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Afternoon Oliver,

The lack of a number 6 batsman was a problem for England. I went to the Rose Bowl and I think Bresnan came in ahead of Yardy in a potentially tight situation. That showed little confidence in Yardy with the bat, something I've mentioned on your articles before, and reinforcing the idea that Yardy was picked as a bowler first and foremost. It therefore was a strange decision for him to come up the order later in the series against Tait with his gander up. In Bresnan, Wright, and Yardy, we have three guys in a similar position. None are top 6 with the bat and only two of them could be reasonably confident of bowling a full 10 over stint. Wright is the fall guy out of the three. Bresnan is steady with the ball and has shown some real fight with the bat, Yardy can bat and is proving tight with the ball. Wright can't really justify his place right now for me.

The other issue that really got to me was the lack of bowling for the slow men, Swann in particular. The final ODI was a case in point. Yardy and Swann bowled a grand total of 13 overs between them for 51 runs, Swann claiming 3 wickets. What made this stranger was Swann being taken off after six overs and two wickets for 18 (I think) when the batting powerplay was taken. Strauss seems very afraid of bowling spinners when the powerplays are going. Why? The final ODI saw the seamers being taken apart in that powerplay. In all during that powerplay, seamers bowled four overs for 53: Swann bowled a solitary over of spin for 10 after coming back on after three overs of seam that went for 42. Swann then goes and gets the crucial wicket of Marsh, bowls that successful over for 4 runs... and gets taken off.

In the last 10 overs at Lords, the Aussies scored 116 runs. Of those 10 overs, Swann bowled 2 overs for 14. The seamers bowled 8 overs for 102 runs. Why not bowl Swann more? For him to bowl 8 overs and get 3 for 31 when the seamers were getting pounded is baffling. Not bowling him for a full 10 over stint is a waste of resources, akin to batting your big hitters at 8 and 9 when going after a big run chase.

In the World T20, Collingwood trusted his slow men. Both repaid the faith he showed. Yardy offered economy and Swann had the best economy of anyone bowling more than one over in the tournament for England and was joint highest wicket taker. Strauss didn't seem to have the same faith in his slow men. He has appeared to be quite a conservative captain at heart and that does come over in how he's handled the slow bowlers during this series. It doesn't matter if you're slow or quick in the powerplay overs, you can still get hit. What was disappointing is that we've seen a lot of a new fresh England approach in the World T20 and at times during the ODI series but the powerplay overs in the field seemed way too predictable (ie. spinners off, seamers on) and this applies to the final overs too.

The batting was typical England. We don't bat sides out of games and we're still jittery at closing out games. Kieswetter has enormous potential but he doesn't look right for the longer forms of the game thus far. At the Rose Bowl, I heard a few spectators saying he should come into the Test side based on his innings that day. He scored 38! The Ashes squad should have Prior as number one and Davies as his deputy for the Tests, Davies and Kieswetter for the ODI/T20 games. The middle order was the usual bits of form on display, and the lower middle order led by Morgan looked good. We can't keep relying on the lower order to bail us out though. Bell should be back in the side as he's looked good in the T20 when I've seen him onscreen.

I hope England will give Shahzad the whole series to perform in. Bresnan offers a certain dependability but Shahzad is someone I think could play a huge part in Australia. There's something about him, that unpredictable quality, that suggests wickets.


A possible side for the first ODI against Bangladesh:

Strauss
Kieswetter
Trott
Collingwood
Morgan
Bell
Bresnan or Yardy
Tredwell
Shahzad
Broad
Anderson

There, five bowlers, Collingwood and Trott for part-time fun, and a bit more batting to boot.

I'm convinced Trego should be given a stint with the full team. He has been consistently good since rejoining Somerset and has to be the best all-rounder England have not already in the set-up. He took a five-for and smashed plenty of runs for the lions at the weekend and along with Bopara was the star turn. He has produced some match winning performances for Somerset including an quick-fire ton against Yorkshire last season on the 4th day to seal an unexpected victory. He should come in for Bresnan as 'Brezza', who seems loved by Strauss and co actually seems ineffective with bat or ball and is constantly being handed the new cherry.
Trego is a quality first change bowler and a genuine no6 solving many problems in the countries set-up and if he's given a bash and fails then it's Somersets gain.

Oliver:

"As for Strauss and his bowling changes, I think he appears to drift into obeying a pre-determined plan rather than evaluating which bowlers are working for him and which aren't."

Bang on. That didn't happen at the Rose Bowl when we were on top. Down there, he took a punt on Luke Wright and it paid off. When it came to Lords though and the batting powerplay came up, it was back to routine when England weren't on top. When attacked, sometimes it's best to go for a counter-attacking option or something unexpected. Strauss has a lot of good qualities as captain but he doesn't seem to have the same feel for the bowling department that captains like Brearley and Vaughan had.

