96 in the first test, 206 in the second, and a 46 later on as well as 22 not out in the Adelaide collapse, averaging 48. That's Collingwood, and Pietersen averaged 54. I think you've just tried to knock our only two batsmen of any suibstance in the series!

Yes but take away the 206 - and his average would have been very ordinary, the 22 at Adealaide was one of the reasons England got defeated in that Test, not just collingwood - but the bulk of the team, the England batsmen played no shots.

Flintoff and Pietersen in that innings were the only batsmen out to attacking shots, poor shots but at least trying to score.
you quoted me out of context.

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Ern

I did no such thing, you cannot ignore the big scores and you are attempting to. A double hundred in an Ashes series is a huge achievemen and the runs all count - he made them when they mattered and they gave us the platform to win but we failed to. You cannot take scores out, they were all made and all deserve to be counted in the assessment of how a batsman performed. Take out Ponting's 196 and his average is a bit lower, but we all know how well he played! Collingwood made that score and his average is not ordinary as a result of that!

Just take out Flintoff's 89 then and see his average plummet to a pathetic level.

Of course Harmison needs to stay, he's the only genuine quicky we have got and added to the fact he's tall helps things. The thing is Harmison needs bowling for rythym and during the last couple of years he's hardly had any.

If Hami plays it also means Flintoff can and should be relegated to first change to take the strain off him.

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Mark.

The other things Harmy needs are attitude, desire to play for his country and a mean streak. He has none of those, and I think he will gently fade away now, being one of those pacey English 'might haves' instead of a somebody (Malcolm, Thomas, Jarvis, McCague etc).


I just can't get my head around someone who just doesn't seem to have the heart - lets stop making him an automatic pick (waiting for a repeat of 2004 that doesn't seem to be coming!) and blood some guys such as Tremlett, Broad etc. Then see how he reacts to trying to get his place back (particularly if its for the overseas tour!).

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I'll have the Mouseburger please, with a side of Goldfish.

Tremlett and Broad are not fast enough! We can't fill the side with these bowlers day in day out. We need a genuine FAST bowler not a fast-medium.

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Frank Skinner: "You know when Glenn McGrath trod on that cricket ball? Don't you wish it would've been a landmine?"

Yep, cos McGrath and Clark wouldn't walk into the side, would they?

I agree - you need one or two genuine impact bowlers. But we need to fill the side with good bowlers, no matter how quick they are.

yeah but McGrath and Clark were the fast mediums, and you had Brett Lee the genuine quick pace bowler.

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Frank Skinner: "You know when Glenn McGrath trod on that cricket ball? Don't you wish it would've been a landmine?"

Why not pick a tall (6'8") very bouncy quick, who may be keen to play and only 5mph slower than Harmy. He may also be able to put 6 on the cut strip.

I don't buy into picking Harmy on reputation, pick him on form and he's knowhere near the side!

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I'll have the Mouseburger please, with a side of Goldfish.