[Johnnyspireite7]

JonB, on 28 May 2013 - 12:11 PM, said:

Think its a bit early to be saying Bairstow is the answer....that was his first test 50 on Saturday wasnt it however if Compton is to be dropped, which i think should happen, then Root is the one to replace him at the top of the order. Not convinced by Carberry and he hasnt been anywhere near the squad since getting in a while back although i know he was ill.

Root is an opener by trade for Yorkshire and got thrown into the middle order due to injuries when it was initially a toss up between him and Compton to open up in India. Compton got some runs in a warm up game and got the nod only for injury to lead to Root getting thrown in to bat at 6!! He hasnt shown anything as yet to suggest he would struggle opening as he has just taken everything in his stride to date and importantly is an opening bat for his county. Round peg in round hole to take a saying used on here a lot!!

I saw Bairstow get a proper working over by the Windies at Trent Bridge last year i think it was and still has a lot to prove before we can say the spot is his. Few knocking about that could do that job and i personally would love to see Jos Butler given a go at some point and just hope he doesnt fall foul of being labelled a one day\T20 specialist. I wouldnt completely discount Morgan either as yet.

No, got 95 & 64 at Lord's against the Saffies last year.

[Bushy]

The Compton issue comes from how much we analyse the game. He scored back to back hundreds in New Zealand and two tests later we're calling for his head.

Cook, Flower, Miller and co picked Compton on the back of one very good season. Now they have made that decision I think it would be poor to drop him so soon and would go back to the mid 90's where we had players in and out with what seemed like no thought.

In the long run Root will be an opening batsman at Test level and Bairstow will probably be a mainstay in the middle order. No doubt Root could do the job now, as Jon says, he's an opening batsman. A player of his class and potential can bat anywhere though.

Pietersen must come back in as soon as he's fit. This will mean Compton or Bairstow out. Do you change the make up of the side and drop Compton? Or do you drop a reasonably in form Bairstow? Tough one when you're going into a major series.

[Johnnyspireite7]

Bushy, on 28 May 2013 - 01:38 PM, said:

The Compton issue comes from how much we analyse the game. He scored back to back hundreds in New Zealand and two tests later we're calling for his head.

Cook, Flower, Miller and co picked Compton on the back of one very good season. Now they have made that decision I think it would be poor to drop him so soon and would go back to the mid 90's where we had players in and out with what seemed like no thought.

In the long run Root will be an opening batsman at Test level and Bairstow will probably be a mainstay in the middle order. No doubt Root could do the job now, as Jon says, he's an opening batsman. A player of his class and potential can bat anywhere though.

Pietersen must come back in as soon as he's fit. This will mean Compton or Bairstow out. Do you change the make up of the side and drop Compton? Or do you drop a reasonably in form Bairstow? Tough one when you're going into a major series.

Can I throw Bell into the mix for players who will be looking over their shoulders for the axe about to fall, he's dreadfully out of knick!

[JonB]

Johnnyspireite7, on 28 May 2013 - 01:56 PM, said:

Can I throw Bell into the mix for players who will be looking over their shoulders for the axe about to fall, he's dreadfully out of knick!

TO give him a bit of back up....he was unwell and dragged off his sick bed to bat in the first test and one innings here he had to go out and smack it to get to a declaration figure. Did ok in the first innings but he seems to do this a lot...there seems to be no inbetween with him, he's either in great form or poor form.

By the way...just back on again after a rain break in the test. 2 wickets needed before it no doubt rains again.

[shaun1866]

JonB, on 28 May 2013 - 02:02 PM, said:

TO give him a bit of back up....he was unwell and dragged off his sick bed to bat in the first test and one innings here he had to go out and smack it to get to a declaration figure. Did ok in the first innings but he seems to do this a lot...there seems to be no inbetween with him, he's either in great form or poor form.

By the way...just back on again after a rain break in the test. 2 wickets needed before it no doubt rains again.

Tell you what though how good is it to have all these options available to us coming up to play the crims.

