| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? 20:12 - Jul 15 with 1692 views | MaySixth |
I think the time has come for one of these two to be considered.
I know McCullum doesn't watch county cricket but we need to find a solution and not go to Australia completely exposed.
I don't think Crawley is that bad tbh but we may have better. |  |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:21 - Jul 15 with 1625 views | Herbivore |
Hameed and Sibley are not the answer. |  |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:23 - Jul 15 with 1601 views | Suffolktractor |
Can’t see it happening.
They seem determined that Crawley is the right man for Australia. (They may be right, not sure) |  | | |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:34 - Jul 15 with 1504 views | mo_itfc |
I'm not sure he should be replaced.
He's not our best battery, but for the most part he does well.
He's great in the field and I get the sense that's he's really good for the team.
Opening batters rarely do better than middle order batters, Crawley faced more balls than Duckett against India, who bowled very well!! | |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:41 - Jul 15 with 1442 views | Coastalblue |
I'm more concerned about Pope tbh.
A nice big score once every so often is not good enough. Rather have somebody getting 40 most times than 100, 15, 20, 17 etc |  |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:43 - Jul 15 with 1429 views | itfc1108 |
I've always thought that he would be better suited in the middle order.
He has kind of lived off a few very big scores, and hitting the first ball of the last home ashes for four.
If Root would play 3, I would open with Duckett and Pope, and Crawley at 4.
If Pope knows he is opening, he might stop being so nervous at the start of his innings.
Maybe Bethell could play instead of Bashir as the spin option, and to add to the batting, even though I do like Dawson. | | | |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:43 - Jul 15 with 1423 views | Herbivore |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:41 - Jul 15 by Coastalblue |
I'm more concerned about Pope tbh.
A nice big score once every so often is not good enough. Rather have somebody getting 40 most times than 100, 15, 20, 17 etc |
Pope's second innings record is shocking. Can't remember the exact figures but they discussed it the other day and it's really, really, really bad. | |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:45 - Jul 15 with 1412 views | catch74 |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:41 - Jul 15 by Coastalblue |
I'm more concerned about Pope tbh.
A nice big score once every so often is not good enough. Rather have somebody getting 40 most times than 100, 15, 20, 17 etc |
Bethel obviously in the wings for Pope - he may even replace Bashir in the next test, strengthen the batting and share spin with Root - not sure what kind of wicket we’re expecting though.
I reckon Smith has a better technique for opening than Crawley and would then fit in Foakes as the keeper. |  |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:48 - Jul 15 with 1383 views | ArnoldMoorhen |
The advantage of Crawley and Duckett as the opening partnership is that it gives bowlers a problem of having to shift both line, because one is right handed and the other left, and length, because one is one of the tallest openers in Test cricket, the other one of the shortest.
For the Ashes in Australia, where length is extremely important, it would be good if we could find another tall right handed if Crawley is to be discarded.
A left-field shout would be to bring Foakes back as wicketkeeper, and promote Jamie Smith to open. He has the best average in world cricket against short-pitched bowling over the last year, according to a stat Sky showed during the Second Test. There's also an argument not to mess with one of the departments that is working well, but I favour an attacking approach against the Aussies. | | | |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:49 - Jul 15 with 1372 views | Herbivore |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:45 - Jul 15 by catch74 |
Bethel obviously in the wings for Pope - he may even replace Bashir in the next test, strengthen the batting and share spin with Root - not sure what kind of wicket we’re expecting though.
I reckon Smith has a better technique for opening than Crawley and would then fit in Foakes as the keeper. |
Usually get a bit of turn at Old Trafford, especially later in the game. Not sure what Bethel is like but Root is pretty handy and can give it a tweak. Would probably prefer a specialist spinner though if possible but not sure we've got anyone decent available. Dawson has been called up but not convinced he's up to it. | |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:50 - Jul 15 with 1368 views | ArnoldMoorhen |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:45 - Jul 15 by catch74 |
Bethel obviously in the wings for Pope - he may even replace Bashir in the next test, strengthen the batting and share spin with Root - not sure what kind of wicket we’re expecting though.
