***Official*** England in Sri Lanka

[gettingbetter]

Interesting performance by Harmison in his comeback game in SA. 6 wickets for 90is encouraging, but 14 wides is astonishing.

I didn't get the answer in the other thread, but hopefully you can give it to me.

Why are Harmison and Plunkett in SA?

 

[wpdavid]

I didn't get the answer in the other thread, but hopefully you can give it to me.

Why are Harmison and Plunkett in SA?

As Harmison missed most of the English summer through injury, he's playing a couple of 4-day games for one of SA's domestic sides to see if he's fit enough to join the squad for SL. Plunkett's another matter: he's not on standby for SL, so presumably he's out there to gain some experience and some paid employment during our winter.

 

[Richard]

Very unusual to have English players playing South African domestic cricket. I seem to recall Hoggard did sometime around 1998 or so, too, though.

 

[Richard]

Interesting performance by Harmison in his comeback game in SA. 6 wickets for 90is encouraging, but 14 wides is astonishing.

It's ridiculous. 14 wides in a First-Class game (and IIRR there was a fair few no-balls too).

I doubt he's bowling any differently to how he did last summer and how he did early on in his career.

How anyone ever thought anything of him as a ODI bowler is beyond me.

 

[chalky]

It's ridiculous. 14 wides in a First-Class game (and IIRR there was a fair few no-balls too).

I doubt he's bowling any differently to how he did last summer and how he did early on in his career.

How anyone ever thought anything of him as a ODI bowler is beyond me.

Interesting listening to Allan Donald commenting on his England coaching role saying he regarded Harmison as his biggest success and that there wasn't much technically wrong all his problems are in the head. Can't say I agree with either comment TBH.

 

[Richard]

Even more ridiculous to see Andrew Miller intimating that basically a bowling-coach has to do the impossible and turn Harmison into a force to be reckoned with (which, contrary to popular wisdom, Troy Cooley didn't do) to have done the job.

 

[silentstriker]

Even more ridiculous to see Andrew Miller intimating that basically a bowling-coach has to do the impossible and turn Harmison into a force to be reckoned with (which, contrary to popular wisdom, Troy Cooley didn't do) to have done the job.

I don't understand how you can like Alan Donald and not like Harmison?

 

[Richard]

Because as I've gone over countless times Donald was a brilliant bowler, possibly the best of his generation, whereas Harmison's a useless, talentless waste of space.

The two of them have nothing in common other than that both are mistakenly believed to have no heart.

 

[silentstriker]

Because as I've gone over countless times Donald was a brilliant bowler, possibly the best of his generation, whereas Harmison's a useless, talentless waste of space.

The two of them have nothing in common other than that both are mistakenly believed to have no heart.

Bit harsh. They are close in talent, if not as close in production.





You know I'm just messing with you, right?

 

[Richard]

Bit harsh. They are close in talent, if not as close in production.

Nah, not remotely. Donald had more talent in one finger than Harmison does in both full arms.

Not merely the ability to use hundreds of methods to get the ball to move sideways off the pitch, but accuracy so much better that I can't find words to describe it. Donald didn't have a tendency for more of his career than not to put 2 or 3 balls an over down leg-side.

You know I'm just messing with you, right?

Obviously.

 

[Perm]

Going alright in the second innings, in terms of wickets. Still a remarkable amount of sundries though.

 

[FBU]

Harmison has been bowling for over 10 years. Why would he still need a coach? He should be experienced enough to be helping younger bowlers when they come into the side but is unable to because he hasn't worked out his own bowling yet.

 

[Richard]

Whether Harmison understands bowling (his own or others') is not something I'd like to comment on as I've never heard him talk (or write) extensively about the subject. But the crux of the matter is, you can understand all you want, if you don't possess the ability to put the ball in the right place (line for purposes of economy, length for purposes of taking wickets) and, worse still, the ability to get the seam in the right position, you're never going to get far.

And Harmison has only ever bowled with the requistite accuracy for 7 Tests in one go, at the start of 2004.

 

[chalky]

And Harmison has only ever bowled with the requistite accuracy for 7 Tests in one go, at the start of 2004.

That is what a lot of people, especially around the England set up, do not seem to comprehend those performances are the exception not the norm. There is an old saying (I think from Bill Shankley) if you're not consistent enough you're not good enough & I'm afraid Harmison isn't good enough.

 

[Poker Boy]

English cricketers playing in SA was common in the 1980s - the "rebels" Gooch and Emburey played for WP in the two winters they were banned from test cricket but there was no rebel tour - but I can't recall anyone since De Freitas and Igglesden in the mid 1990s as well as Hoggard in 2000 A question: when Hoggard won the Jo'burg Test in 2005, did Saffies blame his past SA experience for the defeat by it teaching him how to bowl in SA - as I suspect some Englishmen will if Steyn wins a Test for SA here next year? As for Harmison st least we're making him play cricket before he walks back into the Test squad - if Fletcher had still been in charge he'd have been striaght on the plane to SL (see Giles, Anderson last year for evidence) The one worry is that Moores seems to be backing him after just one match - I'd want fewer wides and no balls in the next one before I consider putting him back in - and as it was a FC match how many deliveries were there that were wide enough that the batsman doesn't have to play at them - but not wide enough to be called a wide? Having seen Harmison in the past I suspect the answer is quite a lot....

 

[TT Boy]

Regardless of the wides and Harimson’s admission that his bowling wasn’t too hot, the wicket at Paarl is very good for batting so a haul like that shouldn’t be sniffed at. You need something about you to make any hay and unsurprisingly all the wicket takers in the game were atypical with the exception being Langeveldt (possibly). And at least Steve has impressed more than Plunkett has, who should be in his element at this time of year considering the wickets/weather and Liam being a swing bowler.

 

[JASON]

I am expecting Vaas to retire after this series...he must be pretty pissed after being dropped for the pie throwing Statistical anomaly called Maharoof....He would be playing his 100th Test whenever he next plays and I suspect he will retire after that...

If Sri Lanka do not beat England at home 3-0 after the drubbing in Australia (currently looking down the barrell of a 2-0 innings thumping in successive tests) there is a real need to revamp Sri Lankan Team and get rid of the coaching staff and some of the old timers in the Team and start afresh including a new Captain in the form of Sangakkara ...Mahela's captaincy in Australia has been damn poor to say the least and the Coach has done very little to make the Team perform better... Atapattu has already scripted his retirement and Sanath needs to be given the final goodbye now rather than later...

 

[silentstriker]

I am expecting Vaas to retire after this series...he must be pretty pissed after being dropped for the pie throwing Statistical anomaly called Maharoof....He would be playing his 100th Test whenever he next plays and I suspect he will retire after that...

If Sri Lanka do not beat England at home 3-0 after the drubbing in Australia (currently looking down the barrell of a 2-0 innings thumping in successive tests) there is a real need to revamp Sri Lankan Team and get rid of the coaching staff and some of the old timers in the Team and start afresh including a new Captain in the form of Sangakkara ...Mahela's captaincy in Australia has been damn poor to say the least and the Coach has done very little to make the Team perform better... Atapattu has already scripted his retirement and Sanath needs to be given the final goodbye now rather than later...

The problems with the subcontinental teams aren't at the national levels - and won't be fixed by changes there either.

 

[JASON]

The problems with the subcontinental teams aren't at the national levels - and won't be fixed by changes there either.

Where then is the problem ?

And you suggest doing nothing ?

 

[Shaggy Alfresco]

If Sri Lanka do not beat England at home 3-0 (...) there is a real need to revamp Sri Lankan Team

Is this an indication of how far we've fallen?