England

[Sureshot]

Opened 14 times.

1st position 	2008-2009 	4 	4 	0 	85 	60 	21.25 	131 	64.88 	0 	1 	1 	11 	0 	
2nd position 	2009-2009 	10 	10 	0 	324 	49 	32.40 	454 	71.36 	0 	0 	0 	29 	4

Not terrible, but not where he should be. He is a very dangerous player at the end of the innings.

 

[MUFC1987]

Personally, I think if KP opens long-term, Bopara could make that number 4 spot his own. However, without Morgan, we need to keep Bopara back at either 6 or 7 in this World Cup, as he's the only guy consistently capable of clearing the ropes. It's a shame, as I think his hitting ability would be great in the middle overs, but we can't be having Prior and Collingwood needing 10 an over, as it's unlikely to happen.

Mind you, Bopara should have been at 4 when KP was injured, but the selectors didn't go for it, so I won't hold my breath.

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So KP might be out of the WC if he needs surgery straight away. I know which bloke I'd be calling up if he is. The one getting plenty for the England Lions, including opening in the last match.

Although saying that, Morgan coming back would be awesome.

 

[War]

After this world KP cant open long term, that is madness IMO.

Gotta go back to either Davies/Kieswetter opening with Strauss. Plus the middle order (#3-7) needs a bit of restructuring also since on Trott/KP/Morgan are obviously certainties.

 

[aussie1st]

England's Pietersen out of World Cup

Well we aren't the only ones bringing back a player that was ruled out. Guess Bell will open the batting or they will go back to Prior. The selectors have stuffed up big time though, Davies did nothing wrong to be dropped for Pror.

 

[sami ullah khan]

I think they should recall Davies and have him open. Prior can play as a batsman or he can be replaced by Collingwoond. colly's bowling on these pitches could also be handy. His 110kph offcutters can be hard to handle imo.

 

[Owzat]

England's Pietersen out of World Cup

Well we aren't the only ones bringing back a player that was ruled out. Guess Bell will open the batting or they will go back to Prior. The selectors have stuffed up big time though, Davies did nothing wrong to be dropped for Pror.

Agree.

Not sure about recalling Davies, no keeper has really been a success as opener for England and I feel it would be a waste to have two keepers in the side.

I'd maybe open with Trott, apprehensive as he's scored 62, 16, 92 and 52 this World Cup and been massive. His SR isn't perfect, but he plays a solid anchor role around which dashers can score.

He has opened for England before in ODIs, just twice, scoring fifties both times and with a whopping average of 139.00

vs SAF: 87 off 119 balls (ENG won by 7 wkts)
vs SAF : 52no off 77 balls (ENG won by 7 wkts)

Not the world's fastest SR, but SR isn't everything and wickets in hand late on, as made possible by an opener building a solid innings and few early wickets lost, can promote a bigger bash at the end. Strikes me as rather odd anyway, I mean having two dashers opening who could get out early and having a relative plodder at #3

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Opened 14 times.

1st position 	2008-2009 	4 	4 	0 	85 	60 	21.25 	131 	64.88 	0 	1 	1 	11 	0 	
2nd position 	2009-2009 	10 	10 	0 	324 	49 	32.40 	454 	71.36 	0 	0 	0 	29 	4

Not terrible, but not where he should be. He is a very dangerous player at the end of the innings.

Herein lies the problem for me with all this "pinch-hitting" business, putting someone who is a good late innings hitter up the order against the new ball which they aren't necessarily used to facing. Nixon did a decent job down the order, I'd rather have those hitters down the order for the late slog AGAINST THE OLD(ER) BALL.

That said, didn't Bops open for Essex in one dayers? Might have been #3, but when I used to play fantasy cricket I'm sure he was well up the order

 

[Themer]

Not sure about recalling Davies, no keeper has really been a success as opener for England and I feel it would be a waste to have two keepers in the side.

In relation to this World Cup I agree he shouldn't be recalled as having two keepers is a complete waste. In the long term Davies should be given a proper run at the top of the innings as he had been playing very well as he was.

He's also not a makeshift opener.

 

[jonah]

Agree.


I'd maybe open with Trott, apprehensive as he's scored 62, 16, 92 and 52 this World Cup and been massive. His SR isn't perfect, but he plays a solid anchor role around which dashers can score.

