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*Official* South Africa in England Thread
- Thread starter Rik
- Start date
Craig
World Traveller
The penny has dropped
The penny has dropped and it shows that complete lack of depth or quality depth in English cricket.
The bowling of Giles, Flintoff, Harmison, Anderson and Gough is absolutely below Test standard. Gough is the only decent bowler England have, the rest might be ok at FC standard but not at Tests and shows once again the complete lack of ability to take wickets.
Smith's runs werent chanceless (dropped on 8 and 98 as far as I know), but England have the only ones to blame for this.
The penny has dropped and it shows that complete lack of depth or quality depth in English cricket.
The bowling of Giles, Flintoff, Harmison, Anderson and Gough is absolutely below Test standard. Gough is the only decent bowler England have, the rest might be ok at FC standard but not at Tests and shows once again the complete lack of ability to take wickets.
Smith's runs werent chanceless (dropped on 8 and 98 as far as I know), but England have the only ones to blame for this.
Re: The penny has dropped
Too many teams, means too many players, playing to many games in to many competitions = too many guys not upto FC standard playing FC cricket, and the level of cricket is just not intense enough.
Reduce the amount of teams, means you reduce the amount of positions available for players to get paid - straight away increases the standard, and means those guys who are still there will be playing very intesely because they know there is pressure coming from below.
Then reduce the number of competitions and number games being played by FC players means players aren't as fatigued, and can play those games at a much higher intesity, which will much more approriately simulate test cricket.
There are too many guys who "wander" their way through their FC careers in England, never really performing or dong anything special. Yet year after year they keep getting paid when they are clearly undeserved. These are the type of players that the ECB needs to eridacate from their FC system.
You should be aiming to have EVERY player who is currently playing FC cricket to be:
- capable of stepping up and playing test cricket or
- still young and a developement player who could play test cricket in the future
Australia is very close to having this situation - there are very few players around who are just "wandering".......
This, as I've harped on before, stems from the amount of FC cricket which is being played.Craig said:
Too many teams, means too many players, playing to many games in to many competitions = too many guys not upto FC standard playing FC cricket, and the level of cricket is just not intense enough.
Reduce the amount of teams, means you reduce the amount of positions available for players to get paid - straight away increases the standard, and means those guys who are still there will be playing very intesely because they know there is pressure coming from below.
Then reduce the number of competitions and number games being played by FC players means players aren't as fatigued, and can play those games at a much higher intesity, which will much more approriately simulate test cricket.
There are too many guys who "wander" their way through their FC careers in England, never really performing or dong anything special. Yet year after year they keep getting paid when they are clearly undeserved. These are the type of players that the ECB needs to eridacate from their FC system.
You should be aiming to have EVERY player who is currently playing FC cricket to be:
- capable of stepping up and playing test cricket or
- still young and a developement player who could play test cricket in the future
Australia is very close to having this situation - there are very few players around who are just "wandering".......
Last edited:
. During the Natwest Series , Eng bowling was considered as very good but after 2 tests it has changed completely :wow:
luckyeddie
Cricket Web Staff Member
All very nice, hourn, but you cannot go around shooting players and blowing up county grounds.
We have 18 first-class counties - and we are stuck with them so any talk of reducing the number is pointless - it will not happen. Clubs will not vote themselves out of existence.
We have 18 first-class counties - and we are stuck with them so any talk of reducing the number is pointless - it will not happen. Clubs will not vote themselves out of existence.
luckyeddie
Cricket Web Staff Member
merde
luckyeddie
Cricket Web Staff Member
Declaration?
What on Earth would Smith be doing contemplating any form of a declaration?
Surely the target has to be in excess of 700
Ah, joke. Perhaps you are right. I think the reason he opened with those two is the fact that they did trouble the batters a little last night (under cloud cover with a dewy pitch and outfield) so with the sun beating down this morning and everything tinder-dry it was quite the logical choice.
I'll get my coat.
What on Earth would Smith be doing contemplating any form of a declaration?
Surely the target has to be in excess of 700
Ah, joke. Perhaps you are right. I think the reason he opened with those two is the fact that they did trouble the batters a little last night (under cloud cover with a dewy pitch and outfield) so with the sun beating down this morning and everything tinder-dry it was quite the logical choice.
I'll get my coat.
luckyeddie
Cricket Web Staff Member
Shouldn't that comment have been in the 'moustache' thread in off-topic?Rik said:
luckyeddie
Cricket Web Staff Member
I summed it up nicely in the day 1 report - when I said that 'good players are lucky - and the better they become, the luckier they get'
Smith just cracked a boundary square through the off, then Harmison beat him three balls in succession before Smith smacked another wonderful boundary through extra cover.
Smith just cracked a boundary square through the off, then Harmison beat him three balls in succession before Smith smacked another wonderful boundary through extra cover.
