Yay for Cricket: England v New Zealand

[Neil Young]

I knew this was going to happen.

[Shaggy]

Collingwood's Test average is over 40 and he also has an Ashes double hundred (in Australia) to his name - not bad for a ****ing useless piece of ****.

His form has absolutely deserted him but he's not the only one. Bell too. They both need big runs and quick.

[dww]

Nearly all the top order have good averages but for a good while now they have been collectively underperforming - putting in big innings in dead games seems to keep them all in respectable statistical range.

I think one of Bell or Collingwood has to be dropped soon. The selectors were ruthless with Hoggard and Harmison and need to be the same with the batsmen.

[Shaggy]

Nearly all the top order have good averages but for a good while now they have been collectively underperforming - putting in big innings in dead games seems to keep them all in respectable statistical range.

I think one of Bell or Collingwood has to be dropped soon. The selectors were ruthless with Hoggard and Harmison and need to be the same with the batsmen.

Totally agree.

It's not nearly all of the top order - it's every one of them. They all average at least 40.

The batting line up seldom perform as a unit - at any one time three of them seem to be in-form while the other three are struggling badly.

Collingwood is easily our best fielder and has that going for him. For me Bell is the one who should go but they have one more innings to save their place for the SA series - IMO.

Bell looks pretty but he's a pointless presence IMO. Collingwood is the obdurate mainstay, while Bell, for me, is too obsessed with being technically good-looking. It's no good playing a text book cover drive if it goes straight to a fielder.

[Red Chilli]

Bell's got the better technique by far. A double hundred in a losing Test match doesn't mean squat, there's no 'I' in team

Whenever I see Collingwood bat I'm convinced I could bowl him out with a mouldy orange


Still nice to see KP and Ambrose turning this around somewhat.

I suppose you knew this would happen didn't you Neil

[Shaggy]

Technique means **** all though. It doesn't score you runs. Pietersen's technique is non-existent for the most part yet he's our best bat.

Collingwood is more valuable to the team because he scores as many runs as Bell, fields miles better (it's easy to forget that fielding makes up a third of the game) and also his gentle medium pace is another bonus.

Bell does **** all other than look pretty. Like I said, it's no good driving a ball with technical perfection if it goes straight to a fielder.

[Red Chilli]

Technique means **** all though. It doesn't score you runs. Pietersen's technique is non-existent for the most part yet he's our best bat.

Collingwood is more valuable to the team because he scores as many runs as Bell, fields miles better (it's easy to forget that fielding makes up a third of the game) and also his gentle medium pace is another bonus.

Bell does **** all other than look pretty. Like I said, it's no good driving a ball with technical perfection if it goes straight to a fielder.

Bell's a good fielder too, that's plain for all to see, but he's not got Collingwood's rep for fielding.
Sorry Shaggy, I'll never accept it, Collingwood is a mediocre county championship batsman. He will NEVER be international class even if he does get picked for England.
It's more a case of 'who he knows' when it comes to Collingwood. His mates pick him in the team.

[Shaggy]

Bell's a good fielder too, that's plain for all to see, but he's not got Collingwood's rep for fielding.
Sorry Shaggy, I'll never accept it, Collingwood is a mediocre county championship batsman. He will NEVER be international class even if he does get picked for England.
It's more a case of 'who he knows' when it comes to Collingwood. His mates pick him in the team.

I know we'll never agree but that's plain mental.

And there's a reason Bell doesn't have Collingwood's reputation for fielding - because he's not in his league.

The only thing going against Collingwood is his age compared to the much younger Bell.

[Red Chilli]

I know we'll never agree but that's plain mental.

And there's a reason Bell doesn't have Collingwood's reputation for fielding - because he's not in his league.

The only thing going against Collingwood is his age compared to the much younger Bell.

His age and his lack of ability

either way, I'm not a big fan of Bell, but he has the potential to be a Test class batsman because of his technique. Once Bell settles down he'll score a train load of runs.

[Neil Young]

Nearly all the top order have good averages but for a good while now they have been collectively underperforming - putting in big innings in dead games seems to keep them all in respectable statistical range.

I think one of Bell or Collingwood has to be dropped soon. The selectors were ruthless with Hoggard and Harmison and need to be the same with the batsmen.

"It's a batsman's game."

I read that article too. It was good.

[Shaggy]

Not for me, he's too weak mentally.

Collingwood is gutsy. Bell is spineless.

[Red Chilli]

KP & Ambrose

[Shaggy]

[dww]

"It's a batsman's game."

I read that article too. It was good.

I'd actually forgotten I had read it somewhere. It was one of those times where it agreed exactly with what I thought anyway but with much better research.

FWIW I can see Chilli's point about the relative merits of Collingwood and Bell but to be honest I think Shaggy is right on this one. I'm no great fan of Collingwood but he is mentally tough and an all rounder. I would say that Bell would be the one to benefit most from going back to the country game and getting a few decent innings in.

Bell definitely has the talent but if you can't turn talent into runs at test level then you have to be thought of as the new Hick or Ramprakash. Unlike the latter at least Bell has had a run in the team.

[Shaggy]

I'd actually forgotten I had read it somewhere. It was one of those times where it agreed exactly with what I thought anyway but with much better research.

FWIW I can see Chilli's point about the relative merits of Collingwood and Bell but to be honest I think Shaggy is right on this one. I'm no great fan of Collingwood but he is mentally tough and an all rounder. I would say that Bell would be the one to benefit most from going back to the country game and getting a few decent innings in.

Bell definitely has the talent but if you can't turn talent into runs at test level then you have to be thought of as the new Hick or Ramprakash. Unlike the latter at least Bell has had a run in the team.

Absa-bloody-exactly.