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[Manormanic]

We all still calling for Compton's head this morning! I would imagine there will be a few smug somerset fans, selectors and coaching staff who will be able to say I told you so tis morning! Me being one of them

Bell's head (Bell's end?) primarily.  Compton....did okay.  I mean, he scored a ton on a flat deck against a fairly weak attack, but the saying "look in the book" exists for a reason.

[mr_wickets]

There will be a few smug selecters/somerset fans, but do they deep down think that Compton is the opening batsman for the ashes? No dobt he's a good player, but not at the top of the order for me.

[alba caerulea]

I think your all assuming something that may never happen.

Root is decent but he too is no world beater himself the hype around him by this forum and everywhere is amazing what has he done at this level. I'am not saying he can't or won't I just saying he is not the world class player so many of you are painting yet.

I saw a touch of Trott in Compton and if Compton was 21 you would all be saying something different, and although he might not be long term the lad is averaging 40 at test level not a bad start considering where his tests have been played.

As my coach said possession is 9 tenths of the law and a 100 is a 100 no matter what attack.
As for Bell his quality is there to see I rate him always have.
Well done Compton the pressured people,put on him and he came through it

Well said

And just a comment on the theory that Compton isn't long term - he is a year younger than Michael Hussey was when he made his Test debut for Australia

[fros23]

Well played Cook and Compton. That's him safe now for the ashes unless he playes badly again. Still, now there has been a ton scored we all know who will now score a ton to save his bacon once again...... Bell

Of English batsman who have scored 2000 runs Bell has the 14th best average and only 11 Englishmen have scored more test hundreds than him.  With stats like those I can see why you want him dropped   

[Nickauger]

Well said

And just a comment on the theory that Compton isn't long term - he is a year younger than Michael Hussey was when he made his Test debut for Australia

This

I think your all assuming something that may never happen.

Root is decent but he too is no world beater himself the hype around him by this forum and everywhere is amazing what has he done at this level. I'am not saying he can't or won't I just saying he is not the world class player so many of you are painting yet.

I saw a touch of Trott in Compton and if Compton was 21 you would all be saying something different, and although he might not be long term the lad is averaging 40 at test level not a bad start considering where his tests have been played.

As my coach said possession is 9 tenths of the law and a 100 is a 100 no matter what attack.
As for Bell his quality is there to see I rate him always have.
Well done Compton the pressure people,put on him and he came through it

And this, I can't believe the hype being built up around Root. How can people say he's a better player than Compton? Compton has played 10 innings so far and is averaging 61.6 so far (by my calculations)? Root has played 3 innings and is averaging 42? Not opening the innings, not opening the innings in India, and yes he played well, but are people forgetting that actually Compton played well in India as well, although the scores might not have proved it, he formed a valuable partnership with Cook at the top of the order. Now I'm not saying Root couldn't have done it, but he didn't and there's no guarantees either. Give the guy a break, Hussey was one of the best players in the australia team that he played in and he didn't make his debut til he was 30. He deserves the success he's got. He's worked bloody hard, and top run scorer in the championship accounts for something!

[Nickauger]

Of English batsman who have scored 2000 runs Bell has the 14th best average and only 11 Englishmen have scored more test hundreds than him.  With stats like those I can see why you want him dropped   

thats the problem with batting at 5

[petehosk]

I've always said that Bell has fantastic technique.
His application a few years ago meant that he got a start, then got out with a stupid shot.
But I think that his improvement in the last couple of years has earned him his place!
The only question in my mind is whether Root and Compton can settle in well, and if Broad will start to get his batting back on track! 

[ProCricketer1982]

I'm giving up discussing Bell. No one questions how good he looks or that he has great technique. The questions are around his mental toughness which he rarely displays when you need it (unlike Trott, Cook, Collingwood etc etc). He'll generally score his runs when others have and rarely score when it's really needed (which is when you need your 'stars' to stand up and be counted). The Aussie side picked up on it really quickly and destroyed him mentally as well as cricket wise, so we should all know it's there.

I think we should put Bell discussions (and Broad really) to bed as roughly half want Bell to stay and half want him dropped. Probably the same with Broad. That's my last comment on Bell, feel free to answer and have your say but I'll not be commenting further as he's basically like marmite. You either love him purely because of how he looks technique wise or you don't doubt how pretty he is to watch but doubt him mentally. Neither side will change and neither side will agree.Compton's done nothing wrong but due to Roots rise in stock (unproven really at test level) he's under pressure to perform. I personally don't think he's done anything to warrant dropping from the next few ashes series and keep root at six but that's just me.

[iand123]

I'm hoping Compton's ton keeps the pressure of him for a while from fans and the press alike. Yes it was a flat pitch against a hardly great attack but not seeing many people using that to de-value Cook's hundred.

He'll need to dig in and start again tomorrow morning but seems a to good chance to convert to a "daddy hundred" and make certain that the game is safe

[petehosk]

I know that people have said that it was a flat wicket and the bowling attack isn't the strongest around, but I think some people are missing the circumstances in which Cook and Compton were batting! The pressure on them was massive! And that is what sets aside the good from the excellent!
Both batted superbly under that pressure so I say that Compton has earned his place for a while!   
Let's just hope that the media pressure stays away for a while

[procricket]

Imagine Compton going to bed with the after memories after what is his greatest day in cricket I bet he is proud as punch and quite rightly a test match hundred.

