Andrew Strauss, century on debut

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

If he's batted all day he's entitled to look a bit tired !

By the way, can someone wake Butcher up ?

[Whips_off_the_bails]

Does anyone remember the last series v the Kiwis in this country?

Alex Tudor - 99 not out in the first innings, coming in as nightwatchman. Then he didn't play again in the series.

Was he dropped for the second test, or was he injured? I think he was dropped because of his poor bowling in that match, but chances are it was some mystery injury....

[Tom Partis]

so what role does strauss play when vaughan returns? firstly, with hoggard coming in at nightwatchman, thorpe will be batting at 6 which is just ridiculous. he sould be at 4 all the time, it's where he bats best. for me, Hussain HAS to perform, otherwise he must go and strauss take his place permanently. thorpe moves up to 4 and strauss serves his apprenticeship at 5, although i think he'll make a better job of it then key did. i hope he will anyway. he's already done more than key! that means we still have gilo to deal with. bring in collingwood? or bring in another spinner? if so, my vote is for keedy.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Depends on the pitch again. But really and truely, unless our Ashley takes head out his and starts doing something decent with the ball in the second innings he should go. Vettori wasnt great, and he's in a slump but he does more that Giles. We must have other alteratives. I'd even take another seamer over him ! By the 3rd or fourth day that pitch will take spin, it had cracks from the word go, so if he cant do it then take him off totally and stick on a 12th man who can at least field.

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by Whips_off_the_bails

This deserves its own thread, no? Who knows how long it will be before we are able to give a thread that title again.

The last was Graham Thorpe at Trent Bridge in 1993 (in his second innings). The last England batsman to score a century in his first innings in test cricket was John Hampshire in 1969.

This was pretty much a chanceless effort, give or take a couple of slightly aerial shots.

Vaughan's injury forced England to make a change to the batting line-up that they should have been thinking about anyway. We really must pick batsmen with test-potential and debut them when they are in form. Even better if we can do it on their home ground.

Well done, Andrew.

It was a real pleasure to be there to see it...what an effort! As you say, it was pretty much chanceless. I had a feeling he would do well, and he didn't let me down...

As you say, something good has come out of Vaughan's injury, and it will be food for thought at the very least, but I think for now I'm just happy for the lad!!

[Victor Frankenstein]

i'll go against the grain (i seem to make a habit of it, but it generates debate so who cares) and say it won't be a big deal if he is 'dropped' for the next match because i don't think he will be made to feel like he's been dropped. He's in as an injury replacement and knows this, i suspect that helped him focus as he knew he wasn't playing for his place now but playing to be remembered for the future and put himself above collingwood in the pecking order (which i think he's now done, especially if he gets 50 in the second innings, if there is one). There shouldn't really be a big fuss because he wouldn't replace the captain and tresco did enough to keep his place (in all the arguments about dropping tresco i said that competition for his place would focus him and cut out the lazy shots) so i can't see him being picked unless they drop giles.

[sostenurter]

Originally Posted by Whips_off_the_bails

Does anyone remember the last series v the Kiwis in this country?

Alex Tudor - 99 not out in the first innings, coming in as nightwatchman. Then he didn't play again in the series.

Was he dropped for the second test, or was he injured? I think he was dropped because of his poor bowling in that match, but chances are it was some mystery injury....

No, it was an injury. This was before the days of central contracts. He went back to Surrey and got injured, leaving Nasser to write an angry newspaper article about selfish counties, why contracts were needed etc. I don't think he bowled that poorly in that match. Plus, he had agood claim to be included as a specialist batsman - even though he only played on match he was one of the top Eng run-scorers in the whole series!