He would have got battered in Australia. This reminds me of the performance Mallender made on debut (at Headlingley as it happens) when conditions suited against a team happier playing their shots and not used to a high level of application. The career never materialised and his ability on other occasions was shown to be well below par.

We will see how Sidebottom performs in the next year to realise that he is really not our answer.

I just don't like watching Prior's keeping. With Read the ball glides into his gloves and his body moves with the ball. The way Prior takes the ball looks very dodgy. I didn't like Nixon's keeping either.

We had experienced bowlers that did very well in county cricket in English conditions but they soon disappeared after bowling in the sub-continent - Ormond, Kirtley, Saggers, Johnson.

Thats why most of us have been saying keep our young pacers away from the test team until they are ready.

Exactly what I said, he would have went for as many as Mahmood and not taken the wickets. People forget Hoggard took 13 wickets at nigh on 38 in the last Ashes and 8 of them came in 1 match, which left him with 2 wickets a match. Having 2 bowlers bowling like that wont win you the Ashes .

I dont know why people have downers on Prior. I wasnt overly happy to see him selected to keep wicket, but so far he's not done much wrong and saved a ton of byes from Harmison and Plunkett. When he starts dropping them like "iron gloves" Jones then we should start the "bin Prior" campaign.

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Mark.

I think it was Flintoff???

The point I was making about Sidebottom and Hoggard in the same team is that they are to much alike in style and pace - and in conditions are not right - they will strangle the opposition at best, and get picked off (not carted) at worst.

EDIT: I think Hoggard took 2 more wickets than Flintoff.

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Ern

I meant 2006/7.

And I agree that Hoggard and Sidebottom should not play in the same side; indeed, the likelyhood of there being a pitch and conditions suitable is slim to none. Even so, I still wouldn't let the likes of Mahmood near the side.

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"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose."
- Ayrton Senna

No arguments there!

I've no problems with Sidebottom playing against the likes of the Windies or Bangladesh but he'd get murdered against a team with decent batman or on a flat deck.

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Mark.

Prior HAS started dropping sitters: one easy one off Sidebottom.

That said... he was (quite inexcusably) stood back to both Sidebottom and Plunkett.. and had he been stood up where he SHOULD have been (where Bob Taylor WOULD have been) he'd undoubtedly have been exposed as the fraud he is.

To cap it all, his footwork sucks: the guy throws himself around like a lunatic to get balls that a top gloveman might take on the walk. That's NOT a sign of class!

What's the difference between Mahmood and Plunkett adam?, except that Mahmood is a few MPH faster, or for that matter when did you see Mahmood bowling at 3rd slip.

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Ern

Bob Taylor would maybe have stood up to Sidebottom, but I doubt very much he would have stood up to a bowler of Plunkett's pace.

When a keeper can stand up to a near full pace attack , that means IMO that attack has no bite.

Mind you this England attack makes Mahmood look like Mike Hendrick.

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Ern