James Middlebrook

[Tom Halsey]

I reckon he should be in contention for a Test place.

Not necessarily for Tests in England, but for Asian tours.

I sure reckon he is a hell of a lot better than Gareth Batty, for instance.

No Essex bias. :P

What do you reckon?

 

[Rik]

The last time I saw him he was bowling very flat non-turning off-spin and looked about as threatening as Dawson...

His career average is 36, and averaged 35 last year and 44 the year before. Excuse me if I say no chance in hell...

 

[Tom Halsey]

I appreciate that, but he has the ability to flight it and turn it considerably.

Besides, in Asia he would be a completely different bowler IMO.

 

[Rik]

I appreciate that, but he has the ability to flight it and turn it considerably.

So why doesn't he use it?

Anyway, even Neil can flight and turn the ball considerably, not to mention myself :P

 

[Richard]

You and Neil do, though, have the benefit of pitches that turn rather more than a routine county wicket.
I too think that Middlebrook could be a good bowler in the subcontinent but not quite as good as Giles, Croft and Brown.

 

[Rik]

You and Neil do, though, have the benefit of pitches that turn rather more than a routine county wicket.
I too think that Middlebrook could be a good bowler in the subcontinent but not quite as good as Giles, Croft and Brown.

Oh yes, at the moment I bowl in an indoor hall during indoor winter cricket, that really turns a bomb doesn't it? And in the summer...well grass-tops don't seem to help the ball grip for obvious reasons...

 

[Tom Halsey]

So why doesn't he use it?

Lack of confidence.

Most of the time he does flight it, obviously when you saw him he didn't.

 

[marc71178]

Besides, in Asia he would be a completely different bowler IMO.

We thought that of Batty.

 

[Tom Halsey]

I didn't.

Shows a great variety of length, though.

Long hops and full tosses, although he can turn it a bit for a fingerspinner.

 

[Richard]

As expected, Batty turned the ball enough to have the potential to offer a threat in Kandy, Galle and Dhaka.
He didn't have the line and length to match, naturally.

 

[Richard]

Oh yes, at the moment I bowl in an indoor hall during indoor winter cricket, that really turns a bomb doesn't it? And in the summer...well grass-tops don't seem to help the ball grip for obvious reasons...

Mats sure take a hell of a lot less spin to turn than turf.
Normal grass-tops don't help the ball grip much, but it does help when the wonderful English weather decides to empty the clouds - on any pitch.
You're a left-arm fingerspinner, right? Do I remember correctly?

 

[Rik]

Mats sure take a hell of a lot less spin to turn than turf.
Normal grass-tops don't help the ball grip much, but it does help when the wonderful English weather decides to empty the clouds - on any pitch.
You're a left-arm fingerspinner, right? Do I remember correctly?

Yes I'm a left-arm fingerspinnner and no I don't chuck or even appear to. My arm has allways been dead straight, I cannot bowl if it is not. And indoors, we don't bowl on mats, we bowl on the polished floor. Can you imagine a mat entirely covering the floor of a sports hall? No point, it would just slip on the floor and everyone would fall over.

 

[Richard]

I wasn't accusing you of chucking. I wouldn't dream of doing so without seeing your action.
You turn it on a polished floor? Wowee!
That's not a sarcastic laugh, btw, it's a genuine laugh.

 

[Rik]

I wasn't accusing you of chucking. I wouldn't dream of doing so without seeing your action.
You turn it on a polished floor? Wowee!
That's not a sarcastic laugh, btw, it's a genuine laugh.

Well since you feel that all left-arm finger-spinners chuck, you can't really blame me for defending my action can you?

Yeah I turn it a bit, but it's a polished floor so usually it doesn't turn that much. This year though not much has been going right, every ball that pitches on off stump tends to turn just enough miss them...

 

[Tom Halsey]

As expected, Batty turned the ball enough to have the potential to offer a threat in Kandy, Galle and Dhaka.
He didn't have the line and length to match, naturally.

That's exactly the difference between Batty and Middlebrook. Middlebrook has accuracy.

 

[Rik]

That's exactly the difference between Batty and Middlebrook. Middlebrook has accuracy.

But Batty's superior record and absence of a bad season like Middlebrook 2 years ago, says something different.

 

[Richard]

That's exactly the difference between Batty and Middlebrook. Middlebrook has accuracy.

I know he has the potential to bowl accurately, but the fact is, he didn't show it last season or the season before (in both his ER was well over 3-an-over).

 

[Richard]

Well since you feel that all left-arm finger-spinners chuck, you can't really blame me for defending my action can you?

Yeah I turn it a bit, but it's a polished floor so usually it doesn't turn that much. This year though not much has been going right, every ball that pitches on off stump tends to turn just enough miss them...

Annoying that, ain't it! I have exactly the problem with balls that start outside leg and miss off, sometimes!
(Not very often, though)
I have never said "all left-arm fingerspinners chuck" though - I've just said that every time I watch any left-arm fingerspinner, they always seem to chuck. Well, except Dom Tuohey.
I can't possibly be seeing it right, it simply has to be an optial illusion. :rolleyes: I've never suggested anything else.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Maybe it's the same problem with your eyesight that seems to prevent you picking up the line or length of anything when you're batting?

 

[Richard]

Nah, that's just because I'm a crap batsman. Well, mostly anyway.
If you didn't notice, the problem with my bowling is that at times I'm too good. :saint:
Still, I've said it enough times - play-and-misses are no good to anyone if you want wickets. The best will always get a nick in the end. The good thing about play-and-misses in the limited-overs game is it's a banker dot-ball. Well, unless you overstep. And I'm always very annoyed with myself if I manage to do that. Fortunately I don't very often.