First time I've seen Nash. I like the look of him. Well-organised, nuggety and had enough impudence about him to back cut a couple of Fred's bouncers over the slips and down to third man for four. So much for the perceived weakness to short stuff.
Yeah that was my point, I still find it pretty shocking the way he was dumped by England. If the same Harmison had been subject to the same treatment then he probably wouldn't have played a test since in a couple of years.
Yeah, had his best years opening for queensland I believe, and you'd think that's where he'd have to go to stay in the team when Bravo comes in.
Told you he started his career as a batsmen who could keep, the man has always had talent, desperately disappointed he couldn't get a half century but at least he is starting to earn his keep, kept well first couple days too.
How does this prove that he started his career as a batsman? To my knowledge, having followed his career as closely as possible before he debuted for West Indies at any level, he was practically always a wicketkeeper-batsman. I know the man can bat. I've mentioned several times that he has a fantastic record at school and age level in Trinidad and for the West Indies. That doesn't change the fact that he's been a gloveman for long enough not to be considered a "batsman who keeps". That's the same as calling Flintoff a "batsman who bowls". It's just not right.
Thought you'd say that and it doesn't prove it, I was being a bit stupid but I'm gonna find his U19 record and thus prove his batting prowess.... I'll be black,
I think his bating position is perfect for us to be honest, just like he's proving now when we need someone steady in the middle order who can stay at the stump and create a partnership he's the man, he was also class against NZ for the most part and has the ability to get us out of trouble when Gayle and Sarwan have one of those "erratic days", it's gonna be very interesting to see what happens when Bravo comes back, we'll be even stronger and i believe the sooner Darren Bravo and Adrian Bareth are involved the better we will be, both have brilliant potential and i'd have them in place of Smith and Marshall in all honesty.
Bowling is weak, more of a team for the future, does look formidable though, the trini boys are doing nicely... hopefully by that time we'll have a decent quickie too, maybe Roach will learn to get some accuracy...
Fair enough. I've not yet given up on Jimmy, and I'd dearly love him to become the bowler that he sometimes seems capable of being - which is to say, just about the best pace bowler in the world
The fact that Ramdin has been keeping wicket since practically the start of his serious cricket career qualifies him as a wicketkeeper-batsman. And scorecards are not going to prove that he was a poor 'keeper. When he debuted for West Indies it was, rightly, with a good reputation with gloves and bat.
Who's weak in the bowling line-up?, i'd say Taylor and Bravo are top class, Edwards on his day is fantastic too, maybe it's too soon to judge Benn but i think he was decent towards the end in the 20/20 games in NZ and he's carried on that form into this series, if he keeps that form then the spin department looks very good with Gayle alongside him. how would you change the bowling line-up?, because i wouldn't mess with the batting line-up down to Ramdin, i think it has the potential to be excellent.
he is just about the best pace bowler in the World in one condition and even then he is hit and miss... think he'll always be expensive unless he learns to do what Hoggard did well throughout his career and what Sidebottom did really well today and when it's not swinging bowl lione and length, don't think he's developed yet and until he does that no point bringing him in to the side.
Just restricting my comments to Bravo, I think that to describe him as "top class" as a bowler is a little on the optimistic side. He averages nearly 40 in Tests.
If you watched him last summer you'd have seen a lot of the improvements you're outlining in that post. In Tests, not ODIs. He worked hard and was pretty impressive in 2008, rarely encountering swinging conditions too.
Ha. thats a brilliant saying...
