posted May 3, 2008

I heard an after dinner speech by Parfitt who told the assembled people about Dennis Compton who,after giving Parfitt his 12th man orders - wake me up when it's my turn - went to sleep. When a wicket fell Parfitt woke him. He couldn't find his bat and so grabbed a "reject" in the corner (Parfitt said it was a plank) and left the dressing room mumbling " if you can really bat you can bat anywhere with anything" He got something like 135 in three hours. Perhaps then we are looking in the wrong place and there is an opener out there presently batting lower down.

It should be remembered that Wilfred Rhodes went from county no 11 to Test opener and, more recently, Bob Barber went from a stodgey no6 to a stroke playing Test opener.

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posted May 3, 2008

I think Ryder is suited to onedayers and 20/20 but not so for tests.

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posted May 3, 2008

Personally if things dont work out in the first NZ test I would look at bringing Key in to open with Cook. I think they would combine well. Strauss and Cook dont work because both of their games are based on the slow building and seeing off the new ball, but Key would provide the perfect foil to Cook. That leaves No. 3 as a fight between Vaughan, Strauss, Carberry, Shah and Bopara. The other change I would make to the order would be to swap Colly and Bell around, Bell is better at batting with the tail.

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posted May 3, 2008

i think Ryder will do ok in tests, he has good timing, waits the ball onto the bat and pretty decent technique. he's made first class centuries before and has decent average. the only thing is he's probably better at 3 or 4 in tests.

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posted May 3, 2008

nice story Albondiga, but how many other number 6's have you seen been converted to openers?

I agree that we havent found someone to replace MT as opening batsmen. Tres and Strauss worked well together. Cook has plenty of potential but still needs someone experienced next to him.

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posted May 3, 2008

I can't think of a batsman converted to a test opener on a regular basis but Trevor Bailey did it temporarily. Not sure if it has ever happened in other countries.

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posted May 4, 2008

This is likely to get worse with 20-20. The fielding restrictions (in limited overs) are surely part of the issue. Hence the Gayle-ilk opening style seems to be the vogue.

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posted May 4, 2008

I've just thought of a middle order batsman recently converted to a test opener - Neil McKenzie - SA.

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posted May 10, 2008

Mike Hussey could do the boring all day stuff as opener with one hand tied.... but they won't let him! Not that Jacques has done much wrong at all, but I'm waiting.

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posted May 10, 2008

Well Carberry has just shown that he can open the batting quite successfully (as long as he isn't allowed to jump up too high in celebration of a ton).

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