England Test squad

England have named a 13-man squad for the first Test against the West Indies starting this Thursday. Predictably, Bopara and Patel have missed out. In their place come Jonny Bairstow and Graham Onions. I’m quite pleased with this squad; I’d be pretty happy with almost any realistic XI that could be picked from this. Bairstow, as I said the other day, probably deserves the call-up and I am always happy to see Onions in the squad.

I suspect that Bairstow will get the nod at number six with probably Finn being the third seamer. This series looks like it will be a good one in which to test out the young batsman and Finn has had a very impressive winter and deserves another chance to show what he can do at the highest level. The ongoing ‘problem’ for England is that there are currently no fewer than three different people who probably deserve an extended chance as third seamer. This is one of the reasons why I would still like to see Prior at six and Bresnan at seven and Finn at eleven. Strauss and Flower seem set against that, however. With that in mind, hopefully Bairstow will have a productive series and secure the number six spot for the near future.

A lucky break

Joy at another person’s injury is probably a little bit cruel. It’s not like being dropped or losing form, it’s actual pain that goes beyond the sporting arena. That said, I’m apparently a slightly cruel person as I am very glad to hear that Ravi Bopara has a quad injury and is a major doubt for the first Test. (I was also happy when McGrath stepped on that cricket ball ahead of the Edgbaston Test in 2005.)

I’m glad because with Compton only scoring 20-odd for the Lions, Bopara looked like he had secured an spot in the Test side. As I have mentioned more than once Bopara should not be anywhere near the Test side, so this injury is a very good thing for England. It’s unfortunate for Bopara, of course and I would prefer that he had simply not been selected. Whatever the actual reason, however, England needed to keep him out of the Test team and this will accomplish that.

Now the question of who to bat at six becomes more interesting too. Compton has still had his incredible start to the season even though he only made 20-odd. Taylor scored a very impressive century, however, to put him in almost the opposite situation to Compton. Bairstow also scored a fifty on the back of his 182 for Yorkshire last week. There’s still a second innings to come, so we may have a clearer picture then, but right now I would still give it to Compton, with Bairstow as the second choice. I don’t think one innings is enough to put Taylor in form or Compton out of form. Bairstow, meantime, I think has consistently done almost enough to be selected. He would certainly not be a bad choice either.

Lancs’ season so far

One would have to say that it’s been poor. We are a quarter of the way through the Championship and are yet to win a match. That’s not great. I do think that we have played better than our record indicates, but in the end our record is what matters and we are seventh in the table. Currently we are 51 points behind top of the table Warwickshire. Whilst it is only May, that is still a huge, huge deficit to overcome and I think it would be very difficult to realistically maintain hope of defending our title. We would almost need to win every match from here. That said, the notion of our being in a relegation scrap is almost equally far-fetched and I do still think that we will finish closer to the top than the bottom of the table.

For reasons why we have been failing, the obvious place at which to look is the batting. All of our matches have been marred by collapses (even the one in which we scored 400) and we have twice failed to set a defensible second innings target and once failed to come close to an admittedly large one. However, the batting is not actually quite as bad as it looks. It is important to remember that the conditions have heavily favoured the batsmen this early in the year and most teams have struggled. The average first innings score in Division One so far this year is only 231. (The ‘first innings’ here is the more traditional per team, not per match as I used in an earlier post.) Lancashire’s average first innings score this year is 230, so it’s hardly been a catastrophic failure of the batsmen. Of course, that average is boosted by the 400 scored at Taunton, but so too is the overall average. That overall average is also boosted by the one-off scores of 545 and 445. If we throw out the top score for every team, the overall average drops to 197 and Lancashire’s drops to 173. It’s a bigger gap, but still hardly a chasm. The bigger problem has been second innings scores, but in that case one has to note the scoreboard pressure under which the batsmen have been put by the bowlers.

