England's Bowling Attack for the SAF Tour

Rob I wrote:

DJ_Smerk wrote:Since the retirement of Flintoff and Harmison

Um, when did Harmi retire?

Around about 2005 I think....?


Broad, Onions, Swann & Anderson are all definites.

I would take Sidebottom & Rashid too. Bearing in mind Onions, Anderson and SiBo are all better in swinging conditions (I quite like OCA's - the bowling versions of FTB's, Overcast Aggressors) then maybe we need a bang it in merchant for any flat wickets such as Tremlett too?

Aye Gaz, Tremors tied up the Indian's with his excessive bounce and good line, and I reckon he'd be well suited for SAF pitches.


He isn't the fastest England have, but sometimes a bang it in bowler from over 7 foot might rough up some of the South African batsmen.

I know for a fact that Steyn and co will show England no mercy, so let's give it back to them.

Tremletts had a bit of a shocker this season. Not sure of his stats but I don't recall seeing him amongst the wickets at all....

In form i'd take him too

rz

Not sure you can talk about the bowling in isolation without considereing the balance of the squad as a whole. Assuming they will take 16, here goes:

Batsmen

Strauss
Cook
Key
Pietersen
Trott
Bell
Bopara

Wicketkeepers

Prior
Ambrose

Spinners

Swann
Rashid

Seamers

Broad
Anderson
Harmison
Sidebottom
Onions

No Colly - but I think his race is run as a test batsman. Ambrose gets the nod over Davies as he did not let us down when he had to sub. for prior on the Windies' tour.

I only saw Harmy's bowling on the Saturday of the last test, but it looked like he was getting his Mojo back - plenty of deliveries at 90+ mph which has not often been the case in the last couple of years.

No Monty regrettably, but there is no room for three spinners on a tour to SA.

They'll take Colly imo, he's got this habit of producing when 'he' needs to if not the side!

It'll be Colly for Key I guess. Otherwise much as Baz says.

Is Bops on the cusp of the reject pile?

Will they like Denly?

JKLever wrote:They'll take Colly imo, he's got this habit of producing when 'he' needs to if not the side!

if that's the case, I hope it's at Bell's expense and not Bopara's. I've long been a supporter of Bell, but he is seriously beginning to hack me off - get's out just when he's made his place safe for the next test - the ultimate selfishness if you ask me.

JKLever wrote:They'll take Colly imo, he's got this habit of producing when 'he' needs to if not the side!

Is also Strauss' "best mate in cricket" according to his official Middlesex profile ( http://www.middlesexccc.com/player-profile.asp?PlayerID=20 ) which would make him Ashley Giles to Michael Vaughan in terms of undroppableness.

And equally high-risk in health terms?

DT
Vaughan: You need a 15-man squad to take to South Africa and Australia, and Bopara should be part of that squad. Colly is my best mate, he's a fighter and a scrapper and every time he gets knocked to the canvas he bounces back up, but I'd go for Trott.

Basil wrote:Not sure you can talk about the bowling in isolation without considereing the balance of the squad as a whole. Assuming they will take 16, here goes:

Batsmen

Strauss
Cook
Key
Pietersen
Trott
Bell
Bopara

Wicketkeepers

Prior
Ambrose

Spinners

Swann
Rashid

Seamers

Broad
Anderson
Harmison
Sidebottom
Onions

No Colly - but I think his race is run as a test batsman. Ambrose gets the nod over Davies as he did not let us down when he had to sub. for prior on the Windies' tour.

I only saw Harmy's bowling on the Saturday of the last test, but it looked like he was getting his Mojo back - plenty of deliveries at 90+ mph which has not often been the case in the last couple of years.

No Monty regrettably, but there is no room for three spinners on a tour to SA.

Interesting to note you've used the word seamers and no mention of quicks?

[quote="Bradman"]

Basil wrote:

Interesting to note you've used the word seamers and no mention of quicks?

Just a term really - with the exception of Siders, they can all get the odd ball down at close to 90 mph with their average mph closer to 85. That's quick enough if they are doing something with the ball at the business end.