The England batting line up

[Pothas]

With the very encouraging performances from Shah, Cook and Colingwood. It seems that England have several good batsmen but not many can really be called world class. so what is going to be the make up of the England batting line up in the first test in the summer?

It would seem that only one place is up to grabs with the Treso, Strauss, Vaughan (if he is fit) and pieterson looking safe for now although i would much prefer him at number 5. So who is going to take the final test place with Bell likely to be dropped, i would probably go for colingwood as he has had a decent run in the side, but the pressure is definetly on every man now which has to be a posotive thing.

 

[steds]

Bell

 

[Barney Rubble]

Bell. Will make thousands of Test runs. Just needs time.

 

[Pothas]

i agree with you on that but his place has got to be under serious threat now.

 

[marc71178]

Why is it that Collingwood and Bell are in danger yet Pietersen isn't when they outscored him this winter and both did far more to help the team than he did?

 

[Pothas]

very true but Pieterson is seen as Englands next great player and you know there is no way he is going to be dropped, although i would be all in favour of making him make some runs for Hampshire for a while.

 

[adharcric]

Quite simply, I rate Pietersen as the only world-class batting potential for England right now other than Trescothick. Bell and Strauss aren't there yet and Collingwood is more of a Kaif in my opinion, the grinder without flash ... but every team can do with one of those. Be glad that you finally have genuine competition among the middle-order ranks.

 

[luckyeddie]

I'm going to stick my neck out here and suggest that Bell might well be the next English player to hit a big double.

 

[steds]

I'm going to stick my neck out here and suggest that Bell might well be the next English player to hit a big double.

The last one was Bob the blob, and look where he is now.

 

[social]

Not that it will happen but I'd drop Vaughan and open another spot for the younger brigade.

Vaughan's batting is inconsistent at best, his fielding ordinary, and the winter has shown that there are at least 2 certainties for selection who are every bit as good in the captaincy dept.

 

[Scaly piscine]

The people who voted for the next Ramprakash need shooting, anyway good to know that Collingwood is ahead of him so far in this poll. There are two ways Bell could be the next Englishman to hit a big double one is if he gets dropped half a dozen times and gets away with 3 plumb lbws, the other is if England decide to bat against Bangladesh for 2 days - but if they keep improving he'll need his 9 lives against them as well.

 

[cpr]

I'm going for Collingwood. England seem to like consistency, and in my eyes he's the most settled at international level of the choices. Shah never reached the heights in ODI's, which has counted against him before and will still do so, unless he piles on even more runs next year. Cook is definatly a future regular, but i doubt we'll see him playing constantly for a couple of years. Bell certainly is a strong choice, and good scores will cement his place, but Collingwoods ODI record works heavily in his favour now he's pushed into the Test team and made a mark.

Reckon Collingwood/Bell will scrap over a place in the summer, then cook will permanently replace Collingwood in the squad in about 2-3 years. Untill then he'll be a bit part figure, coming in when injuries occur, or on tour when players need resting (much like Anderson does at the bowling end). Shah will just have to hope another injury crisis occurs i'm afraid (harsh on him, but the truth)

 

[Jono]

Collingwood.

Bell did well in Pakistan when many other English batsman didn't, but he did well on tracks which were very flat. Collingwood did well both in Pakistan and India.

The fact is, during this India-England test series, whenever Strauss was in I knew there was a chance we could get him out or he'd get himself out, whenever Bell was in I figured Kumble could get him, Pietersen and Flintoff I knew were dangerous but may gift their wickets... but with Collingwood I always thought its going to take a very good delivery because he rarely gifts his wicket away. I reckon he's proved me and many others wrong. Fair play to Scaly for sticking with him because I reckon Scaly's right.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I'm going for Collingwood. England seem to like consistency, and in my eyes he's the most settled at international level of the choices. Shah never reached the heights in ODI's, which has counted against him before and will still do so, unless he piles on even more runs next year. Cook is definatly a future regular, but i doubt we'll see him playing constantly for a couple of years. Bell certainly is a strong choice, and good scores will cement his place, but Collingwoods ODI record works heavily in his favour now he's pushed into the Test team and made a mark.

