The Ashes: Adelaide.

[Durhamfootman]

Mark is batting as if their is a tailender at other end or as if the team is 9 wickets down and he is in 90's and needs to get 100 before other batsman gets out. Too impatient here. Should see off the new ball then try to take it on like Warner and Sehwhack.

He isn't clever enough for that, which is why England tried 11 other opening partners for Cook, before turning to him. They knew what he was like, and it made them very uncertain about giving him his chance

[Dr Cricket]

Ather basically saying what I was banging on a lot last year about how tosses are mostly irrelevant.
It’s a toss-up whether batting first is a genuine advantage in Ashes

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/19b1f ... 25fa742a9e

[meninblue]

Mark is batting as if their is a tailender at other end or as if the team is 9 wickets down and he is in 90's and needs to get 100 before other batsman gets out. Too impatient here. Should see off the new ball then try to take it on like Warner and Sehwhack.

He isn't clever enough for that, which is why England tried 11 other opening partners for Cook, before turning to him. They knew what he was like, and it made them very uncertain about giving him his chance

Haseeb Hameed showed a lot of temperament to see off the new ball, although he imo was unreasonably criticized for tortoise like scoring rate. Not sure what has happened to him. Is he not seeing of the new ball in county matches as well? Or is he not being picked because he did not convert starts into 50's and 100's on tour of India.

Strauss has not been replaced yet. Strauss even in his bad patch (in last couple of years when he averaged 30) was still seeing off the new ball more often than not even though he did not score many runs. At least that made the task of batters following him easier.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Haseeb had a horror season with his county and suffered a couple of injuries. No hundreds and three fifties in 21 innings. Average 28.5.

Even so, a higher average than Jennings in CC2.

Stoneman scored the most tons (Sanga apart) in CC1 last season.

[meninblue]

Haseeb had a horror season with his county and suffered a couple of injuries. No hundreds and three fifties in 21 innings. Average 28.5.

Even so, a higher average than Jennings in CC2.

Stoneman scored the most tons (Sanga apart) in CC1 last season.

Thanks, Arthur. Given Hameeds form mentioned in your post, selectors are justified in not picking him.

Mark's selection is obviously justified given his county form. I haven't watched Mark bat apart from todays innings, but does he usually plays shots in the air (like the cut shot) so early in the innings as an opener. Considering that he was the 2nd highest ton scorer this county season that too in Divison 1, he must have seen off the new ball carefully - which makes me think why he did not attempt to see off the new ball today.

[sussexpob]

Mark's selection is obviously justified given his county form. I haven't watched Mark bat apart from todays innings, but does he usually plays shots in the air (like the cut shot) so early in the innings as an opener. Considering that he was the 2nd highest ton scorer this county season that too in Divison 1, he must have seen off the new ball carefully - which makes me think why he did not attempt to see off the new ball today.

I believe the cut shot is a strength for him. That, and driving more square than through the covers. Durham/Surrey lot here might disagree, but thats what I get from him. His main strength is vs spin when the bowlers drag it short, hes onto that cut shot like a flash.

I said this to Westoelad at the end of the Summer tests, but he doesnt move his feet very much at all, and he sometimes waves his hands out to feel for the ball. A really good example was in the Lords Final in the OD cup, when he aired a drive (and was dropped by a sitter) that he really stretched for with his feet rooted the whole way through. The feet dont get to the pitch, and at times you feel hes not really knowing where his hands are either. Many players are all hand eye now, but this is less convincing, that rather than picking up the ball line and trusting his hands, its more his feet dont move, and hes shoving his arms out guessing, not judging the ball flight to any degree of certainty.

Westo made a fair point, that he had played in seamer friendly conditions at Durham against the new ball, and had stood up well, so it couldnt have been that much of a problem.

Im not convinced personally. He is sadly representative of a lot of England players we have tested recently, and by that I mean a player with obvious qualities in some aspects, but with a lot of negatives too. I think its asking a lot to make him a test cricketer.

Might be proved wrong, who knows.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Looks like he's a rare example of an England batter who went to state schools

[Durhamfootman]

which, presumably, will never do

[sussexpob]

Looks like he's a rare example of an England batter who went to state schools

Yet, he passed the Flower test, so he must have.

[Durhamfootman]

Stonemercenary is a very aggressive opening bat, who modelled himself on Michael DiVenuto. Any width at all and he'll go after it. Easy pickings for bowlers with good control, because he can be frustrated in just a handful of tight overs and go after balls that he has no business going after. Durham fans know him as someone who regularly makes rapid 20's 30's and 40's and then gives it away, but if you bowl badly at him, he'll punish you all day.

As long as the Aussie bowlers bowl badly at him a lot, he should have a fine series

[Arthur Crabtree]

A new Tresco?

[sussexpob]

A new Tresco?

When Stoneman scores a series winning 180 at the Wanderers, vs an attack of Pollock,Steyn, Ntini and Kallis, we can give him that tag.....

[Arthur Crabtree]

England don't tour SA for a couple of years and that lot will be in the commentary box.

[Durhamfootman]

A new Tresco?

When Stoneman scores a series winning 180 at the Wanderers, vs an attack of Pollock,Steyn, Ntini and Kallis, we can give him that tag.....

might have to settle for Perth. He might like perth actually

[Durhamfootman]

A new Tresco?

perhaps not