Moderators PowerButchi Posted August 10, 2009 Moderators Share Posted August 10, 2009 (edited) Robin Smith was a great shout Baz. Bring him in for the test. Or Gatting, or my personal choice of Notts legend Tim Robinson, who's stoic safety first batting would win the test for sure.  The team we should pick is OBVIOUS.   M.N. Lathwell J.E.R. Gallian N.H. Fairbrother M.P. Maynard A.D. Brown A.J. Hollioake M.W. Alleyne (+) M.J. McCague M.C. Ilott A.D. Mullally P.M Such  Unstoppable Edited August 10, 2009 by FrankSidebottom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Icon Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Good shout on the 3 openers theory Baz, its something I've been championing since Vaughan stepped down, also good shout on Joe Gatting Frank, but I reckon it might be a bit too early for him, same for my own personal choice of Will Smith. Â For those of you thinking 'Durham Cricket Captain or Fresh Prince?', I'd be chuffed either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted August 10, 2009 Moderators Share Posted August 10, 2009 also good shout on Joe Gatting Frank, Â It's Mike, I'm after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Icon Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 also good shout on Joe Gatting Frank, Â It's Mike, I'm after. Â Ah. Less good shout. Â We need this man: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted August 10, 2009 Moderators Share Posted August 10, 2009 Buster Merryfield? Â I jest. Yeah, we should give Billy Gibbons a game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Icon Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Just looking at the Lions team playing Australia over the weekend: Â Jamie Dalrymple (capt, Glamorgan), Michael Carberry (Hampshire), Stephen Moore (Worcestershire), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire), Andrew Gale (Yorkshire), Steven Davies (wicketkeeper, Worcestershire), Liam Plunkett (Durham), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), James Harris (Glamorgan), Steve Kirby (Gloucestershire), Gary Keedy (Lancashire). Â I've been impressed with Carberry this season, he's another name that never seems to get mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted August 10, 2009 Author Paid Members Share Posted August 10, 2009 Good shout on the 3 openers theory Baz, its something I've been championing since Vaughan stepped down, also good shout on Joe Gatting Frank, but I reckon it might be a bit too early for him, same for my own personal choice of Will Smith. For those of you thinking 'Durham Cricket Captain or Fresh Prince?', I'd be chuffed either way.  Will Smith's crap. I'd go for Stephen Moore, another dirty Saffie, but he did great in that England Lions game against the Aussies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted August 10, 2009 Moderators Share Posted August 10, 2009 Harris has got a bright future ahead of him, I'd say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted August 10, 2009 Author Paid Members Share Posted August 10, 2009 Harris has got a bright future ahead of him, I'd say. Â Loads of good young players around, absolutely loads of them. The selectors don't have the bottle to pick really good young players though. It took them 3 years to pick Onions, so don't expect to see James Harris in the team until about 2012. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnum Milano Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 The Guardian made interesting readin this morning. Mark Butcher, David Lloyd and someone else (Not Gus Fraser) are championing Rob Key at NO. 3! I don't. Key reminds me of a brearly type player, indeed, I wanted him to replace pietersen as captain. Key should not be in the team for his batting, but instead for his cricketing brain, and with someone else in charge, it's not the same. Butcher also pushed for Ramps, if not Key, but I don't agree.  Ramps is not the answer. How many times has he been dropped and recalled? more than Hicky I would imagine. They were saying on Talksport that he averages under 30 for Tests, and whilst an exceptional County Batsmen couldn't cut it at Test level. How would he cope with being bought back for one Test, when all the expectation would be on him to deliver? Someone suggested going cap in hand to Marcus Trescothick, and then move Cook down to 3. Harmison desperately needs to be dropped for the next Test, and Bopara needs a rest, as he has been found out in this series that he isn't a Test 3.  On the two occasions in the 1990's that he was recalled against the Aussies, he scored highly and England won both games. Last time he played against Australia, at The Oval, in 2001, he scored 136.   As far as I am aware on all these occasions the Ashes was already in the Aussies hands and the games were dead rubbers.  It is fine being able to score the runs at International level when the result doesn't matter, it is another thing altogether being able to get the runs when it matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Icon Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Good shout on the 3 openers theory Baz, its something I've been championing since Vaughan stepped down, also good shout on Joe Gatting Frank, but I reckon it might be a bit too early for him, same for my own personal choice of Will Smith. For those of you thinking 'Durham Cricket Captain or Fresh Prince?', I'd be chuffed either way.  Will Smith's crap. I'd go for Stephen Moore, another dirty Saffie, but he did great in that England Lions game against the Aussies.  He's captain of the best side in the country at the moment, and he's not South African, so I'm afraid I have to disagree with you there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted August 11, 2009 Author Paid Members Share Posted August 11, 2009 Captain he might be, but he's still crap. Mind you, so was Mike Brearley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbins Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Robin Smith was a great shout Baz. Bring him in for the test. Or Gatting, or my personal choice of Notts legend Tim Robinson, who's stoic safety first batting would win the test for sure. The team we should pick is OBVIOUS.   M.N. Lathwell J.E.R. Gallian N.H. Fairbrother M.P. Maynard A.D. Brown A.J. Hollioake M.W. Alleyne (+) M.J. McCague M.C. Ilott A.D. Mullally P.M Such  Unstoppable Two left armers?? Ditch one of them for Joey Benjamin or Peter Martin and you've got yourself a team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted August 11, 2009 Paid Members Share Posted August 11, 2009 Robin Smith was a great shout Baz. Bring him in for the test. Or Gatting, or my personal choice of Notts legend Tim Robinson, who's stoic safety first batting would win the test for sure. The team we should pick is OBVIOUS.   