The Cricket Thread

[blademan89]

Ballance making a few runs right under the selectors noses at Surrey for the Pakistan series.

Please god no. Don't replace one dullard with a poor technique for an exact replacement.

We're playing at Scarborough.

 

[Matt_]

Gary Ballance has been written off by some way too early. He's a very fine player and his time in the test team will come again, although he is probably a little down the pecking order right now.

As for being dull, his test match strike rate is a little less than Ian Bell's and around five less than Joe Root's.

 

[Skinner]

Ballance on form is one of the finest players we possess, unfortunately he's been batting like shit for over a year now.

Going to head into enemy territory and take my missus to the Oval on Friday, just for something to do. Then it's the big one the following Friday down in Tonbridge, will be a very, very messy day.

 

[Matt_]

A strange decision to select Dawid Malan for a one off game and then not see what he can do.

 

[hodge]

2 and a half overs to spare Buttler at the top of the order was an interesting move though, maybe a regular #3 when Hales returns?

 

[Aber gas]

2 and a half overs to spare Buttler at the top of the order was an interesting move though, maybe a regular #3 when Hales returns?

Hopefully we can keep mills fit too.

 

[Super_horns]

So many options - soon we will have decent players being disappointed.

Onto Pakistan which might be a bit fiery given events last time they came.

 

[Matt_]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/36735719

Gary Ballance recalled, Toby Roland-Jones selected in place of the unfit James Anderson and Joe Root moved up to bat at three.

A brave decision to recall Ballance, but one I'm not concerned about as his pedigree at test level is well proven. I'm more concerned about the decision to move Root to three given he was well settled and very successful at four.

 

[Super_horns]

Will Jake Ball get a chance or will they go for Roland-Jones on his own ground?

Thought they might go someone difference in Borthwick rather than going back to what they know..

 

[Aber gas]

Fatty Ballance instead of Hildreth ....

 

[hodge]

Yeah have to say the one I'm worried about most is moving Root, don't have an issue with Ballance as such, the selectors were never going to pick Hildreth over him, if Hildreth were ever going to be selected it would have been about 4 years ago. Ballance getting a lot of stick so hopefully can pull out a big score.

 

[Aber gas]

Yeah have to say the one I'm worried about most is moving Root, don't have an issue with Ballance as such, the selectors were never going to pick Hildreth over him, if Hildreth were ever going to be selected it would have been about 4 years ago. Ballance getting a lot of stick so hopefully can pull out a big score.

That's it Hodge, just destroy my dream.

 

[hodge]

 

[hodge]

Just means we get to keep him...

 

[blademan89]

Another player lost

 

[Baz]

Good to see the bias to certain counties continues Roland-Jones is a bit of a shock call up.

 

[JonBCFC]

Can't believe hildreth constantly getting overlooked tbh, been consistently excellent for years now, if he played for Yorkshire or Middlesex he would of been selected years ago.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Fiddling with Root to bring back Ballance, who hasn't pulled ANY trees up since departing the England squad, hasn't even changed his technique whenever I've seen him batting for Yorkshire since and averages 33? Absolute bollocks. That and the fact we are being lauded for having this 'counter attacking' middle-order. Ballance is right out of the Compton school book of boring any supporters to bloody sleep!

Desperately old fashioned selection from the ECB.

 

[JonBCFC]

Fiddling with Root to bring back Ballance, who hasn't pulled ANY trees up since departing the England squad, hasn't even changed his technique whenever I've seen him batting for Yorkshire since and averages 33? Absolute bollocks. That and the fact we are being lauded for having this 'counter attacking' middle-order. Ballance is right out of the Compton school book of boring any supporters to bloody sleep!

Desperately old fashioned selection from the ECB.

Compton is shit. And his scoring rate is painful. He wasn't that great for Somerset, moves to Middlesex and gets selected straight away.

 

[Matt_]

Any comparisons between Gary Ballance and Nick Compton are, quite frankly, ridiculous.

Ballance's test match record is far superior in every aspect including, as I pointed out earlier in the thread, his test match strike rate. But let's not let daft things like facts get in the way.

 

[Aber gas]

Any comparisons between Gary Ballance and Nick Compton are, quite frankly, ridiculous.

Ballance's test match record is far superior in every aspect including, as I pointed out earlier in the thread, his test match strike rate. But let's not let daft things like facts get in the way.

But what about Hildreth, Matt ?

 

[Saddlerrad]

Any comparisons between Gary Ballance and Nick Compton are, quite frankly, ridiculous.

Ballance's test match record is far superior in every aspect including, as I pointed out earlier in the thread, his test match strike rate. But let's not let daft things like facts get in the way.

Compton or no Compton, it doesn't change the fact we are changing the batting order and moving our most influential/best player over a prolonged period of time to cater for someone who was dropped after a 'bright' start to his international career, when he blatantly had his technique found out and torn apart. He has since gone away and shown no signs of improvement on a consistent basis, improved his average (it's probably got much worse than prior to his first call up) or done anything to justify a re-call other than good faith of some prior good form when he found his way onto the international stage originally.

Leave Ballance out and play Root at 4, find a makeshift 3 or just pick the form players in the county circuit.

