Woakes, Rashid, Stokes

The future of English cricket?

Not all of them are going to be a success at the top level, but its good to know we have some decent young players coming through.

Add to that list Scott Borthwick, who has shown a fair bit of character after getting splattered round Chester le Street by James Foster in that televised game.

36 wickets @ 28 is a decent start to a FC career. I also like the fact he has a couple of 50's to his name already. Seems to be ahead of Will Beer in the leggie stakes, he hasn't really been given a crack at FC level much

You can add to that James Harris too I guess.

172 FC wickets @ 26 by the age of 20 is good going.

The selectors apparently like Borthwick more than they do Rashid. Don't think Beer gets much cricket at Sussex. He was gash when I saw him at New Road last year.

Not sure Harris offers much - certainly not extreme pace, which is what we're crying out for.

I'm not sure Harris will make it. He'll only ever be 6 foot tall, and he never bowls much quicker than 83mph.

Woakes's batting seems to have gone up a level over the Winter. He's starting to enter genuine all rounder territory.

Woakes is still a 7/8 rather than genuine allrounder for my money.

Yeah, i'm not saying he's a number six, but he could bat at seven if we decide to go down the five bowlers route, especially with Broad and Swanny batting at eight and nine.

All the 'fast' bowlers mentioned are dobbers. They're likely to cash in on pitches that haven't been rolled, in April. I just don't think they're going to learn much putting it on the spot and reaping conditions rewards. My advice is to put on a stone of muscle, it cannot harm. But what do I know.

Have we got any young bowlers, i.e 19/20/21 who can get the ball down consistently at 85+ mph? What about Buck?

You don't know the meaning of dobbers until you've seen Nottinghamshire's army of 80mph merchants. It's a sad day when you're looking forward to the newly chavtised Andy Carter just to see someone get the ball down a little bit quicker. Apparently he played for England Lions at some point this winter - desperate or what? Still, if medium pace maestro Chris Woakes is the next big thing, I suppose it's time to start scraping the barrel now. Yep, we've got nobody coming through whatsoever. Time to shoot yourselves. Or start kidnapping South Africans.

You clearly haven't seen much of Jack Shantry then - 77mph trundler. The thing is - he's tall and makes the most of his height. If he could gain another two yards of pace - he would be a bit useful in a county cricket sort of way.

Brass Monkey wrote:All the 'fast' bowlers mentioned are dobbers. They're likely to cash in on pitches that haven't been rolled, in April. I just don't think they're going to learn much putting it on the spot and reaping conditions rewards. My advice is to put on a stone of muscle, it cannot harm. But what do I know.

Seems to work for Bresnan.

Basil wrote:Have we got any young bowlers, i.e 19/20/21 who can get the ball down consistently at 85+ mph? What about Buck?

Buck is around 82-83mph. Meaker has pace (up to 92mph at times), and Dernbach is around 85 mph.

Ian Saxelby is getting good raps.

There's the young British Asian quickie from Yorkshire as well. Can't remember his name, but he's only 19 and is apparently pretty nippy.

Basil wrote:You clearly haven't seen much of Jack Shantry then - 77mph trundler. The thing is - he's tall and makes the most of his height. If he could gain another two yards of pace - he would be a bit useful in a county cricket sort of way.

I saw Shantry on my tele the other day. Thought the cable was playing up or something. All that effort for 74 mph. He could probably do it off one pace.

77 mph? Take your Pear-tinted glasses off, man. He dreams of being that quick.

Henry wrote:

Basil wrote:Have we got any young bowlers, i.e 19/20/21 who can get the ball down consistently at 85+ mph? What about Buck?

Buck is around 82-83mph. Meaker has pace (up to 92mph at times), and Dernbach is around 85 mph.

Ian Saxelby is getting good raps.

Buck's a bit quicker than that, but he's in among all the other f/m 80-85 mph bowlers that we seem to have hundreds of. Saxelby? No-one from Gloucs ever amounted to anything. Probably.

Dello wrote:Saxelby? No-one from Gloucs ever amounted to anything. Probably.

His uncles both played for Notts, so he's got the necessary connection to be an England player...

Dello wrote:

Henry wrote:

Basil wrote:Have we got any young bowlers, i.e 19/20/21 who can get the ball down consistently at 85+ mph? What about Buck?

Buck is around 82-83mph. Meaker has pace (up to 92mph at times), and Dernbach is around 85 mph.

Ian Saxelby is getting good raps.

Buck's a bit quicker than that, but he's in among all the other f/m 80-85 mph bowlers that we seem to have hundreds of. Saxelby? No-one from Gloucs ever amounted to anything. Probably.

Yeah, Buck is around 85 mph in his first few overs. Needs to improve his stamina, though. He's more accurate this season, looking at his economy rate. I like his attitude. Good body language, good posture, always gives a stare. Reminds me a little of Simon Jones. Give him another two years.

Somerset's 18 year old Lewis Gregory up at 89 mph in today's televised game.

And unfortunately it seems Gloucs are determined to turn David Payne into a Gloucs style bowler and nothing more- On first change, sunglasses left on, keeper up to the stumps, and 76mph.

Henry wrote:Somerset's 18 year old Lewis Gregory up at 89 mph in today's televised game.

Maybe not a Lewis FFS then?

beamer wrote:

Henry wrote:Somerset's 18 year old Lewis Gregory up at 89 mph in today's televised game.

Maybe not a Lewis FFS then?

Looked impressive. Skiddy, good yorker. He can bat as well.

He's basically made me have a gigantic, bollock-tingling, dirty-dancing-soundtrack-squealing overdose of man-love for Lewis Gregory.

I know Dello will claim him, like some hybrid of ***** and Macauly Culkin's parents laced with a bit of Jacko.

I know Trev will stalk him like Lewis is his ex-missus. Or James Hildreth. Take your pick. But I'm claiming Chiv' Aug' James Taylor style thunderqunt man-lovage.

Glad I've done it.

Can't really claim him. having not ever seen him play. I even missed his bowling today - only tuned in after the football to see Kieswetter ease his way to another impressive hundred.

I only name-checked him as I was following the Eng under 19s tour of Sri Lanka and found it interesting that this kid was captaining, batting four and bowling first change - wondered if he was any cop.

Early reports are yes, he's some cop. Axel Foley, perhaps?

Claim him like Faygin would (that's the ***** above). Do it. Trev'd be all over it.

But in all seriousness, looks promising. Inswinging yorkers aplenty, the control for such a young 'un was impeccable.