Seam to the fore as ECB orders favoured batch of Dukes balls for the Ashes

[rkt.india]

Quote

 

England will attempt to exploit home advantage in the 2019 Ashes with confirmation they will use the same specification of Dukes balls used to good effect in the 2017 and 2018 home Test series.

 

While the ECB has introduced a slightly amended type of ball into Championship cricket this season - a move intended to reduce the advantage bowlers have enjoyed in recent seasons - the Test team will continue to use the same Dukes balls that saw them beat South Africa, West Indies and India at home over the last couple of years. England claim the decision is more about producing entertaining cricket than playing to their own advantage, though the two are not necessarily exclusive.

 

The Test ball, with a more pronounced seam, generally helps seam and swing bowlers. James Anderson has taken his Test wickets in England at a cost of 16.06 in that period; 10 runs below his overall career average. The other Dukes ball, with a less pronounced seam, will continue to be used in the 2019 County Championship season, which is already producing higher scores than in recent years. It was introduced at the instruction of the ECB Cricket Committee, which was conscious of the balance between bat and ball on early- and late-season domestic pitches when much of the Championship season is contested.

 

The move could backfire, though. The Australia attack, at full strength, is impressive. And while there may be a presumption that England's skill and experience in such conditions will counteract the Australia side's pace, there is no reason pace and skill should exist independently. Australia's seamers will enjoy using these balls every bit as much as England's. The ball will also be used in the Test against Ireland.

 

All of which means we should be in for some exciting cricket. The first-class game is generally more entertaining when the ball slightly dominates the bat and this decision should ensure bowlers - well, seamers at least - are kept interested throughout. Whether the balance has moved too far towards such bowlers remains to be seen; this news is unlikey to create a splurge of fifth-day ticket sales.

 

"This is not about having two-day games," Ashley Giles, the director of England's men's teams, said.  "This is honestly about having a fair contest.  My concern was this [current] ball would make it too batting friendly on good Test wickets in the middle of the summer. That was the primary reason.

"We've seen some really good Test cricket in this country over a number of years.  It's not as if we are talking about playing against an attack that is not very good.  The Aussies are quite handy themselves. 

 

"There are elements of risk to it because we are choosing to go with this ball and they have a formidable bowling attack.  Clearly, Jimmy Anderson is one of our best weapons - one of the best bowlers ever - so we want to bring him into the game."

 

The total order of balls is understood to be for somewhere around 600, with each one costing around £60. They will also be used in Lions games, Australia's tour matches and in the training sessions of both teams. Giles confirmed there had been talk about using a Kookaburra ball, but said Dukes had responded "brilliantly" to the ECB's requests for an adapted version. The 2017-18 specification Dukes ball was used during the second half of the 2018-19 Sheffield Shield season.

 

Giles also said he anticipated having little dialogue with the groundstaff at each Test venue and that England had requested only "good wickets".

 

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/26698729/seam-fore-ecb-orders-favoured-batch-dukes-balls-ashes

 

Isn't this fixing?

[Suhaan]

And they yammer about pitches when they come to our shores

[Gollum]

But but but India, evil BCCI, home advantage, turning pitch, doctored conditions, Ashwin, mankad, FTB, STB, KFC, WHO, RAW, UN.... 

 

Hum kare toh balatkar, woh kare toh chamatkar 

 

Resident g@nd chaatus, ready, get set, GO......kaam pe lag jao, poora saaf chahiye

 

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by Gollum

[Gollum]

47 minutes ago, Suhaan said:

And they yammer about pitches when they come to our shores

[Gollum]

How many times will Sky experts mention 'these conditions' this summer? 

[sandeep]

1 hour ago, Gollum said:

How many times will Sky experts mention 'these conditions' this summer? 

I have an instant Pavlovian surge of anger every time I hear the phrase "in these conditions".  The Indian test team utterly dominated England, after losing toss after toss, on wickets that were eminently balanced.  The classless dishonesty and denial that drips through that phrase is infuriating.   

 

If only, Bhuvi and Bumrah had been fit and available for the entire test series in England.  If only, Virat hadn't dropped Pujara in the 1st test, or run him out at Lords.  If only.

Edited May 9, 2019 by sandeep

[putrevus]

Are there any bigger hypocrites than Poms. We should have won the series that have would shut them up for good. I don't want to hear "in these Indian conditions this team is good" again. 

Edited May 9, 2019 by putrevus

[Tattieboy]

The irony of it  A bunch of whinging Indians whining about whinging Poms 

The IF boys are out again 

[sandeep]

12 minutes ago, Tattieboy said:

The irony of it  A bunch of whinging Indians whining about whinging Poms 

The IF boys are out again 

Stick to singing glories about the "hundred", and praying to her majesty that somehow England can finally manage to win a world cup in a sport they claim to have invented.  

 

Even if it is with an Irishman leading a bunch of foreigners.  "In these conditions".  

Edited May 9, 2019 by sandeep

[Gollum]

10 minutes ago, Tattieboy said:

The irony of it  A bunch of whinging Indians whining about whinging Poms 

The IF boys are out again 

Pity the Scots don't have test status 

[Norman]

14 minutes ago, Tattieboy said:

The irony of it  A bunch of whinging Indians whining about whinging Poms 

The IF boys are out again 

This comment corresponds nicely with your username. 

[Tattieboy]

11 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Pity the Scots don't have test status 

now now Gollum , I haven't had a troll for a while 

[Tattieboy]

13 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Stick to singing glories about the "hundred", and praying to her majesty that somehow England can finally manage to win a world cup in a sport they claim to have invented.  

