The Dickwella dismissal was amazing. As it was bowled I said to myself "that is ****" and he hits it straight at Sibley.
In what was of course a very good day for England, Bess picking up a 5-fer will harm us in the long run. He's a dreadful bowler. I've seen plenty of shite finger spinners bowling for England and he's up there with the worst. I expect he'll be massacred in India, assuming they have anyone fit enough to play.
Having now had the chance to watch the highlights of all the bits I missed while I was sleeping, I can now confidently say that's the worst Test five-for I've seen since Simon Katich got five Zimbabweans caught at cow. Absolutely dreadful bowling, but I'm still happy for him - he clearly works hard on his game if nothing else.
Having now had the chance to watch the highlights of all the bits I missed while I was sleeping, I can now confidently say that's the worst Test five-for I've seen since Simon Katich got five Zimbabweans caught at cow. Absolutely dreadful bowling, but I'm still happy for him - he clearly works hard on his game if nothing else.
Hmmm... I think you've prompted me to do a quick dive through all the English spinners. Post coming up in a moment
Having now had the chance to watch the highlights of all the bits I missed while I was sleeping, I can now confidently say that's the worst Test five-for I've seen since Simon Katich got five Zimbabweans caught at cow. Absolutely dreadful bowling, but I'm still happy for him - he clearly works hard on his game if nothing else.
Hmmm... I think you've prompted me to do a quick dive through all the English spinners. Post coming up in a moment
So I'm going to colour-code these with a key (the key makes no reference to their batting skills): International-quality spin bowler Good quality county bowler, could maybe do a job in helpful conditions Bang average county bowler Should be released by their county Too early to say
Derbyshire Matt Critchley (24, leg-spin) - 82 wickets @ 44.85 (2 5WI, best 6/73)
Northamptonshire Rob Keogh (29, off-spin) - 89 wickets @ 43.49 (1 5WI, best 9/52) Saif Zaib (22, left-orthodox) - 17 wickets @ 29.23 (1 5WI, best 6/115) Simon Kerrigan (31, left-orthodox) - 325 wickets @ 30.56 (13 5WI, best 9/51)
Nottinghamshire Samit Patel (36, left-orthodox) - 357 wickets @ 38.23 (5 5WI, best 7/68) Liam Patterson-White (22, left-orthodox) - 20 wickets @ 21.00 (1 5WI, best 5/73) Matt Carter (24, off-spin) - 50 wickets @ 39.78 (2 5WI, best 7/56)
Somerset Jack Leach (29, left-orthodox) - 293 wickets @ 25.74 (20 5WI, best 8/85) Max Waller (32, leg-spin) - 10 wickets @ 49.30 (best 3/33)
Surrey Gareth Batty (43, off-spin) - 682 wickets @ 32.78 (27 5WI, best 8/64) Amar Virdi (22, off-spin) - 91 wickets @ 28.08 (4 5WI, best 8/61) Dan Moriarty (21, left-orthodox) - 17 wickets @ 20.11 (3 5WI, best 6/70)
Sussex Will Beer (32, leg-spin) - 40 wickets @ 37.00 (2 5WI, best 6/29) Jack Carson (20, off-spin) - 15 wickets @ 22.66 (1 5WI, best 5/93)
Warwickshire Danny Briggs (29, left-orthodox) - 270 wickets @ 34.77 (8 5WI, best 6/45) Alex Thomson (27, off-spin) - 20 wickets @ 38.55 (1 5WI, best 6/138)
Worcestershire Moeen Ali (33, off-spin) - 368 wickets @ 37.94 (12 5WI, best 6/29) Brett D'Oliveira (28, leg-spin) - 57 wickets @ 49.98 (2 5WI, best 7/92)
Yorkshire Dom Bess (23, off-spin) - 129 wickets @ 30.23 (9 5WI, best 7/117) Adil Rashid (32, leg-spin) - 512 wickets @ 35.05 (20 5WI, best 7/107) Josh Poysden (29, leg-spin) - 33 wickets @ 32.84 (2 5WI, best 5/29) Jack Shutt (23, off-spin) - 2 wickets @ 52.00 (best 2/14)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Statistically Sensible Suggestions
To be considered a "sensible" selection, a player must have:
EITHER 100 or more wickets at an average of under 40
OR 50 or more wickets at an average of under 30
AND be under the age of 36 (this rules out guys like Gareth Batty)
The sensible selections are:
Moeen Ali (Worcestershire)
Dom Bess (Yorkshire)
Scott Borthwick (Durham) - Has for the last few years been a specialist batsman and part-time leggie)
Danny Briggs (Warwickshire)
Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
Simon Harmer (Essex) - Not sure about whether he is England qualified yet or not
Simon Kerrigan (Northamptonshire) - Literally needed years away from the professional game after his last Test match
Jack Leach (Somerset)
Matt Parkinson (Yorkshire)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire) - Has made himself unavailable for Test cricket
Amar Virdi (Surrey)
However there's one more name I'd like to add to the list:
Dan Moriarty (Surrey)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
So that's England's entire spin stock. I think if Simon Harmer qualifies to play for England, he should walk into the side for India; he's been outstanding ever since he arrived at Essex, and has expressed an interest in representing England. If he's not available, however, then you have the issue of there being only seven sensible spinners, plus one punt. Of those seven, five are in Sri Lanka already, one is injured but would otherwise be there too, and one is Danny Briggs.
There literally isn't an easy fix. Apart from getting Simon Harmer a British passport.