He has opened for England before in ODIs, just twice, scoring fifties both times and with a whopping average of 139.00

vs SAF: 87 off 119 balls (ENG won by 7 wkts)
vs SAF : 52no off 77 balls (ENG won by 7 wkts)

Not the world's fastest SR, but SR isn't everything and wickets in hand late on, as made possible by an opener building a solid innings and few early wickets lost, can promote a bigger bash at the end. Strikes me as rather odd anyway, I mean having two dashers opening who could get out early and having a relative plodder at #3

Yep, I'd be happy with Trott opening. It'd give Strauss more freedom to play while Trott plays the 'anchor' role.

On the plus side, I think I heard that Morgan is coming in for KP. Every cloud has a silver lining.

 

[Owzat]

In the long term Davies should be given a proper run at the top of the innings as he had been playing very well as he was.

He's also not a makeshift opener.

I didn't say he was, I said no keeper has really been a success for England. Davies may average 34.14 opening for England thus far, but that is only over seven innings and not a long term success. Given time I'd expect that to drop down to mid-20s like all the other plethora of keepers England have opened with.

It's also not the cleverest tactic, if fielding first then the keeper has to concentrate for 50 overs before opening the batting. It's so much better if England just use someone else to open, no reason Davies can't bat down the order (or not at all, I think too many fixate on keepers, if it isn't Jones vs Read it's something else)

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On the plus side, I think I heard that Morgan is coming in for KP. Every cloud has a silver lining.

Yeah, shame really as England could have gone with someone who is a more useful spinner than KP. Then again England already dug their grave by including Yardystick, Shight and Tredcarefully. There's three wasted spaces, although Yardy has been used and done like the Football Association (FA)

I wonder if Shight wasn't picked deliberately as a sub fielder, would make sense given he's a sub(standard) cricketer.

 

[Themer]

It's so much better if England just use someone else to open, no reason Davies can't bat down the order

If we were to do that we'd be committing the same mistakes that we did in trying to get Prior to open, batting them out of position. Davies is an opening batsmen, unlike the plethora of other keepers who've tried, which allows us to have a much more balanced team. Davies strengths are clearing the in field during the powerplays against pace something which would be negated if he were asked to come in down the order.

 

[Sureshot]

Thing is, I can't see how they can use Prior to open for the rest of the tournament, I don't think it makes any sense given the decision they've made to put him down the order. Trott can and often does bat long, he may not be aggressive as KP, but he will put bad balls away and he can attack.

Morgan is the right player to come in, but only if Trott opens, I think Strauss is more than aggressive enough to open the innings, his S/R has been 95 over the last 25 games, which is damn good.

 

[Haarithan]

How about giving Morgan the gloves likewise the Champions trophy match against South Africa ?? Just a gamble , but a gamble worth it , given Prior drops catches , misses stumpings (2,1 yesterday IIRC) . In that case , Prior is eliminated from the playing XI , Colly/Wright can as well come in (the latter can open the innings too) .

Strauss *
Trott
Bell
Morgan +
Bopara ^ (he being not given the ball dumbfounds me)
Collingwood / Wright ^
Bresnan ^
Yardy ^
Broad ^
Swann ^
Anderson ^

Still looks a very fragile batting lineup to me .

 

[MUFC1987]

Prior needs to open now. It's not like he can score any less runs than he has down the order and it makes no sense to move Trott, Bell or Bopara who have done well where they are. Morgan and Bopara at 6 and 7 gives us a chance of chasing any runrate late on. As long as Prior doesn't bat long for hardly any runs, it won't hurt us.

 

[War]

Prior needs to open now. It's not like he can score any less runs than he has down the order and it makes no sense to move Trott, Bell or Bopara who have done well where they are. Morgan and Bopara at 6 and 7 gives us a chance of chasing any runrate late on. As long as Prior doesn't bat long for hardly any runs, it won't hurt us.

Ye letting Prior open if the best temporary fix ATM. Since moving any one of Bell, Trott, Bopara to open (especially Bopara who possibly could be reviving his ODI career as a middle-order batsman, after his previous struggles opening) wont make sense.

But of course after the WC, Prior would have to go. God damn look @ the crazy confusion these selectors have caused

 

[used2bcool]

@ Haarithan: You have a point in dropping Prior but that batting lineup with Bresnan at seven is just not good enough, methinks. And why persist with Yardy? He's done nothing of note...ever. Don't England have someone better?

Like War and MUFC said, put Prior at the top of the order and give him full license to swing for the fences. Let him go nuts. Think it's a T20. Think he's the genetic combination of Sehwag and Tendulkar. Whatever works for him. He can't possibly be worse than he is at 7. If it comes off, the English management get to look like geniuses.

Are you guys telling me that England haven't picked a backup keeper? Their selectors must be as stupid as their Indian counterparts!