The Googly

Where did Jones GO?

When musing on the likely fate of Chris Read (probably won't play for England again) quite logically my thoughts turned also to Geraint Jones, who has become the forgotten man of the 2005 Ashes squad. So much water has passed under the bridge, and so many changes to the England side that I'd actually forgotten that he did play the first two Tests in Australia last winter. The last time I thought of him, a few months ago, he was playing nicely for his county (Kent), so I thought it time to play catch up and check how it's going for the little wicketkeeper of whom so much was expected.

It's not going that gloriously for Geraint. His batting average looks pretty nondescript at 29.09 in First-class matches, though his keeping has been fairly sharp with 20 catches and one stumping in the seven matches, and a further five dismissals in his nine Twenty20 games. However, he is lagging behind Chris Read, although doing better than James Foster, whose name seems higher up the selectors' lists than either Jones or Read. But sport is a cruel mistress, and there's no room for sentiment. Memories of his brave 85, batting with Freddie Flintoff at Trent Bridge that helped put England in a winning position back in a summer when the sun shone and the country caught Ashes Fever, butter no parsnips now in rainy, dank and miserable 2007.

I have no doubt that the selectors called it right in dropping GO during the disasterous adventure Downunder during the winter, but is it right that he is now ignored? On current evidence, sadly, I think it probably is.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Alex Loudon: what happened to him?

Another public-schoolboy (last week The Googly drew your attention to James Hildreth - trumping the BBC by 6 days!) has earned a mention in these pages, but for a rather different reason. Now we ask what has happened to Alex Loudon? This ex-Eton lad, currently a Warwickshire cricketer who promised so much as a bowler (right-arm offbreak) in his junior years and was touted as a future England captain. In 2004, when at Kent, he helped take them to a Championship win over Middlesex with a superb 6 for 47. The move to Warwickshire, although disappointing for Kent, seemed to work well for him and in 2006 Alex made his England One-day debut against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street.

It was fairly disasterous. Run-out (batting at 8) for a duck, his 6 overs went for 36 when far more was expected of him. The rest of his season was spent battling loss in form and injury and it has been no surprise that he has not been a name at the top of the list for England selectors. So far this season he has only managed 3 wickets and leaked 248 runs, but on the other hand he has a remarkable economy of only 2.69.

At 26 years old, Loudon is far from a spent force, and it would a shame if his talent were not given a chance again.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Vikram Solanki: a chance to nick Andrew's place?

One more failure with the bat for Andrew Strauss as England take on the West Indies for the dead rubber up at Durham, and surely he will be "rested" for the series against India? The question then is, who comes in to replace him?

Bopara's name is on many lips today, and indeed, I picked him out last week, but there was another stupendous batting display last week also. Down at New Road in the County Championship Division One match against Surrey, Vikram Solanki reminded us all of why he has been described as "one of the most elegant batsmen of his generation".  He hit a huge 232. Today, against Scotland, Solanki tonned up again with a fine 132. Neither of these performances will have done any harm to either his averages or his hopes of playing again for England.

His history with the England One-day side is not the most impressive read. A debut in January 2000 against South Africa at Bloemfontein led to a series performance with a total of 96 runs. Unsurprisingly he was dropped but with good county form (and the retirement of several senior players) he was recalled in 2004, and has remained on the edges of the One-day side since then.

We last saw him in Headingley against Sri Lanka in the summer of 2006 where he hit an unbeaten 44. Whether that memory of his skill and his solid county form over the past 4 or 5 years is enough to tempt the selectors to give him one last try remains to be seen.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Hoggard: down but not out

Matthew Hoggard: a name to celebrate. We think of him so often as the journeyman of the England bowling attack, and yet he is so very frequently the one who makes things happen.

When he walked off the park last Saturday, our collective hearts fell - we know how much we need him to lead the pace attack. Yet much of the time, he seems to be relegated to the sidelines in the stories written of the England team.

