Lions in W.Indies
- Thread starter Parkside
- Start date
WCC
Central Defender
Crane 12.4 overs 1-56 4.5 economy.
Leach 56 overs 8-110 2.3 economy.
Writing off Crane already is very short sighted. I’m hindsight it was a crap pick for the Ashes, but it’s not like there is a deep pool of spinning options
I can't see that anyone is writing him off. England persistently hothouse any legspinner when they've barely been introduced to 1st class cricket. Crane showed real promise and development in grade cricket in Aussie last year but barely bowled in the championship. Clearly he should have been given a few more years in grade cricket to continue that development. The English climate isn't conducive to developing legspinners nor are they effective so why the obsession with them. They're useful one in four years when we go to the penal colony.
brandon
Striker
Silly Point
Winger
2nd match started today. Our rabble 145 all out. WI 150-4.
Billy Rocket
Winger
Some pool. More like puddle.
Hi. Crane was picked on the idea he would play alongside Ali, as he turns it the other way. Its flawed logic like. Loads of nations just pick leg spinners from nowhere, on the basis they might be the x factor and loads of other cliches. Aussies did it for ages after Warne. But there best 2 spinners were Hauritz and Lyon, conventional, good off spinners. Not sure why we are so afraid to do this, Leach has to play, he is the best spinner in the country by some distance. You need a bowler who can bowl over after over, go around 3 or under, and obviously take the odd wicket.Test cricket has never changed like that. When you play Crane, or Ali or Rashid, they are so expensive that Broad or Anderson then have to bowl dry at the other end, which diminishes their ability.
They need to play Leach and Ali as a batsman, and if he can't score consistent runs then drop him. I have sympathy for England during the Ashes, as Ali had the summer of his life then imploded, which couldn't have been seen, was his own fault. However not picking a proper back up spinner meant he had to play 5 tests.
Never seen a player more deserving of a drop than Ali during that series, but he played every game. Remarkable.
They need to play Leach and Ali as a batsman, and if he can't score consistent runs then drop him. I have sympathy for England during the Ashes, as Ali had the summer of his life then imploded, which couldn't have been seen, was his own fault. However not picking a proper back up spinner meant he had to play 5 tests.
Never seen a player more deserving of a drop than Ali during that series, but he played every game. Remarkable.
S
stephen cartwright
Guest
I have a feeling like borthwick, he could be a one cap in Australia and out
Silly Point
Winger
Now we know why FTECB don't want to provide regular updates on these matches 
Latest score from WICB website
WI 408-8. Innings defeat coming up.
Shite.
Latest score from WICB website
WI 408-8. Innings defeat coming up.
Shite.
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Nobody knows if that it is the case, but he certainly should be nowhere near the test team for at least a few years.
Now we know why FTECB don't want to provide regular updates on these matches
Latest score from WICB website
WI 408-8. Innings defeat coming up.
Shite.
Leach player well again though
Only need 1 test quality player to come out of a tour like that to be worth it.
None of these lads are prolific scorers like, Ballance averaging 100 in div 1 with 4 test 100s is rightly getting called up time after time, as he is better than these lads. And James Vince.
Silly Point
Winger
Anyone who follows county cricket knows that Leach should be in the side regardless of this tour. If we were just one quality spinner away from a decent Test side then fair enough, but there are a number of places up for grabs in the Test side and certainly no obvious candidates among this lot to claim those places.
The FTECB are always keen to praise the Lions set up when England do well, but with fuck all coming through no doubt the counties will be blamed as usual.
The FTECB are always keen to praise the Lions set up when England do well, but with fuck all coming through no doubt the counties will be blamed as usual.
Bri
Striker
That settles it for me. I'd been doubtful about Leach, is he crap when not playing on the Taunton beach etc. etc. clearly he is a top 1st class spinner and should at least be in an England squad.
From there it's about balance of the side, Ali gets a nod because he's a good spinner and a good batsman and has the number to show. But if he's out of form, or injured or the nature of the pitch indicates a two spinner team then why not.
Silly Point
Winger
Innings defeat confirmed earlier. Livingstone top scorer with 48. Lots of 20s from the rest. Silence from FTECB of course. Desperately trying to brush it all under the carpet while the seniors prepare for another "massive" white ball series. Really quite despondent about the future of our red ball game.
FTECB
FTECB
Ali can do a job in England with 3 seamers and Stokes
I don't have a problem with that as it wins us games, and winning at home is absolutely vitally important, no matter how Vaughan and the likes tried to diminish it
However if they want a genuine spin bowler in the side they it has to be this lad, and if Ali can't score runs, he should be dropped.
For me I think you look at playing Leach, then bringing in Ali as 2nd spinner when we need it.