I reckon Smith has a better technique for opening than Crawley and would then fit in Foakes as the keeper. |
Haha! Great minds! I hadn't read yours when I posted about Smith and Foakes. | | | |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 21:00 - Jul 15 with 1290 views | Chrisd |
Pointless having this discussion, Crawley will be starting the 4th Test. | |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 21:13 - Jul 15 with 1217 views | Wallingford_Boy |
Pointless discussion, Crawley is going nowhere and rightly so. |  |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 21:53 - Jul 15 with 1066 views | DBaldy |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:49 - Jul 15 by Herbivore |
Usually get a bit of turn at Old Trafford, especially later in the game. Not sure what Bethel is like but Root is pretty handy and can give it a tweak. Would probably prefer a specialist spinner though if possible but not sure we've got anyone decent available. Dawson has been called up but not convinced he's up to it. |
Dawson has been arguably the best spinner in the county game over the last few years, while he has a better career batting average than Crawley.
Probably should've been in the team long before now and I for one hope he does well. | | | |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 22:23 - Jul 15 with 995 views | Alberto_the_frog |
Confused as I thought you were talking about Crawley Town. Why is this in a football thread? |  | | |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 22:24 - Jul 15 with 987 views | Herbivore |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 21:53 - Jul 15 by DBaldy |
Dawson has been arguably the best spinner in the county game over the last few years, while he has a better career batting average than Crawley.
Probably should've been in the team long before now and I for one hope he does well. |
I absolutely hope he does well, just not sure he's a world class spinner. That said, neither is Bashir. | |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 22:47 - Jul 15 with 946 views | Reuser_is_God |
Crawley will be playing in Australia.
I actually think he’ll do well down there - not not a bad player at all, he just needs to find that consistency but it’s hard when he’s instructed to go & out pressure on Jasprit Bumrah et al. |  |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 23:36 - Jul 15 with 872 views | Phantasm |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 21:13 - Jul 15 by Wallingford_Boy |
Pointless discussion, Crawley is going nowhere and rightly so. |
Reluctantly, I'll bite: how "rightly so"? | | | |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 23:47 - Jul 15 with 832 views | itfc1108 |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 23:36 - Jul 15 by Phantasm |
Reluctantly, I'll bite: how "rightly so"? |
The central contracts have been good to protect England players from burn out, and to compensate counties, but it's more or less a closed shop now.
It must be so dispiriting to score good runs and take wickets at county level, but know you probably won't get a chance.
While players can fail again and again, and keep their place.
I don't understand the rightly so either, when his batting average is mid to late twenties.
I can remember the terrible stick Graeme Hick used to get, and he didn't give his wicket away as often and carelessly as Crawley.
I'm glad players get more of a run now, rather than one cap and then binned, but I think Crawley has had a fair go for now, and someone else should have a turn. [Post edited 16 Jul 2:01]
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 06:38 - Jul 16 with 620 views | franz_tyson |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:48 - Jul 15 by ArnoldMoorhen |
The advantage of Crawley and Duckett as the opening partnership is that it gives bowlers a problem of having to shift both line, because one is right handed and the other left, and length, because one is one of the tallest openers in Test cricket, the other one of the shortest.
For the Ashes in Australia, where length is extremely important, it would be good if we could find another tall right handed if Crawley is to be discarded.
A left-field shout would be to bring Foakes back as wicketkeeper, and promote Jamie Smith to open. He has the best average in world cricket against short-pitched bowling over the last year, according to a stat Sky showed during the Second Test. There's also an argument not to mess with one of the departments that is working well, but I favour an attacking approach against the Aussies. |
How important is it to have a right-handed/left-handed/ tall/ short opening combo vs. a batsman who can actually score runs? Bit too left-field as well as having a tall spinner like Bashir in the team. If it works its genius.... but when it doesn't... its highly flawed.
