The oracle Sir Freddie Trueman has spoken

[Lillian Thomson]

So why do Englands batsmen suddenly look so lacking in technique when faced with constant genuine quaility bowling from both ends?

Too much one-day cricket.
Not enough first class cricket.

Solution?

Less one-day cricket.
Scrap the two divisions in County Cricket, abandon the four day game and play 34 three day games on uncovered wickets.

 

[Richard]

Yep, fairly predictable.
Uncovered wickets are a must-never-again IMO; four-day Championship cricket is generally the best solution that could be found.
Nor can the one-day game really be blamed, as few of the batsmen currently playing are good one-day batsmen (Strauss, Vaughan, Bell, Jones).
Simple fact of the matter is McGrath bowled as well as anyone could possibly bowl, and Warne not far from it.
Faced with that, no batsman has a chance.
And it'd be overreacting to think that the plethora of problems have resurfaced because of a single Test-match.
Wait until we get some flatter pitches, then if the problems continue, start to worry.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Simple fact of the matter is McGrath bowled as well as anyone could possibly bowl, and Warne not far from it.
Faced with that, no batsman has a chance.

One batsman seemed to do pretty ok, thanks very much!

More classics from the Trueman school of bitterness.

 

[Richard]

One batsman seemed to do pretty ok, thanks very much!

Indeed.
His technique is better suited to that type of pitch than the rest.
Still - if he'd got one of the balls that did for Vaughan and Flintoff in the first-innings, or if one of those balls from Warne that roared past the edge had clipped it, his technique wouldn't have mattered a jot.

 

[Swervy]

Indeed.
His technique is better suited to that type of pitch than the rest.
Still - if he'd got one of the balls that did for Vaughan and Flintoff in the first-innings, or if one of those balls from Warne that roared past the edge had clipped it, his technique wouldn't have mattered a jot.

Peitersen actually did get a real low one (I think in the first innings) probably less playable than vaughans,and he managed to squirt it out in time

 

[Richard]

Really?
I didn't notice that one.
Of course he got 1 or 2 that bounced unevenly, but he didn't get any RUDs, unlike everyone else in the first-innings.
He played well, but he had a share of good fortune.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Peitersen actually did get a real low one (I think in the first innings) probably less playable than vaughans,and he managed to squirt it out in time

IIRC it was pitched up a little more, ergo he was half forward anyway. The Vaughan and Fred balls were pitched fairly short and they were caught on the back-foot; from there it's goodnight if the ball is bowled on-line with the stumps and grubs.

 

[Swervy]

IIRC it was pitched up a little more, ergo he was half forward anyway. The Vaughan and Fred balls were pitched fairly short and they were caught on the back-foot; from there it's goodnight if the ball is bowled on-line with the stumps and grubs.

if thats the case then fair do's, i got the impression vaughan had more time to react to his low one than KP did...if not then I am wrong

 

[Pedro Delgado]

if thats the case then fair do's, i got the impression vaughan had more time to react to his low one than KP did...if not then I am wrong

Whatever happened, his technique was smashing in that test and it looks like we have a real player on our hands for a very long time, I know it's one match but he played McGrath and Warne soooo well. Loved it when Lee tried to sledge him, and I lip read KP saying, quite calmly, "don't spout your bullsh1t at me".

Huzzah.

 

[Swervy]

Whatever happened, his technique was smashing in that test and it looks like we have a real player on our hands for a very long time, I know it's one match but he played McGrath and Warne soooo well. Loved it when Lee tried to sledge him, and I lip read KP saying, quite calmly, "don't spout your bullsh1t at me".

Huzzah.

yeah I agree, I think occasionally you get a player who comes along who instantly looks like a real test player (he has looked like that for a while to be honest)....amongst the batsmen for England, he actually looked like one player who had been around for years,and all the others looked like debutants.

Even as an Aussie, I am really looking forward to seeing Flintoff and KP get a big partnership together, if those two get going on a good track,they will score so fast it will be untrue

 

[Richard]

Pietersen-Flintoff has been overplayed for quite a while and it's been one massive relief as far as I'm concerned that this stupid overplayed hype has come to precisely nothing so far.
Nor can I see either of them causing problems to any of Australia, Pakistan or India.
Pietersen is obviously a player with what it takes to succeed in Tests; Flintoff is increasingly looking much less so.
Of course, it's probably good that Pietersen had to wait for his international debut as long as he did, though Hampshire wasn't the wisest career move.

