[Cricket] Cricket- 3rd Test, Oval, September 6th-10th, 2024, Sri Lanka tour of England

[Eeyore]

Final helping of the Test summer.

England unchanged apart from the bizarre, but perhaps brilliant, selection of Josh Hull. I wonder that there is something of the George Garton there in the selection and that the management feel he will suit the Oval pitch with its pace and bounce.

In the days of Harry Brind, the Oval was one of the best pitches on the planet, the curtain would close each summer at this famous old ground. Hopefully there will be a feast of splendid cricket from both sides and we will take our fill.

Weather a bit dicey at first, perhaps settling later. Not sure we will starting on time on the morrow.

 

[A1X]

We’re going to need a bigger boat…

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Final helping of the Test summer.

England unchanged apart from the bizarre, but perhaps brilliant, selection of Josh Hull. I wonder that there is something of the George Garton there in the selection and that the management feel he will suit the Oval pitch with its pace and bounce.

In the days of Harry Brind, the Oval was one of the best pitches on the planet, the curtain would close each summer at this famous old ground. Hopefully there will be a feast of splendid cricket from both sides and we will take our fill.

Weather a bit dicey at first, perhaps settling later. Not sure we will starting on time on the morrow.

It is a nonsense selection. It is isn't 'brave' or 'inspired'. It is stupid, and frankly an insult to a dozen or more young county bowlers, working hard for their own chance.

This lad has been picked for no other reasons than he's tall, and left handed. those are handy attributes, no doubt, and things that should rightly elevate him above other COMPARABLE prospects. But not above other young bowlers with a body of succesfull work behind them.

Hull has played TEN first class matches, and taken a paltry 16 wickets, at 67 apiece. He doesn't seemingly bat at all - averaging a laughable 3.75 in FC matches.

By all means identify the kid. By all means select him for training camps, or blood him in net sessions with the Test side. If he's ready, send him on a Lions Tour.

Handing him a Test cap is a kick in the teeth to County pros, devalues Test cricket as the pinnacle, disrespects Sri Lanka, and puts far too much pressure on a kid with no real match experience to lean on.

And even if he goes and takes ten wickets in this match, I still won't have it that this is anything other than a poor decision.

 

[MJsGhost]

It is a nonsense selection. It is isn't 'brave' or 'inspired'. It is stupid, and frankly an insult to a dozen or more young county bowlers, working hard for their own chance.

This lad has been picked for no other reasons than he's tall, and left handed. those are handy attributes, no doubt, and things that should rightly elevate him above other COMPARABLE prospects. But not above other young bowlers with a body of succesfull work behind them.

Hull has played TEN first class matches, and taken a paltry 16 wickets, at 67 apiece. He doesn't seemingly bat at all - averaging a laughable 3.75 in FC matches.

By all means identify the kid. By all means select him for training camps, or blood him in net sessions with the Test side. If he's ready, send him on a Lions Tour.

Handing him a Test cap is a kick in the teeth to County pros, devalues Test cricket as the pinnacle, disrespects Sri Lanka, and puts far too much pressure on a kid with no real match experience to lean on.

And even if he goes and takes ten wickets in this match, I still won't have it that this is anything other than a poor decision.

I sense you're leaning towards the 'bad idea' side of the fence on this one Hans?

It strikes me as hubris from the management. They can see he has the physical attributes to succeed and feel he'll be better off being coached by them within the test squad, rather than in county cricket. It seems to have worked with Shoaib Bashir (so far) and perhaps Rehan Ahmed, but I do fear there's a chance that someone like Hull could have a lot of damage done to his career if it doesn't work and he is cast aside. Not to mention the bad feeling for the county pros who have achieved far more to date and all the other things you mention...

A step too far this time Baz, I reckon.

(Josh Hull will have me to thank for his inevitable Michelle)

 

[Eeyore]

It is a nonsense selection. It is isn't 'brave' or 'inspired'. It is stupid, and frankly an insult to a dozen or more young county bowlers, working hard for their own chance.

This lad has been picked for no other reasons than he's tall, and left handed. those are handy attributes, no doubt, and things that should rightly elevate him above other COMPARABLE prospects. But not above other young bowlers with a body of succesfull work behind them.

Hull has played TEN first class matches, and taken a paltry 16 wickets, at 67 apiece. He doesn't seemingly bat at all - averaging a laughable 3.75 in FC matches.

By all means identify the kid. By all means select him for training camps, or blood him in net sessions with the Test side. If he's ready, send him on a Lions Tour.

Handing him a Test cap is a kick in the teeth to County pros, devalues Test cricket as the pinnacle, disrespects Sri Lanka, and puts far too much pressure on a kid with no real match experience to lean on.

And even if he goes and takes ten wickets in this match, I still won't have it that this is anything other than a poor decision.

My kind of RANT. And possibly with much substance. I just wanted to stay neutral in case he took a Michelle.

But, that said, once he reaches the sandpits of Lahore I'm not sure he will have the same success. Still, we'll see.

 

[Machiavelli]

I'm going tomorrow. Weather looking a little better than @Eeyore reports, although running at c30% chance of rain in the morning. Afternoon should be fine.

 

[Machiavelli]

I'm going tomorrow. Weather looking a little better than @Eeyore reports, although running at c30% chance of rain in the morning. Afternoon should be fine.

