Bring in Collingwood for Giles?

[tooextracool]

By coaxing careless strokes out of him they've sorted him out.
Whether he can un-sort himself remains to be seen.
Fact is, though, there's only been one RUD that's got him out so far.

err, you cant sort a player who gets himself out on his own.
and if you think that geraint jones hadnt been coaxed into playing careless strokes in all of his last 6 test matches, when he is an absolute master of throwing his wicket away, then you are obviously out of your mind

 

[Top_Cat]

i dont care how well you disguise a ball, it takes an incredible amount of brainlessness to leave a ball that pitches on middle stump. no i dont think bell is warnes bunny yet, but i wont be convinced that that wasnt a very very poor stroke from someone whos capable of so much better.

Aha, you give Warnie too much credit. That the ball didn't spin wasn't his doing.

And hey, I didn't say he played it perfectly (if the ball pitches on middle, one should always be prepared to get something other than pad in front just in case) but it wasn't a catastrophic failure because he didn't pick Warnie. If Warnie had bowled the slider and the exact same thing happened, I would have maybe questioned his ability to pick Warnie.

well i havent suggested that he be dropped have i? 1 test rarely proves anything, and as much as i dislike the english selectors, i do admire their policy of giving players enough chances to prove themself, so id be extremely surprised if they dropped bell for the next test.

My fault, didn't mean to suggest it was you advocating he be dropped. That part of the post was aimed at those who are. And agree with this statement entirely; it's way too early to be pushing the panic button and indeed, they deserve more chances.

 

[tooextracool]

Aha, you give Warnie too much credit. That the ball didn't spin wasn't his doing.
And hey, I didn't say he played it perfectly (if the ball pitches on middle, one should always be prepared to get something other than pad in front just in case) but it wasn't a catastrophic failure because he didn't pick Warnie. If Warnie had bowled the slider and the exact same thing happened, I would have maybe questioned his ability to pick Warnie.

well he didnt even get his pad in front, he just left it alone. that to me is very very poor cricket.
as far as the next test is concerned, i expect it to be a fair bit closer to the last one, simply because i think mcgrath will be a lot less effective, not just because of his record there but also because the Lords slope was just made for him. hopefully though gillespie plays.

 

[superkingdave]

Well the forecast is pretty good.

The pitch is expected to be slow and low apparently as it is a new strip that has not been used before so is expected to be unlike any of the edgebaston ptiches so far this year

 

[aussie]

Well the forecast is pretty good.

The pitch is expected to be slow and low apparently as it is a new strip that has not been used before so is expected to be unlike any of the edgebaston ptiches so far this year

well it could well and be....

 

[Richard]

err, you cant sort a player who gets himself out on his own.
and if you think that geraint jones hadnt been coaxed into playing careless strokes in all of his last 6 test matches, when he is an absolute master of throwing his wicket away, then you are obviously out of your mind

I do indeed think Jones has been coaxed into throwing his wicket away, countless times.
I have also seen him bat enough times to know that he's not at all incapable of playing more conservatively - it's not compulsive, he simply seems, for some inexplicable reason, to be under the impression that the way he's batted most often is the best way to bat.

 

[Richard]

Well the forecast is pretty good.

The pitch is expected to be slow and low apparently as it is a new strip that has not been used before so is expected to be unlike any of the edgebaston ptiches so far this year

Indeed, a slow seamer is the forecast...
Prepare for a 3-day Test with Australia winning by 300-350 runs...

 

[tooextracool]

I do indeed think Jones has been coaxed into throwing his wicket away, countless times.
I have also seen him bat enough times to know that he's not at all incapable of playing more conservatively - it's not compulsive, he simply seems, for some inexplicable reason, to be under the impression that the way he's batted most often is the best way to bat.

and ive seen flintoff bat conservatively on several occasions too,certainly more than jones has and for some strange reason its generally happened more often at home than it has abroad.

 

[Richard]

Really?
When have we seen Flintoff bat conservatively (aside from that rubbish innings in Antigua) and last that long?
Most of his good Test-match innings have been against wayward bowling where he's put it away hugely effectively.
Even since 2003 he's still rarely prospered when the bowling's been tight.

 

[aussie]

Really?
When have we seen Flintoff bat conservatively (aside from that rubbish innings in Antigua) and last that long?.

Now how can you that Freddie's innings in Antigua was rubbish

 

[Richard]

Because he was dropped 4 times?

 

[twctopcat]

Now how can you that Freddie's innings in Antigua was rubbish

That was an embarassing innings indeed...woeful fielding allowed an unjust century if ever there was one.

 

[Richard]

What amazed me most was that Lara got blamed far more for declaring late than celebrating early, when in fact celebrating early did far more to cost the match than declaring late.

 

[marc71178]

When have we seen Flintoff bat conservatively (aside from that rubbish innings in Antigua) and last that long?

102* from 224 balls after coming in at 98-4 (soon 98-5) facing 751 - what a rubbish innings that was (!)

 

[aussie]

102* from 224 balls after coming in at 98-4 (soon 98-5) facing 751 - what a rubbish innings that was (!)

yes statistically it surely doesn't look like a very good innings, but remember he was dropped something like 4 times, thats why i think he said it was rubbish but that a harsh word....

 

[Richard]

102* from 224 balls after coming in at 98-4 (soon 98-5) facing 751 - what a rubbish innings that was (!)

"Geoff Boycott's Mum" could have scored that innings.
Any batsman close to Test-standard can score a century on a pitch as flat as possible if they're dropped 4 times.

 

[King_Ponting]

"Geoff Boycott's Mum" could have scored that innings.
Any batsman close to Test-standard can score a century on a pitch as flat as possible if they're dropped 4 times.

Craig white couldnt have....

 

[Richard]

He'd have done it several times over.
If White had come in at three or four on that pitch and been dropped 4 times he might well have scored 300.

 

[Swervy]

He'd have done it several times over.
If White had come in at three or four on that pitch and been dropped 4 times he might well have scored 300.

hahaha..classic

 

[Richard]

No, no innings in which somoene is let-off 4 times is classic or even close to it - it's just cringeworthy, as was that Flintoff knock.