Peng and Carberry

[dezz]

these two batsman to make up Englands one day middle order. They're the classiest, most talented batsman on the county circuit and have got the good temprement. they scored well in the first matches of the new season

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Welcome Dezz. I have great things of Peng but I cant take his name seriously. Its also early in the season. Hopefully they can develope as our middle order isnt getting any younger.

[dezz]

that's the thing, they're young. Strauss is class but he's 27! collingwood 27 also. they will play for England but it'll be when they've reached this age! why can't they start they're career now?

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

I never new new strauss was 27, I thought 24-25. There is a mentality in english cricket that appears to go against the grain of the "good enough you're old enough" ethos. With the exception of anderson I cant think of any players in the the test side (not ODI) that have made a successful debut under the age of 25.

[Rachael]

The odd, truly exceptional batting talent seems to have been able to get to grips with Test cricket at a young age.. but my impression remains that most start too young and aren't ready.. which leads to a weakening of the Test side whilst they learn in the Test arena what they should have mastered before they got there.

It's famously said that cricket is 90% between the ears.. and whilst any talented played who is "in the zone" can score runs... it seems to me that only more experienced players are likely to be able to scratch around for a couple of hours when struggling, play themselves in, and then go on to capitalise... or to weather the storm as bowlers pepper their bodies with the new ball and just make sure they are around to capitalise at a later stage... or graft for 13+ hours to save a match as Atherton did in South Africa.

Seems to me that even when the kids can do the easy stuff.. they are still likely to struggle with the bits that qualify them as genuine Test cricketers.

[dezz]

you mean havn't made they're debut at all. it's because county cricket is so slack and unprogressing. players like peng unless they're picked now, in form will just rott away on the English county circuit. peng was awesome at 19 then he had a couple a crap years and now i think he's back, it just depends whether england are man enough to pick him

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

There is a queue at the moment, and unless he's really really good, he's way down it.

[dezz]

you're exactly the kind of unadventurous 'graveney' brain that ruined english cricket. you can't mature on the county circuit unless you're strauss. there is a middle age however that dosn't work;key,smith. but if you go to the extremes 9peng) you will get exceptional results because you don't have the pressure on you to perform. anyway i was talking about one day cricket!

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Ok. Lathwell, gallian, tudor, chris read (first time, against giants that are NZ...in a slump). Shall I go on ? Young players who we do bring in fall flat on their face. I'm all for adventure but common sense is also high on my list. I dont know whether its built in to our psyche but our young players choke if we bring them in too early.

[Rachael]

Some players go backwards in county cricket.. but that's more a reflection on their own lack of committment than on county cricket: a bowler knows they have delivered a bad ball, even if it doesn't get punished.. and a batsman knows he's played a loose stroke.. even if he has got away with it.

English conditions are actually very good for honing batting skills: there's often a lot of sideways movement for the batsman to combat... both in the air and off the seam... and we've now got a host of great overseas bowlers: Harmison and Akhtar bowling in tandem at Durham should be interesting... Warne is over here with Hampshire... I think Murali is coming back again.

On the bowling front: any bowler who can take wickets (or even force defensive shots) in late summer at the Oval when faced with a batting line up that includes guys like Ramps is doing /something/ right.

Add inthe fact that the County scene is increasingly professional.. and getting a steady inflow of Academy players... and I really don't see an issue.