English Cricket Thread

[andy]

It's a good move though can't say she hasn't earned a chance

[sussexpob]

I'm certain that she became the first woman to play in a Men's team in Australia

Always a bit sceptical of such claims, as I have seen in the past people have said she was the first woman to play for the Old Brightonian's and the Preston Nomads in the Sussex League, which I can state with absolute certainty is not true. I am not even sure she was the only woman playing in Sussex at those times either (Laura Marsh played for a team in High Weald, and Holly Colvin also played for OBs). Pretty sure both honours go to Claire Connor.

Not that it matters really, she embarrassed any man she came across with her glove work, which was good enough to have played for any team in the world, irrespective of gender. She was an excellent wicket-keeper....

A conversation that reminds us that the ECB made a great decision in deciding not to give Sussex a woman's franchise, what with our terrible history with woman's cricket and inclusion....

[sussexpob]

I'm pretty sure that this is the first time a woman has been a Men's coach

She has been coaching Sussex's male XI since retiring, but if you mean for the ECB, I would have to imagine so ...

I heartily wish her luck. She has received a lot of praise for her coaching work, but I guess if England drop more than 2 catches we are going to have to hear a lot about woman blah blah blah... if you are good enough, it don't make what you have between your legs.

[Durhamfootman]

I'm pretty sure that this is the first time a woman has been a Men's coach

She has been coaching Sussex's male XI since retiring, but if you mean for the ECB, I would have to imagine so ...

well, yes, but also other international sides

I do remember the talk about her playing in Australia in a men's team, a good men's team, a few years ago. I hadn't heard of any woman doing that before, at A grade level

I've just checked and it was in 2015
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/wom ... /wijvya7rf

I've a lot of time for Sarah Taylor

[bigfluffylemon]

Not that it matters really, she embarrassed any man she came across with her glove work, which was good enough to have played for any team in the world, irrespective of gender. She was an excellent wicket-keeper....

Couldn't agree more. I was lucky enough to see her keep in the women's Ashes, and I've never seen better glovework live, irrespective of gender.

[Arthur Crabtree]

England squad for a couple of Lions games v SA starting next week.

Dan Mousley (captain), Charlie Allison (Essex), Henry Crocombe (second four-day match), Eddie Jack, Ben Geddes, Ben Mayes, Ben McKinney, Tom Lawes, Alfie Ogborne (first four-day match), Liam Patterson-White, James Sales, Naavya Sharma, Mitchell Stanley, Asa Tribe, James Wharton.

England going in heavy with players called Ben.

[sussexpob]

Ben Mayes and Eddie Jack have been smashed apart all season and done nothing in the professional game. Ben Geddes and James Wharton are players who started well, but have regressed to the mean... Wharton has been dropped to the 2nd XI as of last week. Anyone who things Henry Crocombe is a potential international needs serious medical attention. Tom Lawes can't get into the Surrey team regularly and has bowled poorly recently. Ogborne has done nowt and isn't that young. Asa Tribe's good start is starting to fault and hes in bad form making a step up to Div 1. I literally took apart Sales watching in a couple of weeks ago, that technique is rubbish, never going to step up. Mitchell Stanley is in his mid 20s and played hardly any cricket.

This is nowhere near the best XI side the game can muster. And why is Mousley there and captain? Does his dad play golf with Rob Key and Zak Crawley's dad? He averages late 20s as a one drop, and hardly bowls an over in FC cricket. He is rubbish, why do England seem to think he's some legend in the making? I don't mind 1 or 2 maverick picks, but picking guys barely getting into county sides or in horrendous form is hardly a good idea.

Also makes me think are the selectors/Key even watching the game this year? Wharton, Geddes, Tribe, Lawes... these are all picks that made sense maybe in September, but not in May 2026.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Who should be in? Some of the players in the full squad might be a better fit in the Lions.

