England Need An ODI Revolution

First of all, a quick welcome back after my May holiday.

But now there is business.

In the ODI series against New Zealand so far – admittedly not the mot important series – England have been fairly pathetic.

But I am not going to pass this by as a simple, momentary lapse in concentration with minds more focused on the Champions Trophy. No.

I think the two performances are proof of deep fissures in this England ODI side.

Although injuries give the bowling some pardon, the English batting should take a huge amount of criticism. So far, it has exhibited the kind of poor shot selection which has become England’s bane throughout the formats recently.

Players have seemed too desperate to score quickly that they have forgotten to stay in. Indeed, England excelled in terms of run-rate in the most recent game against NZ. At the point when they were bowled out by the Kiwis, England had amassed more runs than NZ had at the same time.

The promise this shows makes the loss all the more disappointing.

I blame this to being toned into a ‘T20’ kind of mode, and in part I blame this to the coach selection. I think there should be separate 50 and 20 over coaches, if just to help the players mentally.

So my solution to the batting problem is the above, but also a changing in batting personnel and order. Here is my proposed England batting line-up (this includes KP’s injury).

Alaistair Cook

Ian Bell

Jonathan Trott

Eoin Morgan

Joe Root

Matt Prior

My explanation for this I will attempt to fit into a few points.

Big-hitters must be alternated. Of course, the ideal batting set-up in the middle, especially in limited-overs,  is to have one man anchoring and amassing runs via singles, twos and threes, while another man – or perhaps a succession of men – hit the bowlers around and out of the park.

All rounders are pointless. I really think there is no use for an all-rounder, especially with a five-man bowling attack in force. This is reinforced by England’s current lack of in-form, quality all-rounders; none of Samit Patel, Chris Woakes and Ravi Bopara really inspire the imagination. If you play fifty overs, that suits perfectly – five bowlers bowling ten overs each. And if one really messes up, you always have Root and Trott to turn to.

Prior must play. When the best wicketkeeper/batsman is available to you – and one with a ridiculously high run-rate in Tests, good skills with the gloves and a talent for leadership – you do not leave him out of ODIs. Especially when you consider the alternatives: Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler (unrefined, weak handling and unreliable batting) and Craig Kieswetter (majorly out of form).

And now I turn to bowling.

It was really poor against New Zealand.

Jade Dernbach and Chris Woakes leaked runs like a colander, while wickets were sorely missed from Tim Bresnan.

I think the main problem for England here is depth.

With Broad and Finn out, England look crippled, not only bowling, but as a side in the whole.

But this is an unrepairable issue, so I turn to another main problem.

I think the England selectors have given Dernbach and Woakes too many chances.

They cannot afford to carry men.

Even an unproven player like Stuart Meaker, Boyd Rankin and so on would be a better alternative to that troublesome duo.

I am troubled.

Joe

Pietersen Will Be Sorely Missed

Today the news came out that Kevin Pietersen, the England and Surrey star batsman, will not be available for the return New Zealand Test series due to injury.

I think this is just about the worst loss England could face, perhaps after Alastair Cook, Graeme Swann (who just happens to be missing too) and James Anderson.

Perhaps.

Kevin Pietersen is one of, if not the best Test batsmen in the world at what he does: fast, fast hitting.

And he is one of only a few English batsmen capable of it.

In this current team, who else is there that can score quickly?

Well, Ian Bell (sort of), and Matt Prior.

And Jonny Bairstow who will most likely replace Pietersen.

And Jonny Bairstow is the only person there who is not a kind-of, or has another job to do.

The point is, Kevin Pietersen is the only established big-hitter England have.

So losing him is bad.

Very bad.

Joe

Great Escape Makes Series Draw All The More Frustrating

Today (and yesterday), England did a fantastic, quite miraculous job of batting throughout the day a few wickets down.

Ian Bell, Stuart Broad and Matt Prior (as always) excelled, as the latter made a century and the former a half-century.

However, their valiance did nothing but save England from the embarrassment that would come with a series defeat (or indeed any defeat) against such a team as New Zealand.

This I find very annoying.

VERY annoying.

Not to have won a single Test, against New Zealand?

Grrr.

I have to say the main positive of the day was Matt Prior.

