Besides Root Will Any England Batter Average Over 40 This Decade?

[Flem274*]

Think this video deserves its own thread, saw it today and was looking for the best place to post it.

Averaging 35 will be accepted again

Before the 00s batting bubble the border between test class and see ya later was a batting average around 35 or so. Loads of guys had long and respected careers whose batting averages settled in the 30s by retirement. Mike Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Hansie Cronje, Stephen Fleming (in the...

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[Magrat Garlick]

Heather Knight is averaging 155.50 in the 2020s and Sophia Dunkley is averaging 67.00, so looking pretty likely for those two.

Especially given the next women's test will probably be in 2026

 

[sledger]

If we were talking about averaging over 50 I'd be pretty doubtful, but averaging over 40 is hardly remarkable, so odds on someone will manage it in the next 8 years

I mean even someone like Ballance, in the unlikely event he was ever recalled, would only need to smash a few centuries against some absolute pish team to average 40, for example

 

[GIMH]

If we were talking about averaging over 50 I'd be pretty doubtful, but averaging over 40 is hardly remarkable, so odds on someone will manage it in the next 8 years

I mean even someone like Ballance, in the unlikely event he was ever recalled, would only need to smash a few centuries against some absolute pish team to average 40, for example

yeah, especially In...a Test match

 

[sledger]

probably a reasonable chance that a limited number of the current crop could break the 40 barrier as well tbh, Crawley perhaps

 

[Xix2565]

If we were talking about averaging over 50 I'd be pretty doubtful, but averaging over 40 is hardly remarkable, so odds on someone will manage it in the next 8 years

I mean even someone like Ballance, in the unlikely event he was ever recalled, would only need to smash a few centuries against some absolute pish team to average 40, for example

Only if pitches become roads lol. Current trends point to bowling supremacy and 40 being more difficult than what you're making it out to be.

 

[sledger]

yeah maybe if you are very weak

 

[Magrat Garlick]

yeah maybe if you are very weak

cricketposting again are we

 

[sledger]

 

[Coronis]

yeah maybe if you are very weak

Like the English?

 

[Xix2565]

But seriously, 40 avg for anyone other than Root is going to be tough.

 

[Tom Flint]

Stokes will be seems to be focusing on tests now and I think he'll have a great year 2022

 

[_00_deathscar]

If we were talking about averaging over 50 I'd be pretty doubtful, but averaging over 40 is hardly remarkable, so odds on someone will manage it in the next 8 years

I mean even someone like Ballance, in the unlikely event he was ever recalled, would only need to smash a few centuries against some absolute pish team to average 40, for example

But who?

 

[sledger]

But who?

I'm not allowed to talk about them anymore I'm afraid

 

[HookShot]

Zak Crawley is all class and has the technique and temperment to end up with an average > 45 if nurtured properly.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

I'm not allowed to talk about them anymore I'm afraid

 

[cnerd123]

Zak Crawley is all class and has the technique and temperment to end up with an average > 45 if nurtured properly.

He currently has an average of 28 after 18 tests (32 innings)

Let's say he plays another 40 tests in this decade (80 innings), to end with an average of 45 he would need to average 51 for those 40 Tests.

Don't think that's happening.

 

[SteveNZ]

Great metrics and what not, but I'm not buying it fully as a 'bowlers are so good, what can we do'. The quality of the batsmen is the biggest issue.

Take my team, for example. We started a top 6 at times during this decade that all averaged over 40 - Latham, Young/Conway, Williamson, Taylor, Nicholls and Watling (the latter two have dropped or did drop under 40 recently). That's seven guys who all averaged over 40. Without spending too much time on it, I imagine India/Australia etc have a few as well. So I don't buy into this pace bowling pandemic, even if the stats show it as such.

I buy it as a yeah there's some very good pace bowlers in the world, but there's also a lack of development of decent players into Test batsmen, a failure to merge skills with T20 to Tests etc. The only reason England won't have anyone other than Joe Root averaging 40 (if it happens) will be a failure on their systems and their coaches. Crawley should do it. Others have no excuses as to why they won't, unless they're poorly coached or they're more keen on an IPL payday.

 

[Xix2565]

Great metrics and what not, but I'm not buying it fully as a 'bowlers are so good, what can we do'. The quality of the batsmen is the biggest issue.

Take my team, for example. We started a top 6 at times during this decade that all averaged over 40 - Latham, Young/Conway, Williamson, Taylor, Nicholls and Watling (the latter two have dropped or did drop under 40 recently). That's seven guys who all averaged over 40. Without spending too much time on it, I imagine India/Australia etc have a few as well. So I don't buy into this pace bowling pandemic, even if the stats show it as such.

I buy it as a yeah there's some very good pace bowlers in the world, but there's also a lack of development of decent players into Test batsmen, a failure to merge skills with T20 to Tests etc. The only reason England won't have anyone other than Joe Root averaging 40 (if it happens) will be a failure on their systems and their coaches. Crawley should do it. Others have no excuses as to why they won't, unless they're poorly coached or they're more keen on an IPL payday.

You do realise NZ has been one of the best places to bat in this time? Why wouldn't NZ players in home conditions which are more batting friendly overall do well and average 40? Baffling take. And I don't see why anyone should not believe the stats and go with gut feel, when the stats only show the facts and what played out on field, unlike one's imaginations on how batting is worse and what not.

The bolded is just as baffling, and completely exposed by Jarrod in the video as nonsense. People said the same about ODIs killing Test cricket, only to have one of the greatest batting eras in the 2000s and early 2010s where we had several people average above 50 with the bat. T20s have been around for a long while as well and never seemed to have much of an effect either. Test specialists are all struggling as much as all format players so calling out this "failure to merge skills" across formats is puzzling when those who specialise in Tests aren't dominating either. England not having talent is one thing, but whether new batting talents around the world (including England's) can average 40 is something else entirely.

 

[SteveNZ]

You do realise NZ has been one of the best places to bat in this time? Why wouldn't NZ players in home conditions which are more batting friendly overall do well and average 40? Baffling take. And I don't see why anyone should not believe the stats and go with gut feel, when the stats only show the facts and what played out on field, unlike one's imaginations on how batting is worse and what not.

The bolded is just as baffling, and completely exposed by Jarrod in the video as nonsense. People said the same about ODIs killing Test cricket, only to have one of the greatest batting eras in the 2000s and early 2010s where we had several people average above 50 with the bat. T20s have been around for a long while as well and never seemed to have much of an effect either. Test specialists are all struggling as much as all format players so calling out this "failure to merge skills" across formats is puzzling when those who specialise in Tests aren't dominating either. England not having talent is one thing, but whether new batting talents around the world (including England's) can average 40 is something else entirely.

Just so you know, I have an opinion and so do you. 'Baffling' probably isn't necessary.

Explain to me how you know T20 'never seemed' to have an effect? Because as I recall, T20 started becoming a real thing both domestically around the world and T20Is around 2010 (little earlier). How could you rule that out being part of the reason Test players aren't as effective? ODIs and T20s, I think you could appreciate, differ in terms of their jump to Test cricket. So that transition doesn't stand up as similarly disruptive.

Jarrod Kimber is a bloke with an opinion, too - just FYI. Smart guy, by the looks.

And you're saying England is a much harder place to bat than New Zealand? So things have changed since Cook, Strauss, Pietersen, Trott, Bell, Collingwood and Prior averaged 40 playing at least half their Tests, if not more at home? That's one generation of players and I just named 7 again who averaged over 40.

It's all good, there's no exact reason for the dip in the 2010s. You take your view, I'll take mine.