Why this should be is beyond me. His figures stand scrutiny from the harshest of critics, and that includes that dour old Yorkshireman, Mr Boycott.

I do remember chants of "Hoggy, Hoggy, Hoggy" ringing round the grounds during the 2005 Ashes, but I cannot bring to mind many front or back pages of the newspapers featuring the shaggy-haired northerner. This is a poor public recognition for the man who took a brilliant hat-trick in Barbados in 2004, and followed that with a truly astounding 12-wicket haul that winter as England toiled in South Africa. Quite possibly, his performance was what turned the tide and ensured that the series went in England's favour.

In 2006 he had a solid series against Sri Lanka, not such a good time against Pakistan, but showed his class in the Adelaide match of the 2006/7 Ashes, taking 7 wickets. And yet still no headlines!

As a batsman, he has turned in some decent hits for Yorkshire, and internationally, is the nightwatchman all the Test playing countries wish they had. Stolid, unflappable, and always effective. He is, quite possibly, one of the best we have ever had the privilege to rely on.

Get well soon, Hoggy. England needs you.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

3rd Test preview, Trent Bridge

The third and final Test between England and Sri Lanka gets underway at Trent Bridge tomorrow, and Sanath Jayasuriya has been included in a 12-man squad for Sri Lanka. For the visitors, who must be delighted at the forecasters’ prediction of hot weather over the next week, all hope once again rests on the shoulders of their white-eyed maestro Muttiah Muralitharan. Only he stands in the way of a series victory for England.

Meanwhile England will continue to experiment with their young players, and I’m particularly keen on keeping a close eye on Sajid Mahmood. Our colleage at Cricinfo, the venerable Gnasher, is a proud Lancastrian which brings with it inevitable calls of “Coom on Sajy!” every time Mahmood warms up. And though he showed promise at Lord’s, he was convincingly outbowled by Liam Plunkett at Edgbaston who has had the better series of the two. His often-discussed lower-order batting potential has get to flourish - well, he’s not had much of a chance - but only a really poor performance at Nottingham will mark an otherwise blemish-free card. He looks a fine prospect.

Kevin Pietersen's 142

This batsman is taking the term "extraordinary" to new levels. My Dad, and most people who ever saw Viv Richards bat, said he was astonishing to behold; a genuine bar-emptier. And while though Pietersen has attracted comparisons with Sir Viv in his career thus far, today they were justified. His 142 at Edgbaston against Sri Lanka will be an innings I shan't forget. His reverse-swept six, off Muralitharan, was breathtakingly audacious. As John Stern, Editor of The Wisden Cricketer, shouted out in the office, "He hasn't reverse-swept that; he's smashed it left-handed".

And it was a remarkable day’s cricket, memorable in so many ways. To start with, I don’t think Pietersen has played a more attractive or extraordinary hundred for England. His 158 at the Oval last year was special, but today’s contained shots the calibre of which few can dream of. The outrageous flicks from off to leg (usually for four); the clever use of his crease, changing the bowlers’ lengths; and that reverse-swept six, off Muttiah Muralitharan of all people. It was an innings of impossible courage and rare skill, and a complete joy to watch.

I wrote some things about him and Murali’s battle at Cricinfo, which is a certain highlight of the summer so far. It was an honour to watch him bat, and Murali bowl.

England v Sri Lanka, Edgbaston, 1st day

Weird day. England ruined Sri Lanka, and realistically ought to have dismissed them for no more than 90. That they reached 141 had little to do with their ability and more to do with England's indifference. They appear flat, mildly complacent and are lacking the arse-kicking Michael Vaughan would provde them. Wonderful cricketer though Andrew Flintoff is, and as well as he captained today, he is not Vaughan and England are missing him. He's so inexperienced that I feel guilty even hinting annoyance at his inability to post a short-leg, or his reactionary leadership. But we can only report on what we see...