So I'm going to colour-code these with a key (the key makes no reference to their batting skills): International-quality spin bowler Good quality county bowler, could maybe do a job in helpful conditions Bang average county bowler Should be released by their county Too early to say
Derbyshire Matt Critchley (24, leg-spin) - 82 wickets @ 44.85 (2 5WI, best 6/73)
Northamptonshire Rob Keogh (29, off-spin) - 89 wickets @ 43.49 (1 5WI, best 9/52) Saif Zaib (22, left-orthodox) - 17 wickets @ 29.23 (1 5WI, best 6/115) Simon Kerrigan (31, left-orthodox) - 325 wickets @ 30.56 (13 5WI, best 9/51)
Nottinghamshire Samit Patel (36, left-orthodox) - 357 wickets @ 38.23 (5 5WI, best 7/68) Liam Patterson-White (22, left-orthodox) - 20 wickets @ 21.00 (1 5WI, best 5/73) Matt Carter (24, off-spin) - 50 wickets @ 39.78 (2 5WI, best 7/56)
Somerset Jack Leach (29, left-orthodox) - 293 wickets @ 25.74 (20 5WI, best 8/85) Max Waller (32, leg-spin) - 10 wickets @ 49.30 (best 3/33)
Surrey Gareth Batty (43, off-spin) - 682 wickets @ 32.78 (27 5WI, best 8/64) Amar Virdi (22, off-spin) - 91 wickets @ 28.08 (4 5WI, best 8/61) Dan Moriarty (21, left-orthodox) - 17 wickets @ 20.11 (3 5WI, best 6/70)
Sussex Danny Briggs (32, leg-spin) - 40 wickets @ 37.00 (2 5WI, best 6/29) Jack Carson (20, off-spin) - 15 wickets @ 22.66 (1 5WI, best 5/93)
Warwickshire Danny Briggs (29, left-orthodox) - 270 wickets @ 34.77 (8 5WI, best 6/45) Alex Thomson (27, off-spin) - 20 wickets @ 38.55 (1 5WI, best 6/138)
Worcestershire Moeen Ali (33, off-spin) - 368 wickets @ 37.94 (12 5WI, best 6/29) Brett D'Oliveira (28, leg-spin) - 57 wickets @ 49.98 (2 5WI, best 7/92)
Yorkshire Dom Bess (23, off-spin) - 129 wickets @ 30.23 (9 5WI, best 7/117) Adil Rashid (32, leg-spin) - 512 wickets @ 35.05 (20 5WI, best 7/107) Josh Poysden (29, leg-spin) - 33 wickets @ 32.84 (2 5WI, best 5/29) Jack Shutt (23, off-spin) - 2 wickets @ 52.00 (best 2/14)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Statistically Sensible Suggestions
To be considered a "sensible" selection, a player must have:
EITHER 100 or more wickets at an average of under 40
OR 50 or more wickets at an average of under 30
AND be under the age of 36 (this rules out guys like Gareth Batty)
The sensible selections are:
Moeen Ali (Worcestershire)
Dom Bess (Yorkshire)
Scott Borthwick (Durham) - Has for the last few years been a specialist batsman and part-time leggie)
Danny Briggs (Warwickshire)
Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
Simon Harmer (Essex) - Not sure about whether he is England qualified yet or not
Simon Kerrigan (Northamptonshire) - Literally needed years away from the professional game after his last Test match
Jack Leach (Somerset)
Matt Parkinson (Yorkshire)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire) - Has made himself unavailable for Test cricket
Amar Virdi (Surrey)
However there's one more name I'd like to add to the list:
Dan Moriarty (Surrey)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
So that's England's entire spin stock. I think if Simon Harmer qualifies to play for England, he should walk into the side for India; he's been outstanding ever since he arrived at Essex, and has expressed an interest in representing England. If he's not available, however, then you have the issue of there being only seven sensible spinners, plus one punt. Of those seven, five are in Sri Lanka already, one is injured but would otherwise be there too, and one is Danny Briggs.
There literally isn't an easy fix. Apart from getting Simon Harmer a British passport.
I really rate Dan Moriarty, and I don't think he'd necessarily do any worse than the incumbents. But filling the bowling attack up with left-arm orthodox bowlers probably isn't the winningest strategy
As a spinner myself, I should probably make my usual defence along the lines of "a wicket caught at cow because of a bit of extra flight counts the same as wicket clean bowled"
As a spinner myself, I should probably make my usual defence along the lines of "a wicket caught at cow because of a bit of extra flight counts the same as wicket clean bowled"
"Bess was bowling to his field; Bairstow was put there for an errant leg-side shot, and when you're at short leg if you can't catch them then you should at least try to deflect them upwards"
"Bess was bowling to his field; Bairstow was put there for an errant leg-side shot, and when you're at short leg if you can't catch them then you should at least try to deflect them upwards"
Same as I have no honest way of justifying any of the wickets
Kusal Perera should not have played such an expansive shot off only the second ball he faced off a bowler in a Test match.
Dickwella's long hop didn't even reach half way - he had plenty of time to hit it anywhere he liked
Shanaka was beyond unlucky - he could hit that shot the same way for the rest of his career and he'd never get out again
Dilruwan's wicket was a complete failure of technique and temperament
Hasaranga shouldn't have been premeditating, regardless of Sri Lanka being nine down. And even if the reverse-sweep was the right option, it was a bad reverse sweep
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
International-quality spin bowler
100 or more wickets at an average of under 40
