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shiverschanders

Listed below are comments made by shiverschanders between Tuesday, 25th August 2009 and Friday, 9th October 2009.

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Trophy ends in blazer of glory 12:13pm on 09 Oct 2009 Congratulations to the Aussies; they've proved that they're the best one-day side in the world, and within a couple of years, I expect them to be number one in the test stakes again as well.
England WERE lucky to regain the Ashes: lucky that the Australians were in a state of re-building (the likes of Hilfenhaus, North and Hughes will be much-improved, and wiser, players the next time we meet them); lucky that three England players (Strauss, Broad and Swann) were able to make consistent batting contributions, masking the inconsistencies and inadequacies of the rest of the order; lucky that the vast majority of poor umpiring decisions went in their favour; lucky with the toss when it mattered most eg, Lord's; and lucky with the conditions at times.
In one-day cricket, England, it seems, can still only pull off the odd victory 'on their day' - and here, their lack of class batsmen is highlighted.
Champions Trophy surpasses expectations 08:17am on 05 Oct 2009 Mitchell Johnson doesn't 'chuck' the ball anymore than Jeff Thomson did. One notable thing about his action is how straight his arm is.
People seem to be confusing 'chuck' with 'sling'.
And yes, Johnson does deserve his award, even though he seems to be at a bit of a crossroads at the moment.
England discover ruthless streak 08:29am on 30 Sep 2009 'Un-Strauss-like'? Un-English, I'd call it. We've always been a country and culture associated with sportsmanship, generosity and fair play. If we have to abandon that ethos merely in order to be 'competetive', then maybe it's time to stop playing the game.

Regarding England's defeat by New Zealand: so, the batsmen having put in their annual good performance, normal service has been resumed, has it?
England one-day player ratings 6:52pm on 21 Sep 2009 Mercifully, I haven't seen much of this series, so can't really be in a position to comment on the individual ratings. However, the series result came as no surprise whatsoever. Swirvy is quite right: specialist one-day players should only be picked if, as in the case with the Australians, they are of international standard. One-day county specialists are not international players, and England's long-standing mediocrity at this form of the game can be traced roughly back as far as they have been persisting with this policy.
However, I also think that England are a pretty poor batting side at test level at the moment (only Strauss and the lower middle-order enabled them to paper over the cracks and end up with the Ashes), so maybe even the best international players would not have made too much difference. England will only improve at this game when they can unearth batsmen who have both talent and temprament.
Bee Gees and bombers at Lord's 1:06pm on 08 Sep 2009 ....and just to commemorate the occasion, England's inning bombed too!!!
Aussie captaincy enters transition phase 12:00pm on 08 Sep 2009 Some of Ricky Ponting's tactics were questionable in the recent Ashes series - I'm just wondering whether he really had the energy he needed to put into it at the time. What I was really impressed by was the stirling way he handled the many dubious umpiring decisions that went against his side, and the abuse of the crowd. To put on such a brave face after the final day of the Oval test when having to run the gauntlet of vapid and banal interview questions was just outstanding.
Ashes player ratings 4:36pm on 27 Aug 2009 I think you're being unkind to Swann, hudjer. Dermot Reeve was a good county utility player who happened to be around at the right time. Swann is a talented test-class spinner who has shown that he can pose a threat to the world's best batsmen on most pitches.
Ashes player ratings 5:02pm on 25 Aug 2009 Ok, for the record, here's my twopenn'oth...

Strauss - 9 - Led from the front and held England together as a batsman, taking on the responsibility superbly. Improving as a captain, but loses the one mark for batting first at Headlingley.

Cook - 3 - Lost form badly after one good innings. Though this is obviously a temporary problem, a greater concern is that even when in form, he still fails to convert fifties to big hundreds too often. A test opener should be able to do that.

