England Squad Form

[GIMH]

Too bad there are no Tests in September then

 

[aussie]

Haa, oh yea. Well the option of playing both Swann/Monty should still not be ruled out. The fact that AUS are playing spin like did in the 90s again, is a old achillies heel that ENG should rule out attacking.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Haa, oh yea. Well the option of playing both Swann/Monty should still not be ruled out. The fact that AUS are playing spin like did in the 90s again, is a old achillies heel that ENG should rule out attacking.

It should be ruled out until a spate of injuries and Panesar showing he can actually bowl people out.

Panesar is useless as a second spinner because he'll do what Swann does, but worse and he contributes next to nothing in the field and with the bat.

Rashid makes far more sense and to a lesser extent Samit Patel (who if he's going to be picked it should be based on him being in as a batsman).

 

[JimmyGS]

Nah, 2006 was merely above-average. It's probably gained a certain nostalgic air given that 2007 was dangerously wet and 2008 consistently damp.

Certainly 2006 was a good summer but it wasn't as good as 2003, 1994 or 1996 and wasn't close to 1989, 1990 or 1995. 2006 was in fact very similar to 1999, when the Tests missed almost all of the good weather.

2006 was the only summer of recent times that has produced a few turners (possibly two-and-a-half) which was vaguely "good" in terms of dry and sunny.

 

[Richard]

Good summers send you to sleep do they?

 

[Richard]

Haa, oh yea. Well the option of playing both Swann/Monty should still not be ruled out. The fact that AUS are playing spin like did in the 90s again, is a old achillies heel that ENG should rule out attacking.

As I say - it's not like they're struggling against anyone who bowls less than 60mph.

You have to actually be a good spin bowler to trouble any batsman who is more than hopeless.

Anyway it's not a case of times but of players. There were a lot of poor players of spin in Australia in, for example, 2004: Langer, Ponting, Gilchrist. There were probably sometimes some poor ones in, for example, 1993 or 1996 as well, but I can't immediately think of who.

 

[superkingdave]

In 2006 most areas had their warmest July and warmest September since 1918...i'd say thats a pretty decent summer. June was also above average, with very low rainfall and very high sunshine

In fact 2006 was the warmest summer on record (350 years)

BBC - Weather Centre - Features - Understanding Weather - Summer 2006

I spent much of that summer going to work in shorts and flip flops (one of the only good things about working for HMRC) and its the last summer i had before i went to Australia, I've missed the past 2 which are meant to be unspeakably poor. Also spent a large amount of time drinking outside Sinclairs

 

[Richard]

You know, I was going to say something earlier about how temperature is vastly overestimated in importance to a "good" summer. Overwhelmingly what matters is how much sunshine and how many dry days there are. Temperature is a secondary consideration.

In those terms, 2006 was, as I say, merely above-average. Not remotely exceptional.

 

[superkingdave]

Well July was the sunniest July since 1911, rainfall was well below average throughout the year and sunshine was well above average throughout the year.

And as I say, its the best summer i can remember bar maybe 2003, but then I can only say how it was in Manchester.

 

[Richard]

I can categorically assure you that neither 2003 nor 2006 were anywhere near as good as 1989 (which I don't remember, but was the sunniest full summer of the 20th and 21st centuries), 1990 (which I do vaguely) nor 1995 (which I remember well, as among other things hosepipe bans were in force accross the country). Nor were they quite as good as 1994 or 1996.

Maybe 2006 was especially exceptional by Lancashire standards. Not that that's all that difficult.

Unfortunately, regional breakdowns are only accessible via easy means since 1998.

 

[Burgey]

You know, I was going to say something earlier about how temperature is vastly overestimated in importance to a "good" summer. Overwhelmingly what matters is how much sunshine and how many dry days there are. Temperature is a secondary consideration.

In those terms, 2006 was, as I say, merely above-average. Not remotely exceptional.

Well it's nice and sunny here now Rich, but it's about 14 celsius. It doesn't feel summery at all.

Temperature here has plenty to do with how good a summer is here. But a big part of our summers is the beach of course.

 

[Richard]

Sunny + 14 degC = heaven for me.

Hate it when it gets much hotter than about 20 deg-C (in the shade that is).

 

[Burgey]

Sunny + 14 degC = heaven for me.

Hate it when it gets much hotter than about 20 deg-C (in the shade that is).

You must have a very pasty complexion then...

 

[tooextracool]

While Richard is insisting that Onions is useless and should never have been picked, the man himself is busy absolutely destroying sides in the CC this year. Got 3/28 in his opening spell this morning to go with his 15 wickets @ 16 for the rest of the season.

I rate Onions and I hope to God that they dont drop him for Siders for the first test in the Ashes.

 

[Richard]

You must have a very pasty complexion then...

White? Yeah, I do. Hate being tanned\burnt. Route #1 to skin-cancer.

 

[Burgey]

White? Yeah, I do. Hate being tanned. Route #1 to outdoor fun and seeing hotties in bikinis.

Fixed

 

[simmy]

I rate Onions and I hope to God that they dont drop him for Siders for the first test in the Ashes.

100% agree.

 

[Richard]

Fixed

I can see hotties in bikinis any time I want; I can also be outdoor when I'm, well, playing cricket.

In any case, I've always been the type who prefers to be inside with a computer and looking out of the window\door and thinking "ah doesn't the sun remind me so strongly of 1994, 1995 and 1998?"