With Collie and KP in the side, I think we've got two useful part-timers there. If Trott plays, you have another option. All of those guys make it harder to make a case for Luke Wright. He's bowled 127 overs in 37 ODI games, an average of less than four overs per game, and also barely bowled in the World T20. He's behind Yardy and Bresnan as a bowler, and arguably level with both guys with the bat. Certainly Bresnan, although not having a great series with the ball, has shown over the winter and this summer that he offers something with the bat.

Amen to the observation that a ODI series in England is no guide to an Ashes series in Australia. But if it were, there would be no point in staying up all night throughout the winter, shivering, chewing fingers, waking the neighbourhood with loud cries of "Oh no!" or even "Yes!"

Sheffield Sabre:

Swapping Trego for Bresnan is like for like. Bresnan has the edge with the ball, Trego with the bat. Wright, Bresnan, and Trego could be said to be going for the same position in the team: the guy who bowls decently and contributes with the bat. Right now there isn't a clear stand out.

Calling Bresnan ineffective with the bat is wrong. Did you fail to see his batting in Bangladesh? His ODI batting has been pretty impressive to the point where he's surprised a few people.

AndyPlowright

Bell has spent most of his list a career in the top three, along with the bulk of his ODI career - why the hell would you relegate him to number six, a finishing position for which he has no obvious aptitude?

Hi Oliver

Just a small niggle I have that I hope you read. In your Pakistan Australia article you said Umar Akmal hit "three sixes and seven boundaries" but a six is a boundary. I know you mean seven 'fours' but I don't know why in the last few years the term four has been replaced by 'boundary'. I think it's more of a One day thing because in test matches you hear he made 68 including 7 fours and a six but you certainly don't hear seven boundaries and a six. I've often heard commentators saying they'll need a six or a boundary here but that doesn't make sense!

It just annoys me every time I read it because it's not quite right and for me, not quite cricket.

In an ideal world the problem of positions 6, 7 and 8 (yardy, wright, bresnan irrespectively atm) could be solved quite easily. The addition of a genuine all rounder playing at 7 would allow bell or another batsman (e.g. bopara) to play 6. We would then have the luxury of picking 1 from yardy, wright, bresnan.

If flintoff cold ever get back to bowling fitness i.e. bowl 10 overs full tilt and bat at 7 also then this one day team could be the business.

Some good observations Oliver. This series doesn't really provide any indications of who is likely to win the Ashes especially as it finished so close.

England defiitely need a better number six (Ben Stokes?) for the World Cup. And Australia need to find some bowlers who can stay fit, although they seem to have a worrying number of decent ones to pick from if and when all are fit.

Do you agree, with our marks out of ten for each side in the series?
Nat West Series - Australia marks out of ten England marks out of ten

In essence England fielded a T20 team against an Australian ODI team and were fortunate to scrape a 3-2 series win.
England in selecting Kieswetter as a pinch hitting opener, should have recognised after the third game that he was not up to the task against quality fast bowling.
Tait's inclusion for the remaining two games was known in advance, yet Andy Flower persevered with the same line up that barely scraped home in game 3.
Australia clearly don't see the 50 over game in the same way as England, their pinch hitting opener Warner was not even in the squad, nor was David Hussey.
My fear now is that against Bangladesh, Kieswetter will score heavily and the selectors will say, there you are he's back in form, we were right all along.

What about Bopara? He has been great in the lions tri-series (although I don't know how well he's been playing for Essex this season). He has test experience, I'm sure he would bat well further down the order (akin to what Bell has been doing recently for England) and he can bowl a few overs if we were to do a, seemingly favoured, four man attack.

Ulidian1:

"AndyPlowright

Bell has spent most of his list a career in the top three, along with the bulk of his ODI career - why the hell would you relegate him to number six, a finishing position for which he has no obvious aptitude?"


I don't care where he's spent the majority of his career. Michael Hussey spent most of his career in the top 5, started his Test career opening, and batted at 7 for his ODI and T20 international debuts. Hussey is now an incredibly potent number 6 for Australia in limited overs cricket. He can play the recovery innings when the top order has failed and can also play the more expansive innings when runs are needed. His display at Lords was superb and his World T20 exploits this year are infamous.

It's the sort of role I believe Bell could perform for England. With the current squad, he's not going to shift KP, Collingwood, and Morgan from the 3-5 slots, and there's no way he's going back as opener as Strauss and one of the 'keepers are nailed on there. Bell's game is more expansive than Trott and he's looked good in the T20 domestically each time I've seen him this year. If he wants to get back into the ODI side then 6 is realistically the only position open to him. Given Hussey's success there, I believe Bell is someone who could develop his game by playing there.

