Australia/England/India Tri Series Jan/Feb 2015

[The Waugh Twins]

I'm heartily sick of people talking about Bell's 150 games harking back to when he was a 21 year old. The important record is from 2012 when the two white balls were introduced and he became the regular opening bat.

41 games, average 49.17, S/R 84.58. How many England players can match that. No doubt you'll moan about his S/R.

That's great but his strike rate is awful, just awful.

[The Waugh Twins]

I'm heartily sick of people talking about Bell's 150 games harking back to when he was a 21 year old. The important record is from 2012 when the two white balls were introduced and he became the regular opening bat.

41 games, average 49.17, S/R 84.58. How many England players can match that. No doubt you'll moan about his S/R.

That's great but his strike rate is awful, just awful.

Yes I can't stand his strike rate either, just woeful.

[The Waugh Twins]

I'm heartily sick of people talking about Bell's 150 games harking back to when he was a 21 year old. The important record is from 2012 when the two white balls were introduced and he became the regular opening bat.

41 games, average 49.17, S/R 84.58. How many England players can match that. No doubt you'll moan about his S/R.

That's great but his strike rate is awful, just awful.

Yes I can't stand his strike rate either, just woeful.

What is his strike rate by the way?

[Dr Cricket]

I wonder what it says about England that their highest ODI runs scorer doesn't even break into the top 60 of all time. Every test playing team apart from Bangladesh (even Zimbabwe and NZ) have multiple players in the 6000 club. Do we just play that many fewer ODIs than anyone else? Or have we consistently failed for 40 years to produce a batsman that actually demands consistent selection in the ODI team for a prolonged period of time?

We did have one, but he's currently plying his trade for the Melbourne Stars...

we don't play as many games, or didn't until the last couple of years, most teams have guys with 300+ games and we don't have anyone over 200, think Collingwood still holds the record for caps

That not actually true since 2000 england pretty much play similar amount of ODI to the rest of the teams although their not in the top tier like test matches but that really shouldn't make a difference to that statistic.

the main reason is England not knowing the best 11, Rest and just not really having anyone good enough to do it yet.

Not sure england has got a player that has played in the odi team for 8-10 yrs bat in the top order and score runs consistently.

[Dr Cricket]

In a weird way kind of happy of england having a poor 10 overs.
If I am correct all the games in the tri series teams have had a terrible last 10 overs.
I really find the last 10 overs boring now teams score 80-100 runs with ease, bowlers literally can't take wickets let alone contain.
It was far more fun to watch when it took real skill to score runs at the death, I really don't rate any current batsman at the death apart from Dhoni and hussey. Buttler and the rest might be really good and better but until the field rule change I can't really rate them since any batsman can score quick runs these days.

The big grounds sizes might have pushed the favour back into the bowler hands hopefully this is the case since ODI cricket is far better when bowlers got the chance to win games at the last 10 overs.

[Alviro Patterson]

Ravi plays at 3 for Essex so if they keep him why not play him there. Taylor comes in at 5/6 for Notts so why not move him. Problem is Bopara is in as a bowling option but simply not a very good option. We need two bowling options in the top seven so maybe they should work on Woakes's batting in the nets so he can bat at seven.

Moving Bopara higher up the order means Jos Buttler bats at 7 and he's one of England's form batsmen.

Taylor often bats at 3/4 for Notts, Bopara's limited overs record with the bat might be good but he plays at postage stamp Chelmsford.

[hopeforthebest]

Ravi plays at 3 for Essex so if they keep him why not play him there. Taylor comes in at 5/6 for Notts so why not move him. Problem is Bopara is in as a bowling option but simply not a very good option. We need two bowling options in the top seven so maybe they should work on Woakes's batting in the nets so he can bat at seven.

Moving Bopara higher up the order means Jos Buttler bats at 7 and he's one of England's form batsmen.

Taylor often bats at 3/4 for Notts, Bopara's limited overs record with the bat might be good but he plays at postage stamp Chelmsford.

I'm not saying he SHOULD bat at 3 simply that IF they play him he should bat in a position more suited to him. England have constantly played players out of position in ODI games since the year dot. As for Buttler he hasn't set the world alight too often in recent games and he bats at 7 more often than not and his high score of 121 was made whilst batting in that position.

[The Waugh Twins]

I think Australia are proving that they are quarter final contenders.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Maybe Tim is going to bat at seven?

