*Official* English Domestic Off Season 2011/12

[theegyptian]

yes i guess buttler at 6 is fine- maybe a bit light on batting

james harris is another who is missing - i think he's got a niggling groin problem. He's really improved his batting in the last year or so and was batting as high as 7 for Glamorgan this year - although he wasn't quite as succesful with the ball.

i feel you guys are being a bit harsh on meaker. he probably shouldn't have played in the odi's in india but this kind of shows the lack of good odi bowlers england produces.

looking at the current bowlers in the lions setup. brooks, buck, meaker, rankin,mills, woakes have all had more success and builit their games on four day cricket. players in the english game are brought upto be 4 four day bowlers whereas in other countries more people focus on the different forms of the game. dernbach is the one exception and broad is a good odi bowler but the others are average imo. maybe one day cricket is just a batsman's game

of the bowlers not regularly in the england ODI setup, who do you guys rank as most likely to come through and be a good odi bowler. I'm struggling to think of names??

 

[Scaly piscine]

yes i guess buttler at 6 is fine- maybe a bit light on batting

james harris is another who is missing - i think he's got a niggling groin problem. He's really improved his batting in the last year or so and was batting as high as 7 for Glamorgan this year - although he wasn't quite as succesful with the ball.

i feel you guys are being a bit harsh on meaker. he probably shouldn't have played in the odi's in india but this kind of shows the lack of good odi bowlers england produces.

looking at the current bowlers in the lions setup. brooks, buck, meaker, rankin,mills, woakes have all had more success and builit their games on four day cricket. players in the english game are brought upto be 4 four day bowlers whereas in other countries more people focus on the different forms of the game. dernbach is the one exception and broad is a good odi bowler but the others are average imo. maybe one day cricket is just a batsman's game

of the bowlers not regularly in the england ODI setup, who do you guys rank as most likely to come through and be a good odi bowler. I'm struggling to think of names??

England's ODI side is just similar to most other teams out there - somewhat limited. There isn't a real standout side, England are good when there is a proper contest between bat and ball instead of what has become the traditional road/very sluggish pitch where it's a batsman's game. India are the other way around - they won the World Cup because everything played to their strengths and they got luck when they needed it (Pakistan were a better side they just bollocksed things up, as they tend to when they're supposed to win).

The next World Cup in Australia/New Zealand will be completely different. Particularly if the rules with two new balls stay in place. England have been carrying passengers in their ODI side and getting shot of deadwood like Bopara and Dernbach will help them a great deal. Having Finn and Broad in the ODI team together and Anderson having a ball that's swinging for a greater part of the innings, along with Swann and then suddenly England are a pretty dangerous side. They'll still lack balance obviously until they find more batsmen who bowl.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Surely they should draft in a couple of experienced older players who have played in the SC before. This Lions squad is awfully young.

 

[Pothas]

The point of this series is to introduce young players to SC conditions, the way England are setting up their system these days means the Lions are really becoming the final stage of a youth squad rather than just an A team and that makes a lot of sense, especially for tours.

Also all the experienced players I can think of have had their chances in ODIs and proved to be ineffective, can't really think of anyone over the age of say 25 pushing for a chance in the side who is not already in and around the set up.

 

[superkingdave]

Better performance by the lions today to level the series

 

[Jarquis]

Jos Buttler is playing a different game to everyone else.
Taylor due a score.

 

[FBU]

The next World Cup in Australia/New Zealand will be completely different. Particularly if the rules with two new balls stay in place. England have been carrying passengers in their ODI side and getting shot of deadwood like Bopara and Dernbach will help them a great deal. Having Finn and Broad in the ODI team together and Anderson having a ball that's swinging for a greater part of the innings, along with Swann and then suddenly England are a pretty dangerous side. They'll still lack balance obviously until they find more batsmen who bowl.

Agree completely.

 

[Howe_zat]

Jos Buttler is playing a different game to everyone else.

Not the expression I'd use, considering he didn't top score, and got all his runs in partnership with Bairstow.

 

[Jarquis]

Nobody else struck above 80 in the game.
In the first match, more than double the next highest scorer.
Also averaging 114 for the tour..... hmm.

 

[Howe_zat]

Well, striking at a run a ball isn't exactly the order of the day when you're chasing 170. Buttler's been playing well, no doubt.

