Albion vs. Hirbernia

[C C Csiders]

Albion win the toss and will bat, with Ed Joyce opening for his beloved, er Albion.

Throw them asunder lads. I want 300+ here.

[C C Csiders]

The Irishman has thrown his wicket 6-1.

[Pubey]

The Irishman has thrown his wicket 6-1.

ed joyce is crap anyway.. bats at too slow of a rate (good technique, like ali cook) but doesn't really impose and then tries to force things

[Stats]

23-2!!

Actually Boyd has done as a favour as KP is now at the crease and will have some of the 20 overs to use up.

Over the top lads!!

[Pubey]

23-2!!

Actually Boyd has done as a favour as KP is now at the crease and will have some of the 20 overs to use up.

Over the top lads!!

KP is motoring now!

[number11]

KP is motoring now!

And Bell appears stuck in neutral...

[Yorkshire Blue]

AAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH IAN BELL!

Rotate the bloody strike!!!!!!!

[number11]

AAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH IAN BELL!

Rotate the bloody strike!!!!!!!

Batting out a maiden during the power play...nice one.

[number11]

Batting out a maiden during the power play...nice one.

Bells last 11 balls (all during power play) are dot balls...shocking. Cricinfo says the fielders are even staying back last ball of the overs to allow the single and keep bell on strike..kinda treatment a tailender gets. He better get a big score, or out soon!

[Yorkshire Blue]

Its more than not making full use of the powerplay, its depriving KP of strike. KP has faced only 7 balls in the last 5 overs. The danger is that his inability to rotate the strike doesn't just slow England down, it disrupts KP's rhythm and might cause him to have to get his eye in again or take unnecessary risks. Its terrible cricket: Bell has to rotate the strike.

[Yorkshire Blue]

Well, he's out.

Promote Ravi Bopara!

[Stats]

Bells gone, happy now YB?

[Yorkshire Blue]

No, I'm not happy. He's stalled England's momentum, he's risked distracting KP and we now have fewer wickets in hand meaning we can gamble less. If KP is to get out now, England are in all sorts of trouble.

He must learn to drop and run, nudge and nurdle.

[Stats]

This is the real problem at the moment, England have no-one in that top 3 who will take advantage of the first 20 overs.

KP & Freddy are our only batsmen who are capable of hitting the bit shots but they normally come in after the 20 is up.

Every other side has 1 or 2 players in that top 3 who are destructive.

Aussies have Hayden & Gilchrist, Windes have Gayle, SA Smith, Sri Lanka Jayasuriya even John Davison of Canada would be a better bet.

I dont think England really has had a player since Graham Thorpe who can score at a run a ball without hitting big. He was the master of working the ball into gaps and rotating the strike.

[Stats]

No, I'm not happy.

One could question if you are ever happy. :p

[Yorkshire Blue]

Incidentally, Collingwood also has a tendency to get bogged down. He tries to get round this by when he is getting bogged down using his feet and hitting over the top more than Bell.

Its more effective than Bell, but it has its risks. I much rather England got a couple of middle order players who are adept at finding gaps or dropping the ball and scampering a quick single.

The truth is that big hitters create gaps in the field to push for less risky runs. England's best players at rotating the strike in the middle of the innings in recent years have been Trescothick and Pietersen, by exactly this method. Remember a single a ball gets you 300 which is always a competitive score.

[Museshrimper]

Pietersen's gone, soft dismissal. Bollocks. 113-4...

[Bluesmanager]

Bye-bye England. May as well fly home now.

[C C Csiders]

Ed joyce drops a dolly. Is he trying against Ireland?

[Ailsa Road Shrimper]

Good bowling from Flintoff at the death. I don't fancy our chances of winning the World Cup with Anderson and Mahmood spearheading our attack