How to create an ODI innings

[King]

Just coming back from the game I'll have to say I've never been a party to a more boring batting display than the one England put up today with the bat. For the first time ever in a cricket game I caught a nap between 45 and 50 overs. It was that dull. The pitch was good enough for batting and there was also good carry but England had no clue or plans. The openers started fairly sedately and didn't take a little risk early on. The middle order tried to play one too many shots and over it some excellent fielding sealed the game for NZ. It was a good entertainment while Jesse and McCullum batted. McCullum's danced down the track to Anderson the very first ball and that says a lot about the pitch. England were short found on this pitch as they had no clue how to play in an ODI. Probably it was one of those days. I had high hopes of England and gave not a chance to NZ. Boy I was surprised. Stuart Broad was great to watch and that's about it. There were no positives for England whatsoever from this game. I still can't believe NZ beat England hands down. I can't believe they dropped M'has for Bopara. M'has is a cult hero after his effort in the first Twenty20. I don't know what prompted him to be dropped. M'has can bat, bowl and field well. England is a strange team to be honest.

[Dhondy]

Thanks for the update, Ravi. I was wondering whose snoring it was I could hear on the TV coverage.:D "Strange" just about describes this English team. They have proven match winners, but refuse to use them, leave their WK-batsman best suited for ODIs at home, panic when they are cruising at 40 for 1, and get bowled out for 128.

[observer1]

"Strange" just about describes this English team. leave their WK-batsman best suited for ODIs at home, .

Aaah, typically parochial English county outlook...

[Sachinism]

kinda like india did in the T20 game against aus lost wickets, but batsmen carried on playing silly shots

[Mr. Wicket]

Ashley Giles over Monty Panesar in the Ashes because he was supposedly the better batsmen...

He was also picked because he was a better fielder... :D (On the spot trivia: Which man picked for his better-than-Panesar fielding shelled a sitter off Ponting in the Adelaide test, letting him get a hundred and bring Australia to parity? :D)

[Ram]

I expect England to come back in this series. Pound for pound, their batting has more class and talent, IMO. It wont long before KP turns it on, dont be surprised if it during the 2nd one-day.

[Mr. Wicket]

Ah yes, that reminds me. There's a How Much Pietersen Mek thread that needs to come back...

[Ram]

^ Well, Pietersen is gonna mek a lot, if that answers your question :D

[Mr. Wicket]

BTW, ODI batting isn't only about class and talent - it's valuable, but there are other skills as well that are essential. Else a side like India would have won far more. There's a lot more to it - basic discipline and hard work. Beyond elegant and classy strokeplay to get fours, batsmen need to be able to work hard to place the ball around, innovate, run singles hard and keep the scoreboard moving. There's a long list of batsmen with 'class and talent' like Michael Vaughan and VVS Laxman who've struggled in that area, and many of the England players do as well. Others like Oram and The Pig may not have anywhere near that level of talent, but have the street smarts to knock the ball around carefully, run smartly and can biff a few a long way as well. New Zealand excel in a lot more of the basics in ODIs - simple but effective stump to stump bowling to restrict batsmen, sharp infielding, good throwing, hard running, smart placement, etc. England struggle in that area, barring one or two very good batsmen like Pietersen and Collingwood whom they rely upon too much.

[Chandan]

Anyone knows where is Hoggard and what has happened to him?

[Ram]

I agree, Talent isnt EVERYTHING, but its the starting point. Some of the things that you have pointed out, like discipline and hardwork can do only what they can do, but you need brute talent to play the outstanding innings. In the recent Pak-Zim one-day series, Zim batsman were all what you said, disciplined and hard working, but their limited talents meant they never crossed 250 in the entire series. In short, discipline and hardwork will do what it can do, but talent will do what it must do. Therein lies the difference. Guys like Pietersen, Yuvraj arent merely good batsman, they are batting talents, who can change the game by their own. The more number of such type of batsman you have, the better chance you have of winning an ODI. I predict England's superior talent and experience will ultimately prevail in this series.

[apocalypse]

Stupid team selection was also a culprit in Pommies' loss. Why did they leave Masca out?