Sri Lanka v England, 2nd ODI, Dambulla, 4th Oct

Henry wrote:Considering England's position when he came to the crease, I think Shah's innings today was the classiest ODI knock from an England bat ......

Time to dump the "classic young hopeful" Bellhop then.

Allan D wrote:"Strong rumour" that Ramps will be in the Test side according to Smashy & Nicey. MRR !

The next two batting cabs off the rank are Shah and Bopara who have both been doing very well and are settling in nicely to the set up.

If England take Ramprakash on tour, it'll be at the expense of both Shah and Bopara, as they're not going to take eight batsmen to Sri Lanka and six bats are already centrally contracted and therefore inked in.

Unbelievably short-sighted pick if that happens. And he'll have to play if they go to the trouble of taking him - where does he fit in? Which centrally contracted batsman is going to be stood down to accommodate one last hurrah from Ramprakash?

Can't see at all what picking Ramprakash is going to achieve. You can accept the odd quick fix for maybe a World Cup squad or something like that, but the Test side has to be picked with at least one eye on the future.

Recalling a player who has let England down time and time again based on weight of county runs at this stage in his career is just crazy, and keeps deserving candidates out of the squad or team.

Anyway, decent performance today after the top order crumbled again, particularly from Shah who got us to a very competitive total on this pitch with support from Colly and Swann. And the bowlers did their job to prevent Sri Lanka's reply from ever really getting off the ground. So no whitewash and hopefully the team can gain some confidence from getting a win on the board.

It is conceivable that with his current form, Ramps could well score heaps in December .... however, does his selection fit in with the "brave new world" concept of youth first and foremost ?
We've stuck with Bell for 2 years now and stll await the talked about runs against strong opposition ... but ...

As Dello points out ... who to drop now that Shah and Bopara have made serious claims?

I reccommend the Bellhop ... (and now await the onslaught from his pious supporters!)

Being realistic, I don't see Bell being dropped. Maybe Strauss?

Sidebottom and Swann both show the value of a move to Trent Bridge. No doubt Broad will cement his place in the Test side now that he has copied his dad and will be displaying his talents on William Clarke's meadow next season. If Broad and Sidebottom open the bowling for England it will be the first Notts (albeit transplanted) pair to do this since Larwood and Voce (I think!).

doremi wrote:Being realistic, I don't see Bell being dropped. Maybe Strauss?

They just awarded Strauss a brand new central contract.

Wouldn't make any sense for them to do that if he wasn't part of their plans.

doremi wrote:Being realistic, I don't see Bell being dropped. Maybe Strauss?

Sadly that may well be the case ... but again the problem ... Strauss is a contracted player!
In fairness, the poor sod has had a bad season ... and I just hope he can turn it around - he is a class player when on song and has proven that on numerous occasions

Allan D wrote:Sidebottom and Swann both show the value of a move to Trent Bridge. No doubt Broad will cement his place in the Test side now that he has copied his dad and will be displaying his talents on William Clarke's meadow next season. If Broad and Sidebottom open the bowling for England it will be the first Notts (albeit transplanted) pair to do this since Larwood and Voce (I think!).

Dougie Jardine ... reveal yourself ... your time is come again !

It may be that a Ramps recall is unrealistic but I think he is under consideration not just because of averaging 100 in 2 consecutive seasons (which would have merited a recall in any other era irrespective of his past Test record) but also as a possible counter to Murali who seems to have a hoodoo hold over the England batting and is especially threatening in Sri Lanka.

Besides I like comeback stories. They're part of English cricket. I can't remember Washbrook and Compton in 1956 but I can remember "Uncle" Tom Graveney coming back at Lord's in 1966 after a three-and-a-half year exile (he had a very similar reputation to Ramps although he had admittedly scored more runs) and cover driving Hall and Griffith off the front foot. He had an Indian summer of a Test career that lasted 3 more years and that was only terminated due to an injudicious participation in a charity match during what was then the "rest day" of a Test. What about Fat Gatt at Adelaide in 1995 scoring his first Test century for 7 years and setting up an improbable win?

In our bid to praise youth let us not forget the deference due to age. Gower, Allan Lamb and Robin Smith were all probably ditched long before their sell-by date when they had many runs left in them. Hobbs and Hendren were at their best when they were past 40. Youth will come again but let age have its final flourish!

I must say I'd love to see a 38 year old (?) make a comeback.

Allan D wrote:In our bid to praise youth let us not forget the deference due to age. Gower, Allan Lamb and Robin Smith were all probably ditched long before their sell-by date when they had many runs left in them. Hobbs and Hendren were at their best when they were past 40. Youth will come again but let age have its final flourish!

Yes but these players were proven England players with good or outstanding records. We're talking about recalling a 38-year-old specialist batsman who has played over 50 Tests with an average of 27. Even if he kept wicket that wouldn't be enough to keep him in the side! Or maybe he's seen as the solution to the number 8 problem we've had since the King of Spain retired? That average would do nicely for that position!

