Only 170 Runs Ahead – Day 4 at the Ageas Bowl

This time yesterday I asserted that the performance of England’s batsmen on day four would tell us an awful lot about where we stand as a team. So what did we learn? The expression that springs to mind is ‘close but no donut’.

For periods it looked like we were going to press home a strong advantage. This was especially the case at 113-1 and then 249-3. But typically we blew it. England have some useful batsmen, who might be good one day, but they’re not quite there yet.

Although it’s hard to criticise our top five too much as they all made important contributions, the bottom line is that all five of them – yes ALL five – did the hard work and then gave their wickets away at crucial times before the job was done. It wasn’t good bowling that did for them but poor misjudgements.

Burns inexplicably flapped a wide delivery to backward point; Sibley was caught down the leg-side playing outside the line of his thigh-pad (again); Denly clipped one embarrassingly to short mid-wicket; Crawley played too early and clipped one back to the bowler; and Stokes inexplicably guided the ball to gully when two men were stationed there – an obvious trap.

These dismissals were all soft, sloppy, and rather gave the game away. England should have complied a biggish lead. Instead we’re only 170 runs ahead with just the tail to come. It might prove enough in the end if our bowlers perform brilliantly – do the Windies have the nerve to chase a small score? – but this is besides the point. England should’ve put the game away but failed.

Having said that there were one or two bright spots. For starters we didn’t get knocked over for nothing! At least we’ve actually got a lead. What’s more, Burns and Sibley still look promising as an opening partnership.

The star man, however, was Zak Crawley who impresses me more and more. He’s tall, has good presence at the crease, doesn’t look fazed by much, and his talent is obvious. What a shame that one mental aberration cost him a maiden Test century. Crawley simply must be given a run at No.3 when Joe Root returns. He’s the best long term bet for that position by far.

The man who should make way is clearly Joe Denly who disappointed yet again. It’s always the same with poor Denly. He looks solid, he does all the hard work to get established at the crease, but he never looks like making a big score. And that’s just not enough when you’re a top order Test batsmen. Both his dismissals in this game looked very bad. And that, sadly, should signal the end of what’s been a satisfactory career as a top-order stop gap.

Finally, we should talk, again, about Jos Buttler. He looked an absolute mess and it was no surprise when he got bowled comprehensively – yet another dismissal that should, but probably won’t, result in the end of his Test career.

It’s about time that Ed Smith put his ego aside and admitted that his pet project simply doesn’t warrant a place in the side. His feet were all over the place. To retain Buttler now, who was the signature selection of his early tenure, would display horrendous intransigence.

However, I fully expect Jos to get the rest of the series to prove himself. That, my pedigree chums, is how the England cricket team works. It long ceased operating as a meritocracy.

If you’re one of ‘Ed Smith’s guys’, as George Dobell passionately argues below, then you’ve all but got a job for life. Powerful words.

James Morgan

8 comments

  • On the basis of form in this game, there is case to drop not only Denly and Butler but Archer and Wood as well, the obvious replacements being Broad and Woakes.

  • It wàs ironic that the top order all made useful contributions then got themselves out. It’s a bit harsh to condemn the lower order who came in having to face the 2nd new ball against a good pace attack on a surface where bounce is increasingly variable. Agree about Buttler and Denley, who both looked uncomfortable and unsure of how to play. If Root is available later should be astraight swap for Denley with Crawley moving to 3. Can’t see Buttler going yet as he did make a few in our 1st innings.
    The Windies have been the better side throughout and should wrap up a win today as I can’t see what’s left making any, but it will be a good test for our much vaunted pace attack. Ironically it maybe Bess who has the last laugh as footmarks are sure to play a part, though it’s hardly turning square.

  • Buttler has to go, and so does Denly. A 34 year old making decent 20s and 30s is not a goer at test level – a 21 year old doing the same might have a big future, but players rarely improve at Denly’s age (Graham Gooch, in case anyone flings his name at me, was an exception, having the two best years of his international career at the ages of 37 and 38). As it happens the 21 year old (Crawley), in spite of batting in a position he has never occupied in first class cricket produced the innings of the match to date, both in terms of quantity and quality (Pope’s first innings was a miniature gem, but even with a team in England’s current state one cannot really rave about a specialist batter making 12). I am expecting a great day’s play – teams have made heavy weather of smaller targets than this on better batting surfaces.

  • I think Archer has not been the same bowler since Root bowled him into the ground last year. Looks a bit frail frankly, and really is not bowling full pace. And a number 9 bat. Not a chance. But both he and Wood bowled too short, they don’t seem to learn what the other side did better do they. Broad or Woakes should have played here. It’s no good thinking about the 2021 Ashes, you play your best side, and this isn’t. Butler is all over the place and it’s blindingly obvious to everyone bar Ed Smith he can’t play Test cricket.Doug
    I hope the Windies win because they deserve too, by far the better side in this game.

  • Surely that was the most Denly innings of all time. Can only assume he has something on the selectors, its just bizarre how he keeps getting picked. If he was a test standard bowler then he would basically be batting at number 8 in the spin bowler all-rounder slot that Bess is in currently. Suppose at least Buttler is playing as a keeper so he has a slightly better case than Denly to stay but he shouldn’t.

    Re Wood and Archer. One of them needs to play as we need the pace option. Broad instead of one of them was probably the right selection.

  • Not watched a ball of it – but going from the scores and the comments it seems a pitch that rewards pitch-it-up-and nibble-it bowling and punishes anyone who tries to bowl at pace. In other words, a terrible pitch.

    The pitches at this ground have never had any pace and they’ve had nearly three decades to sort this out. The regular excuses of blaming the weather or the amount of cricket played in England are even more transparent nonsense than they usually are.

    • I suspect it’s something you’ll have to get used to, Simon. With more and more (1day) cricket being played on fewer grounds, drop in pitches will become much more common.

  • This is a decent WI attack and given their age and lack of Test experience, I was quite encouraged by our batting yesterday. In Burns, Crawley, Root, Pope and Stokes, Ithink we have the nucleus of a decent batting order in the next few years, probably Sibley as well.
    I would bat Crawley at 3 with Root at 4; Pope at 5, as I think he would bat better with Root than would Stokes. I think Pope could well end up at 3. Depending on who keeps – surely not Buttler – and our likely bowling attack, our upper order has to perform consistently as we look likely to have a long tail for sometime unless Woakes can justify selection on the basis of his bowling.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

copywriter copywriting