 

[Jarquis]

Don't think I ever made it out to be the order of the day, nor did I criticise anyone else for the way they played

 

[Jacknife]

Looks a good response from the Lions today, Buttler is having a good tour so far and has produced in both games, nice little knock from Bairstow as well. Meaker got himself a few wickets but was a bit on the expensive side, see if they can carry this on to the next game.

 

[Woodster]

Looks a good response from the Lions today, Buttler is having a good tour so far and has produced in both games, nice little knock from Bairstow as well. Meaker got himself a few wickets but was a bit on the expensive side, see if they can carry this on to the next game.

Yes Meaker was a touch expensive, but if he's taking wickets it doesn't matter so much. I presume he will be used as a strike bowler, coming on to bowl quickly and try and knock a couple over, if he's not deadly accurate at his pace, no doubt he'll go for runs. Would rather he search for wickets and bowl as quickly as possible though.

 

[Jacknife]

What do people think of the changes being made to county cricket, just so 2 teams can go play the champions league each year, which is what it seems come down to.
Less first class games each year to basically make space for that period in mid September to be free. All of which I don't understand because the championship has been very good the last few years and it's been one of the reasons behind England's present success.

One thing I am glad they've gone back to is 50 overs cricket, even though the counties are not happy about it

 

[Woodster]

What do people think of the changes being made to county cricket, just so 2 teams can go play the champions league each year, which is what it seems come down to.
Less first class games each year to basically make space for that period in mid September to be free. All of which I don't understand because the championship has been very good the last few years and it's been one of the reasons behind England's present success.

One thing I am glad they've gone back to is 50 overs cricket, even though the counties are not happy about it

Yes we're basically ending the season two weeks earlier so counties can go to the Champions League. Well not being a massive T20 fan I think it's terrible that our County Championship is stripped of two games per County for a poxy 20-over competition. However, it could be a big earner for the counties so doubt the chief execs and chairmen will be too disheartened.

Going back to 50-overs is a good move imo I agree, this has to mirror international cricket and allow the array of talented and exciting young players we have, such as Buttler, Bairstow, Hales, etc, the chance to play 50-over cricket before they play for England on a regular basis.

The Championship has drawn to a fantastic conclusion in recent years, and while there should be more room made in the calendar for rest and 'proper' training, I would rather less T20 cricket and List A cricket than the four-day format. However, it's these competition's that earn the counties the profit.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Yes Meaker was a touch expensive, but if he's taking wickets it doesn't matter so much. I presume he will be used as a strike bowler, coming on to bowl quickly and try and knock a couple over, if he's not deadly accurate at his pace, no doubt he'll go for runs. Would rather he search for wickets and bowl as quickly as possible though.

List A ER is over six per over, so guessing he's not there in a containing capacity.

Not sure what to think about the reduction in the CC, tbh. Not anti fewer games per se, but would prefer it came by reducing the number of counties. Potential for the draw affecting the destination of the title is huge. If (say) Lancs have to play Notts twice and Durham face them only once it's a sizeable advantage to the Tyne & Wear mob.

 

[superkingdave]

Seems like the drive for high numbers of T20 games is TV led, can't think of any other reason as most of the counties seem to want fewer as they think they will be able to market them better.

County cricket: 'There's going to be a lot of gnashing of teeth' | Cricket News | County Cricket 2012 | ESPN Cricinfo

The guy from Kent puts it well, and got to say I agree with Jim Cumbes as well. The championship cut has nothing to do with 'prioritising' quality over quantity its about fitting in T20 cricket and the champions league and we end up with a bastardised uneven fixture ala AFL :/

 

[Woodster]

List A ER is over six per over, so guessing he's not there in a containing capacity.

Not sure what to think about the reduction in the CC, tbh. Not anti fewer games per se, but would prefer it came by reducing the number of counties. Potential for the draw affecting the destination of the title is huge. If (say) Lancs have to play Notts twice and Durham face them only once it's a sizeable advantage to the Tyne & Wear mob.

No clearly, but I hope they continue to use him as a bowler that you set fields to take wickets with. Not be overly concerned with a high ER, just allow him to bowl quickly and take a risk or two with an attacking line and length. There will no doubt be days when he'll go round the park but hopefully they won't look to cut his pace in order to find more consistent areas.

 

[theegyptian]

sussex are currently playing netherlands in the West Indian T20. Sussex have a pretty inexperienced team out. interesting to see how they do. it's on espn i think for anyone with it.

 

[Furball]

Should make Division 1 8 teams, with 1 team getting relegated per season.