I have said it before, and I will say it again: he is wasted at seven!

Furthermore, I have come to the conclusion that Matt Prior is England’s most reliable batsman.

He never lets England down.

Ever.

He is fantastic as a keeper, and bats well in all conditions.

He is, without a doubt, the best wicketkeeper-batsman in the world.

Joe

Points From Saturday

1. It’s not going to be easy. Today QPR were defeated by Aston Villa very annoyingly. They were on the back of two good victories, and this looked the easiest fixture of all. Even a point would jump them to a position from safety, and all three would take the R’s to a mere point from safety. It was all going so well, too. 1-0 up, and in control, QPR looked to make it three in a row. But Villa came back, and the task looks tough.
   
2. It’s not going to be easy. I’m using the same point here because it still applies. Here though, rugby is the topic. England were today rather demoralisingly defeated 30-3 by Wales. The thing to remember with Lancaster’s England though, at this stage, the thing to remember is that it is a work-in-progress. It has to be with so many players. The point of the system is not to reach success now, but to reach success in the coming years, perhaps at the England World Cup.
3. It’s not going to be easy. The EPL title is over. To be honest I could have written this long ago, but today, for most people (damn you Gael Clichy), Man City lost the title as they were defeated convincingly by Everton.
4. Broad is back! Today England continued a good performance as star Stuart Broad took his third best ever England figures of 6-51. His performances have been shaky of late but now he seems to be doing very well.

Form Questions Warm-Ups

Today/yesterday England offered an awful display on the second (first in play) day of the First Test against New Zealand in Dunedin.

They were first skittled for 167 and then failed to take a single wicket as the Kiwis reached 131 before the close.

Many have blamed this demoralising – for both fans and players – performance on a lack of preparation.

England’s last Test match was on the 14th December in India, and their last on New Zealand-esque conditions was back in mid-August against South Africa.

Taking this into account, one would have expected England to have a lengthy period of preparation for this match. If you fell into this trap, you would of course be wrong.

England had one four day-match, which did not go well, as England lost.

Even two three-day matches would be better, as it would allow the selectors to have a chance to experiment with different players.

Of course rest is important, constant play would injure even the toughest of players. However, constant rest does nothing. After a certain period, the time becomes redundant. Unless England’s players are seriously lacking in stamina (in which case that must be worked on) England should have playing more frequently.

There is no doubt here.

Joe

Points From Saturday

1. Perhaps England won’t crush New Zealand. Today, surprisingly, New Zealand XI defeated England XI in a four-day warm-up match. This has raised a few eyebrows, and shows that there will be contest a-plenty come the sixth – and the first Test.
2. Kagawa can score goals in England. Japanese international Shinji Kagawa was a sensation at Borussia Dortmund, ably filling in for the injured starlet Mario Götze and earning a high-profile move to Man United. However, he has never really caught fire over here (if partly due to an injury). Today though, he scored a hattrick (the first from an Asian player in the EPL) as Man United crushed Norwich 4-0.
3. Bothroyd does have a contribution to make. Jay Bothroyd has not had a very successful career with QPR. He has been signed, replaced, loaned out, and scored very few goals. However, today he started and scored the crucial goal (while looking bright) as The R’s took only their third three-point haul in the EPL so far this season.
4. Coutinho is quality. January Liverpool signing Phillipe Coutinho today played fantastically against Wigan, setting up two goals.

Joe

 

England Should Open With Root

This is a very hot topic at the moment.

Should the bright young talent Joe Root, who has enjoyed a fantastic start to English life, but has little international Test experience, or the more experienced but still new older batsman Nick Compton open the English batting alongside Alastair Cook?

For me there is barely any question.

Lets go through a only slightly biased list of pros and cons.

Nick Compton

Pros:

• Has more Test experience
• Is of a more mature age
• Has looked hard to get out
• Has played well in unfamiliar conditions
• Is of a combustible personality

Cons:

• Is of a combustible personality
• Has failed to score quickly
• Is relatively unproven internationally facing pace
• Has scored just one half-century in eight England innings
• Averages an unspectacular low-thirty per match
• Is still pretty inexperienced

Joe Root

Pros:

• Is young and could thus be developed into an amazing player
• Can bowl decently
• Averages 93 a match (although that is from one match)
• Can stay in for long periods
• Can score quickly
• Has always played well for England so far

Cons:

• Is inexperienced at opening internationally
• Is inexperienced at playing Tests internationally
• Is young and thus fairly immature

How can you question that?

