England v NZ, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge, 5th-9th June

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:Wright isn't a likely replacement, Allan.

He is, if your name's Peter Moores!

Once again ..... England's shite middle order are salvaged by a couple of cracking innings from two batsmen who can be acknowledged as pressure men -
Dickhead bell take note .... oh, I forgot, he's the future of English cricket.

I wonder what Yawn's positive will be from all this?

Pietersen out - probably the only thing missing from his game is the ability to keep on going (sometimes) after a hundred.

I hope Ianbottom cleans up and Jimmy gets tonked.

If Anderson takes wickets, I'm going to self-harm.

Why is Anderson batting ahead of Sidebottom?

Please tell it's not because SiBo needs a nightwatchman?

Winkle Spinner wrote:Why is Anderson batting ahead of Sidebottom?

Please tell it's not because SiBo needs a nightwatchman?

Appears that's the word from the dressing room (according to Sky)!
If that's the case, I've seen it all now ...
A nightwatchman for a # 9 batsman !!

Well, at least England can keep a sense of humour about it all.

Sidebottom was on the toilet, apparently.

Sidebottom is our nightwatchman. Anderson must be the nightwatchman's nightwatchman, so to speak.

holcs wrote:

Allan D wrote:Bell and Collingwood seem to be in the same position that Harmison and Hoggard were at Hamilton although England don't appear to be in the same danger of throwing this one away (so far!) thanks to KP & Ambrose. The fact that both of them will be playing alongside their likely replacements in Wright and Bopara (assuming Freddie's still not match fit) should give added spice to the 1-day matches.

If they pick Luke Sussex for a Test match before Bopara, Shah and Key get a gig, I may personally explode!

What's the betting only one of them gets dropped?

holcs wrote:

Allan D wrote:Bell and Collingwood seem to be in the same position that Harmison and Hoggard were at Hamilton although England don't appear to be in the same danger of throwing this one away (so far!) thanks to KP & Ambrose. The fact that both of them will be playing alongside their likely replacements in Wright and Bopara (assuming Freddie's still not match fit) should give added spice to the 1-day matches.

If they pick Luke Sussex for a Test match before Bopara, Shah and Key get a gig, I may personally explode!

Wright's 175 runs@ 19.44 in fc matches is not a particularly stirling recommendation, I grant you. Still, Shah is in the 1-day side as well and Shah and Bopara would seem to be more than adequate replacements against the Saffies. I wonder if Colly's shoulder problem is playing any role in his current loss of form? He has to have an operation eventually and I think he maybe making the same mistake as Freddie did over his ankle by postponing. If I were Moores I'd tell him to get it fixed now and ask KP to take over the captaincy of the 1-day side (although, interestingly, Vaughan is playing for Yorkshire in the T20s despite not being in the 1-day squad so he might be in for a recall to reunify the captaincies).

Basil wrote:

holcs wrote:

Allan D wrote:Bell and Collingwood seem to be in the same position that Harmison and Hoggard were at Hamilton although England don't appear to be in the same danger of throwing this one away (so far!) thanks to KP & Ambrose. The fact that both of them will be playing alongside their likely replacements in Wright and Bopara (assuming Freddie's still not match fit) should give added spice to the 1-day matches.

If they pick Luke Sussex for a Test match before Bopara, Shah and Key get a gig, I may personally explode!

What's the betting only one of them gets dropped?

Quite possibly, but no one expected both Harmison and Hoggard to be dropped after Hamilton so Moores' mind may work in pairs. Collingwood is the obvious candidate but Bell isn't far behind and a place also has to be found for Freddie when and if he returns. I think it all depends on how Colly, Bell, Shah and Bopara (and possibly Wright!) perform in the 1-dayers.

Fcuk off Ian Bell.

That is all...

Vaughan is playing for Yorkshire in the T20s despite not being in the 1-day squad so he might be in for a recall to reunify the captaincies).

F**k - I hope not.

The tw*t is clueless as a captain.
Let's retain a little dignity, even if it happens to be in the circus games.
KP would be my choice - Keep Vawn out.

JKLever wrote:Fcuk off Ian Bell.

That is all...

Welcome to the Dark Side JKL ....
Took awhile ... but glad to now have you with us.

Bell averages less than Collingwood in this series. They average 37 and 35 respectively in the last twelve months. Alastair Cook only averages 38 in the same time-frame. If there's any logic to their selections, they'll find themselves in a position where they really ought to drop all three. Collingwood, however, is the easy target - he always has been. Every match he plays seems to potentially be the last of his career. Cook and Bell can always play on the fact that they're young and (supposedly) talented.