As for Monty, well, I'm afraid Parmeson Tony is on borrowed ground. I found it all very amusing initially, but his dropped catch today prevented England from bowling Sri Lanka out for under 100. Now, as it happens, it ought not to matter too greatly. But as my editor, Andrew Miller, pointed out, if Monty can drop a sitter at the most patriotically English ground, what in the name of colourful turbans will he be like at Brisbane in November? This isn't an attack against him in any way. He seems like the most stand-up sort of chap you could ask for, and is the most talented left-arm spinner we've had since Phil Tufnell. But sadly his fielding is just not up to scratch and on current form could easily cost England a Test against better countries than Sri Lanka. Sorry Monty.

Him aside, England just don't seem to be on their game. Take Andrew Strauss. He can't catch a cold, and even when batting he doesn't look as assured or composed as he so often is. His run out today, albeit not without Alastair Cook's help, rather demonstrates a player struggling to start the summer.

So it's all a bit weird, frankly. The highlight was watching Liam Plunkett bowl, who bowled much fuller and is quicker through the air that I first thought. Very impressive indeed. Tomorrow, with Pietersen looking in absolute prime form, could be carnage for Sri Lanka

Tharanga, come on down

Upul Tharanga is on the cusp of securing his place in the Sri Lanka side for an extended period. Last week, at Lord's, he demonstrated a toughness and fortitude which belied his mere 21 years. And, considering he has only represented his country six times yet has already passed the milestone of 500 runs, he is clearly one for the future.

The situation he finds himself in now is nothing short of bizarre, and one which only Sri Lankan politics could contrive. Effectively he replaced Sanath Jayasuriya, who retired from Test cricket earlier this year. Yet the Sri Lanka selectors called (or urged) Jayasuriya to reverse his decision, which he duly did. He has been training with the squad and Tharanga must surely wonder what on earth is happening. Jayasuriya is to Sri Lanka what, for example, Graham Thorpe was to England last year. In fact, those two share some similarities - but I'll write about those another time.

It's just one of those curious things that can only happen in cricket. Bloke retires. Young bloke replaces him. Young bloke looks comfortable at Test level. Team in slight crisis. Old bloke recalled, out of retirement, and is rubbing shoulders with the young tyke who replaced him.

Gotta love it.

On a not too dissimilar note, England's situation is almost at odds with Sri Lanka's; Jon Lewis, Gloucester's swing-n-seam destroyer-in-chief, is almost certainly not going make his Test debut on Thursday. And while it must be interminably frustrating for him, the selectors cannot be blamed: England are looking to the future, and the future isn't Lewis. It's sad for him, because he's been England's twelth man for an awfully long time, but it reflects the healthy state of English cricket which, bar Sri Lanka's marvellous rearguard effort at Lord's last week, continues at apace.

Couldn't catch a cold

England's ten dropped catches cost them their opening Test of the summer. Cue tabloid headlines of a "pathetic" team and so forth, but was the draw (remember, England drew the Test; they did not lose it!) that bad a result?

Yes, they should have won. That they didn't said more about their stand-in captain, Andrew Flintoff, than it did about a team on an apparent slippery slope of decline. England are not in decline. In the Test, they showed just how much strength in depth they have, with Alastair Cook appearing to have played Test cricket for 30 years; Monty Panesar bowling with control, loop and flight (so early in the season, too); Kevin Pietersen proving his 158 last summer was no fluke and Sajid Mahmood showing a great deal of promise, and bounce.

Flintoff led from the front in India, where he puffed out his chest and said "Once more unto the breach, dear team, once more". It was different at Lord's; familiar, cosy, English conditions. Warm one day, cool the next and always the looming threat of clouds to assist his bowlers, after Marcus Trescothick had notched a welcome hundred on his return to the side, he probably felt Sri Lanka would be steam-rollered inside three days. England lacked a cutting edge, a fight - they fell flat of their own expectations, and lacked Michael Vaughan's rocket-up-the-arse speeches.

England and her fans will nervously watch Vaughan in the nets in the coming days. We need him to bat well, but we need his brain and tactics just as much.

