91Èȱ¬

Whilst the prospect of a new, tall quick is exciting, do people really think Finn is likely to worry the australians?

A pace attack of Anderson, Broad and Finn . . . I don't know, somehow I can't see them regularly ripping through the OZ top order and Swann can only do so much.

Has Sidebottom been definitively abandoned at test level? He looked alright in the 20:20.

It's quite early to put too much pressure on him. Whilst he may be a real talent, I imagine you need to have a pretty good temperament to deal with the Ashes in Australia. But it will be interesting to see how he goes against Bangladesh, and hopefully against Pakistan later in the summer. Saying that, home fixtures against those teams is hardly the aussies, away. We'll see

I'm excited by Finn's prospects but the England management need to learn from the mistakes made with Saj Mahmood and Liam Plunkett. Finn's still very young and needs to be gradually brought into the team and managed well in the way that Stuart Broad has - there's no use in sending him out to Australia and watching him get tonked out of the park in the way that Mahmood and Plunkett were last time round. It'll be interesting to see how he performs in the tests this summer.

Having been a professional coach for more years than I want to mention, I can understand the temptation in the England camp to 'beef up' Finn. They are concerned that Broad has not filled out as they wished he might and they want express pace in the armoury for down under. Stuart is though, a canny young man with the ball in much the same way as Finn is shaping up to be but with a hell of a lot more experience. I would much rather face extreme pace than the guile of a McGrath, Akram or Waqar. Both these your pacemen seem happy to operate in that zone. If one can bowl at close to 90 mph with bounce and fire and keep it in the slot, you have it made, in my book. Of course, Andy Flower and Co may be thinking of Bruce Reid, the hugely talented, awkward Aussie lefty quick. At the same height as young Finn and thin as a whippet, his career was plagued with injury. However, there is a fine line between adding bulk as an injury shield and building the upper body for speed. Let's hope sensible and responsible caching practice prevails. Broad needs to turn his attention to his batting again if he is to secure his place in the Ashes squad. I think Steve Finn could be the find of the decade for England.

Given that we seem to be committed to playing 6 batsmen in the test team for the forseeable future we cannot afford to waste a single bowling space. I think 3 of them are already nailed down in the minds of the selectors, barring injury or loss of form: Broad, Swann and Anderson. That only leaves one spot which we can assume will go to a fast bowler. There can only be one credential for picking this player. Will he take wickets on Australian pitches?

I went to school with Steve Finn and I don't believe he'll be rattled by playing the ashes. He's not arrogant as such but does possess an innate self confidence which will serve him well in professional sport.

Having said that I don't believe he should be first choice as he hasn't had enough international overs to warrant forming part of an ashes attack, particularly if the selectors opt for a four man one.

For what its worth I would play 5 bowlers and consider Steve Finn if he maintains his excellent form.

I'd say that Tim Bresnan's development is going to be very important to Finn. If he can keep the batting development going as well as his bowling, then England will surely be tempted to go with Bresnan batting at seven and pick five batsmen with the keeper at six. A lower middle order from 7 to 9 of Bresnan, Broad, and Swann, is pretty good on paper.

I'm a firm believer in five bowlers if we're to win Down Under. We're not going to bat Australia out of games. We will only win if we take wickets. We're not like India who are happy to score 600 to 700 and give their bowlers enough breathing room to take the wickets. An attack of Broad, Anderson, Bresnan (let's hope he can keep the reverse swing going), Finn, and Swann looks to me to be our best bet. Sidebottom bowled well in the T20 but I still have doubts over his effectiveness in the longer form of the game. Steve Kirby is a leftfield choice to consider as he has decent pace, bounce, and his aggressive approach might serve us well.

I agree, Bresnan or a 2nd spinner (Rashid/Patel) at 7 is our only chance of winning.

Have to hope a top 5 of Strauss, Cook, Pietersen, Collingwood and Bell can get enough of a good start regularly to allow the stroke makers down the order like Prior, Bresnan, Swann and Broad to play naturally and get us to 400-450+.

Anderson, Broad, Swann and Onions/Finn wouldn't be enough to win the Ashes, so we'll need an out and out 5th bowling option and for me that should be Bresnan. He can field, bat and bowl and if we want someone to "do a Giles" i.e. tie up an end, he's probably our best option, which allows Broad and Swann to go out and out for wickets!

"Has Sidebottom been definitively abandoned at test level? He looked alright in the 20:20."

Twenty20's and Tests are very different. He had to bowl 4 overs a game in the World Cup, but during the last 18 months he has looked unfit when playing Test cricket (and it's rare that he has played seeing as he keeps getting injured). I'm glad the selectors have moved on.

"Bresnan or a 2nd spinner (Rashid/Patel) at 7 is our only chance of winning."

In terms of the Ashes, a second spinner won't win us anything.

As for Finn, he has been called up sooner than I expected. Time will tell whether or not it is a wise decision. Fitness is a big issue for him in Bangladesh, hopefully he can work on that throughout the rest of the year.

Mr Finn has certainly been invigourated by his brief spell in the team and probably the idea of being part of a developing England team. Not sure that the opposition this summer will stretch the team but it should allow a rotation of players around the core of the team.

The key to a long tour is a combination of competition, cover and fresh tourists. Competitions for places in the batting, bowling and keeping will keep everyone on their toes. Cover for any eventuality 4 or 5 bowler attack and some new players keen to make their mark.

