New Zealand in England May - June 2013

[Owzat]

Compton's problem isn't really that he's not good enough; it's his age.
If you're already 29 you'd better be scoring big runs regularly to stay in the team in my opinion. Root is clearly the long-term prospect.

While it's early to judge on any of them, what with most of their career being against the kiwis who ain't exactly world beaters, Compton does need to have scored more runs. You can't stay in the side off the back of a career average, or scoring a couple of hundreds a while back, or a century against India etc

On which note Bell has just failed to register a score again. Bell may be saved by the absence of KP and Compton's poor form. The selectors will have noted Compton's 9.75 series average, will probably disregard or not even check Bell's of 18.25 - Bairstow's 1st innings 64 is only seven runs less than Bell's series aggregate.



Anyway, good innings by Cook, I just trust he won't play too cautious and delay a declaration too long, I'd not bat too long after lunch and leave just over 400 as I said earlier. The kiwi totals in the series so far only add up to 449, what odds batting last on a pitch where no one has scored over 354* that they'll suddenly make 400+ ....................?!?!?

*unless England bat on that long and blow their chances of winning completely

From the BBC website

: For pity's sake, declare. Make a match of it. NZ are not going to score 400.

The problem with captains past and present is they work out a runs per session equation, and see five sessions and 400+ targets as runs per session, even though it is done so very rarely and you can only score runs when you have wickets left.

In seven sessions 23 wickets have fallen, that makes it likely the kiwis won't bat 4-5 sessions. If the kiwis did somehow score say 427 to win then take your cap off and say they played well, they'd have deserved it.

 

[Skater]

There's rain not far away from Headingley apparently, in Preston, and the forecast for tomorrow is as bad as day one. I'd declare right now if I was Cook.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

same, he's fine already score wise, if this was day three then fair enough, let trott get his ton or whatever, but tomorrow has a lot of rain forecast.

declare now and at least get a chance to bowl with clouds overhead.

 

[MUFC1987]

2 hundreds do not change the fact he is not good enough for us.

But Bairstow is? Show me that proof.

Compton's problem isn't really that he's not good enough; it's his age.
If you're already 29 you'd better be scoring big runs regularly to stay in the team in my opinion. Root is clearly the long-term prospect.

Why does age matter? You pick the best player for the Task at hand. I couldn't care less if our average age is 34 as long as we win the Ashes. The next 10 Tests are much too important to pick players for the future.

Bairstow has made a couple of decent half centuries, yet people think he's good enough to force Root to move up to open, when he does look good in the middle order? That's crazy.

On Root, Test cricket is full of players doing well down the order and then being moved up in time. Look at Australia with the likes of Ponting for example. Why the rush to move him now? Let him get more runs where he's comfortable.

 

[Skater]

This is ridiculous. What is Cook waiting for? Declare! You are asking for this to be a draw.

 

[barmyarmy]

Why does age matter? You pick the best player for the Task at hand. I couldn't care less if our average age is 34 as long as we win the Ashes. The next 10 Tests are much too important to pick players for the future.

Bairstow has made a couple of decent half centuries, yet people think he's good enough to force Root to move up to open, when he does look good in the middle order? That's crazy.

On Root, Test cricket is full of players doing well down the order and then being moved up in time. Look at Australia with the likes of Ponting for example. Why the rush to move him now? Let him get more runs where he's comfortable.

It does matter. It's about picking the player with more potential in the long term. If you're going to have an older player coming into the team he has to be scoring big runs. He can't get the same chances as the younger players.

 

[MUFC1987]

That makes no sense. I can maybe understand that for One Day cricket, leading up to a World Cup, but what you're saying is, that you'd rather have a 20 year old averaging 30 than a 30 year old averaging 40, in the Ashes?

I'm glad you're not picking the team, the Australians would love it.

 

[barmyarmy]

In this case the 20 year old is averaging 40 and the 30 year old 30 though.

 

[MUFC1987]

Well, first and foremost I was talking hypothetically, but secondly, is Bairstow's average up to 40 now?

 

[Haarithan]

Compton could fail another 10 innings with the bat and I'd still rate him over Bairstow. KP for Bairstow should absolutely be the only change in time for the Ashes, IMO.

 

[barmyarmy]

Well I've got Root opening with Cook.
Bairstow vs Compton for 6? Would give it to the ginger one at the moment as we have too many grinders in the top order already.

 

[Haarithan]

Regarding Joe Root, why fix something that ain't broken? He's gelling extremely well at #5, so promoting him to open the innings along with Cook presents the additional risk of him probably not scoring as freely as he is at #5 (the other risk being Bairstow starting).

 

[MUFC1987]

If Compton and Bairstow played for each others clubs, then I'm sure the majority of people backing Bairstow would change their mind. He's good, but he's not ready yet. He was averaging 20 odd before this Test, yet that's good enough to usurp Root in that middle order? Madness.

 

[Skater]

Not right now, but it's clear Root is destined to open for England.

 

[vaibhavtewatia]

How would shifting Root up the order help. Just bring in an extra opener. There must be some talented young batsmen coming up, isn't it? Root is undoubtedly a middle order sensation, could tell that the way he played in his first series against India.

Bairstow certainly needs to play more. Bell is disappointing as each inning passes. So its unfair if Bairstow doesn't make it to the Ashes. I'd rather that Bell is omitted now.

Btw, whats up with James Vince? Isn't he performing good enough to make it to the higher level now?