Who's Sorry Now: Down by the Riverside

[westoelad]

Had Woakes been fit I doubt that Wood makes the test team. Seems ridiculous that the importance of Lions fixtures is always trumpeted by FTECB yet when it comes to prospects needed to step up we don't have anyone ready to do so. Surprise, Surprise! Yet another FTECB cock up. Obviously Wood needs to be replaced and an additional problem is there's no one playing red ball cricket. Der, we never thought of that FTECB.

[captaincolly]

Had Woakes been fit I doubt that Wood makes the test team. Seems ridiculous that the importance of Lions fixtures is always trumpeted by FTECB yet when it comes to prospects needed to step up we don't have anyone ready to do so. Surprise, Surprise! Yet another FTECB cock up. Obviously Wood needs to be replaced and an additional problem is there's no one playing red ball cricket. Der, we never thought of that FTECB.

Yep. According to Lawrence Booth Woakes is unlikely to be considered at this stage because there are no red ball games for him to prove his fitness!

[captaincolly]

Other issue that is always there with Wood is what happens if he loses his central contract. Last year Lewis said we had the funds to retain him in the event of him losing the England deal but he's said a few things that turned out to be wrong.
Lack of major signings over the Winter and the usual problems trying to replace an overseas player ( other counties seem to find it relatively straightforward ) suggests to me money is still tight.
On balance I think Wood will retain his England deal because they want him to play a big role in the Ashes but you never know what FTECB will do.

[westoelad]

Had Woakes been fit I doubt that Wood makes the test team. Seems ridiculous that the importance of Lions fixtures is always trumpeted by FTECB yet when it comes to prospects needed to step up we don't have anyone ready to do so. Surprise, Surprise! Yet another FTECB cock up. Obviously Wood needs to be replaced and an additional problem is there's no one playing red ball cricket. Der, we never thought of that FTECB.

Yep. According to Lawrence Booth Woakes is unlikely to be considered at this stage because there are no red ball games for him to prove his fitness!

Scheduling the Lions v S. Africa A series for July rather than June would have alleviated that problem! Additionally would have meant players involved would have missed a couple of T20's rather than championship fixtures.

[westoelad]

Other issue that is always there with Wood is what happens if he loses his central contract. Last year Lewis said we had the funds to retain him in the event of him losing the England deal but he's said a few things that turned out to be wrong.
Lack of major signings over the Winter and the usual problems trying to replace an overseas player ( other counties seem to find it relatively straightforward ) suggests to me money is still tight.
On balance I think Wood will retain his England deal because they want him to play a big role in the Ashes but you never know what FTECB will do.

Knowing what FTECB would do is a frightening thought!

[Durhamfootman]

FTECB!

[captaincolly]

Other issue that is always there with Wood is what happens if he loses his central contract. Last year Lewis said we had the funds to retain him in the event of him losing the England deal but he's said a few things that turned out to be wrong.
Lack of major signings over the Winter and the usual problems trying to replace an overseas player ( other counties seem to find it relatively straightforward ) suggests to me money is still tight.
On balance I think Wood will retain his England deal because they want him to play a big role in the Ashes but you never know what FTECB will do.

Knowing what FTECB would do is a frightening thought!

You're right! We're better off not knowing what disastrous ideas they have in mind!

FTECB!

[wearside willow]

Think you guys will have Mark Wood back pretty soon

So do I unless he starts getting wickets. According to one of the newspapers today England still regard him as a key player for the Ashes but may well rest him from the Windies series. If his form doesn't pick up it might be a long rest!
According to Ottis Gibson he's had a sore heel in this match and that's a reason his pace has been down here. Still questions to be answered about his ability to maintain pace /fitness throughout a series.

I watched him bowl in that first championship match of the season against notts and his pace was way down. I put it down to easing himself back into things, but in that match compared to Pattinson and even Ball he looked meduim pace.
You have probably seen more of him than any of us this season does he look like he may have lost that yard of pace?

The other problem with Woody is that he has spent so much time injured over the years nobody actually knows that much about him. Whether he can bowl regularly at 90mph or is that just an occasional spell here and there.

