The England Cricket thread

[montylynch]

Also shows how much we miss Freddie, Tresco and Jones and that the england back-up of today is nothing better than average english county dobbers. We have no quality spinner in reserve if Monty gets injured, our pace attack lacks the knowledge of bowling the last 10 overs and the whole teams lacks the knowledge and know how of playing OD cricket. They are also diabolical at chasing. The indians are gonna have great fun up against us in the OD's this summer. Put your money on a Inidan white-wash.

Our top order are excellent test players but can't transform this into OD form, again, the same applies with our bowlers.

Get goughie in to teach them how to bowl at the death, pitch it right up, no width, they miss, you hit, put the fielders back on the fence at mid-on, mid off and third man. It's not rocket science.

 

[TrueYid]

Opener Marcus Trescothick returned to England's squad for the first time since November after being included in a 30-man Twenty20 World Cup selection.

The Somerset star came home early from Australia with a stress-related illness but is now back in form for his county. Chris Schofield - in minor counties cricket last year - and Darren Maddy return after a seven-year absence.

Uncapped Essex opener Mark Pettini and Sussex all-rounder Luke Wright are also in, but Andrew Strauss misses out.

The final 15 for the tournament in South Africa, which starts on 11 September, will be named from the squad of 30 by 11 August.

And it is by no means certain that Trescothick will make the cut after a difficult 18 months.

The 31-year-old left-hander flew home early from India in February 2006, and had a patchy season with the bat last season before being rested for the Champions Trophy.

Trescothick also missed the World Cup but has rediscovered his best form for his county this season while England's top-order batting misfired in the Caribbean and in the home one-day series against West Indies.

"As it stands nothing has been set in concrete, it's just an opportunity for us to take our time," he told BBC Sport.

"I'm just enjoying my cricket here and we'll continue to see how it goes over the next couple of months.

"I can only judge between now and 11 August whether I'm fit to tour again and at this moment it's given us an opportunity to say if I feel things have progessed we can maybe think about it."

Chairman of selectors David Graveney, who has been in regular contact with him during his troubles, said: "We are pleased that Marcus has made a successful return to county cricket this summer and he remains a world-class opening batsman.

"But we will not be placing undue pressure on him to make a return to international cricket without first carefully considering all the issues involved.

"Ultimately, we will be guided by Marcus and the ECB medical staff as to his availability and I would anticipate that further discussions will take place with him before the squad is narrowed down."

Schofield has been rewarded after becoming the leading wicket-taker in the Twenty20 Cup this season with 17 victims in eight matches.

He played two Tests in 2000 against Zimbabwe but was released by Lancashire in 2004 and began 2006 with minor county Suffolk.

A successful trial with Surrey at the back end of last season led to a one-year contract.

"I am very surprised. I had a very good start to the season with the one-day stuff but to get a call-up so early in trying to get back into cricket has been fantastic," the 31-year-old told the BBC.

"Having two years out of the game playing minor counties with Cheshire and Suffolk has made me find my bowling again which I needed to do to play first-class cricket.

"My main objective this year was to play as well as I could with Surrey, try to get an extension on my contract, and maybe two or three years down the line, if I'm playing regular first-team cricket, England may be there but for it to come so early is fantastic."

Maddy is the most prolific batsman in the brief history of the shortened format and has continued the form he showed with Leicestershire after moving to Warwickshire.

Experienced seamers James Kirtley and Glen Chapple and spinner Jeremy Snape, who like Maddy are all in their thirties, are three others to be brought back in from the cold. Jamie Dalrymple, Ed Joyce and the injured Saj Mahmood are three others who went to the Caribbean who are missing from the provisional line-up but veteran opener Mal Loye and 36-year-old wicket-keeper Paul Nixon make the squad after missing the series against West Indies



England provisional 30-man squad for Twenty20 World Cup: Anderson (Lancs), Bell (Warwicks), Bopara (Essex), Bresnan (Yorks), Broad (Leics) Chapple (Lancs) Collingwood (Durham, capt), Cook (Essex), Flintoff (Lancs), Kirtley (Sussex), Lewis (Glos), Loye (Lancs), Maddy (Warwicks), Mascarenhas (Hants), Nixon (Leics), Panesar (Northants), Pettini (Essex), Pietersen (Hants), Plunkett (Durham), Prior (Sussex), Schofield (Surrey), Shah (Middx), Sidebottom (Notts), Snape (Leics), Solanki (Worcs), Tremlett (Hants), Trescothick (Somerset), Trott (Warwicks), Wright (Sussex), Yardy (Sussex)

 

[montylynch]

Good first day from England today, shame Strauss couldn't get his ton, i hear his out shot was a shocker. I was expecting the Indian bowlers to have a real good go and rip through our batting today but it looks like they couldn't cope with the Lords slope. It's a shame the weather could have a big say in this test. It's meant to chuck it down in London tomorrow and saturday.

