Two point here Rachael, Donald would get smacked at time with the pace on the ball, but at his pace a batsman could - and often did nick the ball to thr slips or keeper, even of a rubbish delivery.

Over Sidebottom reaching 90mph, I remember the press getting excited when Collingwood reached the mid 80's, but he never substained that pace.
The difference between Sidebottom and Donald is that Donald sent most of his deliveries down at 90mph, very differenent to Sidebottom's occasional bursts of pace.

I agree that is what will probably happen, but my problem is that Sidebottom and Hoggard both fine bowlers of their type along with Broad - don't offer much variation.
I really would risk Harmison at the expence of either Broad or sidebottom, even Anderson would offer some degree of variation.

I agree with a lot of this - in fact Flintoff bowled at his best in 2004 when he was not used as a strike bowler, but as an accurate stock bowler, bowling deliveries in the mid eighties just back of a length - he was almost impossible to get away, he did not get as many wickets bowling like that but he was a captains dream.
On a lighter note - he would have had a larger wicket tally had Butcher not dropped all those catches of his bowling.
I agree over the overuse of pace, I thought that the 2005 side of:-

Harmison (fast)
Flintoff (fast)
Hoggard (Swing - reliable)
Jones (quickish swing)
Giles (a better bowler than he was ever given credit for) - was a very balanced line up between pace and swing.

IMO this line up of bowlers when fit - was almost great as a unit.

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Ern

On a rather different note... I posted this earlier in the thread:Now I read an interview with Shah that backs me up:See Countdown to the First Test: East meets West - Independent Online Edition > Cricket

All fair comment Rachael - but England batsmen for many years have played the forward push, this has not be confined to the Fletcher years by any means.

We are talking Murali and Warne here, and I have always taken the view that these bowlers have been shown far to much respect by Engand batsmen.

The instance you mention over Vaughan has been the undoing of lots of batsmen, boosting spinners wicket tallies for bowlers like Muralia with bat and pad catches.

What an odd thing to say - we all know that Fletcher could not control Flintoff - yet he only lost patience with him during the World Cup, and only made that public after he retired.
And that lack of being controled never lost Flintoff a cap, that's if he was as uncontrolable as we are led to believe.

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Ern

Another one was Read who was not prepared to keep to Fletcher's slip catching practice. With Flintoff it was off the field stuff, nothing to do with his batting or bowling.

Cricinfo - Harmison injury jinx strikes again

Well the desperate bid to get Harmison into the test team looks as good as over. And with his natural replacement Broad bafflingly ommitted for Anderson we're either going in with the three swing bowlers (that'll end well ) or a an undercooked debutant be it Swann or Broad. And it'll be interesting to see how the rested Collingwood fairs given his valueable batting time has been given up because the powers that be haven't the balls to chose between Bopara and Shah something that should have been decided before they landed in Sri Lanka.

Utter utter shambles .

Not too sure about that. One bowls at 90mph+ the other at about 80mph.

They both do bowl a bit too short though.

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Mark.

True but I was thinking purely in terms of their height and the outlandish bounce they are (potentially) able to generate from just back of a length.

I'm still not sure Broad is Harmsons natural replacement. Tremlett is closer but he still lacks a yard of pace.

Broad also still has loads to learn as a bowler. I fear if he is selected now he will be found out and worse, could cost England a match.

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Mark.

Hardly, did you actually read the article you posted a link too?

"It's not something he's had before," said Moores. "It's a bit of a twinge, a back spasm, and the physio doesn't think it's anything major. Hopefully it's one of those things that settles down in the next 24 to 36 hours, and he'll be able to play a part in the second innings."

Well personally I'd have highlighted the word "hopefully" which was something of a common theme throughout Moores's interview. Hey call me cynical but the ECB's medical staff do not deserve the benefit of the doubt when it comes to diagnosing players making miraculous recovery's and I seriously doubt that Harmison will be back in the second innings bowling full tilt for the 20-25 overs he needs to prove he won't again be a liability if selected for a test match for England. Still they could always play it safe and wrap him in cotton wool till Friday and then hope it all comes together on the first morning. That went so well last time .

(And the utter shambles comment was more of a general comment about the so called preparation rather than solely the Harmison injury)