That is, I think, an underrated problem. Our bowling won us the title last year (with very little help from the batsmen) and although they have generally done well this year, the expectations in these conditions are correctly higher in these conditions and at least two of our three losses can be put down at least partly to bowling lapses. The above will probably sound harsh and maybe it is a bit, but the figures seem pretty clear. We lost to Warwickshire because the bowlers conceded a partnership in excess of 200 for the eighth wicket. In the first match we let Sussex get away after having them 15-3. And it is also easy to forget that our collapse against Notts only left us 20-odd runs in arrears. The bowlers do have some excuse in that match though, as Smith was injured and Jimmy was off the field for a lot of the match. It is very hard to win with only one front line seamer, even if that seamer is Glen Chapple.

And that gets to what I think is one of the main reasons why Lancs have struggled this year: luck. We played pretty poorly against Sussex, but it was a bad toss to lose. Against Warwickshire we were undone by an incredible partnership from a side that is making a habit of pulling off unlikely wins this year. We played very well against Somerset only to have the rain ruin our chances. And against Notts we were left hoping Chappie could bowl all day and take about seven wickets. We could have played better and if we were to be proper title contenders than we would need to have played better. But I don’t think anyone can doubt that we have not had the rub of the green so far this year. Had circumstances been only slightly different we could have three wins and a loss right now. It’s small consolation, but it does mean that we are likely to improve.

Lancs sign Shazad

This move surprised me. It surprised me when Shazad left Yorkshire, to be fair, but even then I expected him to go to Somerset. They badly need a bowler and he is a good fit. Really, it never occurred to me that he would cross the Pennines. Now that he has, it forces the questions of where he will fit in to the side and how much of a boost it actually will be.

I suspect that he will come in roughly in place of Saj Mahmood. Saj has been our third seamer for a while and whilst he can be brilliant he is also erratic and using Shazad in his place would probably be an improvement. That said, whilst Shazad is certainly talented he seems to wax and wane as well. It was not so long ago that he was almost a full time England bowler, but since then he has fallen off rather a lot. If the change of scenery and change of coach can bring about a revival than he will be an excellent weapon, but otherwise he might just end up giving the Championship players a rest in the pyjama matches. I worry about that second possibility, as if that happens he might be an overall detriment to the side. His behaviour problems are fairly well established and I think Lancashire more than a lot of sides need to stay tightly knit and disciplined. It was a truly team effort that won us the title last year anything that jeopardises that team mentality is a huge risk.

On the whole, however, I think it is more likely than not that he will come good. He has a lot to prove right now and a very coach in Peter Moores. Whilst most of Lancashire’s problems this year have been with the bat, we have conceded big scores and especially big partnerships at inopportune times and I think that more than anything else has cost us. If we can have a solid second or third seamer to help stop that, it will be a major boost.

LV=CC week five roundup

There was more rain in the LV=CC this week, but not as bad as it was last week and we did have more results than draws this time. (Though this was partly due to a contrived match at Lord’s.

Nottinghamshire beat Lancashire by 185 runs
Warwickshire beat Durham by nine wickets
Middlesex beat Worcestershire by 132 runs
Derbyshire drew with Gloucestershire
Glamorgan drew with Essex
Northamptonshire beat Hampshire by 117 runs
Yorkshire beat Leicestershire by an innings and 22 runs

Of note is that now all of Durham, Lancashire, Worcestershire and Glamorgan have still not won a match this season. Yorkshire’s win at Scarborough was their first of the Championship. Meantime, Warwicks and Notts are each yet to lose a match despite some close finishes for the former and the latter having just a single batting point this season. It keeps Warwickshire on top of the D1 table by four points over Notts, having played one fewer match. Derbys have also done enough in their draw to stay at the summit of D2.

As mentioned above, one of the most notable match of the round was probably at Lord’s where Worcestershire declared before the last day on 45-2 and Middlesex forfeited their second innings. It set up a chase of 283 on the last day, but Worcs did not get near it. It was still an example of good attacking thinking, however. The points allocation system is (rightly, I think) set up to reward victories highly and almost discount draws. Worcs correctly assessed that it was worth going for a win and we got an exciting finish out of a match that looked dead.

