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First, I wouldn't ask if they're quick enough to do well in Australia. Waqar Younis was ruddy quick and averaged 40 down there. Allan Donald was rapid yet Fanie De Villiers had a lower average in Australia than AD. Some quicks do well, some don't. It's like spinners: some do and some of the greats have struggled.
Second, was Glenn McGrath quick enough to be successful in the Ashes? Pace is nothing if you don't utilise it properly. It's why Hazlewood and Cummins are top notch and Mitchell Starc isn't to me.
Overton is more consistent with his pace than he used to be. He also does a lot more with the ball now than he did. As I moaned earlier, player development is something we haven't done well for ages. Look at his Test career: a couple in Oz, a random Test here, one in NZ... it's bullshit. Robinson is pretty similar, does a bit with the ball. His pace isn't outright quick but he does get bounce and he is more accurate than Overton. They're the two leading lights on the county scene and there's not much else. Jamie Porter seems out of the reckoning, Sam Cook is a bit too English swing and seam, and Jamie Overton ain't done shit this year and is an idiot for moving to Surrey.
Bamber's an interesting one because he's a very non-county cricketer type in that he's got more going on upstairs than most, a bit like Zafar Ansari. Not outright quick, sharp pace. He and Saqib Mahmood would be a good combo for the future. Dillon Pennington at Worcestershire is probably the quickest young one out there but having to bowl on that New Road deck must be heartbreaking for him at this time of year.
Personally, I say fuck all the talk about pace. Pick Darren Stevens. Some absolutely mighty clobber today.
Generally operates around 135kph so not dissimilar to Craig Overton. Played all his Tests in NZ so it'll be interesting to see how he handles his first overseas tour.
It makes sense for Bracey to take the gloves. Long term Pope's a middle order batsman and needs to get his head down. If you start giving him the gloves for a Test or two until Foakes or Buttler come back, then you disrupt that. Far better to let Bracey do it on the basis that it's easier for him to come in and out of the side in a manner of speaking.
All the talk appears to be of a four man attack. Brave against a side that bats deep and well. Sibley's selection means he will be in, which throws up the question as to why they bothered dropping Burns in the winter if ultimately nothing changes comes NZ time. Broad is VC with Stokes out so presumably he is playing. If we do go with the four man attack and it looks like this then it's a long batting line up with a low overall average between them.
Burns
Sibley
Crawley
Root
Pope
Lawrence
Bracey
Broad
Anderson
Wood/Stone
Robinson/Overton
Shame Boult won't be playing, but Southree, Henry, Jamieson, and Wagner is a good mix. With the weather looking hot for the first two days and with a left-arm over bowler in Wagner playing who hits the crease hard and gets some rough going, I would pick Leach and go with the five man attack. NZ have a lot of righties in that batting line up.
Got my tickets v India at Leeds in August for later in the year so lets start the summer with a good performance and result
The first of the summer still brings the anticipation I used to have when I was a boy.
1 Rory Burns, 2 Dom Sibley, 3 Zak Crawley, 4 Joe Root (captain), 5 Ollie Pope, 6 Dan Lawrence, 7 James Bracey (wk), 8 Ollie Robinson, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James Anderson
No spinner. From my 6th floor vista in south London, the sky is blue with a few clouds but certainly not heavy overhead Lords superswing conditions. And NZ are batting first. Lordy lordy....
New Zealand: 1 Tom Latham, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson (captain), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Neil Wagner
Of the top 7 NZ batsmen, Colin De Grandhomme has the lowest average at 37 (Conway on debut has no average as yet). Latham, Williamson, Ross Taylor and Nicholls all average 40+. Within English ranks, only Joe Root averages above 40. NZ have a very good side out now and they have reserves. Will Young could have opened and has done very well for Durham this year in hard conditions (if you can score runs at Durham early season, then you can play on seaming decks). Tom Blundell averages 38 and could have easily played in this game. NZ really maximise their talent pool and get everything out of it.
Hmmm
Perhaps Root now considers himself a front line bowler after his Indian wickets?
I know Jimmy is super fit - But in this heat it is a lot to ask JA and SB to be bowling something around 20 overs each today
Root bowling in England is a different prospect to Root bowling in India
It's about 24 degrees! They should be fine!
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Ain't that just the loveliest bat all day sky?
https://i.imgur.com/tYFKUH1.png
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Wood is a funny one because he's the reverse Woakes in that his away record is really good and his home record really isn't.
H: 11 Tests, 24 wickets at 45.83, SR of 78.5
A: 6 Tests, 23 wickets at 22.78, SR of 46.1
N: 2 Tests, 6 wickets at 28.33, SR of 62.8.
https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/351588.html?class=1;home_or_away=1;template=results;type=bowling
If you go by his last five Tests at home:
Five Tests, 5 wickets at 82 at a SR of 147.
By means of comparison as to how shit this really is, I present Ian Salisbury's home Test figures:
8 Tests, 9 wickets at 93.33, SR of 150.8.
Now I'm not saying Mark Wood is on the Salisbury level of awfulness but when we have so many stats to go by what the rationale for his selection was. Is it a case of him having a poor home average because he's not been used in the right way yet we have found the way to use him overseas? It rather touches on this development aspect and whether roles for bowlers was ever really established under Bayliss.
NB: and we keep the spinner dilemma going as Leach has a better home average than away average and yet hasn't played a home Test since September 2019. If we're going for a horses for courses approach, then I'm not understanding how they're grading all the horses.
I think there's a good argument that having someone with that sort of pace benefits the other bowlers, even if Wood himself isn't taking wickets.
We're strong.....in fact my only captaincy decision will be "Which end do you want, Chris Peploe?".....but all of my side has FC or MCCA experience.
If anyone fancies it, inbox me and I'll try and sort a ticket or two out.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Tests Wood has played where Jimmy Anderson has been absent versus Tests where JA has played alongside Wood:
5 Tests, 17 wickets at 22, SR of 46.6
14 Tests, 36 wickets at 39.44, SR of 70.2
Interestingly, Broad has been in the side for 17 of Wood's 19 Tests. Wood's record when playing with Broad is practically identical to his overall career record.
So could you make the case that having Anderson in the side means Root doesn't utilise Wood as well as he does when JA is missing?
See, I have no idea why both of the old boys are playing in this Test. It's a meaningless series, it's a warmup to the winter, we learn nothing and gain nothing from having both of them play. We need to find another attack leader outside of these two and we won't find one if the old boys keep opening the attack.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
LOL= no interest
WOW= waiting to see
Wiz= very interested
...describe your thoughts on the 100.
Me- a huge LOL.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.