England / India

Name England’s first choice one-day bowling attack

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Moeen Ali made 44, 10 and 55 in his first three one-day internationals (ODIs). He was opening the batting. Then they dropped him. Today he made 67 batting at seven.

Chris Woakes opened the bowling at Cardiff and took 4-52. He also opened the bowling in Nottingham. Today he was the fourth bowler used.

Harry Gurney took nine wickets at 22.55 in the series against Sri Lanka. He was dropped for the first match of this series.

Gary Ballance was England’s number three for that Sri Lanka series. He was clearly in form after the Tests. He too was dropped for the first match of this series.

James Tredwell has been the team’s most reliable bowler. He also made his highest ODI score in the last match. Today he was dropped.

It’s hard to avoid changing the team when they’re this bad

But it’s hard to avoid being this bad when the team is changed this much. We know ODIs demand a certain amount of squad rotation, but the players being rotated aren’t ready for it. They’re new to the side. They’re insecure. You rest stalwarts because they can cope with it, but England don’t have any of those because everyone’s tweaked out of the first XI long before they’ve had chance to settle.

Even Steven Finn, who’s played 40 times, said that he was nervous coming back into the side. Well why not prolong that nervousness by dropping him for the next game? Or why not change his role in the side so that he still feels new, even when he’s played several matches on the trot.

There are plenty of things wrong with England’s one-day side. This is another.

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25 comments

    1. Well why are so many of us moaning like crazy about it then?

      It is not their top priority, but nor is it Australia’s or South Africa’s and they seem to do okay.

    2. The solution is to stop moaning!

      If you didn’t care, the problem would go away. I’m fine and dandy today, better mood than normal.

  3. It has come to light that Ali Cook’s great-aunt, during the war, had a liaison with a Frenchman. It is also whispered that ‘French cut’ was initially a sex position involving two men, a blind horse, a rotund woman, a mule, and a sack of potatoes.

    So much for good families.

    1. As long as we upskill as a unit, Pat.

      Meanwhile I was wondering how we were all getting on at the fantasy game – I can’t even remember who I swapped in to my team.

      But it seems that All Out Cricket has joined the England Squad and KCs on-line top trumps game in the performance department this morning. I’ll probably forget all about the game now until the series is over – unless Sam posts a helpful reminder somewhere around here.

    2. The fantasy game?

      Much like England (and indeed All Out Cricket, it seems) I gave up after the first game. England and India picked the wrong players.

    3. I should have paid more attention when Darren Gough started shouting about x-factors whilst commentating on the CPL matches.

      I had everyone I wanted in place for the third match, thought they performed well enough, yet we continue to plummet down the the table.

      Clearly I’m next in line for coaching/selecting/captaining England’s ODI side.

    2. At one point yesterday, Knight suggested that a point from the back of the commentary box was being ‘muted’.

  10. Cricinfo’s County Cricket live feed seems to have come under fire from a heavy dose of overzealous moderation. Anyone here up for bitter sarcastic discussion about how Leicestershire can’t keep any of their decent players? Sniff.

    1. England has the same problem, Balladeer. That’s the cause and effect of our problems with the ODI side.

      It seems that many of our home grown Englishmen have an Australian uncle, a South African grandmother, an Indian tea chest or a sheep of New Zealand origin.

      These players, upon whom we have lavished education and the finest cricket training that television rights money can buy, then depart our shores and play as mercenaries for these other nations…

      …or am I getting all confused again?

    2. Thinking about Leicestershire makes me more depressed than thinking about England.

      Still, Angus Robson looks promising. I expect he’ll do well for Notts.

      On the plus side, Eckersley’s been rubbish this year, so he’ll probably stick around.

    3. I hadn’t looked at the news today. Everyone knew Thakor would leave after the debacle with his injury, but to Derby? Buck would be a loss, though. Another player whould prefer not to play for Lancs?

      Something is totally rotten at Leics. Players are leaving to be 2nd XI players at other sides.

  11. Oh, I think I know this one.

    Laker
    Locke
    Trueman
    Jimmy
    Botham (clothed preferably)

    Or maybe

    Warne
    McGrath
    Murali
    Kumble
    Imran Khan

    1. He conceded more runs than he scored however, meaning that England’s management have already filed him under “unnecessarily profligate”.

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