Jayawardene's hundred against England

We said he’d need it, but boy did he provide something special. Mahela Jayawardene played an outstanding knock today, a really hard-fought, gutsy, resolute innings. The ball seamed around most of the day - rarely was batting easy - and he had the courage and conviction to play over-by-over, session-by-session.

His dismissal was unfortunate but Andrew Flintoff’s celebration rather demonstrated the respect Jayawardene is afforded. Flintoff was absolutely pumped to get that wicket (albeit fortuitously). And while England are still odds-on to win, don’t discount rain ruining their fun tomorrow. Torrential rain is forecast, and the cynic writing this post has a tenner on the draw!

Hoggy and his column

Most cricketers have a column these days. You need your county/state/franchise cap and the ability to construct a sentence, and the papers crawl after you. Okay, that's all a load of rubbish but it does seem that most sportsmen appear in a newspaper or website. And, through no fault of their own, most are less than enlightening. Andrew Strauss writes well - but no one can hold a candle to Matthew Hoggard.

In fact, the very same pair have been jostling for column inches in the past week. I wrote recently (where? I can't find it!) that Strauss had been praising Hoggard, quite without sycophancy. And Hoggard responded in kind today at The Times:

I want to finish by thanking my team-mate Andrew Strauss, who wrote a complimentary article about me in his newspaper column at the weekend. It was apparently to recognise the fact that I need three wickets to reach 200 Test wickets, but I reckon it was an attempt to reduce the amount of stick he gets in the dressing-room.

Anyway, I’ve told him that I might return the favour some time. Not just yet, though — he’ll have to earn it. Perhaps when he reaches a landmark of his own, such as 5,000 Test runs. So keep on batting, Straussy, your time will come.

He's fast becoming the best writer in the England team. Funny, sharp, clever and always interesting, his column is a must-read. And today's was no exception.

The evening was only slightly spoilt when some people got up and started dancing while Elton was still singing, obscuring the view for the rest of us. One of them was Stephen Gateley, who used to be in the pop group Boyzone (so I’m told). I had to get up, tap him on the shoulder and say: “Excuse me, we’ve come here to watch Elton singing, not you dancing. Would you kindly sit down?”

Honestly, anyone would have thought it was just a cabaret act on, not one of the country’s greatest performers. I think I made my feelings clear.

Classic Hoggie!

England v Sri Lanka, Lord's, 1st day

Missed the entire day's play but just got back in time to see the highlights. Trescothick looked in control until his edge to first slip. Cook, again, looked very good; he seems to use his height against the spinners to good effect, and is pretty nimble too. Looks pretty bloody good to me - enjoyed the back-foot leg-side flick for four! Some batsmen will play for a decade and will never manage that shot (then again I’m a bit of a back-foot leg-side fan, me). In fact, he’s as good a young batsman I’ve seen for a while. Sir Geoff likes him too. “Shot, boy.”

Pietersen, well…again, only seen highlights, but he looked absolutely imperious. He’s so frigging tall and, despite his crouched stance, he morphs and extends his body - uncrouching, if you like - when he plays his shots, and looks like a giant. He is a giant. Oh dear, ha, see what you mean about the no-ball! Nice catch, wanky shot. Fortune favours…well, you know.

First time in years that I’ve missed the opening day of a Test, let alone the opening day of the summer. Looked like a nice, solid one for England. But what a hundred from Trescothick; after all the problems over the winter, most of them personal, he looked in sublime form albeit against one of the weaker bowling attacks around. Indeed, most counties could produce a better attack these days.

Simon Jones could miss first Test

Well it was too good to be true, wasn’t it? Simon Jones, after taking a few wickets for Glamorgan in a C&G match, limped off and might not play in the first Test against Sri Lanka. What a bloody nuisance, and how depressing for Jones.

Michael Vaughan, Ashley Giles and Steve Harmison have all been ruled out already. It's India all over again!