[Alviro Patterson]

Ravi plays at 3 for Essex so if they keep him why not play him there. Taylor comes in at 5/6 for Notts so why not move him. Problem is Bopara is in as a bowling option but simply not a very good option. We need two bowling options in the top seven so maybe they should work on Woakes's batting in the nets so he can bat at seven.

Moving Bopara higher up the order means Jos Buttler bats at 7 and he's one of England's form batsmen.

Taylor often bats at 3/4 for Notts, Bopara's limited overs record with the bat might be good but he plays at postage stamp Chelmsford.

I'm not saying he SHOULD bat at 3 simply that IF they play him he should bat in a position more suited to him. England have constantly played players out of position in ODI games since the year dot. As for Buttler he hasn't set the world alight too often in recent games and he bats at 7 more often than not and his high score of 121 was made whilst batting in that position.

Bopara has batted higher up the order for England before and failed. It wasn't long ago England accommodated Alastair Cook to bat as an opener, moving Hales at 3, Taylor at 5 and Morgan at 6. Three players moved out of position and scored a combined 13 runs off 33 balls.

For once England's batting order is starting to take shape. Bell and Ali look good as openers, Taylor has made a positive impression at 3, Root has made the no4 spot his own. Bopara is no stranger to lower order batting and is more suited to be given licence rather than responsibility.

The highest Bopara can realistically bat is number 5, but at the expense of wasting Morgan and Buttler's batting power at 6 and 7.

[hopeforthebest]

Maybe Tim is going to bat at seven?

Nice idea AC but I don't thick they will go outside the WC squad. Ideally Bopara might be pursuaded to fall down some stairs so Tim could replace him.

[Robert]

Ravi plays at 3 for Essex so if they keep him why not play him there. Taylor comes in at 5/6 for Notts so why not move him. Problem is Bopara is in as a bowling option but simply not a very good option. We need two bowling options in the top seven so maybe they should work on Woakes's batting in the nets so he can bat at seven.

Moving Bopara higher up the order means Jos Buttler bats at 7 and he's one of England's form batsmen.

Taylor often bats at 3/4 for Notts, Bopara's limited overs record with the bat might be good but he plays at postage stamp Chelmsford.

I'm not saying he SHOULD bat at 3 simply that IF they play him he should bat in a position more suited to him. England have constantly played players out of position in ODI games since the year dot. As for Buttler he hasn't set the world alight too often in recent games and he bats at 7 more often than not and his high score of 121 was made whilst batting in that position.

Bopara has batted higher up the order for England before and failed. It wasn't long ago England accommodated Alastair Cook to bat as an opener, moving Hales at 3, Taylor at 5 and Morgan at 6. Three players moved out of position and scored a combined 13 runs off 33 balls.

For once England's batting order is starting to take shape. Bell and Ali look good as openers, Taylor has made a positive impression at 3, Root has made the no4 spot his own. Bopara is no stranger to lower order batting and is more suited to be given licence rather than responsibility.

The highest Bopara can realistically bat is number 5, but at the expense of wasting Morgan and Buttler's batting power at 6 and 7.

Taylor/Root is a distinctly ordinary combination at three/four.

[rich1uk]

Taylor/Root is a distinctly ordinary combination at three/four.

yeah coz we have so many good options that are actually available to us that can bat at #3 that we can choose to ignore a guy who has a career list A average of 52

he has shown more than enough in the limited chances he has had to suggest he deserves a run in the team

[Arthur Crabtree]

Taylor looks like a potential star. He played some incredible innings for Notts last year, and he's shown some ability for England. He hasn't been brought through by England very thoughtfully, but the team was off kilter for a while in an attempt to make Cook work at all cost. Flower didn't fancy him either. But he looks like a lead player of the next generation.

Possibly the reason why half the back up in this squad is top order standbys (Hales, Ballance) is because Cook complicated the opportunity to see what they could do over the past year or so (maybe add Taylor to that)

[Robert]

Taylor/Root is a distinctly ordinary combination at three/four.

yeah coz we have so many good options that are actually available to us that can bat at #3 that we can choose to ignore a guy who has a career list A average of 52

he has shown more than enough in the limited chances he has had to suggest he deserves a run in the team

32.12 @ 74.71 is nothing to write home about and he's failed miserably against the only good bowling team he's faced.