DrRingDing
'anti-human wanker'
Let's see what happens the rest of this series. He needs a decent knock.
He's the 3rd highest run scorer for England so far this series.
England Cricket 2015
- Thread starter twentythreedom
- Start date
Let's see what happens the rest of this series. He needs a decent knock.
He's the 3rd highest run scorer for England so far this series.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Leaving aside the batting stuff, which i tend to agree with you on, the fielding = liability thing. Have you any stats on how many he's put down vs averages vs his average etc? Or is it that he just looks slow to you?
DrRingDing
'anti-human wanker'
I think the most worrying thing was his comments at the end of the Ashes. He sounded drained of the will to fight.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
I don't. Bearing in mind there's no such thing as an easy slip catch, he dropped two regulation ones in the first test and he dropped at least two regulation ones against NZ earlier in the year. He's also taken catches, to be fair to him, but the ones he's dropped have been the kind really good slippers hardly ever drop.
I'd compare that to Cook, who used to be a bit of a liability in the slips. He's turned himself into a reliable slip who very very rarely drops the regulation ones. you can't search cricinfo by catches, I don't think, but four in a year when they came straight at you at a good height - you'd need to take a few blinders to make up for that.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Botham said the last thing he had left was his slip catching - now granted he was never a bell, but iirc the argument was that it was a limited area where hand eye co-ordination counted, rather than that + footwork, moving around, second guessing bowler etc. You could lose all the latter and still catch. But not the other way round.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Makes sense. By all accounts, Brian Close was a great catcher into his 40s. And keepers can often keep going into their late 30s.
I'm guessing it's a confidence thing with Bell, especially as it's the straightforward ones he's been dropping. Losing teams tend to drop slip catches. I remember when West Indies were going through a particularly shit phase a few years ago, they couldn't seem to hold on to anything.
When Michael Carberry first came into the one-day side, he dropped a couple of easy catches. Now Carberry is known in county cricket as a great catcher, and irrc his very first catch in international cricket was a blinder. Maybe he needed a hard one first, one that didn't give him any scope to think or doubt - just react and discover you caught it only after you've caught it. Maybe Ian Bell needs one of those, too.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
I'm actually not sure I do think Bell is too old and losing it physically. Tendulkar did that - I hated watching him play in the last two years of his test career. He was missing straight ones, which he never ever did before. Seemed so painfully clear that he was past it. But Bell's nibbling at things he shouldn't. He's prodding painfully and uncertainly at spinners. He might not be too old. But I'm afraid, unless he does something remarkable next innings, he's just not good enough now, whatever the reason.
Mr Retro
Beware hedgehogs
Interesting comments. I love test cricket without knowing much about it. I watched or listened to all the tests this summer and I think if I was playing County cricket, doing well, and watching somebody like Bell who seems can't be dropped I'd be pissed off.
Also if I was bowling in this series, in those conditions, I'd be saying to my captain "get that fucker out of the slips". Chances are rare as rocking horse shit and that clown drops 2 of the easiest ones that you are going to get.
Also if I was bowling in this series, in those conditions, I'd be saying to my captain "get that fucker out of the slips". Chances are rare as rocking horse shit and that clown drops 2 of the easiest ones that you are going to get.
DrRingDing
'anti-human wanker'
Bell can definitely be dropped. We all just know that when he is, he won't ever be coming back.
Rightly so, they are giving him a fair go before ending the career of one of the biggest talents in the side.
46 today. I didn't see or listen to the game but reports were that it was a good knock.....but not enough.
Rightly so, they are giving him a fair go before ending the career of one of the biggest talents in the side.
46 today. I didn't see or listen to the game but reports were that it was a good knock.....but not enough.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Best he's looked all year according to tms. Won't be dropped.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Barring a bit score in this innings I reckon Buttler will be rested for the last Test and Taylor brought in.
The other alternative is moving Moen back down the order and bringing in Hales which is what I think will happen for SA but I I think they'll give Moen one final game to open.
The other alternative is moving Moen back down the order and bringing in Hales which is what I think will happen for SA but I I think they'll give Moen one final game to open.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
This series hasn't really told us much we didn't already know. We have a very decent seam attack, with a few options. The spinners are very ordinary, with no options. And there are two outstanding batsmen. I think this team can compete in SA, and could compete in UAE given the chance to bat first. Failure to win the first test is probably going to bite them.
