Finn

[tooextracool]

I wouldnt be surprised, its a bit odd for any international bowler to admit that he shouldn't really be playing test cricket yet.

[Woodster]

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

While this is true, I think you (and a few others who have posted) have to keep in mind that this thread was started in the Ashes 2010/11 forum, and not in Cricket Chat. Whether or not Finn has long-term potential isn't tremendously relevant to this season's Ashes, unless you think he's going to find that accuracy over the next couple of weeks.

Finn's decently quick without being express, gets a lot of bounce without making complete use of height, doesn't move the ball much and isn't consistently accurate. His Test experience so far is worth pretty much zero given the circumstances of it. He's pretty impressive for a man of his age and he could go far, but as far as this season's Ashes goes, I think he could be a bit of a weak link.

While this is true, what he's achieved so far is unrelated to the Ashes 2010/11, so let's keep it in topic!

When a thread is simply about a particular player, surely you can appreciate it may at times veer slightly off course.

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by zaremba

Yes the standard of batting in Div 2 this year has, on the whole, been absolutely woeful. I think they also used a different kind of ball (Tiflex or somesuch) which the bowlers found helpful.

What's the reason they use a different type of ball? Are they experimenting with a view to changing it at the top level, or is it a sponsorship thing?

Seems a little odd tbh.

[Themer]

I thought that they used the Tiflex the year before? Could have sworn Monty said he hated it and his return to form was helped with them going back the the normal one. But then again my memory is shot at the moment.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by Woodster

While this is true, what he's achieved so far is unrelated to the Ashes 2010/11, so let's keep it in topic!

When a thread is simply about a particular player, surely you can appreciate it may at times veer slightly off course.

Well firstly I disagree that what he's achieved so far is unrelated as proper Test match experience would not only put him in good stead but let us know more about his ability.

More to the point though - I wasn't whinging about the thread going off topic. That wasn't my point at all. My point was that defending criticism of him with "he knows that and he's young so he'll improve" is an irrelevant retort to the claims people are refuting - ie. that he's probably not good enough yet and could be a liability in the Ashes.

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by Themer

I thought that they used the Tiflex the year before? Could have sworn Monty said he hated it and his return to form was helped with them going back the the normal one. But then again my memory is shot at the moment.

Has to be said it sounds like a feminine hygiene product.

[zaremba]

Originally Posted by Burgey

Has to be said it sounds like a feminine hygiene product.

Which presumably would surprise you, not on grounds of gender but on grounds of hygiene?

[zaremba]

Originally Posted by Themer

I thought that they used the Tiflex the year before? Could have sworn Monty said he hated it and his return to form was helped with them going back the the normal one. But then again my memory is shot at the moment.

Dunno, could be, my memory is shot too.

[zaremba]

Originally Posted by Themer

I thought that they used the Tiflex the year before? Could have sworn Monty said he hated it and his return to form was helped with them going back the the normal one. But then again my memory is shot at the moment.

I'm not too sure. My memory is pretty poor also.

[Themer]

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by zaremba

Dunno, could be, my memory is shot too.

Originally Posted by zaremba

I'm not too sure. My memory is pretty poor also.

[NasserFan207]

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

Well firstly I disagree that what he's achieved so far is unrelated as proper Test match experience would not only put him in good stead but let us know more about his ability.

More to the point though - I wasn't whinging about the thread going off topic. That wasn't my point at all. My point was that defending criticism of him with "he knows that and he's young so he'll improve" is an irrelevant retort to the claims people are refuting - ie. that he's probably not good enough yet and could be a liability in the Ashes.

Agreed, Finn is a gamble, but so are his alternatives. As a player Finn seems stronger mentally than Tremlett, and technically more reliable than someone like Shazhad. Also, he's noticeably a different bowler than Broad and Anderson, which will likely help his cause.

If he sticks to the basics while being well managed by Strauss without wilting under pressure, I expect him to go ok in a supporting role. Australia's batting isn't what it was, as people keep going on about.

If I was an Australian batter, I'd see Anderson as a far more important target to attack. If you damage his confidence early, he'll likely fall to pieces, and he's more important to England's plans than Finn. Finn is a bowler you're better off neutralising rather than assaulting, since he has the 'you miss I hit mentality'.

That said, I agree that it seems strange not to blood Tremlett in at least one or two tour matches, just to get a better idea of where both men stand in Australian conditions.

[Uppercut]

Originally Posted by vcs

Yeah but his First Class average doesn't look anything out of the ordinary.

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

His debut series against India was awesome though. He was so Clark-esque. He's had a lot of injury problems; the word is that his First Class bowling average is inflated by regularly playing half-fit.

Yeah, he entirely remodelled his action for the 2007 season, started coming off a shorter run-up, scared the **** out of the county circuit and made it into the England side. Very good bowler indeed when fit, which is pretty much never. It'll be really interesting to see how he's bowling now.

[Faisal1985]

The reason i would like to see him in the English bowling lineup is for his height and the likelihood of him getting that bounce along with Broad...

[Themer]

I'd love to see an attack of Harmison, Broad, Tremlett and Finn on a really bouncy wicket. Carnage.