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***Official*** England in South Africa 2015/16
- Thread starter GIMH
- Start date
Stapel
International Regular
Part of me thinks it's simply wrong to give any new batsman just the 4 tests and dump him, no matter how dire. But Hales is indeed showing he does have what it takes a Test opener:
-A waft ourtside off. Bad!
-Caught at long on. Bad!
-A snick to slip. I guess not the worst way to get out.
-Playing a foot away from his body, edging to the slips. Bad!
-Driving without use of the feet, edged. Bad!
-Missing out on the sweep. Bad! I guess going out that way wasn't too bad, given the meagre target. But Hales had a point to prove. And that point was not a high strike rate. But staying there until the end.
-And just now, again, I felt that wasn't really the right thing to do.
It's not his average, but the way he gets himself out.
Stapel
International Regular
grecian
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
You move Compton up. Put Taylor at 3.
Stapel
International Regular
Though I do not disagree, I find it hard to say what is a good indicator.
Stapel
International Regular
Probably better indeed.
Is there any chance England selectors will even think of Ian Bell returning?
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
Id probably do this and bring Jos back in, put JB at 5. But Taylor at 3 against Amir doesn't fill me with confidence so I dunno. Just feels like we have a lot of middle order bats at the minute but nobody really geared up for partnering Cook/batting 3.
Pratters
Cricket, Lovely Cricket
Not statistics.. better way is to actually see games and how one collects the balls, doesn't fumble or drop too many catches, is comfortable keeping upto the stumps and when standing back. Usually if one observes a keeper through a few games, one can get a bit of an idea about him, just like a batsman or a bowler. More than looking good, one has to keep an eye out for effectiveness though.
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weldone
Hall of Fame Member
Taylor will be a terrible 3. All of Bell, Pietersen, Root and Ballance are better options at 3....and maybe even Bairstow if he's not keeping
Jos isn't a good enough test batsmen at the moment.
Gnske
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Kekaroo
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
No, agreed that he hasn't been so would need some FC runs in April beforehand. In desperate for him to crack it in that format though so that plays a part in me saying it, admittedly.
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
Yeah KP showed us loads of times how good he is at 3
You know. Given he batted there fewer times than luminaries like Hoggard and Anderson
Stapel
International Regular
And if we do so, do we conclude that Jos is better than Jonny? Based on what I have seen in Testst so far, I would pick Jonny.
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weldone
Hall of Fame Member
Having James Taylor at 3 will be a terrible terrible move. He's your best batsman against spin, and not one of your best 5 batsmen against pace. You just don't have someone like that at 3. He's the last England batsman I'll try at 3.
Stapel
International Regular
That's why I think it's wrong to dump a batsman after just the 4 Tests.
Cook has indeed been tripe with the bat this series. But he can have a whole summer and winter to come of rotten bat handling, before anyone should doubt his place. A luxuary that Hales simply has not.