For the Bangladesh series, I'm happy dropping Trott in at 3 and Bell at 6, as quite frankly we could stick Tuffers at 3 and he'd score runs against Bangladesh. Trott isn't someone I'd pick for the ODI side but the selectors feel he's worth going with. Developing Bell in that Husseyesque role at 6 is something I'd very much go for though with the World Cup in mind.

I don't think this ODI series says anything whatsoever about the Ashes.

but if Australia can't get some of their experienced bowlers fit, they are in serious trouble. An attack of Siddle, Hilfenhaus and Johnson looks dangerous, down under. If all three are injured, Haurtiz will probably be their most capped bowler, and he's about as effective as Paul Harris.

On the 50 over front, you have to remember that the world cup is being played in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh hence England looking at a 2nd spinner. Although Yardy does not actually spin the ball much. Since England sent Rashid back to Yorkshire I cannot see a credible alternative in this format. Flower has made no secret that the 2nd spinner has to be different to Swann in variation so England continue with Yardy but I fear in Asia it will be doomed to failure.

The number 6 position currently held by Wright, will come under pressure from Trego. But the one to watch is Stokes. Bopara would also make a great 6 as his recent century for the Lions proved.

On the Ashes front, I wish the media would stop trying to pick the Australian team. Tait has retired from international cricket as he has abad back and can only bowl 4 overs a day in T20. Get over it.

A question for some posting here:

Why do you feel we need an all-rounder at 6? People mentioned Trego, Stokes, even Bopara who has been picking up wickets this year. Positions 7 to 11 could easily be filled by Yardy, Swann, Broad, Anderson, and one other player (Shahzad would be my pick) and we'd still have part-time options in Pietersen and Collingwood. I don't see that we need a bowling option at 6 and that a proper batsman is needed.

Silk:

Hauritz is a mile better than Harris. Hauritz isn't someone who leaps out with his talent but he has real cricketing intelligence. He's like an offspinning Collingwood, someone who tries to maximise the ability they have. The improvement in his batting is evidence of that. It also seems a bit churlish to diss Hauritz when England are picking someone like Yardy at international level.

I don't think Siddle would be a huge loss to Australia providing Ryan Harris is fit. Harris and Siddle are similar bowlers, big guys who hit the pitch hard.

If Tait can only bowl 4 overs a day in T20 then why did he just play in the ODI series, bowling 7 overs at the Oval and 8 overs at Lords?!

I dont think you need to worry so much about Tait, it appears he's pretty reluctant to make a return to the test side.

ODI & T20's are just a money making sideshow.

The England test squad has a settled feel but needs a real run-out for the test team but only have a couple of places up for grabs. Shazhad and Finn need to be readied for their place in the Ashes.

The Aussies test batting is never a problem but have a 'test' ready unit for November will be a real challenge. IF Siddle comesback fighting fit after his enforced break that could boost the team.

I was there four years ago, it was a debacle one hopefully not to be repeated!

I think a lot off people forgot about one player for thr world cup next year. Not wright,trego or bresnan should play at 6, but fred flintoff!

I doubt Tait would last the course of a test match...but an Aussie attack of Johnson, Tait, Bollinger and Hauritz would probably be too much for England on Australian pitches.

Really not sure about Morgan as a test batsman, and a 50 over game is too long a format for Wright.
Bowling attack looks like its got to be Anderson, Finn, Broad and Swann.

Alex Hales for the one day side at number 6?

I'm still not convinced by Kieswetter either as an opening bat or behind the stumps. I think Steve Davis at Surrey would be a better choice for ODI's or failing that bring Bopara in at the top of the order and Prior can take the No 6 slot instead of Wright.

For the Ashes both sides have problems. Australia need to find 4 fit bowlers, something that seems to be a struggle at the moment, and England have to decide on the balance of the side. It looks like they will go with 4 bowlers so that puts a lot of pressure on Swann to take wickets, especially against all the lefties. Still if it was easy where would be the fun in that.

I don't think Tait will play in Ashes, but an attack of Johnson, Siddle, S Clark, and Hilfenhaus still looks as good as any apart from SA.

Eng's best hope this time is Australia's batting is not faultless, and Eng's batting is getting better.

To be fair Ollie, Somerset struggled as a whole with the bat in the champions league, I think we only won the one game? Even Tresco, Langer and Kieswetter struggled for form then, Wes Durston was one of our top batsmen.
Regarding Bresnan, he was given the treat of the new cherry in during the whole series, but barely taking a wicket? If we have Broad, Finn or Shahzad with Anderson they would all be opening bowlers of higher quality than him. And if Englad want two spinners in Swann and Yardy (although Pietersen is much better than Swann on Ashes cricket 2009 X-box game lol!) then Trego makes a very good option for another seamer ahead of Collys 'dibbly-dobblies' as I think they were described as on the live text once or twice. And his batting is, in my opinion at least, better than Bresnans as was shown when Trego came in the top10 for Championship MVP last year?
Or, if England want an option different to Swann, then how about Ian Blackwell? Left-armer, definitely different to Swann and extremely handy with the bat. I know he never really proved himself internationally, but was always pretty economical for England (at least as much so as Yardy) and in moving to Durham gave himself another challenge and won the title with them last year. Worth another look maybe?