-1 to +3!

But then, who would fill the gap at six?

For my full England line up click here (substitute Broad for Panesar and push him to eight).

Joe

McCullum’s Wicket Is Key

In what has so far been a rollercoaster tour, one man has decided games: New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum.

Let me tell you some facts.

In England’s first game (a T20) – which they won convincingly – McCullum faced just 5 balls, scoring 10 runs.

In England’s second game, another T20, they were crushed depressingly by the Kiwis, and McCullum faced 38 balls, hitting a game-winning 78.

In England’s final T20, the tourists limited McCullum to 20 balls and 26 runs, and subsequently took the series witha strong win.

And in the most recent game, an ODI, NZ won convincingly, and unsurprisingly, a Mr. Brendon McCullum stayed in for 61 balls, facing an ODI-oriented 69 runs no – figures a T20 batsman would not be ashamed of.

I see a pattern.

Whenever McCullum manages to properly bed in for a decent period, New Zealand do well.

So a question, one that England players and coaches will be asking, arises.

How do you get him out?

I turn to stats for an answer, sifting through electronic scorecards.

The only analysis I bring of the info on McCullum’s three wickets so far this tour, is that he gets out to catches a lot. 100% this tour. And how to exploit this weakness?

Simple.

Drop butter-fingers like Samit Patel, and do everything you can to get super-catchers and sometimes wicket keepers Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Craig Kieswetter.

And get lots of men on the boundary.

Oh, and be careful how much pace you play, it has got 2/3 of his wickets (if you count Jade Dernbach as pace), but it costs runs, ad the longer you can stop McCullum from getting up to his run-scoring stride, the more susceptible he is.

Plenty o’ caution, in short.

Joe

Five Things That England’s Tour Of India Taught Us

My summary of what has overall been an excellent tour for England

1. Steven Finn is now England’s second best pace bowler. Going into this tour, Stuart Broad would have held this gong, but a string of good performances from Finn and poor ones from Broad mean the almost-title is now Finn’s. Third place, which will become more important in the more pace-favouring conditions of New Zealand, is still contested between Tim Bresnan and Broad.
   
2. Jade Dernbach is not good enough. Anyone deluded enough to think that the tattooed Jade Dernbach can cut it at Test level must surely now, a string of poor performances and subsequent dropping from the ODI squad later, have been put back in their place.
3. Alastair Cook is serious captain material. The England captaincy transition from Andrew Strauss to Alastair Cook has been unbelievably smooth, due to fine performances, ‘man of the series’ winning performances, from the latter. He has led England wonderfully, making good decisions, playing well, and saying the right hings in interviews.
4. Joe Root can cut it. If you’d asked me before this tour who I thought would be the young player of the tour, I would probably, as most would, have said Virat Kohli. However, despite only one Test appearance, I would give this prize to Joe Root. He has consistently been one of England’s best players, with crafty bowling, patient batting and reliable fielding. That is simply player for a player of just 21 years of age.
5. Virat Kohli is not yet the finished article. As I said, many were looking forward to seeing Kohli this tour, but he has not really impressed. He needs a lot of work, maybe in foreign country, before he can deal with the captain role many suggest for him.

Joe

 

 

Well, That Was Predictable

Oops.

And so, immediately after I publish a law stating success was likely in today’s match the out one is the very opposite, an overwhelming, series-levelling victory for India.

It was a pretty dismal day for the English, and I suppose the only positives would come from youth.

Both Joe Root and Chris Woakes played decently (remember how poor the general performance was), Root almost top-scoring behind one of the best batsmen in the world: Kevin Pietersen.

However, his strike rate was pretty worryingly low, but on the other hand you could argue that a steady hand was required in a landslide of English wickets. Especially in a maiden innings, I would argue the latter.

Woakes, though unimpressive with bat Woakes seemed fairly troublesome with the ball (from pretty brief reading I admit), and I have nothing much more to say. Bit of an anti-climax.

Due apologies.

Joe