M.N. Lathwell J.E.R. Gallian N.H. Fairbrother M.P. Maynard A.D. Brown A.J. Hollioake M.W. Alleyne (+) M.J. McCague M.C. Ilott A.D. Mullally P.M Such  Unstoppable  McCague - the Aussie so shit they let us have him. Needs more Hollioake though. Drop McCague and stick Ben in as an all-rounder.  At least he picked 11 who are alive johnnyboy. I don't think that using the dark power of necromancy could help that team, or the current England team come to think of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted August 12, 2009 Moderators Share Posted August 12, 2009 From the Beeb  Under-pressure England batsmen Ravi Bopara and Ian Bell made just one run each as they tried to find form in the County Championship on Wednesday. Playing for Essex against Middlesex, Bopara was caught off Tim Murtagh, who also trapped England opener Alastair Cook lbw for just four at Lord's.  Then, Bell was caught behind against Nottinghamshire, before fellow Test hopeful Jonathan Trott followed for 15.  The squad for the final Ashes Test is expected to be named on Sunday.  Five contracted England players had been released for the current round of matches - Bopara, Cook, Bell, Graham Onions and Graeme Swann - before the deciding fifth Test against Australia.  606: DEBATE If Ravi had scored big, we'd have been obliged to keep him. Now he hasn't, just hope the selectors are brave enough to shelve him and Bell (and bring in Key and Ramps)  nclark008  Durham seamer Onions has been wicketless so far against Lancashire at Old Trafford, while off-spinner Swann was unable to play for Nottinghamshire because of a stomach upset.  Warwickshire batsman Trott, who is not centrally contracted, was named in the squad for the fourth Test at Headingley but was not selected.  He and Bell were briefly at the crease together at Trent Bridge before Bell fell to left-arm swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom, who is also a contender for the squad at The Oval.  Trott hit two fours before he was caught off Charlie Shreck.  Another candidate for a batting place is Rob Key, who played the last of his 15 Tests in 2005.  He made 90 for Kent against Northants on Tuesday, while Monty Panesar, hoping to be recalled as a second spinner, took 2-56 from 22 overs.  Meanwhile, veteran Mark Ramprakash, who last played a Test in 2002 but has been tipped for a shock one-off recall, may play for Surrey in a Pro40 match against Glamorgan at The Oval on Wednesday afternoon.  Bopara has made 105 runs in seven innings against Australia this summer, while Bell has hit 64 in three innings since his recall for the third Test - having been dropped during the tour of the West Indies in the spring.  Robert Key says he is in the form of his life as he eyes a "dream" England call-up ahead of the decisive fifth Ashes Test against Australia next week. The Kent batsman last played Test cricket in 2005 but good form for Kent, including 90 against Northamptonshire on Tuesday, has helped his cause.  "I feel I'm playing as well as I have ever done," he told BBC Radio 5 live.  "It's something you dream about, coming in for one game and potentially winning the Ashes. It would just be fantastic."  Key, who averages 31 from his 15 Tests with a top score of 221, added that he would be able to approach the match in a relaxed manner if selected.  606: DEBATE Ramprakash was an average player 10 years ago, and I don't see any reason to suppose he's any better now  douglasmcdouglas  "It's a bonus. If I didn't get any runs I'd go back to Kent, so nothing would have changed," he stated.  "It's great to hear people mention your name but what matters is what the selectors think."  England's batting has come under fire after disappointing performances in the Ashes with only one century, from Andrew Strauss, in the series compared to seven scored by Australia.  Ravi Bopara and Ian Bell are the batsmen most under threat, with 39-year-old Mark Ramprakash also mooted for a recall.  But former Surrey and England star Graham Thorpe believes 30-year-old Key should be given an opportunity.  "I've never been a big fan of Bopara at three. He's more a five," Thorpe told BBC Radio 5 live.  "Potentially I'd keep him in. Probably Bell would be the one I'd slide out and I suppose coming in I would consider someone like Robert Key."  Former Kent and England captain Chris Cowdrey told BBC Radio Kent: "No question for me, it's Rob Key.  "I think with Ramprakash there was a big case for him playing a year-and-a-half, two years ago.  "But I think now you've got to look forward. Realistically he's not going to go on tour in the winter, whereas Rob Key's got a decent chance.  "It is a one-off, it's a very strange match, but if you start picking Ramprakash, you should pick Marcus Trescothick, and if you start picking Trescothick, you should pick Andy Caddick - you can go on forever. We'll be playing the 1990 side soon  Gooch warns against wholesale changes  "I just think if it was my decision between Rob and 'Ramps' - Rob Key for me definitely."  Coach Andy Flower has suggested changes could be made to England's batting line-up for The Oval following the abject, series-levelling defeat inside three days in the fourth Test.  Bopara, Bell and Paul Collingwood contributed a total of 16 runs between them at Headingley.  I've always been a fan of Rob Key, he could be an option at 3, dropping Ian Bell from the team, and Bopara down the order. Mind you, according to the Guardian, Mark Ramprakash is being seriously considered as a one-off. Selector Geoff Miller was reported as saying this...  "Mark has not stated he's not available for international cricket, so we will discuss that," Miller told Cricinfo. "It's not just my decision, it's a team decision, and we'll sit down as a unit. We have a consistency and continuity angle as far as selection policy is concerned and we try to stick to that as much as possible. But we do want to win this series, which is a matter of winning this game in a one-match situation, so it's a very difficult equation as [is the case with] all selection policies."  Thing is though, I can't see England taking a risk on Key, Ramps or Trott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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