But it's not over yet! A heroic final day could be in store.
But it's not over yet! A heroic final day could be in store.
Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
This is proper test cricket from Rashid and Wood. 19 overs left...
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
Also we still don't have a second opener, have weak links all down the order, but bat very, very deep. Mark Wood is an impressive no 10 isn't he.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Balls!!!! I was just starting to believe
paulhackett
voiced by strother martin
Strange bowler Zulfiqar - runs in faster than he bowls.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Pah. 
Adil Rashid's nearly made the difference in both matches now. Nearly bowled England to a famous victory in the first test, now nearly batted England to a famous draw in the second.
If only he could take his day 5 form to the rest of the days!
Adil Rashid's nearly made the difference in both matches now. Nearly bowled England to a famous victory in the first test, now nearly batted England to a famous draw in the second.
If only he could take his day 5 form to the rest of the days!
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
Or one from Ali, Stokes, Buttler etc
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
I think the weak links are obvious.
Moeen shouldn't be opening - failed experiment, imo. Get him down at seven and drop Buttler for Hayles.
And drop Bell for Taylor.
I expect the former to happen. I expect the latter not to happen.
The annoying thing for me is that I think the tactic of playing six bowlers - four seamers so that they can rotate with short spells - was a very smart one, and one that not all teams would have thought of or could have done. Given that they've lost the toss both matches, they've competed well, mostly, bar that one awful session. It's a tactic that nearly worked.
Moeen shouldn't be opening - failed experiment, imo. Get him down at seven and drop Buttler for Hayles.
And drop Bell for Taylor.
I expect the former to happen. I expect the latter not to happen.
The annoying thing for me is that I think the tactic of playing six bowlers - four seamers so that they can rotate with short spells - was a very smart one, and one that not all teams would have thought of or could have done. Given that they've lost the toss both matches, they've competed well, mostly, bar that one awful session. It's a tactic that nearly worked.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
What's Buttler picked for now - his keeping?
Idaho
blah blah blah
Ali has other charms. Bell has been failing for too long.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Positives: Think this was a good cricket wicket. By all accounts it's also a great stadium. All that's missing is the crowds. This was always going to be a tough series, and they've competed well even from positions of adversity.
I'm not too disheartened, and we appear, Nasser Hussain-style, to have a useless tosser for a captain at the moment. Call it right, Alastair!
I'm not too disheartened, and we appear, Nasser Hussain-style, to have a useless tosser for a captain at the moment. Call it right, Alastair!
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Certainly it's been a much better performance than last time they were out here.
Almost certainly going to make at least one change to the batting, I think Bell's probably done just enough that he'll be kept so either Buttler or Bairstow out for Taylor or Hales.
DrRingDing
'anti-human wanker'
It'll be Buttler out, Bairstow to take the gloves and Taylor to come in.
Hales hasn't impressed enough and Bell hasn't disgraced himself......yet.
Hales hasn't impressed enough and Bell hasn't disgraced himself......yet.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Compton. I'm on a train in the middle of the night. It screams Compton.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
I'm inclined to agree. With the benefit of hindsight, dropping Compton was almost certainly a big mistake. Even if he were just averaging mid- to high-30s, he'd have been a much better bet than any of his successors, of whom there have now been many.
ETA: Fought hard in India, too. England need someone boring to stick with Cook for a bit at the top. Moeen did it in the first test, to be fair to him. I just think Moeen's far better used when given licence to express himself - ie batting at 6 or ideally 7.
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paulhackett
voiced by strother martin
Just for the hell of it and because it won't happen how about
Cook, Hales, Bell, Root, Taylor, Stokes, Bairstow, Ali, Rashid, Wood, Anderson?
Drop Buttler and Broad (2 wickets at nearer 70 apiece). And bring back Compton for SA?
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Agree. Still very well played. Shows, I think, how important it is to have a clear mind when playing spin. You don't need it so much against pace - it's more of a preconscious reaction. But with spin there's time to look and see and consider, and change your mind, consciously. Way too many of England's batsmen are incapable of doing that. Buttler is the prime example at the moment, but it's been Bell in the past also.
