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County Cricket 2024

SuperSub said:
For all of Surrey's early domination Ollie Pope has been having a bit of a shocker this year, averaging 24 from 6 games
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Jury is still massively out on him.

His average both under Stokes and his career massively inflated by his double ton against Ireland.

He really needs a summer like Zak Crawley managed last year.

I must counter I do think he's talented and I thought he'd go on and average 45+ after the away series in SA back in 19/20.
 
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mackembhoy said:
Jury is still massively out on him.

His average both under Stokes and his career massively inflated by his double ton against Ireland.

He really needs a summer like Zak Crawley managed last year.

I must counter I do think he's talented and I thought he'd go on and average 45+ after the away series in SA back in 19/20.
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Agreed, if you take out his 196, he was only averaging 13 from his other 9 innings in India.

With his talent there's no reason why he shouldn't be averaging 40+ this summer against Sri Lanka and Windies, but if he fails then that puts massive pressure on both him and England to find a solution at no.3 ahead of the next Ashes series.
 
SuperSub said:
Agreed, if you take out his 196, he was only averaging 13 from his other 9 innings in India.

With his talent there's no reason why he shouldn't be averaging 40+ this summer against Sri Lanka and Windies, but if he fails then that puts massive pressure on both him and England to find a solution at no.3 ahead of the next Ashes series.
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Temperament is as important as technique. If you don't have one, you don't have the other.

See also: Ramprakash M. and Hick G.
 
mackembhoy said:
Jury is still massively out on him.

His average both under Stokes and his career massively inflated by his double ton against Ireland.

He really needs a summer like Zak Crawley managed last year.

I must counter I do think he's talented and I thought he'd go on and average 45+ after the away series in SA back in 19/20.
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Must be really difficult for selectors with players like him and Crawley.

Pope innings in the test win in India and Crawley in the rained off test in the ashes as good as any in recent times.

Which will make it tempting for selectors to keep picking them


But but struggle for consistency at least Crawley did until last summer, but looks like in similar inconsistent form in championship so far
 
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Voice of fair play said:
Must be really difficult for selectors with players like him and Crawley.

Pope innings in the test win in India and Crawley in the rained off test in the ashes as good as any in recent times, but both struggle for consistency at least Crawley did until last summer, but looks like in similar inconsistent form in championship so far
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Crawley has been really poor in the championship so far apart from one superb innings. However, he was probably our stand out player in India.
 
Turner the Cat said:
Crawley has been really poor in the championship so far apart from one superb innings. However, he was probably our stand out player in India.
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Yeah like I said who would be a selector!!

Crawley last two test series have been his best in England shirt, but apart from that double hundred in second innings against Somerset had scored really poorly this season.

Must be hard to drop players like him and Pope when they inconsistent when you know what they have in them.

Guess that what selectors get paid for but don’t envy decisions regarding them two.

Just my opinion but do prefer this style of regime sticking with players for longer.
 
Voice of fair play said:
Yeah like I said who would be a selector!!

Crawley last two test series have been his best in England shirt, but apart from that double hundred in second innings against Somerset had scored really poorly this season.

Must be hard to drop players like him and Pope when they inconsistent when you know what they have in them.

Guess that what selectors get paid for but don’t envy decisions regarding them two.

Just my opinion but do prefer this style of regime sticking with players for longer.
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Duckett is much the same,one double hundred and a combined 100 runs from his other 5 innings. As for Bairstow he hasn't played any red ball cricket and Stokes has failed in his 3 innings.🤔
 
Parkside said:
Duckett is much the same,one double hundred and a combined 100 runs from his other 5 innings. As for Bairstow he hasn't played any red ball cricket and Stokes has failed in his 3 innings.🤔
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Think Bairstow the most in danger of them 3 not been selected as Duckett been a breath of fresh air opening the batting for England, and Stokes is just Stokes undroppable.

Its going to be ongoing problem/selection headache each year I think ,especially if you start to see more new players performing extremely well in the championship, do you blood them or stick with your established players who may not been doing soo well in that competition or like you say in Bairstow case not playing at all.

McCullum seems be the type of coach to stick with the players and be more loyal than others maybe rightly or wrongly
 
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mackembhoy said:
Jury is still massively out on him.

His average both under Stokes and his career massively inflated by his double ton against Ireland.

He really needs a summer like Zak Crawley managed last year.

I must counter I do think he's talented and I thought he'd go on and average 45+ after the away series in SA back in 19/20.
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It’s why I find it very bizarre he’s being spoken of as a future England captain, as if his record should mean he’s an automatic pick in the team. Yes he’s capable of brilliance (the 196) but in general he’s largely poor for England.

You’d think after a score like the 196 he’d look calm and collected at the crease, but in his very next innings he looked frantic and flustered and as if he needed a big score.

He’s what 26 or 27 now? He’s been around the team for a good four or five years. I think if he has another poor summer he should be dropped.
 
Voice of fair play said:
Must be really difficult for selectors with players like him and Crawley.

Pope innings in the test win in India and Crawley in the rained off test in the ashes as good as any in recent times.

Which will make it tempting for selectors to keep picking them


But but struggle for consistency at least Crawley did until last summer, but looks like in similar inconsistent form in championship so far
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Yeah I see he averages 9 outside his big knock.

Shame as really thought he'd turned a corner on the consistency front.

He's got more credit in the bank that Pope that's for sure. They definitely seem like they want to groom one of him or Pope for captaincy.

Surely will be hard to keep someone in the team if the lean patches are too big and we start losing more games.
 
mackembhoy said:
Yeah I see he averages 9 outside his big knock.

Shame as really thought he'd turned a corner on the consistency front.

He's got more credit in the bank that Pope that's for sure. They definitely seem like they want to groom one of him or Pope for captaincy.

Surely will be hard to keep someone in the team if the lean patches are too big and we start losing more games.
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Yeah that’s a fair point, guess it depends on a number of things such as other talented players knocking the down door.

At the moment think Pope should be in the side, however never been convinced by him as a 3, he is more of a 5 for me, so has been batted in a difficult position so have some sympathy for him.

But like you say has to be a point if he continues his inconsistency to look at other options
 
Inside Forward said:
Does Pope bat 3 for Surrey?
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He never did, but does now to help England. Can't say he's pulled up many trees batting at 3, tbh.

His problem IMO is that he's insanely talented, but A) he gets inside his own head, and B) he's not a 3. He doesn't have the defensive game for that. But England wanted him in the side, and shoehorned him in there because let's face it, Brook is the number five for the next few years, unless he bumps up a place.


I was saying to my dad last night, he's in that same rut Crawley got into where it's almost cruel to keep playing him. But then there's a counterargument there, particularly for Surrey, that he's too good not to play.
 
TheRey said:
He never did, but does now to help England. Can't say he's pulled up many trees batting at 3, tbh.

His problem IMO is that he's insanely talented, but A) he gets inside his own head, and B) he's not a 3. He doesn't have the defensive game for that. But England wanted him in the side, and shoehorned him in there because let's face it, Brook is the number five for the next few years, unless he bumps up a place.


I was saying to my dad last night, he's in that same rut Crawley got into where it's almost cruel to keep playing him. But then there's a counterargument there, particularly for Surrey, that he's too good not to play.
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I’ve missed ya. :D
 
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