Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted November 6, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted November 6, 2018 I was at an umpiring course with a professional first class umpire on Saturday.  We talked about Moeen. He said that having umpired him quite a few times that he can turn a ball on any pitch and has more zip in his bowling than any other English spinner. He thought he should bat 8 and be the 1st spinner. He's had probably the best view you can get so I'd trust him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted November 6, 2018 Moderators Share Posted November 6, 2018 12 minutes ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said: more zip in his bowling than any other English spinner That's damning with faint praise to be fair. I think in my lifetime Swann was the only consistent world class test spinner we had. Before then we were pretending Monty Panesar wasn't bang average and championing John Emburey's economy (Ok, Tuffers was ace, but still) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted November 7, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted November 7, 2018 I'm hopelessly biased, but I loved watching Jack Leach dropping the ball on a line and length this morning. He's a different spinner than Rashid or Moeen and can offer some of the consistent control that we haven't had since Swann buggered his elbow up. I doubt he'll play at home much, but he really should be a lock for an additional spinner berth away on spinning decks. Who Mo is depends on home or away. He seems incapable mentally of being a lone spinner at home, even though he can play like one at times. He's sure as shit not an opener or no.3 in the test side, especially if he's bowling quite a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted November 7, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted November 7, 2018 World class test spinners are few and far between because of our climate Butch. As Gus says, Leach is unlikely to play many tests at home because we just don't produce the pitches that require 2 spinners. Next year because off the World Cup the first round of Championship games start on the 4th of April. New Road will probably still be underwater at that point, and I can't see many spinning pitches around the rest of the country then either. No one will even need one spinner at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted November 7, 2018 Author Paid Members Share Posted November 7, 2018 How great is Rangana Herath by the way? Imagine having to follow in the footsteps of Muralitharan and going on to have that career, the pressure must have been incredible. And now he will go down as possibly the greatest left arm spinner, statistically, of all time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted November 7, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted November 7, 2018 I love him. He's also got a great cricket gut and bats like a mentalist, both of which get bonus points from me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 (edited) Plus one for Herath. Anyone like to offer any theories as to why we had four blokes on the boundary edge when Sri Lanka were 40-4 just after lunch. It's the same kind of field I'd set on a Saturday to our 16 year old left armer bowling at some overseas pro. Edit: With Jennings reverse sweeping the 31st ball of a test match Roy may yet get his go. Edited November 7, 2018 by Max Power Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Bifkin Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Never doubted Keaton for a second. Surrey...sorry England in command here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted November 8, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted November 8, 2018 Declaring when he's on 146 is a bit of a dick move. Its no declaring when he's on 98 like Athers did to The FTB but it's very poor form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted November 8, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted November 8, 2018 Sorry for the double post but this is brilliant. I don't have any trouble with this as an umpire, but I'm pretty sure I'd be wrong in law.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted November 8, 2018 Author Paid Members Share Posted November 8, 2018 Nobody really cares about 150 as landmark though, do they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted November 8, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted November 8, 2018 I would if I had ever come within sniffing distance of one. They are not as important as 50s or 100s I grant you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted November 8, 2018 Author Paid Members Share Posted November 8, 2018 (edited) Yeah, I might have felt differently if my top score for my school team had been greater than 2. But in fairness to me, I was neglecting my batting to concentrate on my nagging Angus Fraser-esque seam-up. Edited November 8, 2018 by Devon Malcolm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted November 9, 2018 Moderators Share Posted November 9, 2018 Could be worse, try a growth spurt sending your formerly cracking leg breaks onto the roof of the net, so you end up bowling medium pace Graham Gooch swing.  I even had a wrong un  A WRONG UN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Cod Eye Posted November 9, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted November 9, 2018 (edited) What do we all think they are going to do with the team for the second test? It looks like they are going to have to drop a spinner for a quickie, but they all bowled at least decent in the last match, it will be a bt of a blow for whoever is carrying the drinks. Ali was shocking with the bat, but I have not seen him bowl as well away from home as he did last time out, and Jack Leitch was a joy to watch and provided so much control it would be a loss to no have him. Rashid wasn't as good with the ball, Â but contributed to the first innings fight back with the bat. I wouldn't like to be the one deciding, that's for sure. Then there's Bairstow. If he's fit do we bring him back in, or does he have to wait for his chance again(and that's without getting into a discussion about giving him the gloves back!)... Edited November 9, 2018 by Cod Eye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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