Bell End

[crodonilson]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/34866711

About time too, interesting to see Compton back, personally I'd have gone for Carberry but a step in the right direction.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Didn't see that coming. Great to see Ballance back, but hopefully they'll drop him down the order a little. Would be nice to see Taylor at 3, Root at 4, Ballance at 5, Stokes at 6

 

[BensGrandad]

Didn't see that coming. Great to see Ballance back, but hopefully they'll drop him down the order a little. Would be nice to see Taylor at 3, Root at 4, Ballance at 5, Stokes at 6

Assume that is with Hales opening or Compton which is your choice?

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Assume that is with Hales opening or Compton which is your choice?

I think it's Hales turn, but I'm not too bothered either way to be honest

 

[jimhigham]

Top thread title

 

[matthew]

Finally. The most overrated player ever.

 

[lawros left foot]

When I saw the title of this, I thought it was another Palace thread

 

[Finch]

I couldn't believe how poor he was when the Kiwis toured. Those slip drops ...

 

[Braggfan]

Taylor is great and should have been given more of a chance in the test side before now.

But I find it bizarre that after the way they treated Compton and dropped him like a stone for so long, and continued to overlook him even when he was playing well during the whole time we were scratching around desperate for another opener, that suddenly almost out of nowhere he’s back in the side. I like Compton, and thought he should have had another chance a while back, but to be honest I didn’t expect him to ever play again.

I can’t make my mind up with Bell. He’s been out of form for a while, but he’s had dips before and then when he’s come good again he’s been world class. I think he’s a better batsman than Ballance and Bairstow and I genuinely think he’s got a good few years left in him, BUT I can’t argue that he’s out of form and I like the idea of letting someone like Balance or Bairstow have time out in the middle to potentially cement a place as it would be better longer term for the strength of our batting order.

However the caveat to that plan is we must stick by whoever plays regardless of the series result. The last time we played South Africa, the top team in the world, we threw Taylor in before bombing him out into the wilderness. If we are trying to give players more experience and build our future batting order then I think whatever the outcome of this series, we can’t just pop them in the side and expect them to immediately be the answer to all our problems, especially against South Africa.

If we don’t stick by these players it would in my opinion it would be pointless dropping Bell, as you may as well have played him and hoped he refound his form.

 

[Uncle Buck]

The issue with Compton last time was he did not play the moving ball to well. Too often he was stuck in his crease, not moving his feet and a prime LBW candidate.

Not sure a technical fault like that can be sorted.

Ballance being back in makes some sense, he does play deep in his crease, but on the quick pitches down there, that should not be an issue.

Whilst the batting order is not sorted, the one thing they must not do is move Root from 4. He is doing well there, so do not move him to accommodate lesser players.

Boxing Day Line Up in Durban?

Cook
Hales
Taylor
Root
Ballance
Stokes
Butler
Ali
Broad
Footit
Anderson

 

[vegster]

Bell has had his chime i'm afraid.

 

[Gwylan]

Finally. The most overrated player ever.

Very unfair. Even after his recent slump, he still averages 42 - that's not the sign of a poor player. When he was at his best he looked streets ahead of any other batsman (KP excepted). This year his confidence has gone and he should have been dropped earlier but he's been a good servant for England.

Boxing Day Line Up in Durban?

Cook
Hales
Taylor
Root
Ballance
Stokes
Butler
Ali
Broad
Footit
Anderson

Think Bairstow will start ahead of Buttler but otherwise I think that's right. For the life of me, I can't work out why Patel is in the squad, the team is not short of batting and he's not in the top 10 spinners in the country

 

[Uncle Buck]

Think Bairstow will start ahead of Buttler but otherwise I think that's right. For the life of me, I can't work out why Patel is in the squad, the team is not short of batting and he's not in the top 10 spinners in the country

I think that Bairstow will get the nod, but he really needs to deliver. He has had plenty of chances and only a couple of notable scores. Also his keeping is not that great.

I suspect Patel is a good tourist as much as anything and he can cover a few roles.

 

[Gwylan]

I suspect Patel is a good tourist as much as anything and he can cover a few roles.

There's probably a Christmas buffet laid on for the tour party and the management want to ensure that nothing is left over ...

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

I am glad to see that they have had the guts to move on from Bell. I was beginning to think that he was never going to be dropped

He has been an absolute pleasure to watch but also so frustrating. He seemed to go on a run of 1,1,1,120,1,1,1,150

Which was great when he scored the high runs but infuriating when we just needed a solid fifty partnership and he fell early

 

[Braggfan]

Very unfair. Even after his recent slump, he still averages 42 - that's not the sign of a poor player. When he was at his best he looked streets ahead of any other batsman (KP excepted). This year his confidence has gone and he should have been dropped earlier but he's been a good servant for England.

I agree he's been a good servant, 42 average over 118 tests is very good. And he was particularly exceptional when we beat the Aussies down under.

 

[spring hall convert]

Think that's a pretty good selection. I too would go with Taylor at 3, I back him to dispel these doubts about him against top class pace bowling.

Broad and Anderson are going to have to bowl out of their skins to have us anywhere near. It doesn't look like they'll have too much support.

 

[spring hall convert]

Very unfair. Even after his recent slump, he still averages 42 - that's not the sign of a poor player. When he was at his best he looked streets ahead of any other batsman (KP excepted). This year his confidence has gone and he should have been dropped earlier but he's been a good servant for England.

I agree he's been a good servant, 42 average over 118 tests is very good. And he was particularly exceptional when we beat the Aussies down under.

These days - 42 is pretty average, especially for a player of Bell's talent. I'd rate Atherton's 37 higher when you bear in mind he opened up against great pace attacks from Australia, West Indies, South Africa and Pakistan. Even the good pace attacks round the world now, Australia, South Africa and possibly New Zealand with the odd exception don't tend to have bowlers with frightening pace and the pitches round the world are the best they've ever been.

 

[knocky1]

I suspect Patel is a good tourist as much as anything and he can cover a few roles.

He was deselected from the West Indies Tour for too many rolls back in 2009. "Fat, unfit and lazy" was how he was described.
I think he merits a place in the squad.

 

[Uncle Buck]

He was deselected from the West Indies Tour for too many rolls back in 2009. "Fat, unfit and lazy" was how he was described.
I think he merits a place in the squad.

Was that the tour where they sent him home to carry out a new fitness regime and when he reported back to the next training camp, he had actually put weight on?