Matt Prior at 6 anyone?

Hmmmmmmm. Having read through all these posts, thus the varying views, I'll hazard a cautionary word from C.B. Fry:

"Incidentally, your old friend Aristotle said that a Prologue is the part of the play which precedes the first chorus. But times change; the first chorus nowadays precedes the play, at any rate in Test cricket, by several weeks, if not months, and is both loud and long and also often inharmonious."

Oliver what exactly do you mean by losing your nip and i think ur reference to shoaib akhtar is quite irrelevant. Shoaib akhtar is still quite a decent bowler and his pace is still quite dangerous. The way he got cameron white out, australias best striker, clearly shows hes still got class. I think you made a premature comment. This will be proven in the test series if he plays because I am sure he will come back strongly like he did in the 2nd t20. Its quite easy to get 5 fours of an out of touch fast bowler with pace like that, warner was just lucky that shoaib didnt have rythm. As far as stuart clark goes, he will be a very inappropriate choice. He never was very good like alot of Australian Bowlers who just get lucky because of pressure created by other good bowlers like johnson, lee, mcgrath etc and australias reputation.

It's currently 4.31pm. In 28 overs against Bangladesh, England have used 7 bowlers.

What do we learn from bowling Collingwood? Wright bowled 3 overs for 20. We know he's not strong enough to be a first change seamer. Strauss whisked off Tredwell after 3 overs for 18. How is that backing an inexperienced new bowler?

Utterly frustrating.

After his performance for Australia Tait is currently injured with a shin splint problem which means he will probably miss Glamorgan's next 20/20 game. It will be amazing if he could play a five match series and stay fit.

Solo443

I am not one to defend aussies (although he does have english parents) but have you forgotten 06/07 Ashes? He took 94 test wickets at 23.86. Thankfully his time has gone.

I want to know, what does everyone see in Yardy? I think he is very average - Tredwell looks to me a better bowler and I'm unconvinced of Yardy's ability to bat. He looks very square-on to me and not able to use his feet well enough. I'd like to know if Bopara is going to be given another chance because he was THE find of the season when we took on the West Indies (ok, not the greatest test of real talent I know, but Bopara is young and has proper class.)Anyway, I don't understand the experiment with Yardy, whats he done?

macastani

U just built upon my point there cz if im not wrong then thats the ashes where australia yet again destroyed england and warny and mcgrath were playing their last series, ur half english friend just took advantage of that, he was never selected again, now aint that a mstery......

Yardy's economy rating is 3.75 runs per over in ODI, which is the best by some way in the current team. Swann is 4.54 but picks up more wickets, while most of the quick bowlers give away 5 runs plus per over. In a sense, Yardy does the job he's picked for, tight bowling and the occasional useful runs with the bat. They need to find a regular position for his batting rather than moving him up and down the order though. You could replace him with a more exciting prospect like Rashid, who would probably go for 5 an over (currently he concedes 5.61 runs per over in his 5 ODI's), but might pick up a few more wickets. Yardy would be noticed more if he picked up wickets, but his bowling simply tends to tie batsman down. Is there a place for a boring, tight bowler anymore? I would have thought so if the strategy is to keep the opposition from scoring runs, but it would seem that some people prefer the excitement of picking wicket takers even if it means giving up more runs.

1 Strauss (c)
2 Kieswetter (wk)
3 Pietersen
4 Collingwood
5 Morgan
6 Flintoff
7 Yardy
8 Shahzad
9 Swann
10 Broad
11 Anderson

Reported in the News of the World today that Tait has ruled himself out of the Ashes.

"But I'm not going to play in the Ashes, it's as simple as that.

"It's a selfish decision to try and prolong my career. My decision's been criticised but I'm sticking by it. It's not just a matter of me saying 'I'll play' and that's it. Ricky and I haven't had that talk and I doubt we will."

Clever of them to hide Finn from Bangladesh as well.

Interesting series. Craig Kieswetter has some work to do on his technique and the Aussie selectors can stop pretending that they can thrown any bowlers up against decent opposition.

A 3-2 ODI series win is a very close affair. Congratulations to the winners and to their gallant challengers.


Dr. Cajetan Coelho

If Cook is out of form and struggling for runs then I think Trott would be a good option to open with Strauss. Collingwood could then come into the side. Trott has the mental strength to open the batting and has a better technique than Cook to deal with the Australian fast bowlers.