• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

England players and selection discussion thread

grecian

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Listened to Wisden Cricket Weekly and one of them was big on Gus Atkinson, I dunno watched a bit of him against Mddx, wasn't certain, but suppose he's quite quick and playing for Slurrey means he's already 50% picked for England automatically.
 

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
To be fair, he's only really 50% picked by Surrey such are their pace options. Will he get a game once Curran returns from the IPL? I think he's a long way down the pecking order even if he does have Surrey backing.
 

kevinw

State Captain
Curran usually bats in the top six for Surrey and they go with several pace options (which is why it's annoying Steel plays as the spinner over Virdi who they could actually carry). Worrall, Roach and Lawes seem to be locks, then it's usually Steel and Clark at 7-8. Atkinson needs a lot more FC experience before he is knocking on the door of tests though.
 

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
Curran usually bats in the top six for Surrey and they go with several pace options (which is why it's annoying Steel plays as the spinner over Virdi who they could actually carry). Worrall, Roach and Lawes seem to be locks, then it's usually Steel and Clark at 7-8. Atkinson needs a lot more FC experience before he is knocking on the door of tests though.
You left out Abbott too. I suspect Atkinson only playing in this game because Roach isn't.
 

grecian

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I dunno, if Baz and co rate him, I doubt they'll care how many first-class experience he has, they want Fast bowlers, and they're a Wood injury from struggling to field one.

Surrey, if everyone is fit and available has just a ridiculous battery of pace bowlers, I'm not sure it's that much of an humiliation not to be picked.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
You left out Abbott too. I suspect Atkinson only playing in this game because Roach isn't.
Roach has returned to the Caribbean due to family reasons; I didn't get the impression that he'll be returning this season, although that might change by September. Of the others, Worrall and Clark play every game. Abbott usually plays, although he missed the previous match. Lawes had missed a few and was brought back this week to replace Roach. As he's actually home-grown, I was pleased to see him take a couple of wickets yesterday. Ditto Atkinson doing well this year; his returns this season seem to be a significant step up from what he's done previously. He can bat too, which won't do his prospects. any harm. That being said, he's only played about 15 FC games, so a test call-up shouldn't be on the agenda.

The other bloke who should be available at some point is Overton, but that may not happen until the tail end of the season. tbh I'm not completely sold on us playing five samey rfm bowlers, although it seems to be working most of the time. And it does allow for one of them having an off day, I suppose. Maybe the finer weather might see us playing Virdi or Moriarty, who I quite rate. But that didn't happen at all last year, and Batty would not unreasonably argue that it worked well enough then. I'm looking forward to SCurran's return, but I don't know how many CC matches will take place when he is available. Any sight of him in our 4-day side will be an extremely rare bonus afaics.

EDIT
I just realised this should probably be in the 'Domestic season' thread. Sorry, just joining in.
Going back to Atkinson, given how rarely I get things right, he'll probably get an England call-up and bowl us to victory in a couple of tests.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Crawley goes, edging Lawes' out-swinger to second slip. Decent ball rather than rotten shot imo; he wasn't really playing at a wide delivery, and I don't think he could have left it alone. Others will be able to pinpoint why his technique was not up to scratch.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Crawley goes, edging Lawes' out-swinger to second slip. Decent ball rather than rotten shot imo; he wasn't really playing at a wide delivery, and I don't think he could have left it alone. Others will be able to pinpoint why his technique was not up to scratch.
Driving or defending?
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Defending. The commentators reckon he should have been further forward to the delivery.
Eh I haven't seen it but sometimes you're allowed to get out to a good ball. Just because you're **** doesn't mean every dismissal is inexcusable (but by the same token, getting out to a good ball doesn't mean you're not **** anymore).
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Eh I haven't seen it but sometimes you're allowed to get out to a good ball. Just because you're **** doesn't mean every dismissal is inexcusable (but by the same token, getting out to a good ball doesn't mean you're not **** anymore).
That's how I saw it, as I said earlier. But I recognise that others are more able to identify technical issues that I am.
 

Red_Ink_Squid

Global Moderator
The analysis points to his biggest problem being the inability to turn starts into 3 figures. We did have a thread about this before............
Interesting. I thought Crawley's biggest problem hasn't been not converting starts, more that he seems to rarely start. Gets out in single digits loads.

Doesn't get starts often + doesn't convert starts often when he gets them just makes someone a bad player, right?

(Gonna love it so much if he makes scores runs in the Ashes.)
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Pointing out 'wow strike rate' as a positive makes me immediately distrust any conclusions the author draws, simply because it should not be a consideration for tests over runs.
 

Ashes81

State Vice-Captain
Crawley is a below average test match opener, we all know that. There is an argument that even at his current level, he's about as good as we've got. I don't agree with that.

I think he's in the side for 2 reasons:
1. He scores quickly and that obviously fits in with the way Key, McCullum and Stokes want the team to play.

2. He's inconsistent but the management feel he is capable of playing big scores as his 267 against a good Pakistan attack shows.
You can't score 267 in a test match without having significant ability.

I also wonder how much Rob Key sees himself in Crawley and I don't mean the Kent connection.

Key's test career included 1 big score, his 221 against The West Indies. I wonder if Key wants to give Crawley more of an opportunity than he feels he got.

And of course Key plays golf with Zak's Dad. ?

I wouldn't play Crawley. I'd have move Oli Pope up and played Foakes but I think the points I've outlined are why he's continued to be selected.
 
Last edited:

Nintendo

Cricketer Of The Year
Outside of crawley, the way that data is being used in cricket is getting more and more sophisticated. The prospects that can come from hawkeye data (which india have for ALL of their ranji trophy matches, FYI, is scary). It can tell you so much more about how a player is being dismissed then just "ohh he struggles vs leg spin." Is it a specific type of length, are the balls their getting out to doing a bit more off the pitch, etc. India already have this data on every player that's played ranji cricket in the past year or two. I don't know if they'll use it properly, but if they do the prospects are scary.
 

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
Meanwhile, England have called up Josh Tongue for the Ireland Test. Had to love this line from the Beeb....." But he has impressed at the start of this season, taking 11 wickets in four games including the wicket of Australia's Steve Smith in their fixture against Sussex. "

Yeah, those 11 wickets at 41.5 in Div 2 are mightily impressive!! Was he really the next cab? He's literally about the 5th best at his County on current form.
 

Top