Reckon Collingwood/Bell will scrap over a place in the summer, then cook will permanently replace Collingwood in the squad in about 2-3 years. Untill then he'll be a bit part figure, coming in when injuries occur, or on tour when players need resting (much like Anderson does at the bowling end). Shah will just have to hope another injury crisis occurs i'm afraid (harsh on him, but the truth)

Bell certainly is not a strong choice. He now averages below 30 against Test class opposition (ie not Bangladesh), he's had 14 matches now (12 against Test class opposition) - how many chances do we want to give to the next Ramprakash? He's shown absolutely nothing with the bat and we've got Collingwood as the middle order anchor and better prospects in the long term with Cook etc. The only reason to pick him is if half our team is absent otherwise he offers nothing different or better to those previously mentioned.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I chose Collingwood.

Bell seems to be highly rated among many English, and to be honest, I can't see why. I guess you've seen more of him than me, but he doesn't seem anything too special to me. Collingwood is a much better batsman in my opinion, as well as a top notch fieldsman and a not too shabby part time option with the ball [I know Bell can bowl too, but as far as I've seen Collingwood is better]. Collingwood seems to come to the fore when his side needs it, which is a real plus.

 

[aussie]

Collingwood obviously..

 

[tooextracool]

Not that it will happen but I'd drop Vaughan and open another spot for the younger brigade.

Vaughan's batting is inconsistent at best, his fielding ordinary, and the winter has shown that there are at least 2 certainties for selection who are every bit as good in the captaincy dept.

yea that would be my argument too. he needs to take some time off work on his game in domestic cricket. its not going to happen but my side for the first test against SL would look like this:

Strauss
Trescothick(c)
Shah
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
Read
Giles
Hoggard
Harmison
Jones

Anderson

i also wouldnt be completely against a cook/strauss opening partnership with tresco batting in the middle order(something ive always been for). i think Pietersen should at least by now be walking on a tight rope, since his performance at Lords, he hasnt played a single convincing innings(and his innings at the oval was anything but) and the strong temperament that he showed at the start of his career has actually gotten worse. Anderson may just be pushing Harmison for a place in the test side IMO, especially since hes probably going to get more chances at the international level with Jones and co frequently getting injured, so he'll get the chance to prove himself.
i wouldnt give flintoff the captaincy in tests because he himself has said that hes doesnt want to continue as captain after the series and would be glad for vaughan to take over.

 

[BoyBrumby]

i wouldnt give flintoff the captaincy in tests because he himself has said that hes doesnt want to continue as captain after the series and would be glad for vaughan to take over.

TBF it's the sort of thing he's obliged to say, like those oily politicos who blithely mutter "I've no ambition to be Prime Minister" whilst quietly plotting the best way to thrust a blade between the incumbent’s shoulders. Not that I'm suggesting Fred is planning a coup or anything, but I think it'd be bad form if he said "yeah it's my lifetime ambition" with a (v successful) skip convalescing! If Vaughan is left out I think he's proved to be a stronger character than Tres, so he'd get my vote.

As for question in hand it's Colly for me. I thought Bell had turned a corner after Pakistan, but he seems to have real probs against top-notch spin; first Warne & now Kumble have given him a torrid time. With Murali waiting in the summer I think it may be best to give the little ginger fella his head.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

I'm loath to consider dropping a player with as much skill as Bell, but he is looking a little Rampsesque. As has been said the pitches in PAK were as flat as a pint of Witch's Ringpiece, the failure of the other batsman flatters Bell a little I think.

How long do we wait for Bell to stop getting out to average deliveries? Colly looks a more solid bet at the moment. I think Shah will be worked out pretty quickly once teams realise his off-side weakness (from the little I saw of him he looked too on-side, KP is beginning to get out trying to force on the leg-side, could be wrong but Shah might too).

Ahh I dunno, will have a think in me heeed and vote later but I'm edging (like Bell) towards Colly.

 

[Barney Rubble]

I'm going to stick my neck out here and suggest that Bell might well be the next English player to hit a big double.

Seconded.