[wearside willow]

Had Woakes been fit I doubt that Wood makes the test team. Seems ridiculous that the importance of Lions fixtures is always trumpeted by FTECB yet when it comes to prospects needed to step up we don't have anyone ready to do so. Surprise, Surprise! Yet another FTECB cock up. Obviously Wood needs to be replaced and an additional problem is there's no one playing red ball cricket. Der, we never thought of that FTECB.

They have played half the county championship schedule though so the players have played plenty of championship cricket. I think the problem is the usual one county cricket is full of meduim pacers and England are crying out for a bowler with pace, that why they are pinning their hopes on Wood.

[captaincolly]

Think you guys will have Mark Wood back pretty soon

So do I unless he starts getting wickets. According to one of the newspapers today England still regard him as a key player for the Ashes but may well rest him from the Windies series. If his form doesn't pick up it might be a long rest!
According to Ottis Gibson he's had a sore heel in this match and that's a reason his pace has been down here. Still questions to be answered about his ability to maintain pace /fitness throughout a series.

I watched him bowl in that first championship match of the season against notts and his pace was way down. I put it down to easing himself back into things, but in that match compared to Pattinson and even Ball he looked meduim pace.
You have probably seen more of him than any of us this season does he look like he may have lost that yard of pace?

The other problem with Woody is that he has spent so much time injured over the years nobody actually knows that much about him. Whether he can bowl regularly at 90mph or is that just an occasional spell here and there.

I thought the same thing in the Notts match - first game back so would be rusty. I think that's the only time I've seen him live this year-can't remember him playing any other games at the Riverside but if he did he mustn't have done anything memorable!
Speed wise I thought he looked OK on TV in the first test and maybe just a bit out of luck but he's looked innocuous in the current game.

[westoelad]

Think you guys will have Mark Wood back pretty soon

So do I unless he starts getting wickets. According to one of the newspapers today England still regard him as a key player for the Ashes but may well rest him from the Windies series. If his form doesn't pick up it might be a long rest!
According to Ottis Gibson he's had a sore heel in this match and that's a reason his pace has been down here. Still questions to be answered about his ability to maintain pace /fitness throughout a series.

I watched him bowl in that first championship match of the season against notts and his pace was way down. I put it down to easing himself back into things, but in that match compared to Pattinson and even Ball he looked meduim pace.
You have probably seen more of him than any of us this season does he look like he may have lost that yard of pace?

The other problem with Woody is that he has spent so much time injured over the years nobody actually knows that much about him. Whether he can bowl regularly at 90mph or is that just an occasional spell here and there.

I'm not sure that anyone can or should try to bowl regularly at 90 mph. Anyone capable of bowling at that speed should be used in short spells maybe 3x5 per day. Not sure England have the resources to use Wood that way especially in back to back tests.

[wearside willow]

Yes he has looked very ordinary in this test match.

[captaincolly]

After the match today when Ottis Gibson was interviewed , Sky were showing Wood bowling at Lords where his pace was pretty good - he was landing heel first. In this match he is planting his foot down flat & Ottis said that's because he has a sore heel and implied that change in delivery stride is why his pace is down.
I suppose the question is - is the heel injury just a niggle or is yet another major concern that he struggles with back to back tests let alone a full test series?

[westoelad]

After the match today when Ottis Gibson was interviewed , Sky were showing Wood bowling at Lords where his pace was pretty good - he was landing heel first. In this match he is planting his foot down flat & Ottis said that's because he has a sore heel and implied that change in delivery stride is why his pace is down.
I suppose the question is - is the heel injury just a niggle or is yet another major concern that he struggles with back to back tests let alone a full test series?

Seems the England physios went to the same finishing school as Wor Nige.

[captaincolly]

After the match today when Ottis Gibson was interviewed , Sky were showing Wood bowling at Lords where his pace was pretty good - he was landing heel first. In this match he is planting his foot down flat & Ottis said that's because he has a sore heel and implied that change in delivery stride is why his pace is down.
I suppose the question is - is the heel injury just a niggle or is yet another major concern that he struggles with back to back tests let alone a full test series?

Seems the England physios went to the same finishing school as Wor Nige.

Yep!