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[mdg20]

Any body else not like that they wear bobble hats to play in?

Very unprofessional iin my opinion

Why is it unprofessional?
I've done it in preseason friendlies. Why is it acceptable to wear sunglasses, caps and sun hats when it's sunny but not a woolly hat when it's freezing cold?

[Bats_Entertainment]

I don't know about unprofessuonal, but woolly hats on cricket fields do look odd.  It often sees like the cricket season is being extended unnaturally in order to cram in as much T20 cricket as possible.

[Manormanic]

Basically you're saying there are a lot of batsmen who want to play for England? When has that ever been different?

That Dan Lawrence can bowl a bit of off-spin will never be a consideration.

No, I'm saying there are lots of batsmen with genuinely decent cases for consideration, which is an infinitely more subtle thing.  In such circumstances, we will have to agree to differ; I think that "Team England" have shown that they are very keen indeed on multifaceted cricketers, and Lawrence (if he went on that way)  would be far from the first player to utilise a seondary string in getting to their destination.  Moeen Ali, Steve Smith ring any bells?

[Manormanic]

Erm, you get better by playing?

Something we do agree on.  I would see a potential counter argument when you're talking about a proper world class player (which Abbott is) or where there were no good local players available, but the two lads I've mentioned are clearly good enough - I'd go so far as to venture that Crane will end Adil Rashid's test career very soon - and are not getting the chance to play because the side is clogged with imports.  Things will get worse for Alsop as George Bailey will be turning up shortly. 

[Manormanic]

Still nowhere near as bad as the Northants team from a few years back that must have consisted of about 6/7 SA cricketers.

I'd say it was worse actually, or at least equally bad.  Northants did bring in a lot of imports for a couple of seasons, but would probably say in their defence that they were on a horribly tight budget and had had a lot of their best players (Swann, Panesar etc) poached by other counties so had no local talent left to hold back.  Hampshire are every bit as bad numbers wise (against Yorkshire they fielded five players of Southern African origin and one West Indian, and that number will only go up when George Bailey arrives) but played those players at the direct expense of some very decent English talent.  It is also worse because they have taken a cynical decision to do so even having seen the problems which the first wave of Kolpaks caused.

 

[GoodLeave]

Erm, you get better by playing?

How do you get picked in the first place?

I don't get picked every week for my 2nd XI. Think I'll start blaming Kolpaks.

[Manormanic]

How do you get picked in the first place?

I don't get picked every week for my 2nd XI. Think I'll start blaming Kolpaks.

errr....Alsop played almost every first class match last year and has been left out for the Kolpakkers.  A bit different, I'd wager...

[GoodLeave]

errr....Alsop played almost every first class match last year and has been left out for the Kolpakkers.  A bit different, I'd wager...

This is what I'm saying, why has he been left out for Kolpackers? Because they are seen to be be better than him at the minute.

Get in the Nets and show them otherwise.

[six and out]

Mason Crane may have to have a serious look at where he is playing. Hampshire are basically picking Dawson as there spinner and the Kolpaks seamers. So unless its at Taunton hes never getting a game.

Will also be very interesting who they drop to get Bailey in as he is down as captain for the Championship. Does he slot in at 4 and they drop a seamer?

[Manormanic]

This is what I'm saying, why has he been left out for Kolpackers? Because they are seen to be be better than him at the minute.

He's just been given rave reviews on an England Lions tour.  He scored well enough last year and in preseason.  Thats grounds enough to think he ought to be ahead of at least one of them!

[Manormanic]

Mason Crane may have to have a serious look at where he is playing. Hampshire are basically picking Dawson as there spinner and the Kolpaks seamers. So unless its at Taunton hes never getting a game.

Will also be very interesting who they drop to get Bailey in as he is down as captain for the Championship. Does he slot in at 4 and they drop a seamer?

I'd guess Ervine goes, though if Edwards is out for a while then they are short of South African quicks...

[Bats_Entertainment]

How do you get picked in the first place?

I don't get picked every week for my 2nd XI. Think I'll start blaming Kolpaks.

Club 2nd teams don't have Kolpaks.

[Bats_Entertainment]

No, I'm saying there are lots of batsmen with genuinely decent cases for consideration, which is an infinitely more subtle thing.  In such circumstances, we will have to agree to differ; I think that "Team England" have shown that they are very keen indeed on multifaceted cricketers, and Lawrence (if he went on that way)  would be far from the first player to utilise a seondary string in getting to their destination.  Moeen Ali, Steve Smith ring any bells?

You've never seen Dan Lawrence bat. Or bowl. His off-spin will be a consideration in his selection in the same way that Joe Root's is.

I wonder how many of those batsmen with 'genuine cases for selection' you haven't actually seen?

[Bats_Entertainment]

Get in the Nets and show them otherwise.

 

[Sam]

Something we do agree on.  I would see a potential counter argument when you're talking about a proper world class player (which Abbott is) or where there were no good local players available, but the two lads I've mentioned are clearly good enough - I'd go so far as to venture that Crane will end Adil Rashid's test career very soon - and are not getting the chance to play because the side is clogged with imports.  Things will get worse for Alsop as George Bailey will be turning up shortly.

Even without Abbott i doubt Crane would be that guaranteed of a place in the side. It's more a case of conditions. Playing 2 spinners this early on in the season is going to be a rarity other than at Taunton. On that note there's another talented young spinner here in Brad Taylor who to be honest I hope moves county sometime soon. He deserves to be pushing for a place but he's never realistically going to be able to with Dawson and Crane here.

With Rossouw probably out for a bit due to his fractured finger Alsop will get a shot to try and impress more than he did with his pre season flop. If he'd performed pre-season Jimmy Adams spot in the team was pretty up in the air but there was no way his selection could be justified instead of him by the time it came to the first game, especially given he'd had a very poor winter for the England lions as well.