Bicknell was pretty old when he made a comeback to help grab a series draw against SA 4 years back. And then we took Udal to India and surprisingly it worked (kind of).

My favourite comeback was when selector Wilfred Rhodes decided to select himself for the deciding test of an Ashes series and then bowled England to victory. Davy Gravy - don't get any ideas above your station...

Gary 111 wrote:My favourite comeback was when selector Wilfred Rhodes decided to select himself for the deciding test of an Ashes series and then bowled England to victory.

I think Rhodes, at the age of 48, "was prevailed upon" by his fellow selectors to make himself available for the Ashes-clinching match. He had not represented England since the Trent Bridge (1st) Test on the previous Australian tour in 1921. Jack Hobbs, who was 43, had played throughout the series, was to represent England for four more years and, as the senior professional, had captained England during the previous Test at Old Trafford, rain allowing, when Arthur Carr had fallen ill with tonsilitis, was also one of the selectors and cast the deciding vote between Percy Chapman and Greville Stevens as to who would be Carr's replacement as captain for the final Test. Legend has it that Hobbs decided on the basis that Chapman was a Cambridge graduate whereas Stevens had gone to Oxford and Hobbs' father had, of course, been the Head Groundsman at Fenner's.

Freddie Brown, who was Chairman of Selectors during the Ashes series of 1953, also selected himself for the Lord's Test of that year at the age of 42. He batted 7 behind Trevor Bailey but above Godfrey Evans and bowled first change after Alec Bedser and Brian Statham and before Bailey. He was the chief wicket-taker in Australia's 2nd innings taking 4-82 off 27 overs. He scored 28 in the last 35 minutes of the game (holing out, literally, to Graeme Hole off Richie Benaud) in a typically carefree, or others might say careless, effort to secure an improbable win after Watson and Bailey had rescued England from likely defeat. Fortunately Evans and Wardle secured the draw.

Well done England.

Apparently this win means England are now back on track...

Righto

One step forward and one step....

Merlin wrote:

Allan D wrote:Sidebottom and Swann both show the value of a move to Trent Bridge. No doubt Broad will cement his place in the Test side now that he has copied his dad and will be displaying his talents on William Clarke's meadow next season. If Broad and Sidebottom open the bowling for England it will be the first Notts (albeit transplanted) pair to do this since Larwood and Voce (I think!).

Dougie Jardine ... reveal yourself ... your time is come again !

Don't think the "Iron Man" is available for selection somehow, sadly!

Gary 111 wrote:

Batfink Begins wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:That 'spaz' seems to have done alright for England again too...

Who's that?

Anyway, Shah needs 19 off 8 balls. Anyone reckon?

Geoffrey reckons Shah 'bats like a spaz'. Unlike Ian Bell who he thinks is dead ace.

I'm not the one that put Bell in his ODI team. Oh, and I said Shah LOOKS like a spaz, not bats like one... I think. Believe me, those ultra fine tickles down to fine leg from outside off stump were just jammy. It'll never laaaaarst.

Anyway, the way the top order are performing at the moment I'm all for dropping Pietersen and bringing Sales in.

I listened to Collingwood's post match interview and wondered if he was aprticipating in the same game I was watching.

Jawawardena on the other hand got it spot on.

Collingwood said he was pleased with all 3 aspects of the game for England. Is he farking blind? Yet again as in the last 2 years, the top order basically failed miserably. he was happy about being 60-4 after 20 overs!!! What a chump!

Were gash, its all about the toss......

Leave Bell alone, he's my civil partner.

One day cricket's a random old thing- hard to dissect one game meaningfully, I think there should be no further comment on this series or any other ODI series until their conclusion.

Don't think that's going to happen though.

Well he was always going to be someones civil partner. I guess he's the snivvelling B1tch in the relationship?

Can we dissect 60 games though?

Of which in 80% of them he's been sh1te? Is that allowed?

Since the end of the World Cup debacle, Bell has done fine.

England's ODI averages since then go:

Shah: 47
Collingwood: 47
Bell: 46.5
Pietersen: 28

And then the guys like Cook, Bopara, Prior, Mustard and Trott who've been in and out of the side.

Merlin wrote:

Henry wrote:Considering England's position when he came to the crease, I think Shah's innings today was the classiest ODI knock from an England bat ......

Time to dump the "classic young hopeful" Bellhop then.

Good old Merlin: never let the facts get in the way of blind prejudice.

Dello wrote:Since the end of the World Cup debacle, Bell has done fine.

England's ODI averages since then go:

Shah: 47
Collingwood: 47
Bell: 46.5
Pietersen: 28

And then the guys like Cook, Bopara, Prior, Mustard and Trott who've been in and out of the side.

Looks like Pietersen is in for the chop then.

His ODI form has been worrying, since he stopped throwing away his wicket in tests he's become a shell of his former self in ODI's. Hopefully a big score is just around the corner...