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4th ASHES TEST: England v Australia at Leeds, Aug 7-11, 2009

Tommy Smith

Tommy Smith

Referee
Messages
21,344
Geez we are woeful without KP and Freddy.

This batting line-up would have to rank as the worst in Ashes history. Cook, Bopara, Bell, Collingwood and then five bowlers. The meat of our line-up has been absolutely ripped out.

But thats still no excuse for Bopara, Bell and Collingwood who i read on cricinfo have become the first England middle order in 121 years to all score single figures in both innings.

I just hope the selectors have the nerve to drop both Bopara and Bell and give a couple of youngsters a go. Because they are both clearly not up to it and just as clear as day they will both get nothing again at the oval.

I mean Ian Bell FFS. He's fast becoming the most despised sportsman in England...spineless worm.
 
Ridders

Ridders

Coach
Messages
10,831
Everytime i see Bopara walk out to bat at No.3, my day gets a little brighter. He really is a gift from the cricketing gods. What exactly is it about Bopara that make England selectors feel he is a first drop in International Test Cricket? Collingwood has been decent imo, not his fault he is surrounded by gumbies.

Amazing that in all likelyhood we will be at 1-1 with one test to play even with our selectors making some mind-boggling decisions throughout this tour.
 
beads6

beads6

First Grade
Messages
6,162
I Want to see Hilfy take 5 wickets this innings he has been the Aussies best bowler in the Ashes and I think the Hilf will take a heap of confidence from a 5 wicket haul.
 
Broncodr01d

Broncodr01d

Juniors
Messages
1,546
Tommy Smith said:
Geez we are woeful without KP and Freddy.

This batting line-up would have to rank as the worst in Ashes history. Cook, Bopara, Bell, Collingwood and then five bowlers. The meat of our line-up has been absolutely ripped out.

But thats still no excuse for Bopara, Bell and Collingwood who i read on cricinfo have become the first England middle order in 121 years to all score single figures in both innings.

I just hope the selectors have the nerve to drop both Bopara and Bell and give a couple of youngsters a go. Because they are both clearly not up to it and just as clear as day they will both get nothing again at the oval.

I mean Ian Bell FFS. He's fast becoming the most despised sportsman in England...spineless worm.
Click to expand...

Move Bopara down the order, coming in at five? I don't think England give up on him just yet. Three centuries in his what, first three tests albeit against the Windies shows some talent. He is young too (23 from memory), I think putting him through the whole series is only going to be do him good as opposed to dropping him completely (don't let your selectors make the same mistake we did with Hughes).

Outside of Collingwood who shows heart and your Keeper Prior, yeah, this fourth test line-up is one of the worst from England in Ashes history.
 
Tommy Smith

Tommy Smith

Referee
Messages
21,344
Broncodr01d said:
Move Bopara down the order, coming in at five? I don't think England give up on him just yet. Three centuries in his what, first three tests albeit against the Windies shows some talent. He is young too (23 from memory), I think putting him through the whole series is only going to be do him good as opposed to dropping him completely (don't let your selectors make the same mistake we did with Hughes).

Outside of Collingwood who shows heart and your Keeper Prior, yeah, this fourth test line-up is one of the worst from England in Ashes history.
Click to expand...
Im not sure about that. Playing Bell throughout the 2005 Ashes series seems to have pretty much killed his career. Although you could argue he was never that good anyway, but the way McGrath and Warne tangled him up seems to have forever butchered his confidence.
 
Broncodr01d

Broncodr01d

Juniors
Messages
1,546
Tommy Smith said:
Im not sure about that. Playing Bell throughout the 2005 Ashes series seems to have pretty much killed his career. Although you could argue he was never that good anyway, but the way McGrath and Warne tangled him up seems to have forever butchered his confidence.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the thing - I don't think we have bowlers that 'will get in his head' ala Warner or McGrath did to many world batsmen let alone England.

What are the other options for England? I don't profess to knowing much about the depth of England, though minus KP and Flintoff, their batting is only as strong as Strauss. If he goes early, you have a chance of bowling England out for under 150.

Prior again impresses me though, as do the fighting qualities of Collingwood.
 
Big_Bad_Shark_Fan

Big_Bad_Shark_Fan

First Grade
Messages
8,279
Theres no way england should keep Bopara in just cause its good for his career. Forget that if hes good enough to be a great batsman for England it will happen in the future, regardless of whether he walks out for England in the next test.

England have to do wahts best to try and win the next test and to me thats not playin Ravi Bopara. Look at Australia playing Watson over Hughes, while thats debated, and definetly not the reason weve played decent in the last two tests, its worked and I hardly think Hughes career will be that worse off now.

I dont know about the English county system or whose there, but playing someone like Ramprakash, all be it about 53 now, would provide more stability than any other England batsman from 3-6.

Getting Flintoff back will also make a huge difference. Even if just mentally, knowing his there makes a huge difference. For me the England team should be :

1) strauss
2) Cook
3) ......... mr county batsman..... or perhaps Bell at 3
4) ........ mr county batsman....
5) Collingwood
6) Flintoff
7) Prior
8) Broad
9) Swann
10)Anderson
11)Harmison
 
Broncodr01d

Broncodr01d

Juniors
Messages
1,546
A fit KP is the ideal 3 albeit his temperament has to be questioned.

Bopara is stinking it up big time, I don't disagree, I just don't know of or have heard of any obvious replacement heading in to the final test. I think exposing him early to the new ball is a mistake, I believe he MAY do England justice lower down the order as he comes to terms with the rigours of Test cricket.

Damn I love this game :lol:
 
beads6

beads6

First Grade
Messages
6,162
Bopara's technique is way too lse for number 3 any mug can score tons against the Windies. Bell has never performed against Australia selecting him was a mistake to start with. Let us Aussies watch the Poms suffer in there jocks..
 
Broncodr01d

Broncodr01d

Juniors
Messages
1,546
Ok, after speaking to my Uncle just now living in Manchester and hating English Test cricket at the moment, the name he threw at me:

Jonathan Trott - 877 runs @ 97.44 - H.S. 184* (09 County Season so far)

Others I looked at; James Hildreth - 841 runs@ 60.07 - H.S. 303*; Michael Carberry - 936 runs @ 58.50 - H.S. 204

I mean there are obviously talented players there to pick from, you don't hear too much about them. With KP and Flintoff out, now is the time to find that diamond in the rough from where I sit.
 
beads6

beads6

First Grade
Messages
6,162
Owais Shah has been in and around the side also. Honestly who gives a crap about the English side as long as the Aussies piss all over them.
 
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