3rd NatWest Series ODI: England vs. Australia at Bristol

[cantplaycantalk]

Good timing from my point of view the first full one dayer vs Aus on Fathers Day. (The only day of the year I have a reasonable chance of getting to watch what I want on TV

[Teatime FatCat]

Yup, me too! Sent the kittens into the garden to have a picnic, and the Mrs allowed me to settle onto the sofa for the last hour of play. Ahhh - rapture!

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by Notts Exile

I'm still not sure whether we won because Vaughan steadied things or despite him batting so slowly. Botham on SKY never stopped banging on about our strange batting order and he had a point.

I think Vaughan played a vital role in keeping England ticking along mid-innings. He isn't ever going to be a great One Day batsmen, but if he plays enough innings like that one he will be a competant one.

I too find the batting line up odd - Colly ahead of Flintoff and Piterson? Solanki batting below G Jones? Bit strange!!

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Kirsty Harris

I think Vaughan played a vital role in keeping England ticking along mid-innings. He isn't ever going to be a great One Day batsmen, but if he plays enough innings like that one he will be a competant one.

Yesterday. But more often than not i'd think that it's those type of innings that's going to hold England up.

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by Pete

Yesterday. But more often than not i'd think that it's those type of innings that's going to hold England up.

Hmmm....personally, I think all sides need a player like Vaughan who may not score at a run a ball, but can stick around. The nature of the 50-over game leaves room for a player who sets himself to bat for most of the innings as an anchor.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Kirsty Harris

The nature of the 50-over game leaves room for a player who sets himself to bat for most of the innings as an anchor.

Most of the time that's all he ever seems to do though, irrespective of the match situation. When we need to up the scoring rate he's happy to just **** about or get himself out.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

To be honest, he's in the team because he's captain. But if he wants to use the ODIs to get the measure of the Aussie bowlers, thats fine with me. If he doesnt click in the ODIs we still have a very good chance of winning one, but if he doesnt click in the ashes we could well be **********.

[Rachael]

I don't have any problem whatsoever with Vaughan playing in the ODI side.. I just think they need to be more flexible about when he comes in to bat. If Tresco is out first ball then there's no question that he's the right man to go in at 3... but is it the right think if the first wicket falls at 15 overs... how about if it falls at 30 overs.. or 40 overs?

I'd like to see Vaughan regarded as "crisis man": he's penned in at 3 in case things go wrong.. but drops steadily down the order if things are going well. I'd like to think that he'd ultimately end up nt wielding the bat at all in any game that's gone well... as I'd like to see two from Tresco / Strauss / Pietersen carrying their bats until at least the 40th over and then Flintoff and Collingwood finish things off... but does that mean I want McGrath bowling at Pietersen in his first spell if an early wicket goes down? No.

[Irish Left Armer]

Originally Posted by Rachael

I don't have any problem whatsoever with Vaughan playing in the ODI side.. I just think they need to be more flexible about when he comes in to bat. If Tresco is out first ball then there's no question that he's the right man to go in at 3... but is it the right think if the first wicket falls at 15 overs... how about if it falls at 30 overs.. or 40 overs?

I'd like to see Vaughan regarded as "crisis man": he's penned in at 3 in case things go wrong.. but drops steadily down the order if things are going well. I'd like to think that he'd ultimately end up nt wielding the bat at all in any game that's gone well... as I'd like to see two from Tresco / Strauss / Pietersen carrying their bats until at least the 40th over and then Flintoff and Collingwood finish things off... but does that mean I want McGrath bowling at Pietersen in his first spell if an early wicket goes down? No.

This is absolutely correct in my opinion. England are never flexible enough in their one day batting order but that's another point. Vaughan's big problem is that when the ball gets soft he isn't capable of accumulating runs at a good rate. He can hit bad balls for 4 alright but when people are just bowling full deliveries or variations he isn't able to score off the majority of them. He just drives them straight to the fielder or tries to manufacture a stroke which he doesn't time. The end result is that he only scores at about 50 per 100 balls.

Is he worth his place in the team, yes I think he is. He is very capable of holding the innings together if that's what is required and is a very good captain. I still think that he should open, he is capable of getting England off to a very good start when the ball is hard and the fielding restrictions in place but then that would mean breaking up Tresco and Strauss and I fancy the majority would be against that.