He looks ungaimly a touch but he has shown his bottle in this and in India where better players have crumbled.

Well done that man

All this he has earned his place for a while well doesn't that apply to all 11..

Only in England do we have the hype of the younger player and the quickness to discard...

In both football and cricket...

No player has a deserved right to play at the highest level never mind club level.

He has earned it and done nothing wrong if I was him I would have sent a v sign to all the doubters.

You have to love the underdog..

Proud as punch

http://www.espncricinfo.com/new-zealand-v-england-2013/content/image/624226.html?object=11718

http://www.espncricinfo.com/new-zealand-v-england-2013/content/story/624220.html

[fasteddie]

Good point Dave.

I don't have SS so don't see the games.
I did hear Compton's interview on 5live this morning. He came across very well and grounded.

In his 90's he simply re-set his mental clock and did what had worked. It could have been Dear Geoffrey talking.

He deserves his place, absolutely. Even if he doesn't score heavily, I like the way he occupies and grinds. Maybe a 35 from him is the same as a 50 from some more fluent scorers.

Good luck to him.

[fros23]

I'm giving up discussing Bell. No one questions how good he looks or that he has great technique. The questions are around his mental toughness which he rarely displays when you need it (unlike Trott, Cook, Collingwood etc etc). He'll generally score his runs when others have and rarely score when it's really needed (which is when you need your 'stars' to stand up and be counted). The Aussie side picked up on it really quickly and destroyed him mentally as well as cricket wise, so we should all know it's there.

I think we should put Bell discussions (and Broad really) to bed as roughly half want Bell to stay and half want him dropped. Probably the same with Broad. That's my last comment on Bell, feel free to answer and have your say but I'll not be commenting further as he's basically like marmite. You either love him purely because of how he looks technique wise or you don't doubt how pretty he is to watch but doubt him mentally. Neither side will change and neither side will agree.Compton's done nothing wrong but due to Roots rise in stock (unproven really at test level) he's under pressure to perform. I personally don't think he's done anything to warrant dropping from the next few ashes series and keep root at six but that's just me.

I'm happy to put it to bed as well so here is my final response.

Bell is often made the scapegoat when England are failing (particularly on this forum it seems), in the same way that people keep moaning about Trott in ODIs.  Bell has spent most of his career at 5 or 6 in an England team that has risen to number 1 in the world and won back to back Ashes for the first time in my lifetime.  He has spent a lot of that time coming in behind three of Englands top 6 most hundered makers so its not surprising that a lot of the time when he scores runs somebody in front of him will already have got a hundred.  Bell helped secure a draw in the last game of the series in India and people on here moaned about him making a hundred just because Trott scored a hundred as well .   If Trott had scored 99 or 72 would Bell's innings have then be deemed worthy?  Basically because trott got a hundred you are saying that Bell's effort is devalued because of this yet Trott's effort is not devalued because Bell came afterwards. 

In their last 35 innings Trott has averaged 35 with 2 hundreds whilst Bell averages 51 with 4 hundreds yet nobody has ever suggested that Trott should be dropped because he is perceived as dependable while Bell is presumed to be flakey.

Is Bell going to go down as one of England's greatest ever test batsman like Cook looks like he will? Probably not
Is Bell a damn fine test batsman who is one of the 6 best batsman in England right now? Unquestionably yes

Given the thrashings that the Lions took over in Aus recently I wouldn't say that plenty of people are breathing down his neck at the moment.  I want to see Bairstow in the side at somepoint but there is no way that he should be playing in front of Bell at the moment.  If he struggles over the course of the two ashes series then maybe you can say we could look at bringing Jonny in but the same should also be said of Trott if he struggles as well.

In summary Bell is a good player in good form over the last 2 to 3 years and is one of Englands best 6 batsman right now which is why he is in the team and why he should stay.

[Manormanic]

And this, I can't believe the hype being built up around Root. How can people say he's a better player than Compton? Compton has played 10 innings so far and is averaging 61.6 so far (by my calculations)? Root has played 3 innings and is averaging 42? Not opening the innings, not opening the innings in India, and yes he played well, but are people forgetting that actually Compton played well in India as well, although the scores might not have proved it, he formed a valuable partnership with Cook at the top of the order.

Erm, because he is (and will only get better, whereas Compton is, with the best will in the world, at his peak right now). 

There are lies, damn lies, and opportunely selected batting averages.  I don't really think after three or ten knocks you can place too much store anyway, but to use it with an ongoing 100* is a bit cheeky....

So how has Compton done?  Well enough that he deserves to stay in the side (though I'll be honest, I reckon he was pretty close to last chance saloon after that first innings duck) - but I don't think you can compare the composure under pressure and in both adverse and alien conditions that Root showed on debut in India with Compton grinding out a ton against a mediocre attack (and thats mediocre on a good day) on a shirtfront.  This is my concern about his first class record of the last 18 months - runs at Taunton tend to be, erm, a little cheap given the batting friendly combination of small boundaries, quick outfield and wickets of motorway-like character.  I've seen Root make brilliant scores in horrid conditions - his double ton against Hants last year (out of just over 300) on a minefield was an innings that I can't ever see Compton matching.

[wilkie113]

I'm gutted I didn't take the odds of 10/1 for Compton to get a ton in the second innings!