Sri Lanka v Eng, 1st ODI, Dambulla, 1st October

I honestly cant see a guy like Graeme Swann hitting international bowling around consistently enough to be the answer at the top of the order. A 30 ball 50 at county level probably transtales to a run a ball 20 at international level, which is not what we need.

We'd get a better idea of who might be good enough to make it at the top level if they played more 50 over cricket at county level instead of that worthless 40 over stuff, which is often played on sub standard pitches.

Gary 111 wrote:I didn't actually, I was out of the country. I missed our whole World Cup debacle. Which wasn't a massive shame...

OK, here's a quick rundown: Joyce looked sh!t all tournament, batted selfishly and was fookin linear. He couldn't think outside the packaging, let alone 'the box'. Would've been great for Ireland.

Gary 111 wrote:Div One Pro40 averages
(English qualified - min 5 innings)

1) Greame Hick - 292 runs at 73
2) David Sales - 314 runs at 62.8
3) Mark Wagh - 290 runs at 58
4) John Crawley - 230 runs at 57.5
5) Michael Lumb - 373 runs at 53.28
6) Kadeer Ali - 317 runs at 52.83
7) Alex Gidman - 255 runs at 51
Chris Read - 147 runs at 49
9) Steve Davies - 293 runs at 48.83
10) Darren Maddy - 218 runs at 43.60

Astonishing .. Graeme Hick still up there scoring heaps.
Loyal servant to Worcs over the years.
Good man.

Henry wrote:I honestly cant see a guy like Graeme Swann hitting international bowling around consistently enough to be the answer at the top of the order. A 30 ball 50 at county level probably transtales to a run a ball 20 at international level, which is not what we need.

That's a bit of a d!ckhead equation isn't it Triv? I mean, it was probably the first time you saw Swann and he hit a better-than-a-run-a-ball 24. That was at number 8, with the fielders out.

And for what its worth...

Div Two Pro40 averages
(English qualified - min 4 innings)

1) Mark Ramprakash, 215 runs at 71.67
2) Phil Mustard, 409 runs at 58.42
3) Rob Key, 408 runs at 58.28
4) Darren Stevens, 172 runs at 57.33
5) Scott Newman, 378 runs at 54
6) Marcus Trescothick, 329 runs at 47
7) John Sadler (what, the shit journalist?!), 222 runs at 44.40
Kyle Coetzer (does he count?), 310 runs at 44.28
9) WPC Weston, 168 runs at 42
10) Ben Scott, 84 runs at 42

Hildreth, Joyce, Butcher & Nixon bubbling just under at around 40. Strauss and Vaughan would both have been in there but they only batted 2 or 3 times, So would Darren Gough (?!?) who would have been 2nd if he'd played one more innings.

holcs wrote:Who says they can't JK?

Mustard did this year, and Swann's performances have consistently improved with the bat.

We'll never know until they are tried!

I think Mustard can, but then he's a proper attacking bat.

Swann can't do it regularly at county level, no chance at ODI level to be a pinch hitting opening bat.

last 3 seasons for Swann - 41 list A games, 456 runs, avg 20 with 2 fifties.

How is a bloke with 2 50's in 41 domestic list A games going to improve our chances?

C'mon lets be realistic chaps

I've seen Swann on a few occasions at county level, and pretty much every time, he looks a million dollars before holing out for 20 odd. You really think that's all gonna change when he's asked to open the batting for England against the likes of Lee, Bond, and Ntini?

JKLever wrote:

holcs wrote:Who says they can't JK?

Mustard did this year, and Swann's performances have consistently improved with the bat.

We'll never know until they are tried!

I think Mustard can, but then he's a proper attacking bat.

Swann can't do it regularly at county level, no chance at ODI level to be a pinch hitting opening bat.

last 3 seasons for Swann - 41 list A games, 456 runs, avg 20 with 2 fifties.

How is a bloke with 2 50's in 41 domestic list A games going to improve our chances?

C'mon lets be realistic chaps

Crikey and I thought you were showing me Ian Bells stats for his first 45 ODI's there for a second!:D

OK so we've got Mustard up top, and Swann at 8... you've seen Gary's stats. Who would you pick?

holcs wrote:

JKLever wrote:

holcs wrote:Who says they can't JK?

Mustard did this year, and Swann's performances have consistently improved with the bat.

We'll never know until they are tried!

I think Mustard can, but then he's a proper attacking bat.

Swann can't do it regularly at county level, no chance at ODI level to be a pinch hitting opening bat.

last 3 seasons for Swann - 41 list A games, 456 runs, avg 20 with 2 fifties.

How is a bloke with 2 50's in 41 domestic list A games going to improve our chances?

C'mon lets be realistic chaps

Crikey and I thought you were showing me Ian Bells stats for his first 45 ODI's there for a second!:D

OK so we've got Mustard up top, and Swann at 8... you've seen Gary's stats. Who would you pick?

Can't believe i'm saying this but Blobby Key wouldn't be a bad pick. Better OD player than he was, he uses his feet to the bowlers and has the ability to go on and get bigger scores than 20's or 30's

JK, were in agreement there at present. And I hate to say this even more, Slogdonki looked better than he has done in the T20!!!

Surely it's a bit like picking a bloke who strikes at 60? "What's the point?" That means if he faces 100 balls, he's leaving the other batsmen to share 200 balls and score at better than a run a ball just to get what is becoming the obligatory 300?

Were in SL, on slow low pitches where once the ball goes soft we're screwed.

Why not try the Swann/Mustard partnership? It can't get any worse than it is at present!?

Er, we've had 1 game in SL - where we got off to a 43-0 start after 7 overs.

Swann with Mustard? Barely digestible I'd have thought ....

Suppose. Depends who Cooks it.

lardbucket wrote:Swann with Mustard? Barely digestible I'd have thought ....

Not if you Cook it till the Bell on the timer chimes ...
Nice with KP nuts.

Am I the only one seeing the obvious? Open with Bell, get KP at 3, or Bopara since he looks the goods.

Bell/Mustard - not a bad choice either.

Some won't agree though...

doremi wrote:Am I the only one seeing the obvious? Open with Bell, get KP at 3, or Bopara since he looks the goods.

Bell's effectively opened for his last 25 ODIs. Did OK against a bupkiss team with the ball coming on. Different kettle of fish when playing a team that's actually good in conditions unfavourable to him.

doremi wrote:Am I the only one seeing the obvious? Open with Bell, get KP at 3, or Bopara since he looks the goods.

Bell should also open in Tests.

Strauss to come in at 6.

You know it makes sense.

JKLever wrote:Bell/Mustard - not a bad choice either.

Some won't agree though...

Don't be disgusting!

Sometimes I wonder about you JKL...

Bell
Mustard
Pietersen
Shah
Collingwood
Bopara

There's potential in that batting order. Bell can be the guy who bats all the way through whilst the other guys can score at a run a ball or better around him.

lardbucket wrote:Bell should also open in Tests.

Strauss to come in at 6.

You know it makes sense.

Aye, the massive off-stump problem against fresh bowlers holding a new nut... I had to hold my helmet there, I almost blew my load.

Gary 111 wrote:

JKLever wrote:Bell/Mustard - not a bad choice either.

Some won't agree though...

Don't be disgusting!

Sometimes I wonder about you JKL...

Bell mustard?

You call it some weird things oop north!

Quick response, Danny.