Crawley has been given a free pass for the last 2 years because of the bloody Ashes down under. They're obsessed with that series.
Bethell needs to come in. Crawley should be dropped, but easier to drop Pope at 3.But expect both to play. | | | |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 06:56 - Jul 16 with 570 views | mikeybloo88 |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 20:50 - Jul 15 by ArnoldMoorhen |
Haha! Great minds! I hadn't read yours when I posted about Smith and Foakes. |
Very, very unlikely Foakes will ever play for England again, they’ve moved on from him. If Smith were to open, Pope would take over as keeper and move down the order to 7 with Bethell coming in at 3. I think they’re determined to start the Ashes with Crawley no matter what he does, Pope may be at more risk if he fails again twice at Old Trafford but they might consider Pope as keeper and swapping places with Smith before ditching Pope altogether as they seem to like him and he is vice captain. Bethell may have to wait for an injury or a calamitous run of form from a player or the team before getting another chance.... |  | | |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 07:00 - Jul 16 with 554 views | Wallingford_Boy |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 23:36 - Jul 15 by Phantasm |
Reluctantly, I'll bite: how "rightly so"? |
He is a class batsman, our best opener, but is under strict instruction to play at almost every shot!
He’ll excel against the aussies. | |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 07:49 - Jul 16 with 460 views | Herbivore |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 07:00 - Jul 16 by Wallingford_Boy |
He is a class batsman, our best opener, but is under strict instruction to play at almost every shot!
He’ll excel against the aussies. |
Wtaf? | |
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| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 11:10 - Jul 16 with 290 views | ArnoldMoorhen |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 07:00 - Jul 16 by Wallingford_Boy |
He is a class batsman, our best opener, but is under strict instruction to play at almost every shot!
He’ll excel against the aussies. |
"Our best opener": there's only two of them to compare- the one who gets runs and the one who doesn't, and yet you have bafflingly gone for the pedigree Great Dane with no runs over the snappy Staffy-cross with a healthy average.
If Crawley ends this series against Bumrah and Siraj averaging 40+ then he will deserve to keep his place. If he ends it with an average in the 20s then he definitely doesn't. 30 to 35 is moot point territory, 36 to 40 is benefit of the doubt. The same should apply to Pope.
Ben Foakes has a Test average of 29.2, which is respectable for a wicketkeeper-batter as opposed to a batter who keeps a bit. But it should be remembered that he played for the team and sometimes sacrificed his wicket to the excesses of Bazball when England were trying to thrash a quick extra 60 before a declaration.
Crawley, who only concentrates on his batting (judging by the catches he has dropped recently) averages 30.1 across a statistically significant 57 Tests.
Duckett has an average of 41.89 from 36 Tests.
The googly in all this is that Crawley has a very good average against Australia of 43.1. He still needs to do it against Bumrah and Siraj this series, in my opinion, though, to be on the plane for The Ashes. | | | |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 11:28 - Jul 16 with 257 views | itfc48 |
| Sibley or Hameed for Crawley? on 06:56 - Jul 16 by mikeybloo88 |
Very, very unlikely Foakes will ever play for England again, they’ve moved on from him. If Smith were to open, Pope would take over as keeper and move down the order to 7 with Bethell coming in at 3. I think they’re determined to start the Ashes with Crawley no matter what he does, Pope may be at more risk if he fails again twice at Old Trafford but they might consider Pope as keeper and swapping places with Smith before ditching Pope altogether as they seem to like him and he is vice captain. Bethell may have to wait for an injury or a calamitous run of form from a player or the team before getting another chance.... |
Agreed - I'd say Rew now ahead of Foakes as well. I'd be cautious about promoting Smith after how they screwed up with Bairstow who was flying as a No 7 keeper/batsman before they started messing with his batting position. | | | |
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