[sussexpob]

I don't really get the thought process at all either. Key doesn't hide the fact he doesn't like slower pace bowlers, and continually ignores players like Cook despite them ripping apart county teams all the time; and then we get to the Lions and he fills it medium pace trundlers who can't buy a wicket in division two, if they even get a game. So what's the point? We seem to be using all our development capacity in trying to improve bowlers that, in the very best case scenario, will be continually ignored anyway.

I guess he would argue someone like Jack is as tall as a skyscraper and makes the ball talk with bounce... remember the last time we picked a player with a rubbish record just because he was tall? Josh Hull currently averaging somewhere near a 100 over 4 games, and judging on the way he bowled against Sussex, is probably not that far away from fading into minor counties.

[sussexpob]

Who should be in? Some of the players in the full squad might be a better fit in the Lions.

Sam Cook
Ethan Bamber
Ben Green
George Hill
Ben Kellaway
Tom Abell
Leus de Plooy - I believe he is English qualified
Ryan Higgins
Matthew Potts
Tom Haines

The list of bowlers could go on forever, because quite literally basically anyone would be better than Eddie Jack, who hasn't taken more than 1 wicket in an innings in 9 games, and averages like Ian Salisbury. Even Harry Brook as a bowling only option would probably be statistically superior.

[sussexpob]

Without being biased, I think Tom Haines is the perfect example of why England's Lions selections don't make sense. At the start of this year the opener slot was up for grabs between three main candidates, Gay/McKinney/Haines. There was an acute chance Haines only 5 week ago would be playing a test match, and if Gay has a horrible time and Ben Duckett maintain's his Ashes form, may still have a chance of playing for England in a test match by the end of this year. So why isn't he in the Lions, him and McKinney are literally the most important picks the side could have made? Its the same with Potts. If England lose two bowlers to injury, they will come for him over anything in this squad. So why isn't he there? The whole point is to challenge players you think can take a step up, by giving them half a step up. If a playr can't even live at the level they are at, then why bother? ?Its a waste of time.

James Coles is another. In the winter he was the great prospect coming through, then got the highest ever domestic contract a player has ever received. 4 bad games, not interested anymore, time to move onto a Middlesex batter averaging worse than he is without the hype ?

There are two strategies for the B team. The first is play your best side, see who stands out at a higher level. The second is to back long term investment in players... I don't think as a unit, the Lions does either. There is basically no pathway.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Thanks, I'll keep an eye ;)

I get the impression the Lions isn't for players on the periphery of the England side anymore. It's more of a look at how recent U19s are progressing. Though it's not obvious why that is necessary. The current squad looks a long way from an England's second team.

[sussexpob]

I get the impression the Lions isn't for players on the periphery of the England side anymore. It's more of a look at how recent U19s are progressing. Though it's not obvious why that is necessary. The current squad looks a long way from an England's second team.

It feels a natural progression since central contracts were implemented. Increasing over time, the England team thinks its better than county cricket and this warped under Flower's and Mo Bo-Twat's time at the academy into this idea that they could create world class players from scratch, using good human beings as a basis. The attitude remains and continues to get more extreme, and now we are at the point where the academy and player pathway seems to operate completely in parallel to the professional game.

And that is obviously a concern. England's facilities and coaching should be made available to the best players, but that is what the winter is for. For 4 months in the season, these young lads should be cutting their teeth playing, and then escalated when they prove themselves. If some 17 year old prodigy comes in and hit some runs or takes some wickets, then fast track them by all means. But taking players who are being flogged regularly in the professional game does no one any good. I guess this is the Rob Key Paradox isn't it. County cricket is rubbish and can't be trusted, but players who can't live up to its standards must be saved from being tarnished by it.

Sometimes things are really simple arent they? Playing well at the top level might just mean more than not playing well, irrespective of how quick, tall or beautiful your cover drive is.

[Durhamfootman]

Goughie not happy at missing out on the national selector role. Busy firing darts at North and the other contenders

[sussexpob]

Goughie not happy at missing out on the national selector role. Busy firing darts at North and the other contenders

I don't need much of an excuse to lay the boot into Rob Key, but this seems like a classic case of sour grapes. Gough comes across as more than a little entitled...