Edit: Collingwood has taken 12 wickets at 27 in that year's worth of cricket. A very interesting stat, as it probably makes him our second best seamer...

Merlin wrote:

JKLever wrote:Fcuk off Ian Bell.

That is all...

Welcome to the Dark Side JKL ....
Took awhile ... but glad to now have you with us.

I haven't seen any play today, got dragged out to go somewhere just as play was getting started

FFS - Bell AND Colly?

You know the biggest pisser is that we'll get 300 and NZ are so shit we'll still be ahead in the game.

Oh, and well played KP. Why some people get on this guys back for his actual performances is beyond me.
Looks like Ambrose came to the party too...

Allan D wrote:

holcs wrote:

Allan D wrote:Bell and Collingwood seem to be in the same position that Harmison and Hoggard were at Hamilton although England don't appear to be in the same danger of throwing this one away (so far!) thanks to KP & Ambrose. The fact that both of them will be playing alongside their likely replacements in Wright and Bopara (assuming Freddie's still not match fit) should give added spice to the 1-day matches.

If they pick Luke Sussex for a Test match before Bopara, Shah and Key get a gig, I may personally explode!

Wright's 175 runs@ 19.44 in fc matches is not a particularly stirling recommendation, I grant you. Still, Shah is in the 1-day side as well and Shah and Bopara would seem to be more than adequate replacements against the Saffies. I wonder if Colly's shoulder problem is playing any role in his current loss of form? He has to have an operation eventually and I think he maybe making the same mistake as Freddie did over his ankle by postponing. If I were Moores I'd tell him to get it fixed now and ask KP to take over the captaincy of the 1-day side (although, interestingly, Vaughan is playing for Yorkshire in the T20s despite not being in the 1-day squad so he might be in for a recall to reunify the captaincies).

Eh? Surely 480 @ 40......

Why was Jimmy in at 9 down Sidders unwell?

At least that probably means they've given up the notion that Monty will ever make a serious contribution with the bat.

Pietersen once again showed up the England batting for what it is. Top quality batsmen somehow manage to score runs when there's shit all over fan.

Gusty knock from Ambrose too. Don't think he'll average 40s in Tests, but he's got the talent to hold a steady 30-odd throughout his career - provided England give him the chance to forge that career. Which they probably won't.

Money's on England creeping up to 300, bowling NZ out for half that, then Malteser Balls will feel secure enough to go out and score a place-saving, chanceless hundred in the second innings and all will be well with the world.

Allan D wrote:no one expected both Harmison and Hoggard to be dropped after Hamilton so Moores' mind may work in pairs. Collingwood is the obvious candidate but Bell isn't far behind

AJ Strauss c Taylor b Mills 37
AN Cook b Mills 6
MP Vaughan b O'Brien 16
IR Bell lbw b O'Brien 0
PD Collingwood c Taylor b Mills 0

Nah, looking at those scores my money's on Broad and Sidebottom.

Botham made a wry comment on Sky in the "chat" during the tea interval - swiftly interrupted by Gower, who is ever the diplomat.
Beefy ... along the lines of ...."A couple of bowlers might be feeling a bit hard done by watching those two bat (Bell and Collingwood) ... and who can blame them."

Surely not a 'veiled' reference to Hoggy and 'Armless getting dropped after one test for "poor performances" ...
Nah ... can't be!! PS. Not saying 'Armless didn't deserve it back in NZ ...


Several references were also made about Bell's absolute inability to perform under pressure.
Sky pundits, the media, Flaming Baller's ... surely we can't ALL be wrong.

What's the big deal about no change in five Tests to England's team for the first time in a century, haven't these five been against New Zees? No change will probably signal no win against SA.

filosofee wrote:What's the big deal about no change in five Tests to England's team for the first time in a century, haven't these five been against New Zees? No change will probably signal no win against SA.

That's kind of why we're up in arms and the press is getting on their backs.
Andrew Miller sums it up well here - 'A sham called continuity'
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/353646.html

JKLever wrote:

filosofee wrote:What's the big deal about no change in five Tests to England's team for the first time in a century, haven't these five been against New Zees? No change will probably signal no win against SA.

That's kind of why we're up in arms and the press is getting on their backs.
Andrew Miller sums it up well here - 'A sham called continuity'
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/353646.html

Don't you just love history, from the article in your link:

Not since the winter of 1884-85 have England's selectors demonstrated the same degree of loyalty to their players (although back then the gentlefolk of Blighty were far more concerned with the plight of General Gordon at the siege of Khartoum, and didn't pay much heed to Arthur Shrewsbury's series-winning heroics Down Under).