England in the 90s

I keep looking ahead to see who is going to make a debut...Shane Warne is not too far away!

Thankfully I don’t face Warne till the 93 Ashes which is still 15 or 16 tests away.

One thing I’ve really enjoyed about this is rediscovering things I’d forgotten. An example being how long it took Atherton, Stewart and Hussain to establish themselves. Athers missed the West Indies 1990 tour, will be dropped at the end of this summer and not get back into the side until the end of the Pakistan series in 92. Even in this 91 series, he plays the 4th and 5th tests at number 3, with Hugh Morris brought into open.

Stewie has been in and out too, dropped after the 90/91 Ashes, and will come back for the last test of this 91 series v West Indies, and that's really when he beds into the side.

Hussain was dropped during the 90 tour to West Indies, came back in during the tour because of the injury to Gooch before being dropped again, and I think doesn't feature again until the 93 Ashes and is then dropped again for a bit.

And our bowling! I've started the 4th test, and our attack is Defraitas, Lewis, Pringle and Illingworth!! This against Ambrose, Marshall, Walsh and Patterson. I think in the NZ tour we will have Defraitas, Lewis, Pringle, Reeve and Tufnell. In 92, against Wasim and Waqar we put up Munton and Mallender.

Shocking!
 
Mallender, the Ghost! Loved the 90s group, they were characters. It is interesting to see how they get on. What is interesting even more is that you are playing through it .

Is there a player that you feel you have a sweet spot for. Just feels right. Whether bowling or batting? When my project is over I would love to play out a game batting so what level settings do you use, that way I could aim for that level as your results do come out realistic from what I've read.

Your batting has gotten better!!

Lastly are there players that have surprised you?
Sorry for the questions but it is fascinating to read

Great names you mention though, early 90s I remember there being hype around the new breed of players, Athers, Stewie, Nas, Goughie, Fraser. Judgie.Tuffers.Caddick. Ramps. Hickie. Thorpe. Devon.

Love hearing your frustration or surprise when a clear bonehead decision I's made to drop someone.

Ps Pringle has an ace of a book out right now. It is class as is Robin Smith's book.

I can still hear Blowers btw commentating as Pringle was about to bowl once.

'..and Pringle prances in..' sums up the pace attack at the time!

Keep going!
 
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Mallender, the Ghost! Loved the 90s group, they were characters. It is interesting to see how they get on. What is interesting even more is that you are playing through it .

Is there a player that you feel you have a sweet spot for. Just feels right. Whether bowling or batting? When my project is over I would love to play out a game batting so what level settings do you use, that way I could aim for that level as your results do come out realistic from what I've read.

Your batting has gotten better!!

Lastly are there players that have surprised you?
Sorry for the questions but it is fascinating to read

Great names you mention though, early 90s I remember there being hype around the new breed of players, Athers, Stewie, Nas, Goughie, Fraser. Judgie.Tuffers.Caddick. Ramps. Hickie. Thorpe. Devon.

Love hearing your frustration or surprise when a clear bonehead decision I's made to drop someone.

Ps Pringle has an ace of a book out right now. It is class as is Robin Smith's book.

I can still hear Blowers btw commentating as Pringle was about to bowl once.

'..and Pringle prances in..' sum up the pace attack at the time!

Keep going!

Cheers, I'll double check my settings but certainly physics-wise it's close to default.

I don't think I've improved one jot batting, it's a real struggle. Goochy is averaging around 40 (although that's coming down rapidly) but everyone else is in the mid-20s. Bowling, Small averaged about 22 (sadly he's already played his last test for me!), and everyone else is in the mid 30-s or higher. It's a while before Caddick (93) and Gough (94) make their debuts, and longer still before they're regularly in tandem. Malcolm is currently dropped, but I've a got a couple of matches with Lawrence until he does his knee in New Zealand. No other pace on the horizon.

Spin is overpowered, so Tuffers and Hemmings have great averages about 16 or 17. But before this series I fiddled in the academy and gave most players the silver or bronze perk against spin, so Illingworth has found it more of a struggle.

I've made a solid start in the 4th test, a hundred opening partnership for Gooch (39) and Morris (61) but they got out in quick succession so Atherton and Hick are rebuilding. Pitch looks awful flat, surely not a 3rd draw in a row... I'm on 130/2 at tea on day 1.
 
Graham Hick can take wickets with his spin.Even with new ball can't get Logie or Ambrose an hour of fruitless bowling.

Apart from his double Logie hasn't troubled me much. Ambrose scores very slowly but he probably has one of the highest median balls faced against me. Never seems to get out quickly.
 
4th Test - Day One. Edgbaston.
Umpires - Barry Dudleston and David Shepherd.
Must have been very good weather in Birmingham in 1991, because the pitch is very dry, even dusty, and what grass there is is straw coloured rather than green. Richards calls wrong, and Gooch is delighted to be able to choose to bat.

With Robin Smith injured, debutant Hugh Morris comes in to open with Atherton dropping to 3 and Hick, Lamb and Ramprakash also all dropping a place. Morris started very well, outpacing a more sedate Gooch as they shared an unbeaten stand throughout the morning session, reaching 78/0 at lunch. After lunch, Morris passed a maiden 50 and the stand went past 100.

Quickly after though, Gooch fell for 39 and Morris went for 61, leaving England 106/2 and in danger of a wobble. But Atherton and Hick rebuilt, and when Hick went for 20 Lamb joined Atherton and avoided any collapse. England looked comfortable, and the pitch looked very flat - 400 probably no more than a par score. Atherton fell for 40 shortly before the close, but Ramprakash and Lamb got England through to stumps.

210/4 - even, perhaps just England's day. A very English scorecard though, lots of starts and nothing substantial. Lamb and/or Ramprakash need to go big tomorrow if England are to post a competitive score.

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