Please can we have Rich back?

[seasider7]

he was a wonderful cricket aficionado!

:bow:

[Rich]

New Zealand will be as bad as they come.

Bairstow or Buttler in with the mitts for Kieswetter?

[Luis Anaconda]

a particularly good keeper

[Rich]

kids their debuts in the blues.

[Luis Anaconda]

but I quite like that he isn't overburdened with one day cricket with back to back Ashes coming up. Can't see Buttler or Bairstow ever keeping in a test so they won't be blooded for that - can't think of many other options for the one-day side at the moment and they are both exciting batsmen. I would still keep Kieswetter around - he has talent but he has increasingly become a block or bash merchant

[Rich]

manages to stop him playing his release shot over/through the covers he seems to get himself stuck in a rut.

I've seen him play some marvellous innings for Somerset. He's obviously a talent but has a lot of work to do.

I can't really decide between Buttler and Bairstow. Bairstow is probably the more likely to be a long term fixture in the test side as he is more orthodox. But Buttler is very young and a huge, huge talent.

I really do think the future is bright for our batsmen. Just a little concerned that, other than Finn , I can't think of too many suitable replacements for Anderson (Finn is a completely different bowler, anyway).

Though hopefully it's not something we should have to worry about for a couple of years still. I just can't think of anyone that will be up to it. Meaker seems too raw.

[seasider7]

:bow: Monty!

I am a firm believer in having WK that can hopefull bat, rather than a batsman who can hopefully WK. See Russell, Jack.

The Aussies have been blessed with Gilchrist and others. He AVG over 47 in tests, that is sick.

I am old enough to remember watching David Bairstow (RIP) play for Yorks and England,...what a great player.

[Rich]

runs, you put yourself at a disadvantage by having a Chris Read/Foster. I would rather England played 5 bowlers and had a batting keeper, especially when playing against top teams. If you had a non-batting keeper you would be forced to select just 4 bowlers, really.

Obviously you wouldn't want a complete chopper as a keeper, but if you select someone with some competency they can at least work on their keeping whilst (hopefully) establishing themselves as a batsman.

[seasider7]

I always worry that dropped catches are catastrophic .

Alec Stewart :cloud9:

The biggest probelm we continue to face is in our county system. It is bloated with too many teams and mediocre players. This brings down the standard and also the intensity of the better players. They learn little from facing 'military medium' plodders.

By comparison, the Aussies have the Sheffield Shield which is much smaller with 6 teams. It fosters an almost Test Match environment. Just look at the production line of Aussies that come to England for a summer and destroy the County Championship.