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Jun 2015
3:40pm, 25 Jun 2015
6,965 posts
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rf_fozzy
"inferior test opposition" for which I can assume you mean Australia and South Africa only?
I always thought India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka were pretty good.
In the latest rankings, England are 5th on a rating of 97, India are 4th on 97, SL 7th on 96 and NZ are 3rd on 99.
I'll give you the WI, but most of Ballance's runs came against India and SL last year - he was poor in the two tests against NZ though, I will concede that.
Hick and Ramprakash were a victim of the score runs immediately or you're dropped policy. I think had they come into the test team now, with the more supportive off-field attitude, they'd have achieved significantly more.
The standard of the team they came into (at the point when we really started to struggle) also didn't help.
236 FC centuries between them, 8 in tests - 3.4% Correct.
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Jun 2015
3:41pm, 25 Jun 2015
6,966 posts
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rf_fozzy
*Australia and South Africa count as "real" test opposition only*
Sorry, typo
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Jun 2015
4:25pm, 25 Jun 2015
9,579 posts
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Wriggling Snake
Sure Balance has done well, and I don't think I'd drop him, but it looks to me as If he is sitting onhis stumps a bit, and the aussie quicks will get him chaply unless he rectifies that. So it's not instant gratification on my part, just saying what I see. He currently has a problem and currently isn't batting well, if it carries on, he'll be a problem. At 2 and 3 we have 2 new players, with the attack Autralia has, we can be 20-2 all series, and as good as Root is playing, you don't want that all series.
I agree there, no way can England call NZ, SL and India Inferior, but they don't have the attack Australia do. You do wonder how well Hick and Ramps would have done with a little more help.
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Jun 2015
4:43pm, 25 Jun 2015
10,862 posts
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TRO Saracen
Problem with Hick and Ramps wasn't that they kept getting dropped, it was they kept getting picked. Should have rumbled something was missing in them both much earlier.
It would be like Peter Moores goibg back to the County game, coaching well again then getting another shot at the England job, before arsing up again. And going through the cycle a 4th, 5th, 6th and gawd knows how many more times. After 2 goes we KNOW he can't cut it.
To be fair neither had an early run of form as good as Ballance had, which buys him some time, but he neds to sort that problem quickly. He's one nurdler too many in my book, so he wouldn't get long...
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Jun 2015
4:45pm, 25 Jun 2015
4,796 posts
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Too Much Water
Fozzy my numbers off Hick and Ramps were approximate, I hadn't looked them up. Still pleasing to see I was more or less right. Hick was a flat track bully, I think they both lacked the temperament for Test Cricket, great skills but mentally a bit flaky. Less gifted, but tougher players did better at Test level in that area (the Gaffer, Nasser for example).
I wasn't having a go at Ballance - he's done very well, can't deny that. However if he does get worked out by a superb pace attack due to technique and gets out cheaply, then he's got work to do, which may need to be done outside of the Test arena. I do want England to do well, you seem to take any constructive comments about Yorkshire CCC very personally!
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Jun 2015
5:19pm, 25 Jun 2015
9,581 posts
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Wriggling Snake
It'll be a good series, I hav the Kent v Australia game on the radio, bit of a weak team, and they let them bat first (which I don't think they should had), but they sound pretty much in form.
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Jun 2015
5:19pm, 25 Jun 2015
9,582 posts
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Wriggling Snake
There's a streaker!!!
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Jun 2015
5:20pm, 25 Jun 2015
9,583 posts
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Wriggling Snake
ah he was in speedo's and he tried to put a tent up on the outfileld!!!
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Jun 2015
1:27pm, 29 Jun 2015
6,968 posts
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rf_fozzy
Not long to the Ashes now...
Meanwhile, another ton by Bairstow and Tim Bresnan's highest FC score to take Yorkshire from a precarious position against Durham to a very strong one...
England's loss is Yorkshire's gain!
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Jun 2015
2:20pm, 29 Jun 2015
13,045 posts
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The Teaboy
Hick would be immense in current ODI cricket.
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The Ashes 2009
Jun 2022