This was also the week in which all of the England players were cleared to appear for their counties. Ian Bell rather dramatically returned to form for Warwickshire, scoring 120 after coming in with the Bears 15-3. He this time outshone his England colleague Trott, who could only make two. As Warwickshire do not play next week, Bell will appear for the Lions to get some more time in the middle. Jimmy Anderson bruised his hand and come down with a stomach ailment, but still managed to take 5-82 in Notts’ second innings. In the other dressing room for that match, Swann and Broad took 3-26 & 2-30 and 0-60 & 3-67 respectively. Swann and Anderson each bowled the other in the match as well. Andrew Strauss scored a pretty good 49 in tricky conditions at Lord’s. It was not chanceless, but it was fairly quick and pretty fluent for the conditions. It should ease the silly media speculation about him, however. Steven Finn did not play a large role on the final day, but did take 2-30. For Essex, Alastair Cook’s return to the middle did not last long, as he made only nine and five. Jonny Bairstow made his case to bat at six against the Windies with 182 in Yorkshire’s innings victory, whilst Tim Bresnan took 1-37 and 1-57.

Many of the best performances were not from the England players, or even those on the fringes of the side, however. Andre Adams completely turned the match at Old Trafford with his first innings 7-32 (a career best) and Warwickshire’s Keith Barker took 5-33 in the first innings and 5-37 in the second to ensure that Durham were only briefly in the match. Strauss got the most publicity in Middlesex’s first innings, but it was Joe Denly who put them in a winning position with his unbeaten 134 whilst Alan Richardson tried in vain to restrict the hosts with his 5-89. Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen hit a century and Tony Palladino took 5-47 as Gloucestershire were forced to follow-on at Derby, but Kane Williamson stepped up for the visitors with 128 (of 409-4) as they secured the draw. Cook failed for Essex, but Alviro Petersen, his South African counterpart, did not and scored 145 at Cardiff. Huw Waters responded for the hosts with 5-47 to restrict Essex in the second innings as the match was drawn. David Willey put in a possibly match-winning effort with the ball for Northants, taking 5-39 in the final innings as Hants could not get close to their target. Finally, Leicestershire had a pair of excellent performances in vain at Scarborough. Wayne White took 5-90 in the first innings and Matthew Boyce scored 122 as Leicestershire tried to make Yorkshire bat again.

Twelve Lions

The Lions squad was announced last week and whilst I didn’t remark upon it at the time, there are some interesting names both included and not.

Apart from the inclusion of Simon Kerrigan (about which I am actually a bit disappointed as we really need him in the LV=CC right now), Nick Compton has also been rewarded for his great start to the season with a call-up. The side is still led by James Taylor. Ravi Bopara has not been included, fuelling suggestion that he is already written into number six in the Test side. This may be true, but I am not certain that it is. The argument goes that England are so sure he will be in the side that they do not want the Windies to get a look at him ahead of time and thus they have omitted him in favour of a purely experimental side of youngsters. Again, this could be. There’s nothing ridiculous about it. But I am not convinced. (Note that this has nothing to do with the fact that Bopara shouldn’t be selected, it’s the separate question of whether he will be anyway.)

First off, I am uneasy with using a lack of selection to a reserve match as proof of first team selection. Note that Graham Onions will also not be playing for the Lions either, however he is very, very unlikely to be in the Test side. The bigger objection is the inclusion of Compton, however. Compton will be 29 this summer, he is not a young prospect. He is not a developing player. I don’t see him being in the Lions as a measure for the next few years, the way it is with Taylor. Surely, the only reason for him to be playing is as an audition for the Test side. Were it a guarantee that Bopara were playing, there would be no need to select Compton for the Lions.

