tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post3822820328398672225..comments2024-02-11T10:15:25.794+00:00Comments on Third Umpire: Where do England go from here?Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-42056106536512035512007-04-10T13:03:00.000+01:002007-04-10T13:03:00.000+01:00England will struggle to win any matches until the...England will struggle to win any matches until they sort out their opening 4 batsman. Vaughan shoud drop himself. He hasn't scored an ODI century and looks so out of form. Open with Bell & Flintoff.<BR/><BR/>Flintoff can't get started against the slow, soft ball so push him up the order. It may even speed up the run rate at the start of the innings. <BR/><BR/>Pieterson, Strauss, Collingwood, Bopara, Nixon to follow. Bowl with Anderson, Monty, Broad, Plunkett and Flintoff. Also try Pieterson as a spinner to mix things up a little.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-25153919287636759642007-04-09T23:52:00.000+01:002007-04-09T23:52:00.000+01:00Well there's no point in playing openers apparentl...Well there's no point in playing openers apparently, so might as well stack the old bowling! ;-)<BR/><BR/>Did England not miss a trick by calling up Stuart Broad for Jon Lewis, when the top order woes are still so painfully obvious. Is Broad likely to play? Nein unfortunately.Chrispyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17116768172493122694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-72773346701205366422007-04-09T22:13:00.000+01:002007-04-09T22:13:00.000+01:00Indeed, this percentage play approach is thoroughl...Indeed, this percentage play approach is thoroughly dispiriting, particularly as there is talent within the ranks.<BR/><BR/>I quite agree that the pitch would have welcomed a few overs from Bopara or Vaughan yesterday - there was a point, with Collingwood and Panesar pegging down both ends, when the required rate was edging towards six an over, and if we could have forced the hand of either Ponting or Clarke, we might have stood a chance. Instead Mahmood came back on, and the pressure evaporated.<BR/><BR/>Going with Plunkett, Saj, Jimmy and Monty would be a big call - but we really are struggling for penetration. However, I think a better bet may be to leave Joyce in (I still think he might have something), open him with Fred, follow with Bell, then Colly and KP, leave Vaughan to captain from below Bopara, try and thrash our way to three hundred by-hook-or-by-crook, and then rely on Fred, Plunk, Jim, Monty, Colly and Ravi to take wickets/restrict run scoring.<BR/><BR/>Most importantly for me, the mentality has to change: we need a little more courage, and a lot more conviction.allrounderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01855338798218466908noreply@blogger.com