*Official* Fourth Test at Headingley

[inbox24]

Besides retiring (and assassination), how do selectors usually get ousted from their positions? In the history of cricket, have there ever been an uprisings against selection panels?

[pup11]

After hearing Hilditch's comments, they'll probably do it just to ensure they can see the back of Stuart Clark for the series.

England obviously would have to do everything to ensure that the Oval pitch is a result producing one, and the only way they can do that, is by leaving it dry and slightly underprepared, and such a deck would obviously help the spinners.

Now niether England or Austrlia have exceptional spinners in their ranks, but the situaton of the series, and the nature of the track are some factors, that would probably force both sides to depend on their unfancied spinners to lead their respective attacks.

[vic_orthdox]

Just following the logic being presented here: a slow, dry wicket will ensure that 40 wickets fall during the Test...

So, the opening batsmen get set against a blunted opening attack because there's nothing in the pitch for them, and are in like Flynn once the spinners - one of whom has been steady, the other very inconsistent - come on, is going to ensure a result.

Oh, why not just look at Cardiff!

England just have to ensure that there's enough moisture to give their quicks a chance to take early wickets, and have confidence that their batting will set enough for their bowlers to defend.

And good luck in making a bunsen in less than two weeks.

[BoyBrumby]

Just following the logic being presented here: a slow, dry wicket will ensure that 40 wickets fall during the Test...

So, the opening batsmen get set against a blunted opening attack because there's nothing in the pitch for them, and are in like Flynn once the spinners - one of whom has been steady, the other very inconsistent - come on, is going to ensure a result.

Oh, why not just look at Cardiff!

England just have to ensure that there's enough moisture to give their quicks a chance to take early wickets, and have confidence that their batting will set enough for their bowlers to defend.

And good luck in making a bunsen in less than two weeks.

Quite. Especially with our weather. I'm about 60-ish miles from The Oval and it's coming down in stair-rods here.

[wpdavid]

But I can't understand why England are going to lean towards preparing a dry, spinning deck. Their attack is 4/5 pace afterall. It's not like they've got Warne and Murali and we've got, well, Nathan Hauritz.

I'd be astonished if we did prodcue a bunsen - we only do that we SL are here.

However, there may be some mileage in naming 3 spinners in the squad to try an dupe Aus into dropping Clark.

[Bloody Hell]

Besides retiring (and assassination), how do selectors usually get ousted from their positions? In the history of cricket, have there ever been an uprisings against selection panels?

Flaming torches and pitchforks usually do the trick. I've got mine waiting by the backdoor and am just waiting for the mob to pass.

Bad selectors!

[zaremba]

Besides retiring (and assassination), how do selectors usually get ousted from their positions? In the history of cricket, have there ever been an uprisings against selection panels?

When England toured India in 1992/3 they picked an odd tour party which seemed to put a higher priority on the 7 ODIs than the 3 Tests that were to be played. The MCC membership organised a vote of no confidence in the selection panel which was narrowly defeated.

England, by contrast, were not narrowly defeated. They were absolutely thrashed. They lost all 3 Tests, two of them by an innings and the other by 8 wickets. Naturally no-one remembers what happened in the ODIs.*

Bizarrely the concerns leading to the no-confidence vote related not just to the (ludicrous) exclusion of David Gower and Jack Russell but also to the exclusion of Ian Salisbury. Salisbury was shown, in time, to be the worst specialist bowler ever to play Test cricket and so he was duly added to the England squad that series after bowling less badly in the nets than some of the other England spinners. He managed to take 3 Indian wickets in the series at an average of 76.66, coincidentally almost identical to his career average of 76.95. David Gower and Jack Russell, arguably England's greatest batsman and wicketkeeper from the past 2 decades, did not receive call-ups.







* The ODI series was drawn 3-3.

[Burgey]

Just following the logic being presented here: a slow, dry wicket will ensure that 40 wickets fall during the Test...

So, the opening batsmen get set against a blunted opening attack because there's nothing in the pitch for them, and are in like Flynn once the spinners - one of whom has been steady, the other very inconsistent - come on, is going to ensure a result.

Oh, why not just look at Cardiff!

England just have to ensure that there's enough moisture to give their quicks a chance to take early wickets, and have confidence that their batting will set enough for their bowlers to defend.

And good luck in making a bunsen in less than two weeks.

Not surprisingly, Macca nails it in one.