 

Even if it is with an Irishman leading a bunch of foreigners.  "In these conditions".  

Sorry to disappoint but I couldn't care who wins 

[sandeep]

13 minutes ago, Tattieboy said:

Sorry to disappoint but I couldn't care who wins 

Don't blame you old boy for sticking to that.  Although if somehow Eoin and his foreign legion manage to pull off a miracle, don't come celebrating, because you will be reminded of this BS. 

[Tattieboy]

3 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Don't blame you old boy for sticking to that.  Although if somehow Eoin and his foreign legion manage to pull off a miracle, don't come celebrating, because you will be reminded of this BS. 

Oh I won't come celebrating  if they do but I just might remind you India didn't win it 

[sandeep]

5 minutes ago, Tattieboy said:

Oh I won't come celebrating  if they do but I just might remind you India didn't win it 

I like the implicit expectation in there - even Indian fans aren't that expectant of their ODI team!

[Tattieboy]

Just now, sandeep said:

I like the implicit expectation in there - even Indian fans aren't that expectant of their ODI team!

Of course they have a good chance but do they have the bottle .?

They didn't win the test series because in nearly every test they had a chance and blew it . 

To win they need to lose their conservatism and be prepared from ball one to blast the opposition out of the game . They have the players but do they have the mentality? We shall see 

For my money I don't think England have the mentality to win a world cup , near  but so far , they can't as a team cope  with a good spinner 

[sandeep]

2 minutes ago, Tattieboy said:

Of course they have a good chance but do they have the bottle .?

They didn't win the test series because in nearly every test they had a chance and blew it . 

To win they need to lose their conservatism and be prepared from ball one to blast the opposition out of the game . They have the players but do they have the mentality? We shall see 

For my money I don't think England have the mentality to win a world cup , near  but so far , they can't as a team cope  with a good spinner 

I don't think its a case of 'bottle' for the Indian team - its more a question of timing and personnel.  Not having Bhuvi in England, is the equivalent of England not having James Anderson.  Add to that Bhuvi's batting.  It was a huge blow to India's chances.   Not to excuse the fact that they still managed to have a few opportunities and fluffed them.  

 

And you nailed it on the conservatism that the ODI team refuses to shake off.  The cynic in me suspects non-cricket motives for that.  So I'll leave that be.  

 

England on paper have the personnel, and have been practicing the the 'right' tactics for a few years now.  They have wrist-spin, off-spin, and massive depth on both sides of the ball.  Importing Jofra into the XI addresses the one theoretical weak link in that XI.  On paper, they are the best team in the WC, and can only lose if they screw up.  

 

But WC's don't come easy.   And some warning signs are starting to appear - Jason Roy's back, Alex Hales' drugs,  Ben Stokes's regresssion - there are juuuuuust enough question marks starting to appear with the England squad.  So you never know.  

 

But I tend to agree with what Jos said -  and why wouldn't I, I'm a fan.  

[Tattieboy]

2 minutes ago, sandeep said:

I don't think its a case of 'bottle' for the Indian team - its more a question of timing and personnel.  Not having Bhuvi in England, is the equivalent of England not having James Anderson.  Add to that Bhuvi's batting.  It was a huge blow to India's chances.   Not to excuse the fact that they still managed to have a few opportunities and fluffed them.  

 

And you nailed it on the conservatism that the ODI team refuses to shake off.  The cynic in me suspects non-cricket motives for that.  So I'll leave that be.  

 

England on paper have the personnel, and have been practicing the the 'right' tactics for a few years now.  They have wrist-spin, off-spin, and massive depth on both sides of the ball.  Importing Jofra into the XI addresses the one theoretical weak link in that XI.  On paper, they are the best team in the WC, and can only lose if they screw up.  

 

But WC's don't come easy.   And some warning signs are starting to appear - Jason Roy's back, Alex Hales' drugs,  Ben Stokes's regresssion - there are juuuuuust enough question marks starting to appear with the England squad.  So you never know.  

 

But I tend to agree with what Jos said -  and why wouldn't I, I'm a fan.  

Me personally I would watch out for Australia , I played against Justin Langer and he was a determined little guy and has taken that into his coaching just enough time to have started again and put his stamp on the team and with Warner and Smith coming back they won't be very far away . I shall enjoy tournament whoever wins 

[sandeep]

14 minutes ago, Tattieboy said:

Me personally I would watch out for Australia , I played against Justin Langer and he was a determined little guy and has taken that into his coaching just enough time to have started again and put his stamp on the team and with Warner and Smith coming back they won't be very far away . I shall enjoy tournament whoever wins 

Australia are looking a lot more competitive as we approach the WC.  Pat Cummins is my favorite non-Indian cricketer, just slightly ahead of Jos - and I see Cummins being potentially as effective as Bumrah is for India.  Australia have the pace bowling, and Zampa is a serviceable leggie, in the Rashid class, if not quite the Chahal/Kuldeep class.  Problem for Australia is their batting depth and the lack of allrounders.  The Mitch Marsh project failed badly for them - oddly, he wasn't too bad in ODIs, but seems to be on the outs due to his struggles in test cricket.  

 

I think NZ is slightly ahead of Aus in terms of probability for the WC.  But only slightly.  England, NZ, India, Aus - with SA and Pakistan scrapping to be that 4th team.   That's my pecking order.