Cook's run of scores

Starting from the Oval against Pakistan last year-

110
10
67
235*
148
32
13
82
189
133
96
106

Nine matches, 1227 runs at an average of 102.25, and only one not out in that lot. Is this the best run of scores by an English batsman ever?

Would be interested to know where he is in the world rankings after this test. He was at 5 before it. I have no idea how they calculate these things though.

Only 1265 runs to go.

It does however show that if you believe a player is good enough you should stick with them during the bad times... we may well have not taken him to Aus if he hadn't pulled that Oval ton out of his arse!

*Stuart Broad*

Cook had many moments of success prior to a dodgy run of form - a foundation to base thoughts of sticking with him on.

Broad has averaged 36 per wicket from the get go. Never got any better.

Cook's still got the same problem that he did have when I wanted him out of the team. He allows the opposition bowlers to get on top of him. It's just that now he doesn't get out. Eventually he wins the battle. There was real fire in his eyes before that Oval knock - it was good to see. He is a little more fluent now, I'd warrant that he doesn't face a proportionate amount of balls extra for his extra runs. His strike rate must have improved somewhat. Fair play to him. What a set of scores.

But his last hundred was self-indugent wanking while everyone else played for the team.

Good thing Cook has stepped up. Would have started doubting my 'class' identifying super powers if he hadn't.

Dello wrote:Broad has averaged 36 per wicket from the get go. Never got any better.

He was averaging well over 40 for a while. Had a decent run to get it down to that level but now seems to have stalled again.

Didn't Fredalo average something similar at that stage in his career?

Shame that he went on the tonk for 96. 4 in 4 innings would've been pretty special.

Still, Chavi Flopara got 3 in a row once didn't he... cheaping consecutive Test century sequences!

His Lords hundred v the WI was a good knock, the others were a bit gimmie.

astonishing run of scores at any level ... there's nothing wrong with the lad's temperament or concentration.

Broad is an all-rounder, and still improving in both areas. The selectors would be barking to ditch him.

Except he's part of a four-man attack.

Are the selectors not barking to think they can take 20 wickets consistently when a quarter of their bowling attack is a guy who doesn't take wickets but sometimes bats okay?

He seems to take them when he needs to, and more importantly, when others aren't.

Swann's rise has probably been the difference between England being able to carry a learning Broad, and not.

No evidence that he is learning, though.

First 50 Test wickets @ 36. Second 50 Test wickets @ 36.

A career of two halves. Both crap.

harsh!

sack him now. then. And Sack. Cook. Now.

Has Broad tried country cricket? Fella named Zaheer Khan went there a while ago and was a changed bowler ever since.

Dello wrote:But his last hundred was self-indugent wanking while everyone else played for the team.

True, but he's still well in credit. If it wasn't for his 96 in the first innings we'd have been batting to save the game in the second innings.

Dello wrote:No evidence that he is learning, though.

First 50 Test wickets @ 36. Second 50 Test wickets @ 36.

A career of two halves. Both crap.

True, and the 'youngster learning his game' argument surely must go now.

He's about to turn 25, pace bowlers often don't last beyond 30. Most of England's recent vintage - Gough, Fraser, Cork, Harmison, Flintoff, Jones, Hoggard certainly didn't play many games past that age.

He's T20 captain and played 36 Tests (more than many of England's finest bowlers got in a career), and 141 international games in total. Time to deliver.

SACK........COOK.........NOW!!!!!!!!

He is some chance of being the all-time runs aggregrate with the number of tests England plays, his age and powers of concentration.

Last night's knock though was self-indulgent as mentioned. Just compare the S-rates if you want confirmation of that.

Yesterday's knock didn't do much to make one think Cook is the right choice as ODI captain. Looked distinctly awkward and ungainly when he tried to go the tonk.

He won't do much tonking from the opener's slot in ODIs, though, will he?

He'll just be a like-for-like for Strauss, dropping anchor and letting everyone else get on with it while he chips away.

Which is all well and good, until he gets in a long partnership with Trott - then the innings will come to a grinding halt.

He was a pretty transformed one day player for Essex over the last season or so. Just look at his T20 record, he went ape sh!t a couple of times with some monster s/r's

Very much suck it and see as far as Cookies one day stuff is concerned.