So after another thrashing in India what do england take away from it all?
I was a bit surprised that Baz own view was england had become too timid,
they seemed more reckless in the last innings of Ranchi and Dharmasala.
Also that the choice of keeper was still not decided. I fear they will
go back to johnny for the summer tests, very retrograde in my opinion.

However no tests til July instead its all t20 may and june for england
with Pakistan and then the WC in Windies. They play Scotland and OZ in
Barbados, so Bridgetown will be rammed. Prob cos of that Stokes Root
and Wood have withdrawn from the IPL, Brook too now [doubt whther IPL
will miss any of them], dunno about Curran, but I notice that Archer
is in India with Sussex.

mike

In message <da2bace0f44114e7fb7fd1b1d178c83d@www.novabbs.com>, miked
<dmike204@yahoo.co.uk> writes
>So after another thrashing in India what do england take away from it all?

That Bashir, Hartley and Ahmed are fine prospects, but need several
years of playing plenty of red-ball cricket to gain experience. That
Brook's return will be even more welcome than we thought, given how the
middle order has struggled.

>I was a bit surprised that Baz own view was england had become too timid,
>they seemed more reckless in the last innings of Ranchi and Dharmasala.
>Also that the choice of keeper was still not decided. I fear they will
>go back to johnny for the summer tests, very retrograde in my opinion.

There are suggestions that they might go for one of the younger brigade:
the other Ollie Robinsom, Rew, Jamie Smith or Phil Salt - or even that
they could give Ollie Pope the gloves and move him down the batting
order.
>
>However no tests til July instead its all t20 may and june for england
>with Pakistan and then the WC in Windies. They play Scotland and OZ in
>Barbados, so Bridgetown will be rammed. Prob cos of that Stokes Root
>and Wood have withdrawn from the IPL,

I wouldn't have thought that Root was likely to return to England's T20
squad.

> Brook too now [doubt whther IPL
>will miss any of them], dunno about Curran, but I notice that Archer is
>in India with Sussex.
>mike

That's encouraging.
--
John Hall
"Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people
from coughing."
Sir Ralph Richardson (1902-83)

On Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:19:40 +0000, John Hall
<john_nospam@jhall.co.uk> wrote:

>In message <da2bace0f44114e7fb7fd1b1d178c83d@www.novabbs.com>, miked
><dmike204@yahoo.co.uk> writes
>>So after another thrashing in India what do england take away from it all?
>
>That Bashir, Hartley and Ahmed are fine prospects, but need several
>years of playing plenty of red-ball cricket to gain experience. That
>Brook's return will be even more welcome than we thought, given how the
>middle order has struggled.
>
>>I was a bit surprised that Baz own view was england had become too timid,
>>they seemed more reckless in the last innings of Ranchi and Dharmasala.
>>Also that the choice of keeper was still not decided. I fear they will
>>go back to johnny for the summer tests, very retrograde in my opinion.
>
>There are suggestions that they might go for one of the younger brigade:
>the other Ollie Robinsom, Rew, Jamie Smith or Phil Salt - or even that
>they could give Ollie Pope the gloves and move him down the batting
>order.

Is Pope a geniune keeper or just somebody who can stand behind the
stumps?
Becuase really a batting average of 34 without the gloves doesn't
really suggest that he'd be much ahead of Foakes with the bat as
keeper (and he'll be much behind with the gloves)

In message <kbvevi1f8pmfb5lmb4o7p43trcnpjqg1li@4ax.com>, Mad Hamish
<newsunspammelaws@iinet.unspamme.net.au> writes
>On Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:19:40 +0000, John Hall
><john_nospam@jhall.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>In message <da2bace0f44114e7fb7fd1b1d178c83d@www.novabbs.com>, miked
>><dmike204@yahoo.co.uk> writes
>>>So after another thrashing in India what do england take away from it all?
>>
>>That Bashir, Hartley and Ahmed are fine prospects, but need several
>>years of playing plenty of red-ball cricket to gain experience. That
>>Brook's return will be even more welcome than we thought, given how the
>>middle order has struggled.
>>
>>>I was a bit surprised that Baz own view was england had become too timid,
>>>they seemed more reckless in the last innings of Ranchi and Dharmasala.
>>>Also that the choice of keeper was still not decided. I fear they will
>>>go back to johnny for the summer tests, very retrograde in my opinion.
>>
>>There are suggestions that they might go for one of the younger brigade:
>>the other Ollie Robinsom, Rew, Jamie Smith or Phil Salt - or even that
>>they could give Ollie Pope the gloves and move him down the batting
>>order.
>
>Is Pope a geniune keeper or just somebody who can stand behind the
>stumps?
>Becuase really a batting average of 34 without the gloves doesn't
>really suggest that he'd be much ahead of Foakes with the bat as
>keeper (and he'll be much behind with the gloves)

I think he's pretty reasonable as a keeper, though obviously not as good
as Foakes. Probably as good as Bairstow, though. He's kept a fair amount
for Surrey when Foakes was with England or injured, and he's already
kept in two or three games for England for one reason or another. And he
might find life easier with the bat at six than at three.
--
John Hall
"Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people
from coughing."
Sir Ralph Richardson (1902-83)

John Hall wrote:

> In message <kbvevi1f8pmfb5lmb4o7p43trcnpjqg1li@4ax.com>, Mad Hamish
> <newsunspammelaws@iinet.unspamme.net.au> writes
>>On Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:19:40 +0000, John Hall
>><john_nospam@jhall.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>>In message <da2bace0f44114e7fb7fd1b1d178c83d@www.novabbs.com>, miked
>>><dmike204@yahoo.co.uk> writes
>>>>So after another thrashing in India what do england take away from it all?
>>>
>>>That Bashir, Hartley and Ahmed are fine prospects, but need several
>>>years of playing plenty of red-ball cricket to gain experience. That
>>>Brook's return will be even more welcome than we thought, given how the
>>>middle order has struggled.
>>>
>>>>I was a bit surprised that Baz own view was england had become too timid,
>>>>they seemed more reckless in the last innings of Ranchi and Dharmasala.
>>>>Also that the choice of keeper was still not decided. I fear they will
>>>>go back to johnny for the summer tests, very retrograde in my opinion.
>>>
>>>There are suggestions that they might go for one of the younger brigade:
>>>the other Ollie Robinsom, Rew, Jamie Smith or Phil Salt - or even that
>>>they could give Ollie Pope the gloves and move him down the batting
>>>order.
>>
>>Is Pope a geniune keeper or just somebody who can stand behind the
>>stumps?
>>Becuase really a batting average of 34 without the gloves doesn't
>>really suggest that he'd be much ahead of Foakes with the bat as
>>keeper (and he'll be much behind with the gloves)

> I think he's pretty reasonable as a keeper, though obviously not as good
> as Foakes. Probably as good as Bairstow, though. He's kept a fair amount
> for Surrey when Foakes was with England or injured, and he's already
> kept in two or three games for England for one reason or another. And he
> might find life easier with the bat at six than at three.

I thought Pope actually started off with Surrey as a keeper in the 2nd XI,
and from what i've seen, hes very good, i'd say better than bairstow
and the others except for foakes. The main worry i would have is that
having had surgery on both shoulders [pins in both?] he might not be robust
enough to survive the physical demands of being a full time keeper.

I dont think Salt is that great a keeper, just ok in white ball games,
and the other olly R is about the same but i havnt seen
Rew keep at somerset. Hes only just stopped being a teenager!

mike