[Andy Spireite]

JonB, on 28 May 2013 - 02:02 PM, said:

TO give him a bit of back up....he was unwell and dragged off his sick bed to bat in the first test and one innings here he had to go out and smack it to get to a declaration figure. Did ok in the first innings but he seems to do this a lot...there seems to be no inbetween with him, he's either in great form or poor form.

By the way...just back on again after a rain break in the test. 2 wickets needed before it no doubt rains again.

Just the 1 needed now. Handy catch by Bell too.

[JonB]

Game over...Anderson returns to wrap things up. Think they've taken some unfair criticism about how they got to the win but another test win, another series win and bring on the Aussies once the pyjama cricket is out of the way!! July 10th, Trent Bridge...i'll be there!

[Westbars Spireite]

shaun1866, on 28 May 2013 - 06:36 AM, said:

Yeah but look at the runs he is getting where he is batting, so why change it. Barstow will be dropped for KP which is wrong

Compton's the problem for me. Root is fine where he is but I reckon he'd flourish long term up top with Cook.

[JonB]

Westbars Spireite, on 28 May 2013 - 04:44 PM, said:

Compton's the problem for me. Root is fine where he is but I reckon he'd flourish long term up top with Cook.

Just looking at Comptons Test stats on Cricinfo :-
http://stats.espncri...ng;view=innings

Managed 478 runs in 17 innings but 217 of those came from his 2 hundreds, throw in the one 50 he made scoring 57 and over half of his runs have come in 3 innings. Leave out the 9 not out he scored chasing a tiny total in one game he's scored less then 20 in 9 innings including the last 6 innings. Also his overall strike rate is under 35 so its putting pressure on others to score runs so we dont get bogged down. As a comparison the Trott who is often bemoaned for scoring slowly scores at a strike rate of around 45.

I dont want us to get back to the bad days of the 90s where we chopped and changed but he's not that young so is he going to improve any more?

[Westbars Spireite]

Agreed. He's made Cook look like Brian Lara at times so stodgy is he at the crease.

[satnav]

If Compton does get the chop I'd like to see Bell open with Cook, that would allow Root and Bairstow to stay in the middle order where they are most effective. Bell has got plenty of experience and he's certainly a better fielder than Compton.

[JonB]

satnav, on 28 May 2013 - 07:23 PM, said:

If Compton does get the chop I'd like to see Bell open with Cook, that would allow Root and Bairstow to stay in the middle order where they are most effective. Bell has got plenty of experience and he's certainly a better fielder than Compton.

Why put a middle order batsman to open and have an opener in the middle order? Bell is fine opening in ODIs where it's a different approach but doesn't make sense to have him opening in tests.

[JonB]

Derbyshire playing Surry All Stars with Ponting making his debut for them this evening with it due to be live on Sky. All weather permitting of course!!

[Westbars Spireite]

Looks like a second Sky rain off for us. Just about sums up our luck.

[JonB]

Play due to start at 7:45pm after an inspection although it'll probably pee it down again yet.

[JonB]

Derbyshire win toss and bowl. Footitt and Turner play so some pace, two young lads in Burgoyne and Hughes also play. Surry just have 4 ex internationals in the top 5 in Davies, Solanki, Ahzar Mahmood and Ponting due in at 5!!

[Westbars Spireite]

Rain saved us. Looked very poor conditions to bowl and field in though we didn't make it easy for ourselves.

[JonB]

It struck me a little as one of those that they wouldn't have even started had it not been on telly.

[Westbars Spireite]

JonB, on 30 May 2013 - 06:51 AM, said:

It struck me a little as one of those that they wouldn't have even started had it not been on telly.

I was staggered that they were about to restart in what looked like light rain at half nine. Without Sky there I suggest it'd never have started.

[JonB]

Westbars Spireite, on 30 May 2013 - 12:24 PM, said:

I was staggered that they were about to restart in what looked like light rain at half nine. Without Sky there I suggest it'd never have started.

I think they were running out of archive material to show after the first day washout at Headingley so needed to get some live cricket on!