*Official* England v Zimbabwe

[luckyeddie]

DD predicts......

lovely weather for ducks and an England win

 

[luckyeddie]

The talk is Flintoff and Hoggard are both doubtful, so it's any 11 from 11!

Watch this space for sudden late recalls, then. One more injury and it'll be a recall for Ryan Sidebottom (unlikely but deserved on this season's form) or Corky (more likely and arguably less deserved)

 

[Rik]

I can't wait to see Kirtley get a go in the Test side. He's been performing consistantly for years in the CC and I think he's more suited to it than ODIs, although he could still be a success in the latter.

 

[Bazza]

I disagree Rik. For mine Kirtley is more of an ODI bowler and a surpsie pick to me. Not as much as McGrath though. A batsman who never fulfilled his potential and can bowl a bit = test match allrounder? I don't think so.

 

[Bazza]

Forgot to add that I would have picked Troughton (he's got another ton just now) and Johnson, although I didn't know at the time Johnson is carrying a niggle apparently so fair enough he misses out, though unlucky for him something always comes up and he's been in great form.

Still I would have preffered Troughton to McGrath. We don't need 5 bowlers against Zimbabwe IMO, especially with Butcher and Vaughan in the side. Troughton can bowl a bit as well I think?

 

[V Reddy]

Is McGrath a bit like Sanjay Bangar. Average in both bowling and batting. If he can perform like Bangar did in tests then i think his selection will be justified.

 

[Rik]

Darren Maddy, the Leicstershire and former England batsman who has worked on his bowling just took 5-49 against Middlesex. A 2 fingered salute to the selectors if ever I saw one! He's been bowling well for a few years and his batting is improving again, I'd much rather see him in over McGrath, he even takes his bowling seriously.

 

[luckyeddie]

Dead right, Rik - Darren Maddy's been in fine form for some time. Mind you, from what I've heard, Jim Troughton's 'reminder' was absolutely magnificent today.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Maddy would've been a better call than McGrath.

Troughton's 125 off 131 balls batting at 5 in an innings of 195/7 seems quite smart, too.

That's 3 tons this season for a career total of 7 already (only 6 fifties) and an FC average of over 50.

 

[luckyeddie]

Maddy would've been a better call than McGrath.

Troughton's 125 off 131 balls batting at 5 in an innings of 195/7 seems quite smart, too.

That's 3 tons this season for a career total of 7 already (only 6 fifties) and an FC average of over 50.

Glad to see someone reads my match reports

 

[Tim]

Well the impressive thing about Troughton's century was that Warwickshire were in deep trouble at 6/3 and he made pretty light work of the Kent bowlers who had started very well.

IMO Troughton should have been picked ahead of McGrath and should even be considered a better prospect than Ian Bell.

Ian Bell looks to me like a bit of a Lou Vincent who will probably only bat well every so often but Troughton looks the real thing with an excellent FC average of 48 although he's just played the 22 FC matches. I also see that he has a handy OD average of 35.

 

[marc71178]

So far, Troughton doesn't seem to have suffered from 2nd Season blues, which is very rare in young English Cricketers.

 

[marc71178]

Zimbabwe win the toss and put England in.

Note that Taibu is down to come in at 5 for Zimbabwe :O

 

[chris.hinton]

finally some cricket England are 27/0

 

[chris.hinton]

We should have picked a youngish side and looked to the future, i would have picked this

Trescothick
Vaughan
Key
Hussain
Troughton
Shafyat
Read
Giles (no other spinner at present)
Anderson
Hoggard
Harminson

Ok long tail but it enough to beat Zimbabwe

 

[luckyeddie]

Oops.

Vaughan gone - bowled off his butt.

Second look - thigh pad

 

[Eclipse]

Vaughan had 4 off 41 balls at one stage.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Shafyat

Don't you think that this might be a case of a little too early. for someone who's not in the best of form as it is?

Besides (and this is hard to say), what's Butcher done wrong?

Trescothick has been impressive this morning and Vaughan, though looking uncomfortable earlier, had just hit a cracking cover drive when he was bowled, incredibly unluckily.

Time for a change of bowler soon. Hondo and Friend or Ervine?

I don't think we'll see Ervine quite yet...

 

[Eclipse]

From what I have seen Ervine is a talented batsman but not much of a bowler.

 

[marc71178]

Horrible way to get out.

I never realised Butcher is still only 30 - he's probably got 4 or 5 years in him in theory.