As an opening bowler you expect to take one or two early wickets but you don't expect to come back for your second spell and see the same batsmen still there. Yardy and Mascarenhas may be fairly economical but they need to take wickets otherwise the batsmen will be set when facing the last ten overs by the fast bowlers and they haven't mastered the art of death bowling to set batsmen yet. Then can manage it if there are new batsmen coming to the crease.

Yardy has a strike rate of 63.00 and Mascarenhas doesn't have a strike rate as he hasn't taken a wicket in two games. At least Flintoff will replace him when he is fit. Bopara is a proper batsman who has a good bowling strike rate of 32.00. Until then I don't hold out much hope of wickets from the bits and pieces players.

Trescothick, Prior, Shah, Pietersen, Bopara, Flintoff, Collingwood, Schofield, Plunkett, Broad, Anderson.

Schofield in limited overs
Batting average 21.83 high score 75*
Bowling average 24.93 econ 5.06 s/r 29.52

I hope they are resting Monty to make sure he stays fresh and it isn't because they think that Yardy is a match for him as he clearly isn't up to international cricket,if we are going down that route we may as well recall Dalrymple as he is better than Yardy but still not up to it.

James Anderson wants locking up for bowling like that,how any international can go for 78 in one game having taken 2-23 in 8 overs last time out is beyond me,something is drastically wrong between the ears of Anderson and that is a reason he will not make it as a test bowler as he is too inconsistent.

As for the rest well we can't legislate for all the 3 experienced players (KP,Bell and Colly) getting out cheaply together and that left us too much to do,the jury is out on Cook but at least Prior and Shah are showing some promise and fight.Mascarenhas has just done his usual steady job and is a useful addition to the squad and gives us options should Flintoff and Bopara be missing again in future.Broad i have been impressed with and he deserves an extended run in the one day side and could be a possible for the winter tour to New Zealand but i would resist the temptation to play him in the upcoming series with India.Sidebottom is like Mascarenhas,what we see is what we get and he knows what he is doing.

I think we are making slight progress in the limited overs game,but it is only small and we can't expect to run before we can walk.

Right, after yesterday's nonsense how about we return to the side that beat the Windies on Sunday?

Yardy -

Have a look at the other internationals

Cricinfo - ODIs - Most Expensive Bowling

That's an interesting list: some cases of shocking bowling... but very few: the majority of the people on that list bowled their full quote of overs.. or near to it... and in most cases (e.g. Vaas at Taunton in 1999: the first one I opened up) the figures suggest nothing more than a pitch that precluded any sort of meaningful contest between bat and ball.

ps. the worst figures ever might be Lewis.. but in that match even Lee went for 8.68: Graeme Smith took 20 off 12 Lee deliveries... and Gibbs ran riot against everyone:The game was a joke: Lewis and the others never really stood a chance.

ps. I'm not doubting that Anderson's performances are variable... but I really don't think you can hold it against a seam bowler where the pitch offers nothing in the way of lateral movement and where the odds of beating the bat are slim/

Anderson's figures were bad because he bowled seven rubbish overs. Out of the ten he bowled three maidens. Even during the one match he manages to be extremely inconsistent! Neither he nor Sidebottom bowled a good and consistent line or length. Both learned from their mistakes in the first Twenty20 game and returned on Friday to bowl far better. I expect both to put in improved performances at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

Stuart Broad outbowled them both easily yesterday.

That game was one of the best ODIs ever played.

The idea it was crap is just plain wrong IMO.

I would agree with your second statement but disagree with the first. Yes, Chanderpaul batted quite brilliantly and his partnership with Samuels was match-winning. However at no point beyond the halfway stage did the result look in doubt. Therefore, it cannot surely be considered one of the best ever. It maybe one of the best West Indian performances in recent years (I don't suspect there's too much competition) but the standard of the opposition should be taken into consideration.

Haha!!

Crossed wires.

I was talking about the record breaking AUS vs SA match that Rachael mentioned in her last post!!

LOL!!

What a great match that was. Just because the pitch flat and the bowlers diddn't have a chance! For once that provided us with a great spectacle, not if you were a bowler but for the viewers all around the world and those fortunate to be at the Bull Ring.