English hopes

[Richard]

Not bad, but the selectors may go for a team that looks more like this.

1. Marcus North (30)
2. Philip Jaques (30)
3. Ricky Ponting (34)
4. Michael Hussey (34)
5. Michael Clarke (28)
6. Shane Watson (28)
7. Bradley Haddin (31)
8. Brett Lee (32)
9. Nathan Hauritz/Dan Cullen/Cullen Bailey/Beau Casson/Aaron Heal/Jason Krejza/Jack McNamara/Xavier Doherty/Cameron White/Some Spinner
10. Stuart Rupert Clark (33)
11. Shaun Tait (26)/Mitchell Johnson (whoever made the most progress by then in terms of technique and how they've actually gone test wise.

Wouldn't that be a thing, now...

Imagine him logging-on to CW to gloat about his latest haul in between the day's play...

 

[Richard]

You know, I always thought he opened the batting. Shows how much I pay attention.

Edit: Haha, I'm mixing him up with Rogers, who I would have opening.

Too much attention on the NZ tail, eh?

 

[NZTailender]

Too much attention on the NZ tail, eh?

Would shudder at the thought of Kyle Mills opening. Though he nearly did in South Africa.

 

[Prince EWS]

Would shudder at the thought of Kyle Mills opening. Though he nearly did in South Africa.

I seriously think Franklin and Mills could do just as an effective job opening the batting as the Marshall brothers.

 

[Richard]

Would shudder at the thought of Kyle Mills opening. Though he nearly did in South Africa.

And nearly engineered the greatest ODI turnaround in history... and possibly only CZ Harris' injury stopped him from doing so...

I was amazed when I first checked his profile in about 2003 and found a First-Class batting-average over 40.

 

[NZTailender]

I seriously think Franklin and Mills could do just as an effective job opening the batting as the Marshall brothers.

Yeah, but thankfully Cumming seems to look the goods in tests.

The less said about Marshalls opening, the better.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah, but thankfully Cumming seems to look the goods in tests.

The less said about Marshalls opening, the better.

Yeah I've been impressed with Cumming, even though he hasn't really scored that many. Worth an extended run one feels (although, considering the amount of tests NZ play, an "extended run" is probably about 3 games..). Needs a partner though.. Vincent? I think the only thing stopping him from becoming a quality test opener is the insistance in his own mind that he isn't one. But I don't see that changing really. How has looked dire so far but there are precious little other options.

 

[NZTailender]

Yeah I've been impressed with Cumming, even though he hasn't really scored that many. Worth an extended run one feels (although, considering the amount of tests NZ play, an "extended run" is probably about 3 games..). Needs a partner though.. Vincent? I think the only thing stopping him from becoming a quality test opener is the insistance in his own mind that he isn't one. But I don't see that changing really. How has looked dire so far but there are precious little other options.

Michael Papps or Tim McIntosh.

While Fleming has a decent record at 3 (average of 40) I feel he's getting worse against the new ball. He should demote himself to 5 thus enabling him to get a better start and face the spinners who he has a great technique against. Fulton at 3 and Vincent at 4, quite simply.

But then you get a bit of a dilemma with Oram and Styris...

Unless you were to play them at 6 and 7, McCullum 8, Vettori 9, Franklin 10 and Bond/Gillespie/Martin (ugh, but better than O'Brien) at 11. Light on bowling, given that you can't rely on Oram or Styris to consistently take at least 2 wickets in an innings.



But this isn't the place to discuss NZ's line up woes.

 

[marc71178]

Let's be honest, noone will get it right this far ahead. There's always one player who noone had even heard of/expected to be in the Test side that makes it.

Or in the case of this year's England side, several!

 

[Richard]

And in 2009, too...

I mean, if I had to take a stab-in-the-dark at the 2009 side right now (hoping and praying for no career-ending injuries) I'd probably go for...
Trescothick
Strauss
Vaughan
Bell
Pietersen
Flintoff
Davies
Tom Smith
Hoggard
Anderson
MSP
Cook? Mebbe. But only if Trescothick comes back and does as poorly as he has post-2004. I have to honestly say I think Vaughan's knees are less likely than more to last this long but I can hope. Stranger things have happened.

And there are several on that list who I would not back 100% to last the next 2 years on performance, never mind injury, grounds.

 

[PhoenixFire]

How can you have Tom Smith and not Stuart Broad?

 

[Richard]

Because IMO Smith's much the better prospect.

Unlike Broad, he actually seems capable of hitting the spot on the pitch he's aiming at.

Beats me how Broad gets all these accolades and Smith, who's actually performing far better given their ages (plenty of young bowlers take the odd wicket-haul - not many are bowling with pinpoint accuracy at 19-20) barely gets noticed.

Currently Broad seems to have a bit more in the way of penetration but there are all sorts of tricks you can teach a bowler to help him take wickets.

But you can't teach accuracy. Otherwise the best pupils would all be McGraths and Ambroses.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Broad had the best economy rate for all Twenty20...........

 

[Richard]

And in the two forms which are played regularly at international level, Smith's are better - by a good bit.

I'm hearing so much stuff about Broad's Twenty20 economy-rate... is this where this myth about him being accurate comes from?

 

[God Jayasuria]

The only hope I can see for England is that Saqqy & Mushy both exploit that loophole that had attention drawn to it a couple of years ago, and get citizenship ASAP.

 

[Richard]

If that doesn't give it away, nothing does...

Only hope He With The Power To Ban returns sooner rather than later...

Really, what's the point in continuously making new accounts when you know that it's going to be removed sooner rather than later?

 

[God Jayasuria]

If that doesn't give it away, nothing does...

Only hope He With The Power To Ban returns sooner rather than later...

Really, what's the point in continuously making new accounts when you know that it's going to be removed sooner rather than later?

Took you 2.3 seconds to pounce on that one, not bad.

Thanks for sitting there waiting patiently, I promise not to leave it so long next time.

 

[PhoenixFire]

If that doesn't give it away, nothing does...

Only hope He With The Power To Ban returns sooner rather than later...

Really, what's the point in continuously making new accounts when you know that it's going to be removed sooner rather than later?

To be fair, it's quite a good point that Jayasuriya made

 

[Goughy]

Because IMO Smith's much the better prospect.

Unlike Broad, he actually seems capable of hitting the spot on the pitch he's aiming at.

Beats me how Broad gets all these accolades and Smith, who's actually performing far better given their ages (plenty of young bowlers take the odd wicket-haul - not many are bowling with pinpoint accuracy at 19-20) barely gets noticed.

Currently Broad seems to have a bit more in the way of penetration but there are all sorts of tricks you can teach a bowler to help him take wickets.

But you can't teach accuracy. Otherwise the best pupils would all be McGraths and Ambroses.

Without wanting to disagree

I firmly hold the opinion that the opposite is true to your above statement.

It is FAR easier to develop accuracy than penetration. The 2 you name are lucky enough to combine both at incredible levels.

Accuracy can be taught, wicket taking skills are far harder to develop. If I was looking for young fast bowling talent, the ability to take wickets would far outweigh accuracy. Its far easier to take a bowler with penetration and round them into good bowler than the accurate but non-threatening player.

 

[Richard]

I know you're a bowling coach and whatnot, but do you imagine you could turn Sajid Mahmood into Shaun Pollock if he listened to you enough?

Without wanting to doubt your skills () I have to doubt you could.

Sure, accuracy can be developed but I personally find it inconceivable that Broad will ever be as accurate as Smith.

And IMO - if you have the speed of 80mph and the accuracy, any decent bowling-coach can teach you to take wickets.