*Official* Fifth Test at the Oval

[wpdavid]

Australia's is hardly doing much better. International cricket can be hard, it is too easy just to blame county cricket. Stokes is going to be bad plenty of times but he is obviously worth sticking with. Lyth is obviously not, Bell and Bairstow am not entirely sure what we do.

My take on the matter is that we're not as good at finding capable test batsmen as we were. Without listing them, from around 2000 to 2010 we managed to introduce 9 or 10 batters who settled into test cricket reasonably quickly. Since the 2010/11 ashes we've only found one, despite needing to replace Collingwood, Strauss, Trott and KP. For whatever reason, the gap between county and test cricket seems to have risen sharply.

 

[Spark]

Who drew the stick figure

 

[African Monkey]

He seems to be persona non grata. I wish Ballance would sort his issues out. Hes the right sort of player for this lineup.

I'd just persist with him at 5. Bairstow looks well out of his depth at international level.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Good to see the umpires doing their job. Surprised that Bairstow didn't review it - he must have known. As must Voges, thinking about it.

He didn't know. They showed his reaction to the replay on the balcony. Second time it's happened to him.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

My take on the matter is that we're not as good at finding capable test batsmen as we were. Without listing them, from around 2000 to 2010 we managed to introduce 9 or 10 batters who settled into test cricket reasonably quickly. Since the 2010/11 ashes we've only found one, despite needing to replace Collingwood, Strauss, Trott and KP. For whatever reason, the gap between county and test cricket seems to have risen sharply.

or is it the fact that T20 has taken over and techniques aren't good enough anymore. Not just us having a problem replacing players.

 

[fredfertang]

My take on the matter is that we're not as good at finding capable test batsmen as we were. Without listing them, from around 2000 to 2010 we managed to introduce 9 or 10 batters who settled into test cricket reasonably quickly. Since the 2010/11 ashes we've only found one, despite needing to replace Collingwood, Strauss, Trott and KP. For whatever reason, the gap between county and test cricket seems to have risen sharply.

If you're going to give people an extended chance as opposed to the one bad match and your out of the 90s I suppose this is the problem you get

 

[LegionOfBrad]

I'm sure he'll get out now I type this but its good to see Buttler is trying to work himself into form.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

If you're going to give people an extended chance as opposed to the one bad match and your out of the 90s I suppose this is the problem you get

The thing is a lot of them have got a hundred in their first or second games which then gives them a few more games.

Bairstow got back in due to being the absolute form batsman in CC. So it was a fair enough decision.

Stokes I think they will leave in as a project player ala Flintoff.

 

[Howe_zat]

If you're going to give people an extended chance as opposed to the one bad match and your out of the 90s I suppose this is the problem you get

But none of the 2000s debuting players - Strauss, Cook, Bell, Pietersen, Prior - were stuck with through a poor start. Prior was dropped after one bad series too

 

[Compton]

My take on the matter is that we're not as good at finding capable test batsmen as we were. Without listing them, from around 2000 to 2010 we managed to introduce 9 or 10 batters who settled into test cricket reasonably quickly. Since the 2010/11 ashes we've only found one, despite needing to replace Collingwood, Strauss, Trott and KP. For whatever reason, the gap between county and test cricket seems to have risen sharply.

With IPL, BBL, CPL, T20 Blast and various 40/50 over tournaments, players just aren't playing as much four day stuff; and that's before you consider international matches.

Glenn Maxwell has played more ODIs than FC matches.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

But none of the 2000s debuting players - Strauss, Cook, Bell, Pietersen, Prior - were stuck with through a poor start. Prior was dropped after one bad series too

Bell was going to be dropped in Pakistan 05 but for Vaughan pulling out last minute.

 

[wpdavid]

or is it the fact that T20 has taken over and techniques aren't good enough anymore. Not just us having a problem replacing players.

Quite possibly, especially since we doubled the number of group matches in our domestic 2020 competition about 10 years ago.
Anyway, I didn't mean to throw this thread off topic. I know our domestic structure has been discussed elsewhere not so long ago.

 

[Compton]

That cut to Nathan Lyon looks the only shot Cook will get out to. It's also the only shot he's scoring runs from.

Test Cricket is back!

 

[Howe_zat]

But none of the 2000s debuting players - Strauss, Cook, Bell, Pietersen, Prior - were stuck with through a poor start. Prior was dropped after one bad series too

In fact the only batsman I can think of to have a poor start around that time was Ravi Bopara, and he was dropped more often than a leaky shampoo bottle

 

[wpdavid]

In fact the only batsman I can think of to have a poor start around that time was Ravi Bopara, and he was dropped more often than a leaky shampoo bottle

Yeah, he's one of the few exceptions as he really didn't look up to it. Whereas the guys you listed plus Collingwood and Trott, as well as Tresco and Vaughan from slightly earlier, all settled in pretty quickly. Even Bell, once he wasn't facing Warne & McGrath.

 

[Furball]

But none of the 2000s debuting players - Strauss, Cook, Bell, Pietersen, Prior - were stuck with through a poor start. Prior was dropped after one bad series too

Bell was, although injuries probably played a part in that.

 

[Howe_zat]

TMS points out that this is the second time Bairstow has been given out off a fielder's helmet

probably what's robbed him of a 50+ average ftr

 

[Burgey]

For scoring @46? Or for bringing up fifties in every single test?

Not sure what you're up to.....

For scoring them largely when it didn't matter.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

TMS points out that this is the second time Bairstow has been given out off a fielder's helmet

probably what's robbed him of a 50+ average ftr

They showed the India one on Sky. Was absolutely blatant.

 

[GIMH]

Sat at the match, watched us lose to Boreham ****ing Wood and wickets falling

**** day