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[Seniorplayer]

Best of the lot Derek Underwood.

[Aussie In England]

I see Ian Bell's getting delusional as the hangman's noose continues to hover. With an average that's vastly boosted by many cheap runs again Bangladesh, Bell had the cheek to call himself world class...

[potzy248]

Jeetan Patel is the best spinner in county cricket at the moment. And he fared 'brilliantly' at Test level...

Ansari has most wickets of English spinners, but he gets to bowl at Leicester. He has one more than Kerrigan.

This list shows who gets you wickets in the CC - honest pie chuckers mainly, the estimable Mark Footitt aside.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2015/engine/records/bowling/most_wickets_career.html?class=4;host=1;id=2015;type=season

Are there any proper good spinners around the world at the moment?

England: Ali
Aussie: Lyon
NZ: Mark Craig
SA: Imran Tahir
WI: Benn et al
SA: Herath
Pakistan: No idea
India: Ashwin, Harbajan?

Probably the best is Herath. No team really has a world class spinner any more. Happy to be proved wrong.

World crickets problem after T20 made spinners dart throwers.

[Alvaro]

Pakistan have Yasir Shah. He is awesome.

Given the number of first class players in England, you'd hope for one or two more.

[ppccopener]

I see Ian Bell's getting delusional as the hangman's noose continues to hover. With an average that's vastly boosted by many cheap runs again Bangladesh, Bell had the cheek to call himself world class...

I'm a Bell fan,no one(in england) makes batting looks easier or more graceful,and he got a lot of runs last time the Ashes were in the UK-so he has scored against quality bowling
But he's not the main guy to rely on when the team is in trouble like Trott did for many years.
If he gets dropped after this series his average he might end up with similar figures to Mark Waugh who also made batting look easy when in form.

[Seniorplayer]

I see Ian Bell's getting delusional as the hangman's noose continues to hover. With an average that's vastly boosted by many cheap runs again Bangladesh, Bell had the cheek to call himself world class...

Ian Bell has been England's most graceful player for  the last ten years some say the most stylist since David Gower.
 if The English openers can bat for a couple of hours I reckon Bell will get a score on his own ground he will be well aware that he has never got a test 100 at Edgebaston.

[L21]

we have got decent players in who replaced players like Trott and Kp and Prior.......but...if your talking spin bowling Swann was by far the best English spinner in the 30 years ive been following England.

Hugely disagree with the above sentiments.

Ballance for Trott - Both as boring to watch at the crease, however Trott (in his prime) did not appear to have any technical flaws and always appeared to be confident batting at number 3, Ballance on the other hand doesn't appear to know which end of the bat to hold. 

Not really sure who you consider to be KP's replacement. I would say the type of player KP was he is incomparable to any of the players in that team.

Buttler for Prior - As much as I like Buttler, personally I don't think he is good enough to wash Prior's kit, let alone be considered his replacement.

[Nmcgee]

I thought this one would've come up by now.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/theashes/11765889/Ashes-2015-Will-technique-or-temperament-prove-more-important-for-dynamic-Jonny-Bairstow.html

Finally, some common sense.

[Seniorplayer]

Hugely disagree with the above sentiments.

Ballance for Trott - Both as boring to watch at the crease, however Trott (in his prime) did not appear to have any technical flaws and always appeared to be confident batting at number 3, Ballance on the other hand doesn't appear to know which end of the bat to hold. 

Not really sure who you consider to be KP's replacement. I would say the type of player KP was he is incomparable to any of the players in that team.

Buttler for Prior - As much as I like Buttler, personally I don't think he is good enough to wash Prior's kit, let alone be considered his replacement.

Yes that's the problem with Balance he always looks like you can get him out.

[Buzz]

Yet if you forget Buttler's keeping and give the gloves to Bairstow, then ask Buttler to bat like KP you could go, ok that is possible.

Our batting order is all in a muddle.

I would love to see
Cook, Hales, Root, Buttler, Bell, Stokes, Bairstow, Ali... that is a batting unit to be afraid of. With Davies or Roy to come in for Bell in time.

[golden duck]

Yet if you forget Buttler's keeping and give the gloves to Bairstow, then ask Buttler to bat like KP you could go, ok that is possible.

Our batting order is all in a muddle.

I would love to see
Cook, Hales, Root, Buttler, Bell, Stokes, Bairstow, Ali... that is a batting unit to be afraid of. With Davies or Roy to come in for Bell in time.

As much as I like Hales and hope he does get the test nod at some point, he seems to ahve had a quieter year this year and has also been coming in at 3 (oh, maybe there is a solution to the number three question....).  Last year he seemed to be flying, but this year seems alot quieter - much like James Taylor.

infact, i've just looked
Name                           M   I   NO   R   HS   BF   Min   Avge   100   50   4s   6s   SR   Ct   St
Alex Hales (2014)        11   20   1   954   183   1318   1866   50.21   3   4   136   11   72.38   13   0
Alex Hales (2015)        8   14   0   603   236   998   1317   43.07   2   1   94   1   60.42   1   0

[Buzz]

What were Trescothic and Vaughan's numbers when they were picked? What about Paul Collingwood.

What were David Warner's numbers when he was picked.

You can use statistics to say what you want. At some point you say - Hales is good enough and should be picked, in the same way they have with Buttler, Root and Stokes.

[golden duck]

Adam lyth from last year (same categories).

Adam Lyth (2014)   16   23   1   1489   251   2841   3542   67.68   6   6   189   6   52.41   35   0

He really did get in teh team through weight of runs and performace over the championship.   Does his limited test run out performance really mean teh above numbers are not still justified and make him worthy of selection.

What do you see in Hales that you don't see in Lyth to suggest hales is a better pick (honest question, I respect your judgement of batters and you know alot more than me!)

[hammersjr]

Yet if you forget Buttler's keeping and give the gloves to Bairstow, then ask Buttler to bat like KP you could go, ok that is possible.

Our batting order is all in a muddle.

I would love to see
Cook, Hales, Root, Buttler, Bell, Stokes, Bairstow, Ali... that is a batting unit to be afraid of. With Davies or Roy to come in for Bell in time.

Would the selectors have enough confidence to give Bairstow the gloves long term? Also if he is dropped at some point, which I do hope he isn't then how would that leave for Buttler, he would feel he isn't the best keeper that England have IMO.

[Seniorplayer]

Alex Hales batting style is not suited to opening in test  cricket.