• The first stage of the forum upgrades has now been completed but they remain in a degraded state and are still being worked on.
    Please read this thread for more details.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.

Prospective England openers

He's the best opener to watch for me, always used to get to 50 before you could blink

I think the disapointment for me for England was that he didnt play his natural game, I think initially you have to give that ago

He did OK relatively though, averaged what 3 runs less than Burns?

Always felt he did more than ok. Was by no means the worst performer in a completely abject Ashes away tour.

File alongside Carberry for me in terms of openers who - whilst granted, didn’t set the world alight - got a pretty harsh deal and can count themselves fairly unlucky.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bri

Always felt he did more than ok. Was by no means the worst performer in a completely abject Ashes away tour.

File alongside Carberry for me in terms of openers who - whilst granted, didn’t set the world alight - got a pretty harsh deal and can count themselves fairly unlucky.

Aye you are right there, he is a lot better than Carberry IMO anyway

tbf with Rocky he did OK in the Ashes I thought I agree, but when he started the summer he was bit out of form and Ed Smith had just been appointed national selector and immediatly dropped him

Much better player thahn the likes of Burns and co for me, who under different management Icould have done well

As I say I really think, especially in England, he should have just played his natural way

The opener thing in England is abit of a myth anyway, some podcast had the average of all the openers from away teams in the lasy 10 years and it was just as low
 
Sibley needs a score, I reckon Haines done most to advance cause thus far
I think so. Lees has one great knock and missed a game. All of the typical shouts such as Burns, Sibley, Hameed, Crawley have had pretty poor starts. Although Sibley got a nice unbeaten 41 last time out. The other 4 have had one 50 and a few failures.
I think so. Lees has one great knock and missed a game. All of the typical shouts such as Burns, Sibley, Hameed, Crawley have had pretty poor starts. Although Sibley got a nice unbeaten 41 last time out. The other 4 have had one 50 and a few failures.
Sibley out for 12
I think so. Lees has one great knock and missed a game. All of the typical shouts such as Burns, Sibley, Hameed, Crawley have had pretty poor starts. Although Sibley got a nice unbeaten 41 last time out. The other 4 have had one 50 and a few failures.

Sibley out for 12
Browne 12
Cook 6

Both out
 
Last edited:
Another Crawley failure - 5
Cook and Browne out for 19
Compton 44 not out
Lees 40 not out
Hameed out for 24
Dickson 70 not out
Dent 190 not out
Another Crawley failure - 5
Cook and Browne out for 19
Compton 44 not out
Lees 40 not out
Hameed out for 24
Dickson 70 not out
Dent 190 not out
Stoneman 30 not out and Robson 22 not out as Middx knocked off 52 to win by 10 wickets.
Another Crawley failure - 5
Cook and Browne out for 19
Compton 44 not out
Lees 40 not out
Hameed out for 24
Dickson 70 not out
Dent 190 not out

Stoneman 30 not out and Robson 22 not out as Middx knocked off 52 to win by 10 wickets.
100 not out for Lees who looks a certainty for the first test given his own form and lack of firm for others.

170 not out for Dickson

93 out for Compton who has done well this season
 
Last edited:
Another Crawley failure - 5
Cook and Browne out for 19
Compton 44 not out
Lees 40 not out
Hameed out for 24
Dickson 70 not out
Dent 190 not out

Stoneman 30 not out and Robson 22 not out as Middx knocked off 52 to win by 10 wickets.

100 not out for Lees who looks a certainty for the first test given his own form and lack of firm for others.

170 not out for Dickson

93 out for Compton who has done well this season
FTECB could do worse than trying Compton with Lees.
 
No way with key having a prominent role that Crawley doesn't play
I believe you are right and that Crawley and Lees will start off the summer. H'es had a piss poor start to the season and his England record looks just about respectable due to one massive outlier but if he doesn't develop some sort of consistency Key will find it hard to defend him for long. I agree though hes giong to play at least initially.
 
No way with key having a prominent role that Crawley doesn't play
Crawley would be a much better #3 imho but suspect they will spend a few years working this out
He's the best opener to watch for me, always used to get to 50 before you could blink

I think the disapointment for me for England was that he didnt play his natural game, I think initially you have to give that ago

He did OK relatively though, averaged what 3 runs less than Burns?
His natural game is aggressive. You need to be as good as Warner or Sehwag to do that opening the batting in test cricket which Rocky isn't.
 
Last edited:
Crawley would be a much better #3 imho but suspect they will spend a few years working this out

His natural game is aggressive. You need to be as good as Warner or Sehwag to do that opening the batting in test cricket which Rocky isn't.

That’s fine but he may as well have given it ago

What I do know is he is not good enough even in CC to play like he did

I’d rather pick him than burns mind
 
I believe you are right and that Crawley and Lees will start off the summer. H'es had a piss poor start to the season and his England record looks just about respectable due to one massive outlier but if he doesn't develop some sort of consistency Key will find it hard to defend him for long. I agree though hes giong to play at least initially.
I’d go Haines with Lees or Compton. But agree, the Key factor means it’ll probably be Crawley to start with. Even with his hopeless CC form.

Could Chris Dent also be an outside bet to open? 10,000 runs at 37.5.
 
I’d go Haines with Lees or Compton. But agree, the Key factor means it’ll probably be Crawley to start with. Even with his hopeless CC form.

Could Chris Dent also be an outside bet to open? 10,000 runs at 37.5.
It’s a good record and like Haines I’ve not seen much. I think anyone with a good record and in good form should be in their thoughts
 
No way we should be picking Compton like, he's played what 4 or 5 county games in his entire career.
I'm also concerned that in style having Lees and Compton could have us going nowhere with the score. I'm not against a Sibley, Lees, Compton as such but two of them together might not be the best idea. Haines seems to score reasonably freely although I cant say with any certainty tbf.
 
Back
Top