Team for first Test vs. NZ

[R W S]

I hope you're wrong too Scott (& I believe you will be - read this) but if he does fail over three tests you are right to suggest he goes to the back of the queue.

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by Scott-Wozniak

Lucky you!

I shall be watching it on Sky!

Scott

You won't see a lot of cricket, then Scott...it's back on good old C4..hence the 10.30 start time to make sure Hollioakes isn't on late!

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Scott-Wozniak

sostenurter

I don't buy this 'view'.

There's plenty of evidence that suggests that Tresco is a bit of a 'flat track bully'. He prospers on flat tracks, but struggles when the ball is moving about off the seam or swinging. I don't see how dropping him down the order is going to help with this. If the ball is doing a bit, how will it help him batting down the order? I accept he won't have to deal with the new ball, that does the most when its hard and shiny, but it'll still be moving about by the time Tresco comes in.

All the evidence points to the series against the Kiwi's being played on bowler friendly pitches, which is why I'm tipping Tresco to fail again. I hope I'm wrong - I just don't think I will be.

Scott

,Afternoon Scott,

I disagree with this one Scott,Tresco is just out of form,and its as simple as that,when he is in form he can play on any track,he plays and misses like all left handers do,
sostenurter's plan to move him down the order wont work,its been tried and tried again,an opener,exept in rare cases do not fit in lower down the order.

England had better not get that smug,we beat the Windies 3-0,but bangladesh put the S.... up them yesterday,puts it in perspective though,just as well New Zealand are playing poor as well.

Real team to build on to take on Australia in 2005,it will come home to roost.

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by ernest

,Afternoon Scott,

I disagree with this one Scott,Tresco is just out of form,and its as simple as that,when he is in form he can play on any track,he plays and misses like all left handers do,
sostenurter's plan to move him down the order wont work,its been tried and tried again,an opener,exept in rare cases do not fit in lower down the order.

England had better not get that smug,we beat the Windies 3-0,but bangladesh put the S.... up them yesterday,puts it in perspective though,just as well New Zealand are playing poor as well.

Real team to build on to take on Australia in 2005,it will come home to roost.

I have faith in Tres..he was coming back into form towards the end of the test series, and I think he can carry his good ODI form into the tests! Tres is a very good player, and will shortly remind every one of this fact! Here's hoping it's on Friday or Sunday so I can enjoy it in person!!

I think this is a good team, on the up, ernest..I don't think we should have to count on NZ playing poorly to win the series, although I expect it to be competative!

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Kirsty Harris

You won't see a lot of cricket, then Scott...it's back on good old C4..hence the 10.30 start time to make sure Hollioakes isn't on late!

kirsty,Yea good old C4 yes a crap staeting time 10-30,have to fit in with the sceds.

The cocks have hardly finished crowing at that time,milkman still rattling his bottles,to soon,the day has not warmed up,sometimes it rains earlier in the morning.
OK if you like Hollioakes.
ernest.

[sostenurter]

Originally Posted by Scott-Wozniak

sostenurter

I don't buy this 'view'.

There's plenty of evidence that suggests that Tresco is a bit of a 'flat track bully'. He prospers on flat tracks, but struggles when the ball is moving about off the seam or swinging. I don't see how dropping him down the order is going to help with this. If the ball is doing a bit, how will it help him batting down the order? I accept he won't have to deal with the new ball, that does the most when its hard and shiny, but it'll still be moving about by the time Tresco comes in.

All the evidence points to the series against the Kiwi's being played on bowler friendly pitches, which is why I'm tipping Tresco to fail again. I hope I'm wrong - I just don't think I will be.

Scott

I don't know that Trescothick is the flat-track bully you make out - I think you're right when you say he has a weakness against when the ball is moving about off the seam or swinging. But he's actually an exceptionally good player of spin - people forget this when they go on and on about his footwork etc. His statistics against the subcontinent sides are pretty good, and of his five Test centuries, four have come against sides from the subcontinent. That's not a flat-track bully - it's a weakness against good quality pace, seam and swing bowling. To my mind, the relative failure against SL last year was due to the doosra, an illegal ball. He's played two previous series against Murali, one home and one away, and scored a century in each, playing Murali very well.

I don't have any evidence to back up my view that Trescothick will do well at no.6, but right from his start in Test cricket, when he did very well as an opener, I had the idea that his brand of brutal strokeplay would perhaps be better suited to the middle of the innings, when the bowlers would be tired, the second or third string attack would be on, and he could truly let loose. I think that opposition bowlers, having toiled hard to dismiss Vaughan, Strauss, Hussain and Butcher, would really dislike the sight of Trescothick striding out to bat.

Anyway, it's just a thought. Let's see how he does opening first of all.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Kirsty Harris

I have faith in Tres..he was coming back into form towards the end of the test series, and I think he can carry his good ODI form into the tests! Tres is a very good player, and will shortly remind every one of this fact! Here's hoping it's on Friday or Sunday so I can enjoy it in person!!

I think this is a good team, on the up, ernest..I don't think we should have to count on NZ playing poorly to win the series, although I expect it to be competative!

KIRSTY

Tresco is a good player,he has been going through a bad patch,there are times when a team has to carry a player and this was the right decsision,he showed signs at the end of the windies tour.You wont keep a class act down,he is better than Strauss,I thin any way.

I hope it is a good series,I hate it when one team wins in Tree days or so.

[Scott-Wozniak]

Originally Posted by R W S

I hope you're wrong too Scott (& I believe you will be - read this) but if he does fail over three tests you are right to suggest he goes to the back of the queue.

R W S

I hope I'm wrong too. People seem to think I've got a real hate of Trescothick, which simply isn't the case. My only concern is to see England being successful and winning games, I have very little vested interest in any of the players or what county they play for. One of the keys to winning Test Matches at this level, is for the openers to set the 'tempo' and get the side off to a good start, which the middle order can build on and put up a competitive total to allow bowlers something to defend. This part of the game was the one area that failed in the West Indies, and it was only due to some gritty middle/lower order batting and some superb bowling that allowed England to triumph.

I'd be on Vaughan's back (and I have been) just as much as Trescothicks if he wasn't the Captain because he's out of form as well.

I really do hope our openers do the business against New Zealand, because if they don't - I can't see England winning, New Zealand aren't the West Indies.

Scott

[Scott-Wozniak]

Originally Posted by Kirsty Harris

You won't see a lot of cricket, then Scott...it's back on good old C4..hence the 10.30 start time to make sure Hollioakes isn't on late!

Kirsty

Oh dear! I'ts back to Mark Nicholas interspersed with Horse racing is it? Arghhhh!

For future reference, I've seen you refer to Hollioakes before and I've never been able to figure out what Ben Hollioake has anything to do with Channel 4! I've now figured it out - you mean Hollyoaks !

Scott

[R W S]

Originally Posted by Scott-Wozniak

R W S

I hope I'm wrong too. People seem to think I've got a real hate of Trescothick, which simply isn't the case. My only concern is to see England being successful and winning games, I have very little vested interest in any of the players or what county they play for. One of the keys to winning Test Matches at this level, is for the openers to set the 'tempo' and get the side off to a good start, which the middle order can build on and put up a competitive total to allow bowlers something to defend. This part of the game was the one area that failed in the West Indies, and it was only due to some gritty middle/lower order batting and some superb bowling that allowed England to triumph.

I'd be on Vaughan's back (and I have been) just as much as Trescothicks if he wasn't the Captain because he's out of form as well.

I really do hope our openers do the business against New Zealand, because if they don't - I can't see England winning, New Zealand aren't the West Indies.

Scott

Scott I guess where we differ then is that I support Trescothick.