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Rich2001

Craig

Craig

World Traveller
Being a Kent man, can you answer my following questions:

1) what is Ed Smith like as a batsman? What is his strengths & weakness'? Is he good enough for a spot on England's tour of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well as the tour of the Caribbean? Just some info on how he plays please.

2) Geraint Jones - I know he is a good batsman, but his he a good 'keeper? Again some info on Jones please.
 
R

Rich2001

International Captain
Craig said:
Being a Kent man, can you answer my following questions:

1) what is Ed Smith like as a batsman? What is his strengths & weakness'? Is he good enough for a spot on England's tour of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well as the tour of the Caribbean? Just some info on how he plays please.

2) Geraint Jones - I know he is a good batsman, but his he a good 'keeper? Again some info on Jones please.
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1) Ed Smith is a fine batsman, IMO I would put him down in say the same mould as M Vaughan, due to the fact he plays very techincally correct and isn't rushed, he also has the ablity to score quickly but without resorting to slogging.

2) Keeping wise the guy is solid (36 catches & 2 Stumpings), but like they say there's always room for improvment. He is happy to stand up to the stumps... the only game he was a bit uncertain was a CC match vs Lancashire, where the pitch was playing up and down.

He is the leading WK in the country on dismissals 36 catches and 2 stumpings, with T Frost (Warwicks) just one behind and finally enough the former Kent wicket-keeper P Nixon next on the list. The closest "Next" England wicket-keeper is J Foster 5 places further down (C - 25/ S - 1)
 
luckyeddie

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
As another Kent man (well, Man of Kent actually - look it up if you don't know what that means) I'll add my two pennyworth.

Geraint Jones is a more than capable wicketkeeper-batsman as opposed to Read who is an exceptional keeper who can bat a bit. Both are better than Stewart with the gloves, Jones may become as prolific a run-scorer in years to come.

Ed Smith is the 'man in form' in the country. He is in the middle of a truly remarkable spell - and he has made his runs on both good tracks and bad. Very correct as Rich said, also very powerful but with (at the moment) absolutely superb timing. His innings at Blackpool on a low, slow turner was simply awesome.

I would not consider Jones for England yet. If his general glovework continues to improve as it has in the past, in a couple of years he will force his way in. Kent wicketkeeper, you see. Just one of those things - something in the water, I suppose. 3 of the 5 greatest keepers of all time played for the county.

Smith is a 'must-pick' in my opinion. There is more than a hint of Ken Barrington in the way he plays - very straight, dogged defence but with the ability to score runs even under difficult circumstances. Shame he doesn't bowl leg spin, though. I rate this man more highly than most I have seen in the last 10 years.
 
marc71178

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Ahead of Thorpe LE?

Who would you ship out of the side for him - or wait till NAsser retires?
 
R

Rich2001

International Captain
marc71178 said:
Ahead of Thorpe LE?

Who would you ship out of the side for him - or wait till NAsser retires?
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Talking to Eddie on MSN earier he was saying drop McGrath and Nasser (wont say the other part, might have the RSPCA at the door ;) ). And bring both guys in.

As my Sig said I went to watch Kent this afternoon and G Jones look in fantastic form, before a quite super catch dismissed him... he was so shocked that Irani held on that he just stood there looking shocked for about 30 secs before walking.
 
Rik

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
We seem to have a player or two who have one outstanding season, yearly. The good thing is that Smith is not old enough for the selectors to claim he's too old (like Fulton and Richard Montgomerie), or consistant performers like Martyn Saggers and Martin Bicknell. Maybe it will put to rest the seeming need of the England selectors to pick players with poor FC records which has worked with Vaughan and Trescothick, but not with anyone else.
 
marc71178

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
FFS, they've only really picked 3 batsmen with not outstanding county records, and 2 have come off so far.

How many players have they seleceted with good county records that haven't worked?

Bowling wise, there's even more of a difference between taking County wickets and Internationals, so I can understand why the average county trundler (eg Saggers, Smith et al) aren't called up.
 
Craig

Craig

World Traveller
I had a look at the score card on Cricinfo and Smith got a hundred and Jones took six xatches.

This Palladino follow who took 6 wickets, what is he like?
 
R

Rich2001

International Captain
Craig said:
I had a look at the score card on Cricinfo and Smith got a hundred and Jones took six xatches.

This Palladino follow who took 6 wickets, what is he like?
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I think he just had that surprise factor, no-body knew what he was like and either inderestimated him or tried to attack his end, as the 2nd innings he looked unthreating, just shows in the figures, 16 overs 58 runs 0 wickets
 
Rik

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
marc71178 said:
FFS, they've only really picked 3 batsmen with not outstanding county records, and 2 have come off so far.
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Now now Marc, language language!


Bowling wise, there's even more of a difference between taking County wickets and Internationals, so I can understand why the average county trundler (eg Saggers, Smith et al) aren't called up.
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I'd hardly call Saggers an average county trundler, 1st of all he's got a FC bowling average of around 22-23 at a lot more than 50 wickets just about every season, and 2ndly he doesn't trundle...he bowls fast and straight.
 
marc71178

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Picking up wickets in County Cricket is child's play compared with at Test level.

The list of bowlers who've done it in CC but not in Tests is long.

Just on current players, look at Mullally, Sidebottom, Smith, Tudor...
 
Rik

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
marc71178 said:
Picking up wickets in County Cricket is child's play compared with at Test level.

The list of bowlers who've done it in CC but not in Tests is long.

Just on current players, look at Mullally, Sidebottom, Smith, Tudor...
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Tudor has suffered from injuries, he is a very fine bowler but needs careful handling, something he hasn't been given. Sidebottom has only played one Test, honestly Marc, after going on at me about rating players after only 10 ODIs or so, you use Sidebottom after 1 Test! One rule for you eh? ;)

Picking up wickets in CC is child's play? Come on Marc, ok it's easier but then IT'S A DOMESTIC COMPETITION! If it's so easy then obviously someone forgot to tell Harmison (FC career average 31)
 
luckyeddie

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
marc71178 said:
Picking up wickets in County Cricket is child's play compared with at Test level.

The list of bowlers who've done it in CC but not in Tests is long.

Just on current players, look at Mullally, Sidebottom, Smith, Tudor...
Click to expand...
Cork did it at test level:P
 
Bazza

Bazza

International 12th Man
Unfortunately stats aren't kept on that and keepers are hard to 'quantify' in the way that batsmen and bowlers are.
 
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