Bopara - 3 - Has the talent, but from the way moment he was suckered out by the slower ball in Cardiff, you sensed the Aussies were going to have fun with him, and it would only be a matter of time before his confidence deteriorated. Should be vying with Bell and others for the number five spot, ideally.

Pietersen - 4 - I don't quite buy the fact that his injuries were altogether responsible for his failures, especially after his unrepentant attitude to his first test dismissal. Talent is one thing, as is self-belief, but you still have to think of the team and the overall picture more than he does.

Bell - 5 - Finished the series as he started it, with the same questions to be answered. Looks good, but like Cook, gets out too easily too often. Vying with Bopara and Key for the number five spot in my book.

Trott - 9 - Did everything that could be asked of him and more in his one match, making a huge impact. Looks to have the technique and attitude to be the answer to England's number three dilemma, although it's obviously early days yet, and he may need a few more tests before he's ready for first drop.

Collingwood - 5 - He's ALWAYS the one who's place is questioned when he loses form, but people don't become bad players overnight; and his typically gritty innings in the first test is another reason why England now hold the Ashes. Looked in good form early in the season, but these days we must be aware that his peaks don't last as long as they used to. In form, still has something to offer England, although he must confirm that he is still hungry enough, and must make let his bat do the talking. A good old-fashioned blood-and-guts cricketer, I'd take him on tour as first reserve.

Prior - 8 - His batting didn't quite last the series, but he obviously has improved behind the stumps, and now perhaps would justify his place as a keeper alone. At his best, still a great asset to England's middle order.

Broad - 8 - Can't fault his excellent lower-middle-order batting, which probably kept him in the side early on. Not getting too carried away with his bowling performances: I've always thought he had potential to be a very good third test seamer; if he can keep his current form up, that's what he should be. He is a very valuable bowler who bats - NOT a world-beating all-rounder, as he himself affirms.

Swann - 9.5 - Top man for me. As mentioned in an earlier post, his indomitable attitude has, I believe, been as responsible as anything else for the rebirth of the England team. Another very useful lower-middle order bat, and something England have not really had since the early days of John Emburey: a genuinely destructive spinner, who actually TURNS the ball! His one fault is that if anything, he seems to get too keyed up - but this will improve, and it's better than being over-awed.

Onions - 7 - Made a good impression at times, but it's his first test series, which some people overlook. Has all the basics, and can become a very, very good asset for England over the next few years.

Anderson - 7 - Looks a world-beater at times, but not yet over a whole series. Has been carrying an injury, so the jury's still out: we should have a better idea after South Africa, which will be his biggest test to date.

Harmison - 5 - Sure, his career has been very frustrating, but he has been let down by the tour managers, who forget that he is a rhythm bowler, and fail to provide him with enough pre-test bowling. Still has three or four good years to offer England - if he's committed enough and handled in the right way.

Panesar - 3 - Despite his heroic batting in the First Test, he's obviously lost his way at the moment. Maybe a couple of years at county level to sort himself out will tell us whether he's the real deal.
Ashes player ratings 08:31am on 25 Aug 2009 Regarding Graeme Swann: I think EVERYONE has underestimated the impact that this man has had on the England side. From the moment he came in he brought an ebullience that I think the others have fed off every bit as much as Flintoff. Funny, but Flintoff has always been seen as a towering talisman, and they're now elevating Stuart Broad to that position, on the strength of some admittedly brilliant batting, and two useful performances with the ball (remember when Steve Harmison had them??? One swallow...) For me, every time that Swann has come on to bowl, you've always had the feeling that a wicket may fall at any time, and you can't say that about any other England bowler apart from Flintoff. But because Swann is a spinner, not an eye-catching fast-bowler, he gets put down as a 'useful addition'. If he has one fault, it's that he tends at times to get over-excited (rather than over-awed as with many of the other England players). No, he's the man.
TMS has a wizard time in Ashes finale 08:18am on 25 Aug 2009 Not in the slightest bit interested in Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter, Lily Allen.....I tune in to TMS for cricket.

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