Well they've gone for Tom Curran. Not sure he's there as a bowler yet but has the Stuart Broad-esque qualities that will be well suited to an ocker-rich environment.
Well they've gone for Tom Curran. Not sure he's there as a bowler yet but has the Stuart Broad-esque qualities that will be well suited to an ocker-rich environment.
At least it's reasonably interesting as a pick. Don't know bollocks about the lad, but I was half-expecting some predictable bloke who'd already been picked and failed before. Like Finn, basically.
TC is not massively quick and doesn't do a massive amount with the ball, but he's intelligent and a hell of a competitor. Red ball stats don't really add up, but they clearly like him.
He's not a limp dick like so many of the people we pick.
Just read an Atherton article built around the fact that James Anderson is 35. Where does the time go ffs.
Oh and Ball's gone down injured in a warm up game, and Paul Collingwood came on as a sub fielder. Absolutely on point Ashes tour so far.
How many more injuries until Bresilad is next cab off the rank?
The County Championship Division 1 bowling averages this year were a curious thing (this is ranked by average given 15+ wickets):
1 Sam Cook
2 Jamie Porter
3 Kyle Abbott
4 Ian Holland
5 Simon Harmer
6 Rikki Clarke
7 Ryan Sidebottom
8 Ben Coad
9 Ryan Sidebottom
10 Craig Overton
In there you've got 4 Kolpaks (including one of the Ryan Sidebottoms), the other Ryan Sidebottom who is retired, Rikki Clarke who is about 60 years old, and then four youngish seamers of whom only one (Overton) is on the Australian trip, main or Lions, at the moment. It's almost like they pick based on some mysterious criteria that only they know about, rather than performances.
So I need stuff to listen to while I'm at the gym (uggghhhhh.) Podcasts feel like the way to go to mix it up with music so I don't tire of the latter. Should I try Cricket Sadist Hour?
You should, although there haven't been any new ones for ages, but the ones there are are quality.
Freelance CC is decent. Got a recent Ashes preview up as well.
Switch Hit is normally good if Dobell/Butcher are on as well.
Might check out that Ashes preview one.
Am I going to lose anything by going from the start? I suppose depending how long it's been going I should know the big names, anyway.Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
A lot of it's about history and random diversions into statistical oddities, cricketers from 100 years ago, etc. You'll come out of the 30 odd episodes (I think) feeling like much more of a cricket nerd. I am a massive cricket nerd as you know and they were still spitting out things that were way over my head. It's done so engagingly that it's probably entertaining no matter what your prior knowledge.
I'd go from the start, sometimes they're talking about issues of the day but it's only 2 years ago max.
Freelance is good as well, Vish is quality and they interview the more entertaining county cricketers, including a quite revealing one with my mate Jade. There was a brilliant one with Mark Nicholas as well which made me see him in a new light.
Another vote for Sadist Hour, great podcast. I havent tried freelance might have to have a look the next time I have a lull in the usual.
That Pomnishambles thing was crap. i went through the first 20 and gave up.
The BBC's cricket output in general is absolutely terrible. I'll make a small exception for Aggers's ball-by-ball commentary (not his articles which could be done by a robot), Alison Mitchell and Dan Norcross, but that's about it.
Its written coverage is balls / non-existent, particularly on an analytical level.
But TMS, the cricket specials on R5L and preview/post-coverage is still without rival.
TMS is sullied for me by the presence of Vaughan, Swann and their tedious banter. Ebony is good actually, come to think of it.
I like Ed Smith a lot. TMS has its faults but I still love it, generally. Switch hit is alright but a bit clinical at times. Butcher is good though. Sadists hour is brilliant, and it's a shame they've not done any for ages. Might be talking out of my arse, but to me it sounded like Andy was getting a bit annoyed with Jarrod at times on more recent ones. More accurate probably is that AZ just can't be arsed to do it.
It would have to be a labour of love with the 8 or so regular listeners.
Vaughan being one of the main contributors is what put me off that recent one.
Bloakesy roaring in by the looks of things.
It would be a significant boon if he could rediscover his bowling of a few summers ago.
Anyone had a crack at the all-time ashes XI thing on the beeb's website?
I'm struggling with a fairly Australia-heavy line-up at the moment, but I suppose that's inevitable to an extent (actually 5/6 split with a few tinkers).
I'm too busy watching a Sky re-run of the 2004 Champions Trophy final at the moment, what a day.
My main finding is that Nasser Hussain must be a few weeks into his commentary career at this point and he already sounds like a natural.
