England cricket winter tour

Foakes should be there....

Fan of Pope but has only kept on a few occasions for Surrey. Has looked comfortable but not spectacular. Lets hope he holds up well. 

Will he be the first person to keep for England in a test having never taken a stumping on the professional game?

Addick Addict said:

killerandflash said:

Addick Addict said:

Buttler a doubt for today after injuring his back in the gym. If he doesn't make it then Pope will keep wicket and presumably Zac Crawley will make his Test debut.

Two Kent players in the Test team - now that is a rarity let alone two batsmen!

A bit unfortunate for Foakes and Bairstow that when Buttler gets injured, they're not there!

Indeed it is - especially as I'm not actually sure when Pope last kept in a proper game for anyone. It is a discipline that isn't easy to perform at the highest level when you haven't done it regularly not least on the body because you utilise  muscles from squatting for example that aren't used on a day to day basis. 

Think there was one maybe 2 FC games last season where Pope kept for Surrey when foakes was with the lions.

Actually not sure if Pope was back from injury at that point and I seem to remember Jamie Smith keeping in a game or 2 last year. In which case it may have been the season before when Pope last kept in a competitive match.

This is why we need to develop fielding metrics particularly a wicket keeping metric. Plenty of sports analytics companies are developing them and it will clear things up.

Essentially a weighted 'runs saved' figure for each fielder based on quality of chances, where they were fielding etc along the lines of Expected Goals. you would be able to use this to get fielders in their best positions but also to compare two players. for example for Foakes we might be able to definitively say that the runs he saves behind the stumps (through less byes and taking more/harder chances) are greater than the difference in his batting average compared to Buttler and Bairstow. Although Foakes has a higher test batting average than both already.

cantersaddick said:

This is why we need to develop fielding metrics particularly a wicket keeping metric. Plenty of sports analytics companies are developing them and it will clear things up.

Essentially a weighted 'runs saved' figure for each fielder based on quality of chances, where they were fielding etc along the lines of Expected Goals. you would be able to use this to get fielders in their best positions but also to compare two players. for example for Foakes we might be able to definitively say that the runs he saves behind the stumps (through less byes and taking more/harder chances) are greater than the difference in his batting average compared to Buttler and Bairstow. Although Foakes has a higher test batting average than both already.

This is something I have mentioned previously as being a vital part of the game and is, I believe, being worked on. 

Michael Bates was recognised as being the best gloveman in the country before he was forced to retire due to having a First Class average of under 20 and T20 and List A averages of only 10. However, Hants, for example, probably would not have won by taking fewer wickets in the 2012 40 over cup but for him.

In addition to a run out and a sharp catch standing up to left arm medium pace bowler, Chris Wood, he then took a full toss standing up to Kabir Ali off the final ball - most keepers would have been standing back and had to shy at the stumps in the hope of stopping a potential bye.

Undoubtedly you have to be better with the bat in the modern game but Buttler is a batsman who keeps - to a degree but is not world class. Foakes is a world class keeper who bats and should be our number 7 with Buttler fighting for a top 6 spot. In fact, Buttler would be far more effective with Foakes AND Sam Curran behind him in the knowledge that he wouldn't have to "babysit" the tail.

England won the toss and will field

5 seamers!!! Really? No front line spinner!

Crawley's Dad, Terry, used to be a trader on the LIFFE floor back in the 90's - after changing career from being a carpet fitter. One year, as a "local", he paid himself over £8m. Zac's school fees at Tonbridge School wouldn't have been a problem!

The Kent age group coaches always believed that Zac would make it as a pro but probably didn't think he would make his international debut quite so early. 

cantersaddick said:

Foakes should be there....

Fan of Pope but has only kept on a few occasions for Surrey. Has looked comfortable but not spectacular. Lets hope he holds up well. 

Will he be the first person to keep for England in a test having never taken a stumping on the professional game?

This has to be the reason that we are playing 5 quicks and no spinner!

Chizz said:

Correct decision to bung them in?  Anyone brave enough to stick their neck out this early and say whether it was the right thing to do? 

Not the correct decision. Runs on board count in first innings. But then as we invariably don't get big runs in the first innings it really doesn't matter whether we bowl or bat first.

Leuth said:

But then we should never go in without a spinner either so...idk

Cue: Root and Denley sharing ten wickets in the second innings. 

Love Williamson's technique - plays it as late as he possible can and right under his eyes

Short boundary down at 3rd man.......so lets not put a fielder there.