On another note: refreshing to see someone else who realises Vaughan and Flintoff in the first-innings did nothing wrong.

 

[Swervy]

Pietersen-Flintoff has been overplayed for quite a while and it's been one massive relief as far as I'm concerned that this stupid overplayed hype has come to precisely nothing so far.
Nor can I see either of them causing problems to any of Australia, Pakistan or India.
Pietersen is obviously a player with what it takes to succeed in Tests; Flintoff is increasingly looking much less so.
Of course, it's probably good that Pietersen had to wait for his international debut as long as he did, though Hampshire wasn't the wisest career move.

On another note: refreshing to see someone else who realises Vaughan and Flintoff in the first-innings did nothing wrong.

who in there right mind would even think that they did much wrong..some balls are nigh on unplayable...for me, Flintoff especially had no chance

 

[Richard]

Plenty of people have had some rubbish like the both of them should have been forward... fact is neither they, nor Strauss, nor Trescothick, nor Jones (G), had any real chance with their deliveries.

 

[Swervy]

Pietersen-Flintoff has been overplayed for quite a while and it's been one massive relief as far as I'm concerned that this stupid overplayed hype has come to precisely nothing so far.
Nor can I see either of them causing problems to any of Australia, Pakistan or India.
Pietersen is obviously a player with what it takes to succeed in Tests; Flintoff is increasingly looking much less so.
Of course, it's probably good that Pietersen had to wait for his international debut as long as he did, though Hampshire wasn't the wisest career move.

On another note: refreshing to see someone else who realises Vaughan and Flintoff in the first-innings did nothing wrong.

so you arent looking forward to the session of play when these two really hit it off and destry the opposition..it will happen at some point.

I cant beleive that you as an England fan can say you were releived when Flintoff and KP didnt get a partnership together...what on earth to you follow this sport for

 

[Richard]

Because believe it or not there are things I enjoy more - far more - in cricket than seeing the ball belted round the park and hit in the air all the time and I think people have got hopelessly over-excited about said prospect with Pietersen-Flintoff.
Especially as I have never been convinced about Flintoff's ability against decent bowling.
If they smash a rubbish attack round the park, fine, that'll be nice enough, but I won't enjoy it if it happens to a good attack.
Nor can I see that it's especially likely.

 

[Barney Rubble]

On another note: refreshing to see someone else who realises Vaughan and Flintoff in the first-innings did nothing wrong.

Yeah - they both got real snorters, you can see by the horrible mess they ended up in that there was something a little bizarre about each of the two deliveries.

 

[Richard]

Yet some people have said "they should have been forward" or such rubbish...
As if anyone would ever go forward to those length deliveries.

 

[Barney Rubble]

I've got you there Richard - Will Jefferson would have gone forward to them, they were half-volleys to a man his size!

 

[Swervy]

Because believe it or not there are things I enjoy more - far more - in cricket than seeing the ball belted round the park and hit in the air all the time and I think people have got hopelessly over-excited about said prospect with Pietersen-Flintoff.
Especially as I have never been convinced about Flintoff's ability against decent bowling.
If they smash a rubbish attack round the park, fine, that'll be nice enough, but I won't enjoy it if it happens to a good attack.
Nor can I see that it's especially likely.

\\

and so you see no good points of a pair of aggressive batsmen smashing a top class bowling attack around the park..to me that sounds like my idea of cricketing heaven..high quality play is surely what we as the public want to see

 

[archie mac]

So why do Englands batsmen suddenly look so lacking in technique when faced with constant genuine quaility bowling from both ends?

Too much one-day cricket.
Not enough first class cricket.

Solution?

Less one-day cricket.
Scrap the two divisions in County Cricket, abandon the four day game and play 34 three day games on uncovered wickets.

Is Trueman the GLY or is it Boycott?

Anyway I always thought England should divide the Country into 8 sections and limit FCC to those 8 teams and have the county's feed the super 8 league.