Forecast deteriorated since I posted this. Might not get any play in the morning, and the rain could continue into the afternoon, see:

The Oval Surrey C.C.C. (Greater London) weather

The Oval Surrey C.C.C. 7 day weather forecast including weather warnings, temperature, rain, wind, visibility, humidity and UV

www.metoffice.gov.uk

To add: a couple of days ago, it was indicating temperatures would go as high as 26C -- that's some shift in conditions.

 

[Eeyore]

Forecast deteriorated since I posted this. Might not get any play in the morning, and the rain could continue into the afternoon, see:

The Oval Surrey C.C.C. (Greater London) weather

The Oval Surrey C.C.C. 7 day weather forecast including weather warnings, temperature, rain, wind, visibility, humidity and UV

www.metoffice.gov.uk

To add: a couple of days ago, it was indicating temperatures would go as high as 26C -- that's some shift in conditions.

I don't trust the MET office anymore. Most reports were suggesting dicey weather. The MET sometimes puts fluffy clouds up and tells you there will be prolonged rain at the same time. They seem to be all over the place.

I don't know what the best station is, but I do know that as a cricketer it was my mandate to hold hope in the best forecast.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Forecast deteriorated since I posted this. Might not get any play in the morning, and the rain could continue into the afternoon, see:

The Oval Surrey C.C.C. (Greater London) weather

The Oval Surrey C.C.C. 7 day weather forecast including weather warnings, temperature, rain, wind, visibility, humidity and UV

www.metoffice.gov.uk

To add: a couple of days ago, it was indicating temperatures would go as high as 26C -- that's some shift in conditions.

Just listened to TS ..play due to start on time

 

[CHAPPERS]

Got tickets for tomorrow so looking GOOD.

 

[Seagull on the Hill]

Got tickets for tomorrow so looking GOOD.

I'm going on Sunday, weather forecast shows some afternoon showers.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

My kind of RANT. And possibly with much substance. I just wanted to stay neutral in case he took a Michelle.

But, that said, once he reaches the sandpits of Lahore I'm not sure he will have the same success. Still, we'll see.

In terms of his general attributes, he'd seem vaguely comparable to Shaheen Afridi, who's had plenty of success in Pakistan. And was also only 18 when he first played test cricket for Pakistan (apparently, I have doubts about the reported age of fast bowlers from the North West Frontier).

He may well turn out to be shit, I've only seen him the once in the one day final last year, but if pretty much any other country made this selection nobody would think it was that odd. Australia have always banged on about how people can go from playing grade cricket to the test team within a season, and when those players do well we have to sit through a load of hand wringing about what a shame it is that it never happens over here.

 

[Seagull on the Hill]

England vs Sri Lanka LIVE: Third Test, day one, Kia Oval – cricket score, radio commentary, video highlights and text updates

England host Sri Lanka in the third Test at Kia Oval – follow text updates, radio commentary and video highlights.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Change at Barnham]

My kind of RANT. And possibly with much substance. I just wanted to stay neutral in case he took a Michelle.

But, that said, once he reaches the sandpits of Lahore I'm not sure he will have the same success. Still, we'll see.

It looks like Lahore, Multan and Karachi may well be Abu Dhabi.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

After a two hour rain / bad light delay, they plan to resume at 15.10, with England 76/1

 

[hans kraay fan club]

In terms of his general attributes, he'd seem vaguely comparable to Shaheen Afridi, who's had plenty of success in Pakistan. And was also only 18 when he first played test cricket for Pakistan (apparently, I have doubts about the reported age of fast bowlers from the North West Frontier).

He may well turn out to be shit, I've only seen him the once in the one day final last year, but if pretty much any other country made this selection nobody would think it was that odd. Australia have always banged on about how people can go from playing grade cricket to the test team within a season, and when those players do well we have to sit through a load of hand wringing about what a shame it is that it never happens over here.

Whilst I take your general point - that it is worth going all in, when you've identified outstanding young talent - this particular instance just feels like a complete punt.

Your example Shaheen Afridi, took 8-39 on his first class debut, never looked back, and was understandably thus rushed into the Pakistan fold. (He apparently now has 153 first class wickets at 8.18 )

Hull has taken his handful of first class wickets at 67! If he really has a big talent to go with his natural attributes, then by all means invest in him. Get him into the system. Send him to a fast bowling bootcamp, like they've done before. Put him on an A tour. Hell - why not actually let him play some County Championship matches?

 

[A1X]

I feel sorry for Dan Lawrence TBH, he's clearly a talented batter but he's obviously not an opener, and parachuting himself in for this series hasn't really given him a fair crack of the whip. It's the sort of selection you see when on tour and only have a few batters when the usual opener pulls out on the morning of a match, it beggars belief it's happened during a home summer for a whole series. And its probably set him and England back as a result in terms of (a) finding a backup opener and (b) his prospects of touring this winter.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Fell free to respond to this with a Simpsons OLD MAN YELLS AT CLOUD meme, but Duckett is in absolute control, 70-odd not out, and can bat as long as he wants, and score a massive Daddy hundred.

This over he's played two reverse scoops (one for six, and one narrowly avoiding giving a catch behind) and two ramps (one for six and one narrowly avoiding gifting a catch).

Just WHY?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Oh f***ing WELL done. Absolute PENIS.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Oh f***ing WELL done. Absolute PENIS.

And then the skipper top edges the next ball! Was a six. Could just as easily have been another SPOONED catch.

I'm not sure Baz cares as much as we do.