Cricket Cricket - 2011 season and other banter

An immensely satisfying summer of cricket for me - when I think back to the 90s, when the phrase "England Batting Collapse" seemed to be all one word, and the mystifying knack of the England selectors to automatically gift the captaincy to the "show pony" (think of the disasters under Botham, Flintoff and Pietersen), they finally seem to have got it right. The batting strength throughout the order, the devastating discipline of the bowling attack, and the determination of the team that means somebody always seems to step up when the rest wobble, have left me quite breathless in admiration. I spent a year in Oz in the mid-90s, and bitterly envied the Aussies swagger and assurance whenever they took to the field - they just didn't seem to entertain the idea of losing - I see something very similar in today's English team (albeit with a lot more humility!).

I never thought I would get to see an English Test Side quite this ruthless and efficient. I can't wait for the next encounter with the Proteas...
 
So still waiting for any semblance of international cricket, with the aussie tour a month or so away we are still rather in the dark about potential squad selections;

Tahir is a likely shoe in, while Rudolph is slated for a return to the national side, I wonder what the squad will look like, maybe something of this nature;

Smith
Rudolph
Amla
Kallis
De Villiers
Duminy (part time offy)
Elgar/Rossouw/Ingram
Boucher
Steyn
Morkel
Tahir.

This line up extends the batting by adding Duminy and one of the up and coming stars, the part time of Duminy can also prove useful, right now in a choice between Duminy or Prince I will go with Duminy on the basis that he has more strokes and unfulfilled potential, Prince has been a good performer notably 2006-2008, but his horse has bolted.
 
Hashim Amla....what a player, De Villiers is great aswell, but for some reason I have more respect for Amla.

South Africa had a solid team one or two years ago, now their middle order and keeper is becoming a problem, and with Nitni retiring, they need another bowler in quick.

Wayne Parnell looked like the real deal in the 2009 T20 World Cup, he's not been in the squad that much after
 
Steyn and Morkel are the best new ball partnership out at the moment, the big problem was no match winning spinner, now with Tahir that option has opened itself up. All the names mentioned above are fantastic, Elgar, Rossaux and Ingram are gifted players and they need to start playing.

If AB takes the gloves we essentially open 2 slots, other than that only Heino Kuhn can legitimately come in, he is more technical than the stereotypical wicket keeper batsmen.

If anything is to go by, Parnell has been working hard to get back to his former level, that said he is like 20 or 21 so he is really only a boy.
 
I have to say, even though India may have been poor in batting....they have had countless of bad decisions given against them.

And 3 of them being in one innings...
 
And England haven't had their share of poor decisions over the years? Let's face it - India's decision to ditch the DRS for this series has really hurt them. They made their bed, and are lying in it. I have no sympathy...
 
Interesting choice for the England Captain for the one day game against Ireland - an Irishman!
 
FB said:
Interesting choice for the England Captain for the one day game against Ireland - an Irishman!
Click to expand
I've never really got why an Eoin Morgan can play for England when he has already played for Ireland at test level, can somebody explain???
 
I think it's something to do with the length of time between when he played last for Ireland and when he changed his registration to be an English player. Graeme Hick had to wait 7 years before he could play for England having previously played for Zimbabwe.
 
Road of Bones said:
And England haven't had their share of poor decisions over the years? Let's face it - India's decision to ditch the DRS for this series has really hurt them. They made their bed, and are lying in it. I have no sympathy...
Click to expand

India's reluctance to use technology and DRS has come back to haunt them.
 
Road of Bones said:
And England haven't had their share of poor decisions over the years? Let's face it - India's decision to ditch the DRS for this series has really hurt them. They made their bed, and are lying in it. I have no sympathy...
Click to expand

Have England ever had it as bad as that? 3 bad decisions in one innings alone?

England always base their loses on "bad luck"....not many times they will see they were outclassed.

I admit India weren't that great here, but there have been so many shocking decisions against them in this series...

And one guy who Sky shouldn't have employed...is Nasser Hussein...complete twat.
 
There were a couple of definite lbws in one of the games that weren't given to England, and in fact a couple of others through the series. Whilst I'll happily admit that India have had some bad decisions, it hasn't been one way!
 
Jru said:
Whilst I'll happily admit that India have had some bad decisions, it hasn't been one way!
Click to expand

True that....

But there have been many very poor decisions towards India in this series, and not just the average ones you would get, a fair few shockers too.
 
So have England though, there were a few shocking lbw calls on Indias batsmen when they were plum and not out was given
 
MCLS said:
So have England though, there were a few shocking lbw calls on Indias batsmen when they were plum and not out was given
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Indeed - but on balance I still feel India were hurt more by their insistence on not using the DRS (which may back up Sly's point to some extent). As I said though, the technology was there, and India chose to play the luddites - my sympathy was entirely absent. They should have batted & bowled better, frankly...
 

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