So, Why Neil Harvey? Is it because cricket blogs were better in his day? Maybe. Lets see what I can dig up about him.

Post from: EveryJoe

Dedication of the month : July 2008 : Neil Harvey

Quite right too. There’s been so much fuss over the team recently and we’re finally getting some stability. Peter Moores is doing a good job at the top. Micheal Vaughan seems to be over the worst of his injury. Matt Prior has established himself as the England ‘keeper. And we’re absolutely overflowing with batsmen at the moment, so why should Tresco just waltz back in to the side?

Because he’s probably the best batsman in the country, that’s why. OK, so he deserves a place in the England side, but only when he’s absolutely sure that his pork pie is back on the picnic rug. Until then, he should be away from the England fold.

Which he is, so it’s all good.

Post from: EveryJoe

Tresco won’t tour yet

Sadly, the match that was truly poised for a thrilling finish, came to nothing as England’s shoddy weather intervened. Day 5 started with India needing some 250 runs for the win, or to save 7 wickets to ensure the draw. England were in a strong position after day 4 following some terrific batting from KP, which he subsequently described as his best batting performance to-date, and some equally terrific bowling from James Anderson and Monty Panesar. Late in the day, Monty yet again claimed the prize wicket of Sachin Tendulkar to set it all up.

In fairness, that there was even as much play as there was nothing short of a miracle and is, in part, testament to the quality of the £1.2m drainage system at Lord’s. Play was uninterrupted until midway through the middle session when bad light forced an early tea. Rain then stopped play for good. At the time, India were perilously close to losing, with 9 wickets down, but some spirited batting from Mahendra Dhoni in particular, saw them do just enough to stave it off.

England do look the stronger side, despite a massively inexperienced bowling attack, but once again, people have stepped up when it mattered. Sideshow Bob has moreorless cemented his place for the foreseeable future and Jimmy Anderson repaid the selectors’ continued faith with a well earned 5fer. Chris Tremlett looked good enough, but didn’t do enough to keep his place when the likes of Hoggard and Flintoff are fit again. However, with both out for at least the next test, Tremmers will certainly get another chance to prove himself. Runs for Strauss and Vaughan in the first innings were welcome and overdue, and Matt Prior continues to illustrate the type of consistency that is required, and has been severely lacking, in the England wicket keeper – it’s a massive relief to have the questions over that position finally put to bed.

The 2nd Test gets underway at Trent Bridge on Friday.

Post from: EveryJoe

1st Test peters out

Either way, it feels like the final nail in the coffin for a man whose career sadly slipped in to almost farce in recent years, as he fell out of form, was WI captain, wasn’t captain, was captain, wasn’t captain and… when he finally left he did so with a modicum of dignity.

Sure, he will always be remembered as one of, if not the, greatest batsmen of all times, which further begs the question why he is risking it all to join something which can only turn out at best another Kerry Packer World Series Cricket, or at worst rebel tour of South Africa.

It doesn’t make much sense to me.

Post from: EveryJoe

Lara to totally bugger his career

England start their campaign against India in earnest tomorrow. After a convincing 3-0 win against a below-par West Indies side, England will be looking to build on their success with a solid performance. The series gets underway with three test matches, followed by (ridiculous) 7 one day matches. Steve Harmison is already ruled out of the test side (with 21 year old Stuart Broad the likely replacement) but Matthew Hoggard is looking dodgy after suffering from back spasms. Andrew Flintoff is still out after surgery on his ankle.

England squad: Michael Vaughan (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Paul Collingwood, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior (wkt), Ryan Sidebottom, Andrew Strauss.

Post from: EveryJoe

England vs India

It’s all a bit boring really and that’s really sad.

Post from: EveryJoe

Englindies / Westingland

Whether or not the twin-captain set up will be effective is still up in the air, but there is yet a vagary in the selection of Collingwood. He’ll currently be preparing for the first of England’s Twenty20 encounters with West Indies. It’ll be his first game in charge of England, as a recognised one day expert. With the exception being that Collingwood has only ever played THREE Twenty20’s and astoundingly, all three have been for England. He has exactly zero experience playing domestic one day Twenty20, a format of the game that has been around for some 5 seasons.

This is easily explained by his regular inclusion in the England set up, so has not had the chance to get the experience. But considering that Twenty20 is such a specialised format, vastly different to even 50 over cricket, will he be the man to lead England?

Or maybe we should have a three captain set up, one for each format of the game?

Post from: EveryJoe

Collingwood: one day captain

Also expect the report to do near enough bugger all.

Post from: EveryJoe

Schofield report tomorrow

Oh wait, it’s the same squad as the one that lost 5-0 in Australia.

Hmm. Way to make a statement, Pete.

Actually, that was a bit of a lie. I was really going for a sensationalist start. This is big news, really and there are some interesting selections that have attempted to answer a couple of the “big” questions.

• Andrew Strauss (capt)
• Alastair Cook
• Owais Shah
• Ian Bell
• Kevin Pietersen
• Paul Collingwood
• Andrew Flintoff
• Matt Prior (wk)
• Liam Plunkett
• Monty Panesar
• Steve Harmison
• Matthew Hoggard

On paper it is moreorless the same side that lost in Australia, and largely the same side that didn’t do much good in the West Indies. But Vaughan out through injury, Andrew Strauss will lead the side (and not Freddie) and Matt Prior is taking over the role as wicket-keeper from Paul Nixon, ahead of the two other most recent failures – Chris Read and Geraint Jones. Liam Plunkett is an interesting choice ahead of Jimmy Anderson and Sajid Mahmood – both of whom figured much more regularly than Plunkett in the last 12 months – but neither took capitalised the opportunity so Plunkett gets his shot. Owais Shah is the only notable addition, having played 1 Test in his International career to-date.

There was always a danger that, on the back of the Ashes fiasco and the new regime under Moores, that we would be expecting massive changes that show a commitment from the England side to be better. All of the players in the squad have come in for some stick in recent times and undoubtedly there will have been replacements suggested. But fortunately, on their return from the Caribbean, each of the players in this squad that they actually are the best players in the country. The name most obviously missing is that of Marcus Trescothick, but England should be in no rush to get him back in the side.

Considering that the West Indian cricket is in an even worse state than the English at the moment, foremost with the departure of Brian Lara, England enter the series as clear favourites. But stranger things have happened and never under-estimate the English ability to lose a game of cricket that they really ought to win.

The series gets under way this Thursday with the first test at Lord’s.

Post from: EveryJoe

New ‘Team England’

However you feel about what is happening in Zimbabwe, it is absolutely right for this decision to be made by a government and not by the sporting body and will hopefully set a precedent for all International sides in the future. This is by no means the first discussion of cancelling tours over concerns about the situation in the host country, but it is the first example I can remember of of a government stepping in and making the decision. I don’t believe that sport should be used to make a political statement which arguably this is, but nevertheless when you have a situation such as that which is going on in Zimbabwe, then it seems to make sense.

The only losers here are the Zimbabwe cricket team, and hopefully all those involved will be able to agree to play the series at a different venue. However, it’s sadly pretty much win-win for Mugabe – if Cricket Australia do not tour Zimbabwe, then they will be liable for £1m in compensation to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union – and knowing how Mugabe operates, it seems unlikely much of that money will actually stay with the ZCU.

Post from: EveryJoe

Australia won’t tour Zimbabwe