What are you talking about ValeroRIP?

Are you forgetting that broad it the one that 'ripped' though the OZ's at the oval test, the test that won the ashes back!!

On the subject of Finn, i would say its better to have a tall, med-pace bowler that can have the staminar to last for many years! Instead of a out-and-out pace bowler that last for a couple of years and it plauged by injuries!

Who would you prefer to have in your team? Lee or McGrath?? I think its obvious!!

Lets hope Finn can carry on his great form and think of it, Braod 6 foot 6 and Finn 6 foot 9 bowling together, Height and Bounce the things the aussies hate!! loved it

3 years ago the very similar Chris Tremlett looked in an identical position to Finn is now, but Tremlett was unlucky with injuries and is probably 5th or 6th reserve now. Hopefully his build doesn't create a lot of injuries of that type.

Why is it the aussies manage to build express pace attacks comprised of young men who stick around for years and who generally don't break down. Why do we English always hold up all these ridiculous excuses to cover for our more 'gentle' approach to the game? We talk of Finn as a young man yet look at the age of the current Aussie pace attack and at when they were blooded. Our approach remains English county wicket-centric, and determinedly rooted in outmoded ideals. Every attack needs balance, yes. Spinners, swing bowlers, those that vary pace intelligently. But, give me a young express pace attack anyday as a core part of the bowling balance. Accurate of course. But pacey.

Jamois,
I looked at the Aussie pace bowlers likely to be considered come the ashes.

Siddle will be 26
Johnson 29
Bollinger 29
Hilfenhaus 27

So not exactly the "young" attack you are intimating.

Meanwhile:
Broad wil be 24
Finn 21
Anderson 28
Bresnan 25

Jamois:

The Aussies have had their injury problems too over the years. Lillee had back problems. Thompson was at his fastest for a very short period. Alderman dislocated a shoulder. Bruce Reid was forever breaking down. Didn't Craig McDermott suffer from injuries for a while before a fitness regime sorted him out? Of the Australians who played in the Ashes last year, Hilfenhaus and Siddle have been suffering from injury, and Stuart Clark seems out to pasture now.

You want an 'accurate but pacey' attack. Every side wants that but bowlers who are genuinely quick and accurate with it are very rare. Someone like Curtley Ambrose, for my money the most accurate quick man in my lifetime, is a once in a generation bowler. We haven't got anyone like that. We have our own attack and the Broad-Finn-Bresnan-Anderson seam attack with Swann doing what he does so well looks good on paper to me.

Jamois,
I looked at the Aussie pace bowlers likely to be considered come the ashes.

Siddle will be 26
Johnson 29
Bollinger 29
Hilfenhaus 27

So not exactly the "young" attack you are intimating.

Meanwhile:
Broad wil be 24
Finn 21
Anderson 28
Bresnan 25

-----

Our pace attack does have more experience though, in terms of caps at least (78 to 65).

Anderson and Broad have 47 and 26 caps, Johnson and Siddle have 32 and 17. The other four have less than 10 each.

It'll be interesting to see how Finn fares not so much against Bangladesh, who let'ds face it would struggle in the County Championship. But more so against Pakistan.

For us there are still things to ponder for Messrs Flower and Strauss ahead of the Ashes and the need for a tall fast bowler who can make use of the bouncy Australian wickets is just one of them. Don't rule out a return for Harmison yet - David Saker was talking up his chances last week, so who knows?

England's questions to answer before Ashes test

I think, as others have stated, that it’s fanciful to suggest that Australia get it right because they pick young men who don’t break down. Lee is another not mentioned who’s had to take early retirement from test cricket.

Australia also find many mature cricketers who blossom in test cricket in their thirties.

I really don’t think that England are getting wrong and that the answer is simple. The Australian system produces many more test quality cricketers than the English system does, young and older, and this is the real issue to address.

"Don't rule out a return for Harmison yet - David Saker was talking up his chances last week, so who knows?"

Please no... I think the selectors have drawn a line under him now, though of course they won't say that.

Saker wasn't really talking up his chances, he was asked if he had a chance, he could only really give one answer - "if he is performing well for Durham then of course he's in with a chance". Doesn't mean he's likely to be picked. They'll probably say the same thing if you ask them about Key, Panesar et al.

Steve Finn made a fine impression on Day Two. Best wishes to the young bowler.



Dr. Cajetan Coelho

I have a strong feeling that Finn will feature in our upcoming Ashes victory in Australia. We have just got too much all-round talent and experience for Punter's outfit to cope with now, and Finn is yet another exciting talent to add to our roster. Oz will fight hard of course but they will have to get used to us handing them regular defeats from now on - the aura is long gone.

I only saw Finn bowl one delivery and that was on a small telly I glimpsed out of the corner of my eye across a room while loafing in the doorway - but I could tell he's good - nice tidy grooved action or so it looked. If he can bowl accurately at 87 mph - well, you're in the team son.

Bear in mind he's only 21 - at 25 he could be bowling even quicker if he wants to. No one can tell me that a 6'8" chap can't bowl 90 plus mph - remember some people thought Usain Bolt was too tall for a 100 metre runner?

Ben - how would you like to be on telly? There seems to me to be an absolute ruck of sports journo talent at the 91Èȱ¬ like yourself and colleagues writing these excellent TMS blogs and so forth which deserves an ever wider audience - maybe doing in-depth interviews and analysis on the 91Èȱ¬ Sports TV Channel?