tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055390014782593168.post7579290381940571859..comments2023-09-26T13:58:24.399+01:00Comments on Cricket Forever: Not much sun with mostly showersRobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05153704692133983969noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055390014782593168.post-23826762080601044622010-03-13T01:38:34.769+00:002010-03-13T01:38:34.769+00:00Rob, you have highlighted for me a lot of what is ...Rob, you have highlighted for me a lot of what is wrong with the England cricket team.<br /><br />The general opinion about the tour from a batting perspective is that Cook, Bell and Collingwood all had good tours.<br /><br />I beg to differ slightly (apart from Colly who had a solid series), Cook had a series that he showed an improvement in, and Bell likewise, although I don't want to come down too hard on Bell who made an important mental breakthrough for me. <br /><br />In the series they both averaged somewhere around their career averages, which is nothing exceptional, it is just average. (Cook's career average is 42 and Bell's, 40) <br /><br />To put it into some kind of perspective, in the same series Graeme Smith averaged 61, Boucher 56, and Kallis 51. Only Kallis was below his career average of 54, with Smith (49) and Boucher (30) both achieving series averages way higher than their career ones.<br /><br />In last summers Ashes, Michael Clarke was regarded as the in form batsman, he averaged 64, well above his career Test average (50). <br /><br />In summing up England, out of the batsmen only Colly and Bell improved their career averages, and Bell's wasn't great to start with. <br /><br />If that is regarded as a successful batting performance then God help us, we will never be the top side in the world if that kind of attitude persists and is deemed exceptable.Dean @ Cricket Betting Bloghttp://www.cricketbettingblog.com/noreply@blogger.com