All Out Cricket's Discussion Of The Week - What do England need to change ahead of Headingley?

Welcome KP fan. I would argue that England don't pick their bowlers on batting merit - all three got in at The Oval as the best bowlers. Of course we want somebody who can bat at number eight, but the fact that Bresnan was selected had nothing to do with that - Broad and Swann bat well enough to fill that criteria.

KP_fan wrote:It would be naive to dismiss this hammering as a one off......it's more like a 6 off 9, including the defeats and draw against WI.

I had written ( elsewhere such as on cricinfo) a number of times.....it was coming.....because England picks their bowlers for their batting skills......and not necessarily the best bowlers available.

Against weak, uninterested teams and on seaming pitches the shortcomings of these good-at-batting-bowlers were curtained.

It was bound to catch up with Eng when confronted with a competitve team on a (A)normal pitch ( such as SA at Oval a pitch not offering excessive seam n bounce but not dead like subcontinent pitches)....or (B)against normal teams on flat/ spinning pitches( such as subcontinental teams in subcontinent)

if batting skills of bowlers wasn't the criteria.......Finn whom I have seen hit 95mph should alwas play....and hit the pitch to get something extra out of it type Tremlett should also play if fit.
If Tremlett ain't fit they should find another who could hit the deck hard and generate pace on the type bowler if availbale in England.

And statements like "one Finn won't make much difference".......do not hold water.
If you have extra pace and hit the deck hard type one or two bolwers....they create much more chances...... that the 124 kph Bresnan, Broad, Boapra we cannot....

More chances means a wicket or two quicker...means pressure...close in fielders......means more chance created s...means a collapse of 7 to 8 wickets within 100 runs like England did in first inning.

Cricket is not a linearly extrapoltable game where adding 1 Finn would reduce the margin by 10% and another Tremlett by 20%....

adding two strikers.....could mean SA may have been dismissed for 450 odd in first inning...and it would be a diffrent ball game.

England's gotta pick bowlers for their bowling abilities...else they will fast seek equilibrium in the mid of the table.

KP_fan wrote:It would be naive to dismiss this hammering as a one off......it's more like a 6 off 9, including the defeats and draw against WI.

I had written ( elsewhere such as on cricinfo) a number of times.....it was coming.....because England picks their bowlers for their batting skills......and not necessarily the best bowlers available.

Against weak, uninterested teams and on seaming pitches the shortcomings of these good-at-batting-bowlers were curtained.

It was bound to catch up with Eng when confronted with a competitve team on a (A)normal pitch ( such as SA at Oval a pitch not offering excessive seam n bounce but not dead like subcontinent pitches)....or (B)against normal teams on flat/ spinning pitches( such as subcontinental teams in subcontinent)

if batting skills of bowlers wasn't the criteria.......Finn whom I have seen hit 95mph should alwas play....and hit the pitch to get something extra out of it type Tremlett should also play if fit.
If Tremlett ain't fit they should find another who could hit the deck hard and generate pace on the type bowler if availbale in England.

And statements like "one Finn won't make much difference".......do not hold water.
If you have extra pace and hit the deck hard type one or two bolwers....they create much more chances...... that the 124 kph Bresnan, Broad, Boapra we cannot....

More chances means a wicket or two quicker...means pressure...close in fielders......means more chance created s...means a collapse of 7 to 8 wickets within 100 runs like England did in first inning.

Cricket is not a linearly extrapoltable game where adding 1 Finn would reduce the margin by 10% and another Tremlett by 20%....

adding two strikers.....could mean SA may have been dismissed for 450 odd in first inning...and it would be a diffrent ball game.

England's gotta pick bowlers for their bowling abilities...else they will fast seek equilibrium in the mid of the table.