*Official* NatWest Series: ENG v SA v ZIM

[marc71178]

Natwest Series thread

One month to boil down to one game - England v South Africa at Lords in the final.

Oh well, it gives Trescothick a chance to challenge for the top spots, and Freddies bowling is improving all the time.

All we need now is for Rikki Clarke to be run over by a bus or something

 

[luckyeddie]

Re: Natwest Series thread

All we need now is for Rikki Clarke to be run over by a bus or something

He'll probably score millions and take shedloads against Zimbabwe - then the selectors will say "See? Told you so."

Wait - Zimbabwe aren't bad at one-dayers. Forget I said anything.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Re: Natwest Series thread

All we need now is for Rikki Clarke to be run over by a bus or something

Ouch! That's harsh coming from AA's biggest fan.

 

[luckyeddie]

Rikki Clarke is destined for fame - I guarantee it.

He will have things named after him (without giving anything away). Andre - ssshhhhhh.

And I don't mean 'the last train to Clarkesville', either.

 

[marc71178]

Re: Re: Natwest Series thread

Ouch! That's harsh coming from AA's biggest fan.

Leave the great man alone - he scores runs and takes wickets!

 

[PY]

And I don't mean 'the last train to Clarkesville', either.

The Monkees (classic, cheesy music that rules)

 

[luckyeddie]

Excellent start by Streak - England 64-3.

I know one thing - if Trent Bridge continue producing pitches like this (cracked all over, ball breaking through the surface as early as the fifth over), Chester-le-Street can look forward to a long future as a test match venue.

I know it's been a dry summer in the Midlands (my garden looks a bit like the wicket), but I have one piece of advice to give to the Trent Bridge groundsman - B&Q sell hosepipes.

 

[Tim]

Streak has been superb, a shining light for Zimbabwe..good for him.

 

[Langeveldt]

Price and Marillier bowling even better now, and England in a spot of bother...

Robert Key - Bowled Price - 11 :O Thats quite good for him !?

 

[marc71178]

Rikki to score a whirlwind 7 or 8 now?

Thank God for Freddie (yet again)

 

[luckyeddie]

I thought at the start par was about 210-220. It doesn't look as though England will get anywhere near that, but I'm not changing my view on the pitch - it looks diabolical.

I'm pretty sure that if it was at Derby, there would have been a fine. So come on ECB inspectors - be consistent.

 

[chris.hinton]

it has not been a dry summer in the midlands?

Anyway


Clarke got 23..... he will come good ;(

Get rid of Rob Key he is ****e it only becasue he plays for Kent that he gets in

 

[luckyeddie]

it has not been a dry summer in the midlands?

Anyway


Clarke got 23..... he will come good ;(

Get rid of Rob Key he is ****e it only becasue he plays for Kent that he gets in

You don't live in the PROPER Midlands - you live in the WEST Midlands. I live 9 miles from Trent Bridge - believe you me, it's been bono for weeks. That's no excuse, though.


Clarke? Huh.

Kent bias? Not really.

 

[Bazza]

Yeah Kent players always get in the team without showing much. Right Rich? I mean David Fulton got loads of chances without scoring any runs in domestic cricket. Maybe I shouldn't go down that road.

Anyway I'm not a fan of Key. Firstly he's not a one day player. England seem to be trying to involve alot of the new players in both forms, which I don't necessarily agree with. But also Key hasn't made a good score yet in many innings against India, Australia and Zimbabwe. Drop him from both forms and give a real batsman a chance.

It's been a dry summer everywhere but the groundsman is apparently bemused as to how this happened. He's an experienced lad but seemingly there are strange goings on.

As I speak a top catch by Ricky Clarke in the gully which appeared to bounce first, but Marillier has very sportingly walked. Zimbabwe in big trouble (he shouldn't have walked then I'm afraid. Zimbabwe aren't good enough to be sporting! :P)

Finally I was going to say Richard Johnson grabs a wicket with his second ball in ODIs. Consiering his great start in tests I'm going to do a rare thing and admit I was wrong to brand him as not a one day bowler. He looks good early.

I think this one day side with Gough, Anderson, Johnson and Giles looks pretty good. Just replace Clarke with Hollioake and Key with a batsman who knows what it's like to make 50 and we might be set.

Oh yeah and replace Solanki as well. He still hasn't convinced me and we can have Vaughan open with Tres (hopefully cutting out those pull shots!) and we just need to find a couple of middle order batsmen (personally I still can't understand why Thorpe isn't playing at least in the short term).

 

[Neil Pickup]

Thorpe's not playing because he's retired from ODIs.

Zimbabwe on 15/3 and could have been even worse.

They'll be lucky to make three figures, and that will only be from a Blignaut long-handle job.

 

[luckyeddie]

Four points :

1. This has been the most uninspiring captaincy I have seen in quite some time. At 30-odd for 4 after 15 overs, Vaughan cleverly took advantage of the end of the fielding restrictions to position 5 men on the boundary, thus even more cleverly throwing the initiative away.

2. Giles bowling over the wicket on an indifferent pitch for his first 3 overs - coupled with point (1) allowed the batsmen 5 simple singles an over - just what you want when you're 4 down with 40 or so on the board.

3. Giles switches to round the wicket, but has 5 fielders on the leg side (3 of whom are on the boundary).

4. Clarke would get stick in second XI cricket.

England have drastically underestimated Zimbabwe and deserve to lose. Can we have (at least) 4 bowlers next time, please?

 

[Bazza]

Re: Natwest Series thread

One month to boil down to one game - England v South Africa at Lords in the final.

Hmmm.... someone didn't reckon for England's potent middle order batsmen/part time bowlers (Key, McGrath, Clarke) who contributed a combined 48 runs from 118 balls before bowling a combined 9-0-48-0. So in effect they just gave Zimbabwe a 64 ball advantage. Oh and three wickets.

I agree with Eddie, Michael Vaughan showed he's got a lot to learn as a captain - still can't work out how Zimbabwe got off the hook.

Neil - Thorpe reversed his decision this season, saying he was committed to playing for England in all forms of cricket. Unfortunately the selectors think Robert Key can do a better job.

 

[V Reddy]

Why doesn't Vaughan bowl ? Also the English batting against spin was poor to say the least. Key and McGrath look like to me the Dravid when he first came to one day cricket. They struggled to find the gaps when they tried to, but they played so many balls defensively. Flower continued his one day form from the Sharjah series and Price and Marillier bowled well but i think they were not attcked enough. Streak bowled well too and Ervine did well with both bat and ball :P . I also feel maybe that Vaughan should open instead of Solanki. Maybe Solanki coming in at 3 as i think he deserves a couple more chances. Also sad to see Troughton not there. I was looking forward to his batting in this series .

 

[Rik]

Thorpe's not playing because he's retired from ODIs.

That's not what he said a few months ago...

 

[marc71178]

Re: Re: Natwest Series thread

Neil - Thorpe reversed his decision this season, saying he was committed to playing for England in all forms of cricket. Unfortunately the selectors think Robert Key can do a better job.

But is it fair on these guys to chop them because someone decides he wants to play again?

No matter how good a player he is, if he's that unreliable, I feel that it's a right move.