Headingley

[Mr. P]

nomatter the circumstances, a 5-for should be complimented. anderson did well, and you should be happy as he kept england in the match.

 

[luckyeddie]

The point about this test match is that nearly all the wickets fell from the same end, so it's only valid to compare Pollock, Kirtley and Anderson etc with each other - and the other comparison would be between Ntini, Harmison and Flintoff.

Regarding whether Harmison is worth a place in the side from a bowling perspective, I would take him against Flintoff any day of the week on guts alone (and that's not a criticism of how Freddie's performed in this game either).

 

[marc71178]

I seriously hope you dont mean Agarkar (sp?) when you mean AA
Cos the guy is pants

Not how to win friends on Cricketweb!

As for no disearnable gap between the divisions.
Just look at the Bonus points from the 2 Divisions.
Not one Divison 2 side has got even 35 batting points.
Yet 3 Div 1 sides have over 40! batting bonus points.

And look at the wickets in the 2 divisions - Derby and Headingley aren't renowned for being great batting wickets!

 

[marc71178]

That is what is so infuriating about the selectors consistantly picking him when there are bowlers like Kirtley who have waited around for ages and actually have the ability to keep the pressure on.

But Kirtley and Harmison are completely different types of bowler, so not really competing for the same spot.

 

[luckyeddie]

As for no disearnable gap between the divisions.
Just look at the Bonus points from the 2 Divisions.
Not one Divison 2 side has got even 35 batting points.
Yet 3 Div 1 sides have over 40! batting bonus points.

This just shows that Division 1 has alot better batting (or that somehow div 1 has worse bowlers, which i doubt :P)

The alternative viewpoint, of course, is that the bowling strength is much greater in the second division and that to say 'which I doubt' doesn't get you off the hook.

 

[marc71178]

Well, they clearly read this website.

With Johnson/Hoggard unfit, and AA not wanting to play for Man United so unable to have the government rush his passport through, Kabir has got the call.

Somewhat more bizarrely though is Martin Bicknell getting a call up at 34.

In all I'm in favour of it as it's about time he got recognition.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Ill admit the pitches at Derby and (more obviously) Headingly are poor, but thats a problem of the ECB to solve.
Really there should be no excuse for poor bowler friendly pitches in this day and age.
Headingly especially as a test venue must be feeling the pressure with Durham and soon Hampshire becoming test grounds.
Not good views considering the amount of debt they are in INCLUDING the money they get from their yearly test. God knows what trouble they would be in without it.

Im really shocked they went for Bicknall, you cant help but feel the fact he and chapple play for a 'big' county might have helped them. But with the pitch as it is i cant see them going for bicknall over Kabir if Harmison isnt fit.

 

[Langeveldt]

Somewhat more bizarrely though is Martin Bicknell getting a call up at 34.

In all I'm in favour of it as it's about time he got recognition.

hear hear!! Id love to see MB get a few tests , he deserved more and he would definitely do a job... The best player of my lifetime not to play for England IMO...

 

[Langeveldt]

OMG! I didnt think he was actually being selected!? Oh well about 7 years too late, well done England...

 

[Mr. P]

he was selected!? weird. yet maybe this could be a turning point for england.

 

[marc71178]

OMG! I didnt think he was actually being selected!? Oh well about 7 years too late, well done England...

He was seriously considered at the end of Atherton's stint, but the selectors overruled him.

 

[luckyeddie]

OMG! I didnt think he was actually being selected!? Oh well about 7 years too late, well done England...

Are you saying that England actually picked him 3 years too early?

Bicknell's debut

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I believe that the perpertrator is Darren, not Martin. :P

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Sorry, mistyped.

I believe that the perpetrator is Martin, not Darren.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Where does Darren come into anything?!

 

[luckyeddie]

Sorry, mistyped.

I believe that the perpetrator is Martin, not Darren.

Can't get out of it that easily.
The first line of the most recent Cricinfo article on Martin Bicknell (today) reads...

'England's selectors have sprung a surprise by recalling Martin Bicknell, the Surrey seamer, into their squad of 13'

blah blah.

Click on the link I posted previously, then click on the entry at the foot of the page for 'MP Bicknell' - that takes you to the player page.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Can't get out of it that easily.
The first line of the most recent Cricinfo article on Martin Bicknell (today) reads...

'England's selectors have sprung a surprise by recalling Martin Bicknell, the Surrey seamer, into their squad of 13'

blah blah.

I know that, but some people seemed to be suggesting that it's Darren... or so it seemed to me...

 

[luckyeddie]

I know that, but some people seemed to be suggesting that it's Darren... or so it seemed to me...

You're forgiven

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

"He was seriously considered at the end of Atherton's stint, but the selectors overruled him."

This is the comment that mislead me...

 

[Neil Pickup]

Poor excuse.