Something for the "Flintoff has to start producing" merchants

[Oliver]

I'm rather thinking something similar for Ashley Giles now. I would guess that Fletch is hoping that Pietersen is a genuine classy spin bowler, and England will no longer need to field either of the two, on tour in the Caribbean, again.

Pietersen, Flintoff and 'keeper plus swing bowler and two quicks looks fine to me as a tail.

Let's hope they can all stay fit.

Talking of all-rounders, I noticed yesterday how much tighter Trescothick's bowling was than Rikki Clarke's.

Perhaps Trescothick is really a bowling all-rounder. I wonder if Freddie feels under any threat from the Somerset sausage fan?

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Did you see him bowl? I havent and I'm wondering why he's bowling ahead of people like butcher in tests and blackwell in ODIs. Is it lazy captaincy or does he bring anything to the party ?

[DaveGillespie]

Well I would imagine he was bowled ahead of Butcher because of the ankle injury, dunno about Blackwell.

[Oliver]

He used to be a Butcher, or Thorpe-like, swing bowler. I imagine yesterday he bowled medium pace line and length a la New Zealand World Cup before last, dobbers. the pitch was very slow due to several days rain and I guess Trescothick was perfect.

For some reason that sort of bowling is notoriously difficult for "world class" batsmen to play.

God only knows why.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Me neither. You know its going to swing more often than not, and I'm guessing it only swings one way. Cripes, I can play that sort of bowling surely world class bats can.

[Oliver]

Interestingly enough, though I feel there is no bearing on real life, swing is the most effective form of attack in "Brian Lara Cricket."

Perhaps the designers were all New Zealanders.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Now I must disagree. If bowled too full ctrl and 1 will consistantly send it into the stands, although often varies dependent on the pitch. SPin the most effective on BLC.

[Oliver]

Ahh! I just mimic my own control and bowl the perfect length. With any luck.

I've always liked the voice in the English crowds who appears to shout, whomsoever is bowling: "Come on Tufnell." But the constantly barking Indian dog ****es me off quite a lot.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

I think the england grounds sound like a morgue compared with grounds in other countries, apart from the odd polite ripple of applause as opposed the the racaus Aussies. Boycs and aggers make an amusing double act compared with richies efforts in cricket 2002.

[Oliver]

There is a bit of a glitsch in the old play station version of the game.
I can't remember exactly how it goes, but it always made me laugh a bit.
It is Agnew announcing which every country, and I think he always starts it with an "N."

So you get: "eN-Pakistan" or "eN-India." I'm fairly sure some of the cricketers get the same treatment. So you get: "Wasim bowls to eN-Stewart...and that's OUT...DROPPED."