England's Summer Of Cricket against New Zealand and AUSTRALIA!

[Shaggy]

It's not a clear cut one. Compton was garbage v NZ at home but it was only two Tests and he did what Flower asked of him thereafter and still got dropped. Bairstow hasn't done that badly in fairness - he's our 2nd highest run scorer in the series so far.

[Chazza]

I can only think the reason he was dropped was because of his low average. Something around 30 I think. Maybe they thought Root would be a better long term solution.

I think they were worried about the top 3 being similar in terms of steady eddie players who can bat all day, leave a load of deliveries and score at a slower rate. Root was seen as more dynamic and attacking and they wanted to try and lay down a marker on the Aussie bowlers early.

[Shaggy]

No I didn't. Sorry either I've made an error of massive **** ups and mistaken identity, or didn't he in the recent series go from **** to worse? About one run in an hours batting.

He got back to back tons in NZ in the winter and then played like an incompetent snail against them at home.

[Shaggy]

I think they were worried about the top 3 being similar in terms of steady eddie players who can bat all day, leave a load of deliveries and score at a slower rate. Root was seen as more dynamic and attacking and they wanted to try and lay down a marker on the Aussie bowlers early.

The addition of Compton made our top 3 just that bit too pedestrian IMO.

[BobTheCharmer]

He got back to back tons in NZ in the winter and then played like an incompetent snail against them at home.

Yeah that's what I thought. So the clamour to get him in seems a little over exuberant to say the least. We've won the first test and we've had a day played of the second.

[Shaggy]

I love talking about cricket

It's way better than talking about football

[Chazza]

Yep much better.

So what do we need then 350 minimum?

Also was there much point in Anderson coming in as night watchman to protect Broad and Swann?

[Shaggy]

That was ridiculously negative IMO. I don't like the nigh****chman concept anyway but to send him in to protect another bowler was ridiculous.

I think 350 minimum too.

Incidentally, who do you think been scoring runs most quickly (i.e. best strike rate) for England in the series so far?

[Shaggy]

I'm off to watch THE VERDICT now .......Miserable Bob ....Moody .......so the answer to my question is TROTT! S/R of 63.

[captainfog]

That was ridiculously negative IMO. I don't like the nigh****chman concept anyway but to send him in to protect another bowler was ridiculous.

I think 350 minimum too.

Incidentally, who do you think been scoring runs most quickly (i.e. best strike rate) for England in the series so far?

I'm off to watch THE VERDICT now .......Miserable Bob ....Moody .......so the answer to my question is TROTT! S/R of 63.

That stat is very interesting because it kind of makes a nonsense of the argument of Compo making the top order too pedestrian on two fronts. Firstly 63 isn't very high and so suggests Root hasn't injected any sort of impetus into the top order and secondly if our number 3 has been the most fluent of our batsmen then our top order didn't really need any more fluency.

I think our slow run rate against New Zealand is a bit of a red herring. They (rather surprisingly) have one of the most miserly bowling attacks in international cricket at the moment. They might not have the penetration of the Aussie attack, but they sure as hell don't bowl as many 4 balls. Against Australia the runs will come if you hang around at the crease, but hanging around at the crease can be tricky because they have some real quality in their seam attack. That kind of situation seems tailor made for Compo.

The tactic which got us to number 1 was wearing down the new ball bowlers with attritional cricket and then the lower middle order coming in to make hey. Again, you'd have thought that would be ideally suited to Compton.

[Shaggy]

That stat is very interesting because it kind of makes a nonsense of the argument of Compo making the top order too pedestrian on two fronts. Firstly 63 isn't very high and so suggests Root hasn't injected any sort of impetus into the top order and secondly if our number 3 has been the most fluent of our batsmen then our top order didn't really need any more fluency.

I think our slow run rate against New Zealand is a bit of a red herring. They (rather surprisingly) have one of the most miserly bowling attacks in international cricket at the moment. They might not have the penetration of the Aussie attack, but they sure as hell don't bowl as many 4 balls. Against Australia the runs will come if you hang around at the crease, but hanging around at the crease can be tricky because they have some real quality in their seam attack. That kind of situation seems tailor made for Compo.

The tactic which got us to number 1 was wearing down the new ball bowlers with attritional cricket and then the lower middle order coming in to make hey. Again, you'd have thought that would be ideally suited to Compton.

I know what you mean but Compton isn't in the top 3 now.

The top order *was* very pedestrian when he was in it.

Granted they're not doing any better without him - but we're only 3 innings into a series. Pretty sure by the end of the series the top S/R won't be 63 and I also think Root will make runs because he's immensely talented.

Compton had a place there for the taking but he didn't make a strong case at all. I know exactly where you're coming from but his case just isn't very compelling.

[Leyton388]

Hasn't been a bad day all things considered. If we can hang in there tomorrow and get close to 350 then that will be a good lead Imo.

[Chazza]

Going to miss most of today as we have a work team building event.

Indoor go karting in 30degs .

[Sarb]

Going to miss most of today as we have a work team building event.

Indoor go karting in 30degs .

Take your own helmet mate, is my advice. Nothing worse than a dirty helmet.

[Chazza]

Given the heat I am expecting to end up looking like this fella.