I think the most likely explanation is that Bopara is the default. Despite not playing recently, he will be selected if nothing changes. However, the selection of Compton is an opportunity for something to change. I think the attitude of the selectors will be that Compton can force his way into the side with a good Lions performance in much the same way that Morgan did last year. I rather hope I am right, Bopara remains almost the last person I want to see batting at six for England.

A nail in Morgan’s coffin?

The professional Cricketers Association today released a survey showing overwhelming support amongst English cricketers for a 16 game County Championship and criticising the Morgan Report for not consulting them. (Cricinfo also has a piece on this with a very misleading headline.) It is very good to see yet more condemnation of Morgan’s ill-concieved notion.

The ECB is now one of very few organisations to actually support the Morgan Review. In fact, I’m struggling to think of any others. I believe there are two or three counties and a handful in the media. Most of the counties, however, most I have seen in the media, nearly all of the county supporters and now the PCA are against it. The ECB are stubborn enough that I expect that they will still do everything in their power to force it through and rather pessimistically I expect them to succeed in the end. I am very pleased to see such strong resistance, however.

LV=CC week four roundup

It rained. I could list the results of every match and give summaries, but there was not a single positive result in the country this week. Two matches, Surrey v Durham and Gloucestershire v Glamorgan, were abandoned without a ball bowled over four days. It’s very difficult to have 32 scheduled days of cricket with nothing of note happening, however.

In this round, Lancashire looked much improved. They had the benefit of facing a below-par Somerset attack, but it was still very nice to see a solid performance from the Red Rose. Had the rains stayed away a bit longer there was a good chance that they would have got full bonus points. As it was we only had time to get one bowling point, but a lovely 113 from Steven Croft saw us get full batting points. We’ve still not won a match, but we have shown that we can compete well and that will be important ahead of an important match against Notts next week.

Speaking of Notts, they once again had a difficult time with the bat, but a better one with the ball. Twenty-six batsmen took guard in their match against Worcs (the highest of any match this round) and none of them passed fifty.

Yorkshire are still looking off the boil, they had already conceded a large first innings lead to Kent before the rain came in that match. They have now drawn all of their matches and only really played well in one of them. The fact that Kent got ten points from the match (the most of any side this round) means that they stay on top of the second division.

Armchair selector: An Australian winter’s tale

Australia’s 75 run win in Dominica secured a 2-0 series victory, their second consecutive series win. They have now not lost a Test since their seven run defeat against New Zealand at Hobart. Unfortunately for them, they do not now play another Test until next winter. Obviously they do not entirely control the relevant parts of the Future Tours Programme, but I do think that Cricket Australia may have missed a trick by not trying to schedule something more than five ODIs for the summer. Despite their victories, we have seen some clear gaps in the side recently and there is really nothing to be done to repair them until what must be, for both Cricket Australia and the Australian public, alarmingly close to the 2013 Ashes. With that series in mind, this is how I see the current Australian side:continue reading part I and part II on the Armchair Selector…

Thanks, Windies

The series in the Caribbean is over and the West Indies have lost 0-2. It does not look like a good result and it isn’t, but the Windies do deserve credit for fighting. They did not play well in the series, but they never gave up. I thought they would lose this Test by around 175 runs, but instead they got 100 runs closer. They tried until the last ball of the first Test to win and they came close then too. In the second Test they went for the runs until the rain intervened. In the past year I have watched India play eight Tests and in those eight combined they did not put up as much fight as the West Indies did in this series.

The West Indies did not win a Test, nor did they deserve to, but they never stopped trying. The fact that they kept trying meant that we had entertaining, if not always skilful, cricket and it also meant that they came much closer to winning then they probably ought to have. The contrast with India’s feeble capitulations in England and Australia is striking. India are objectively a better side and have the benefit of famous names, but I know which who I would rather watch. I’d like to hope that someone in the team India set-up took note, but with their festival of mindless slogging in full flow I know that would be a fool’s hope.