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Earlier this week, we wrote about England’s back-up bowlers for The Wisden Cricketer, saying they were all a bit samey. The one guy we didn’t mention was our former One To Watch, Steven Finn.
Finn actually got picked to make his Test debut against Bangladesh and it’s the fact that he’s not an 85mph swing bowler and lower-order batsman that got him the nod. He went for a few runs early on, but we tend to ignore a player’s first few Tests when sizing them up. Debutants are racked with nerves and rarely give a good account of themselves.
Far better to look at what he offers that others can’t. For a start, Finn’s six foot seven. That’s always handy. As regards his bowling speed, he was bowling 87mph in his first over. That bodes well.
87mph is pretty much par for the course for England pace bowlers, but if Finn gets up to that speed in his first over, you can guarantee he can top 90mph. England really need that.
The one downside is that his Test selection is bad news for the National Cricket Academy at Loughborough. Who’s going to trim the top of that hedge now?
Let’s just hope that he doesn’t cry out for his momma in the middle of a tour, like a certain other tall and fast bowler….
Wait, he’s from Loughborough?!
He has my undivided and unflinching support.
Sakib Al Hasan.. Now the real time to hand over ur captaincy to the Mashrafi Bin Mortuza bez ur captaincy effect ur performance & also effect Bangladesh team. So it will be the right decision to hand over ur captaincy to the real captain. few days ago Sakib u said that u don’t want Mashrafi but I hope u forget that Mashrafi is our main & key fast bowler & last few month it just prove & prove again. Tamim & Mahmudullah both of u done a fantastic job. Tamim keep ur brain cool bez Bangladesh team need a good performance from u. http://www.greentigers.yolasite.com
Jake, sorry, he only spends time there because it’s where the National Academy’s based.
I enjoyed the post match debate about Finn on Sky between Nick Knight and the anchor whose name is unknown to me. I paraphrase:
Knight: It’s silly that people talk about a new bowler making his test debut and thinking about what he can offer in the Ashes at the end of the year. He’s making his debut, give him a break, don’t put silly pressure on him.
Anchor (Turning to Sir Bob): Yes, it’s the Ashes at the end of the year. What can Finn bring to England’s bowling attack?
yet another cunt in the English team. this guy is like a tall Ian Bell.
Bloody hell, you don’t get much of a grace period these days, do you?
well he’s been around 20 years before I called him a cunt.
I was just about to hit submit for my little ode to Rahul Dravid, and he got out. I want to kill myself. A good IPL post might stop me though. Please?
And how long have you been around, achieving diddly squat, in order to earn the expletive I have in mind for you, e normous?
Just asking!!
As for Finn, I know he has the potential to be special, so your nonsense can only be the product of pathetic envy, e normous.
i actually like e normous’ attitude.
Cunt until proven otherwise. Same logic as applied to the australian cricket team. Pack of cunts.
sorry that should have read:
“as applied to australians.”