There is really no excuse for England at the minute (I'm not slating them overall either as I think the country in all formats for the last 12 months has been very impressive) They have drastically improved in white ball cricket since they started backing younger talents who are performing on the county scene. Why not do the same with test cricket? Of course it's much harder and it's the pinnacle of the sport, but in that case, why go back to players like Ballance who are currently struggling at that level. If it works, fine. But the second Stokes is fit, I would have him back in over Ballance.

Going off on one slightly, but Cricket is now judged like virtually every other sport on it's entertainment value. To keep bums on seats it needs to be exciting. We already see how poorly supported test cricket is in most parts of the world. The likes of Ballance and Compton are almost being pushed out. Call me bias, but Cook is enough 'boring' for one team.

 

[lordofthepies]

just watch t20, mate.

 

[lordofthepies]

Compton or no Compton, it doesn't change the fact we are changing the batting order and moving our most influential/best player over a prolonged period of time to cater for someone who was dropped after a 'bright' start to his international career, when he blatantly had his technique found out and torn apart. He has since gone away and shown no signs of improvement on a consistent basis, improved his average (it's probably got much worse than prior to his first call up) or done anything to justify a re-call other than good faith of some prior good form when he found his way onto the international stage originally.

Leave Ballance out and play Root at 4, find a makeshift 3 or just pick the form players in the county circuit.

They're not moving Root to 3 to cater for Ballance. They're moving Root to 3 because Trevor Bayliss thinks that Root should bat at 3.

 

[Saddlerrad]

just watch t20, mate.

That's not the point I'm getting at, I love test cricket more than even the most avid cricket fan. Can watch ball 1, to the final ball of the day without turning over, even during the most attritional of tours/tests. I just want my side to be entertaining, that doesn't mean hitting a 6 an over, it means being athletic, running between the wickets, playing creative shots, taking the odd risk.

The days of scoring 100 from 210 balls are over.

They're not moving Root to 3 to cater for Ballance. They're moving Root to 3 because Trevor Bayliss thinks that Root should bat at 3.

Fair enough, in that, they will be giving it a go.

Regardless of that, my point is that, Ballance doesn't deserve his call up, he's not as good as the runs he has scored IMO in test cricket, his technique has been found out and I fancy Amir to have him on toast this summer. Knowing my jinxed luck, he will be smashing hundreds all over the place! I think having him in the side over players in better form around the circuit, now more so than ever, is a mistake.

 

[lordofthepies]

That's not the point I'm getting at, I love test cricket more than even the most avid cricket fan. Can watch ball 1, to the final ball of the day without turning over, even during the most attritional of tours/tests. I just want my side to be entertaining, that doesn't mean hitting a 6 an over, it means being athletic, running between the wickets, playing creative shots, taking the odd risk.

The days of scoring 100 from 210 balls are over.

I think England have got the balance pretty much spot on. We've got loads of lovely, exciting, attacking batsmen but you need a couple of players whose job it is to be patient and grind out runs in a test match. It's insane to think otherwise. If there's one in the top order and one in the middle order, that sounds about right. You can still play largely attacking cricket if you do that, and that's exactly what England do.

Test matches can last up to 5 days, you know.

 

[Aber gas]

I think England have got the balance pretty much spot on. We've got loads of lovely, exciting, attacking batsmen but you need a couple of players whose job it is to be patient and grind out runs in a test match. It's insane to think otherwise. If there's one in the top order and one in the middle order, that sounds about right. You can still play largely attacking cricket if you do that, and that's exactly what England do.

Test matches can last up to 5 days, you know.

Getting away from the team philosophy for a moment. Do you think Ballance has done enough since his dropping to warrant a recall? There are several county players that have scored more heavily and more consistently than him. It seems quite a bizarre decision imo.

 

[Baz]

Anywho another T20 win for Glammy, our one day form has been great so far, so long may that continue.

 

[lordofthepies]

Getting away from the team philosophy for a moment. Do you think Ballance has done enough since his dropping to warrant a recall? There are several county players that have scored more heavily and more consistently than him. It seems quite a bizarre decision imo.

No, I wouldn't have picked him at the moment.

 

[Matt_]

But what about Hildreth, Matt ?

Can't pick him, he's from Milton Keynes.

James Hildreth has always looked a fine player to me and has to be one of the more unlucky batters around never to have got a go, but you have to think his chance may now have come and gone.

Like other Somerset batters, playing regularly on that road at Taunton isn't likely to do them many favours, and means they possibly have to do a bit more to get noticed over someone, for example, who scores their runs at Headingley or Chester-le-Street. Harsh on them, and clearly not their fault, but I do believe that is a factor when they are considered.

Reading James Whitaker's comments about Ballance's selection today does make sense in terms of having a bit more experience in the middle order. Their other options were to move Vince to three in his fourth test or bring in Borthwick at three for his debut, both of which would have left the middle order looking a bit inexperienced. I think this has resulted in the decision to move Root to three. Ballance has never been a number three, he is a number five, but was asked to do a job at three for England and generally did it very well, but longer term I think his future in the side is at five or maybe four.

Another option, if they wanted experience, was to go back to Ian Bell, but they would have likely to have been criticised every bit as much for that as for selecting Ballance.

They clearly, and rightly in my opinion, rejected the option of playing either Buttler or Stokes purely as a batter in the top five. I don't think either are close to good enough to be selected purely as a batter in the top five at the moment.