selectors for short-sighted or stereotypical selection decisions that cost the side; it's good in a way to see the selectors pick up on something so many missed.
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GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
All hail Peter Moores
I was driving not long after play closed last night and Aggers/Boycott were summing up the Test and England in general. Aggers basically said that we weren't as bad a side earlier in the summer as we looked, that the senior players being out of form/shot made us look worse than we were because the n00bs were generally all contributing, so it was just a matter of time before we turned the corner.
Geoffrey agreed to an extent but then pointed out we should not yet consider the corner turned.
I'd be inclined to agree with both. Cook/Bell not scoring made the batting look thinner given their records when we were doing well and the fact that the rest of our successful top six of days gone by are retired/in exile/unlikely to return, and to an extent Anderson and Broad weren't delivering as they can, though I think - Lord's aside - their problems were slightly exaggerated.
Now it leaves us in a place where the questions are obvious to all - as I said in the Ashes thread, Robson has a massive question mark against him and the change seamers, well I'm not sure anyone knows who the first choice ones are. Get them right and we have the makings of a good side, if the younger players can sustain their form and Cook gets that ton soon.
The truth is known to all I think - the Aussies did a right number on us, the dressing room was perhaps not a great place to be and the senior players took until the past few weeks to pull themselves together.
All this talk of worse than the 90s etc, I think we will look back at how wide of the mark we were. But maybe I'm just being me, too optimistic.
I was driving not long after play closed last night and Aggers/Boycott were summing up the Test and England in general. Aggers basically said that we weren't as bad a side earlier in the summer as we looked, that the senior players being out of form/shot made us look worse than we were because the n00bs were generally all contributing, so it was just a matter of time before we turned the corner.
Geoffrey agreed to an extent but then pointed out we should not yet consider the corner turned.
I'd be inclined to agree with both. Cook/Bell not scoring made the batting look thinner given their records when we were doing well and the fact that the rest of our successful top six of days gone by are retired/in exile/unlikely to return, and to an extent Anderson and Broad weren't delivering as they can, though I think - Lord's aside - their problems were slightly exaggerated.
Now it leaves us in a place where the questions are obvious to all - as I said in the Ashes thread, Robson has a massive question mark against him and the change seamers, well I'm not sure anyone knows who the first choice ones are. Get them right and we have the makings of a good side, if the younger players can sustain their form and Cook gets that ton soon.
The truth is known to all I think - the Aussies did a right number on us, the dressing room was perhaps not a great place to be and the senior players took until the past few weeks to pull themselves together.
All this talk of worse than the 90s etc, I think we will look back at how wide of the mark we were. But maybe I'm just being me, too optimistic.
Flem274*
123/5
me and half the planet have been telling all you poms this since the ashes and you didn't listen.
you'll know it's the 90s when you select will gidman and pump him up as the next flintoff.
Burgey
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That's not on TV here though
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
Of the six Tests this summer, I was out of the country and unable to watch both defeats and Trent Bridge. I was home for a week in June which coincided with the last wicket draw V SL and have been back for the wins over the last fortnight.
As such I couldn't form much of an informed opinion until the last couple of weeks but now I'm happy enough with the direction we are going in.
I do hope we get these questions answered though - the best England sides we've had never answered them and it held them back in the end. Thinking keeper/spinner for the 04-06 side, and number six for the 10-12 side (once Colly retired).
flibbertyjibber
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Safe to say we weren't as bad as some thought and aren't as good as some will think now just because we have won a couple of games.
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Yeah, or it'd become like Luke Wright's position in the T20 side where people would constantly moan about him not bowling, and demand he be replaced by a "specialist batsman" even though that's exactly what he's picked as.
I don't really think he should be playing as a batsman either -- still definitely a few I'd take ahead of him -- but it's certainly a much better idea than trying to rely on him for overs in Australia.
Daemon
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grecian
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
It was forecast, that's why us Englishers were desperate to get it over with last night. With the outfield, I'm not sure how much play there'd have been on Monday.
Lucky that Moeen is a true modern great and spun 'em out.