What a day indeed.
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It's mainly impossible to choose between various world class players, so I've gone for the Ashes specialists. There was a time when 70 Slater runs before lunch were as much a part of life as the IRA and pagers.
Jesus, Trescothick nicking off their middle order, what sort of warlock produced this match.
The graphic won't load for me so I went with Boycott, Hobbs, Bradman, Gower, Waugh, Botham, Gilchrist, Warne, Willis, Lillee, McGrath.
I've done a team using players from when I first started watching cricket only (circa 1993) and it's depressingly Australian.
Hayden, Slater, Vaughan, Hussey, Steve Waugh, Flintoff, Gilchrist, Warne, M Johnson, McGrath, Anderson
Surprised Anderson is an option but Broad isn't.
Broad is usually injured for the Ashes.
I was more miffed about lack of Jardine.
He has performed better than Anderson in Ashes series, I haven't checked the stats but I'm sure they will back this up.
Yeah, he's better against Australia than his career averages (by about 1 run each way), and way better than Anderson in an Ashes head-to-head.
The most notable Ashes series win by a mile during both of their careers was 10/11 and Broad missed basically all of that whereas Anderson was brilliant so I suppose it balances out.
Think if we do anything this time Broad will really have to have a mega series though. Maybe three of his crazy spells.
Came pretty close with mine. Still think the languid class of Gower would be better at 4 than AB. You've got Steve Waugh for the grit.
I see we're getting some excellent preparation against the whoop whoop thirds on what is no doubt an absolute pudding. When did the preparatory games become such a farce? I'm sure this is something we initiated.
It was inevitable once proper tours stopped being a thing. Visiting team now seen as THE ENEMY rather than tourists. India, as in all things, the worst for it, putting 5 seamers out in their 'A' team against us so we wouldn't get to face any spin (we won that series, lol).
I was off by one Jimmy Anderson.
I wanted Botham and Keith Miller in mine but they'd only allow one all-rounder.
Not sure what Jimmy's doing there, I guess Frank Tyson and Fred Trueman are on the wrong side of living memory.
Reports circling that Australia going for an absolutely mental team selection, including Tim Paine as wicketkeeper, and a 483rd recall for Shaun Marsh.
Darren Lehmann has scored a first class century more recently than Paine
May as well just do the inevitable and recall Brad Haddin to kill my dreams again.
Chris Hartley was born in the wrong State
He should have done it ever since Gilchrist retired. Then it should have gone to Sam Whiteman (who is now crocked).
As it is they're in an absolute mess in the position.
Chris Hartley was the obvious choice for a long time. Utter incompetence by the selectors.
What a debacle. I'm so annoyed about Paine that I haven't even moved on to being annoyed about Renshaw.
Renshaw will have to play this summer at some point surely?
I reckon cricket selection is one of the most incompetently done things in all of sport. I've come across both extremes, either people over-analysing the tiniest details that just don't matter (We'll have to look at the data) and applying lab theories such as James Taylor being too small; or picking on absolute meaningless shite such as how fat someone is, and phrases like 'He'll help us play the right brand of cricket', 'He knows the setup inside out' and my personal favourite for which I recently had to admonish a professional coach who is a lot more qualified than me, 'It makes a lovely sound off his bat' when we were selecting at club level.
There are only two things that matter in long form cricket: the capacity to face balls, and the capacity to hit run-scoring shots (in that order). For bowlers it's the capacity to prevent batsmen doing those two things, in the same order. Those are the only criteria that should come into it and all these players have played LOADS of first class cricket so there's no excuse to get it wrong. That Jos Buttler has played 18 Tests for us is a genuine disgrace.
Matt Renshaw should be a fucking nailed on certain pick and the fact that he had a dodgy run in his last 4 Tests or whatever shouldn't change that. Ed Cowan should have played about 4 times as many Tests as well.
Oh and in Tests keepers should be the best fucking gloveman if they are good enough to bat at 7 (or 8 if there's a good all-rounder) - but not in T20, where you should stick gloves on the nearest scarecrow if that scarecrow can hit boundaries.
I agree with Jimmy, with the sole exception that I'm willing to put scores runs over faces balls in some situations.
This is not one of those situations.
Brings a tear.
We have a huge problem with collapsing though
Should I have heard of Tim Paine? He's evidently played for Australia during my time watching cricket and yet I've no idea who he is.
Back in the day he was supposed to be our long term keeper. Finger injuries ruined all hope
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