 

[Tickers]

Looking ahead to the India series, and the sides' respective batting and bowling strengths, three high-scoring draws wouldn't be the biggest surprise if the pitches are half-decent.

I followed this with action at 8/1. Still looks a very tidy shout to me.

 

[montylynch]

Defo, especially with the weather likely to play a big part.

Not a betting man on cricket TBH, especially backing England. Although i did put some VCash on the Windies to beat England in the last ODI. Easy VCash !!!

Played a Kwik Cricket tournament on Tuesday, that was fun, i think they should hold a Kwik cricket world cup, that'd be funny to see the top stars striding out with plastic bats and wind balls !!

 

[Tickers]

Not a betting man on cricket TBH, especially backing England. Although i did put some VCash on the Windies to beat England in the last ODI. Easy VCash !!!

So did I. Should have been 5/6 each of two.

I bet on cricket quite often, purely because the bookies actually get it wrong an awful lot.

In contrast to this series where it looks justified, the bookies' obsession with the draw in the Windies series was baffling but gratefully received.

 

[Tickers]

Well, that was unexpected. England are in real trouble here after that collapse.

Anderson and Sidebottom responded well, but much more needed.

Oh, and Dhoni you cheating fuck - you made the Shitlist. Scandalous. That's not cricket, old boy.

 

[TrueYid]

Well KP is on fire now, smashing the Indians all over the park when you think he has 70 out of a partnership of 91

 

[Ryanski100]

Does anyone know if it will be £10 to go and watch the game tomorrow?

 

[TrueYid]

I am sure someone knows, but not me

 

[Tickers]

Knowing Lord's, I'd guess it's £20 with no refunds if it pisses it down.

 

[nidge]

A little off topic but, ottis gibson of durham has taken all 10 wickets in the second innings against hampshire the first since time that has happened in first class cricket in England since 94 and only the 79th in the history of the county championship.

 

[montylynch]

Knowing Lord's, I'd guess it's £20 with no refunds if it pisses it down.

Yeah it's £20 a ticket, but free for under 16's. if you can find a scamp to take in with you, go halvsies on the ticket fee.

Mind you, it's probably going to piss down from 2 onwards so we may not get much cricket in.

 

[TrueYid]

Monty is coming on now, time to finish this off, or may lose out to the rain

 

[Tickers]

It better not rain, cos this is corking.

After the Ashes and the West Indies farce, I'd almost forgotten what proper Test cricket was like.

This has been an absolutely superb match on a great pitch. Bowl well, you'll get wickets. Bat well, you'll get runs.

Dhoni may be fucking shit, but he could try a cheeky Pietersen-style post-lunch dart here. Could decide the match, one way or the other.

 

[Tickers]

Ah bollocks. Think this one's knackered now.

Stupid country, with its stupid weather. Still don't know what was wrong with that lbw shout from Monty either. It was rocking middle, and I can only assume Bucknor couldn't see that far in the gathering gloom.

 

[TrueYid]

Same lineup for Fridays test - I doubt there will be as much help for Jimmy and Sidebottom as the was at Lords so our batting is going to have to improve if we want to win...

On a side note, Trescothick has ruled himself out of the winter tours

 

[montylynch]

I'm not sure, if it stays overcast with a bit of warmth they can definately swing it. I agree our batting needs to improve though, apart from good knocks from Vaughan, Cook and Pietersen our batting was very average. Our tail end stunk and although the Indian bowlers were quite average in the 1st test, i can see them playing a big part in the next tests.

 

[TrueYid]

England are lacking big opening partnerships, I can not remember the last time we put on 100 for the first wicket, I wonder if England would consider putting either Cook and Straus at number 3 and letting MV open...

 

[Tickers]

Same lineup for Fridays test - I doubt there will be as much help for Jimmy and Sidebottom as the was at Lords

Can't agree with that. Swings all over the shop at Trent Bridge.

Before the series started this was the one ground where I could see a positive result because it suits our bowlers perfectly, although then it would have been Sidearse and Hoggy rather than Anderson.

But in swinging conditions, Anderson's a better bowler than Hoggard anyway. Swings it later and at greater pace.

Anderson's problem comes when it stops swinging - he's then completely ineffective while Hoggard has learnt a few tricks and is still dangerous.

If England want to win the series, they need to win this Test.