Well in the second inngs Harmison took 3 wickets so we can ignore that if you want but I don't see why. Okay then compare Plunkett/Harmison on their county form and Harmison still wins.

I know you and a few others don't like Harmison but I just think he still has something to offer. Especially now with Freddie going, Harmison/Anderson for the new ball with Broad/Onions first/second change and either Swann/Rashid as the spinner. It means Broad batting at 7 but with Swann/Rashid at 8 there is still some depth.

poms want the rugby league ashes now ENGLAND captain Jamie Peacock has called for rugby league's Ashes to be put on the line when his men take on Australia during this year's Four Nations tournament. Excited by the hype surrounding the current cricket series, the Leeds star said over the weekend it would be a big bonus for league if its version was on the line at Wigan on October 31, a one off game to decide a title Australia has held for 36 years. "The cricket Ashes this summer has been massive and really captured the imagination of everyone around the country,'' Peacock said. www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 5765392911

poms want the rugby league ashes now ENGLAND captain Jamie Peacock has called for rugby league's Ashes to be put on the line when his men take on Australia during this year's Four Nations tournament. Excited by the hype surrounding the current cricket series, the Leeds star said over the weekend it would be a big bonus for league if its version was on the line at Wigan on October 31, a one off game to decide a title Australia has held for 36 years. "The cricket Ashes this summer has been massive and really captured the imagination of everyone around the country,'' Peacock said. www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 5765392911

When does Kieswetter qualify, isn't it next year?

Look at the wickets he took - Johnson, Siddle and Clark.

The Australian top order played him with relative ease in both innings, on a pitch that should have suited him down to the ground. Time to move on IMO, and Plunkett now is a significantly better bowler than he was when he first got his chance with England.

I mistakenly thought he was already eligible. His profile on Cricinfo classifies him as South African and says he "has decided to qualify for England" without specifying when this will happen. He played for SA in the 2005/6 Under-19's World Cup, so if he's been resident here since then (he was educated in England) he should be eligible at the start of next season.

Tim Ambrose didn't really grasp the nettle; I expect the selectors will go for James Foster or Steven Davies instead.

Personally I'd give serious consideration to picking other candidates ahead of Bell, Collingwood and Harmison, though I don't expect the selectors will leave any of those off the plane. It's going to be at least as tough a series as the one just ended, so as Bopara has just been rested following poor form against testing opposition it would be a nonsense to recall him immediately.

Simple solution to the number three problem, get a steady reliable partner for Strauss up the order. If the number three is coming in to face a ball which is 40 overs old every time, with the score 120/1, whats the difference between batting there or batting at four / five?

If he could exorcise his current demons, and we find a new opener, Alistair Cook himself would be the ideal choice at number 3 IMO.

Yeah but the thing is mate County Championship bowlers are nowhere near the quality of international bowlers. I think Bopara is a very good player and shouldnt be discarded bat him lower down at 5/6 facing a old ball that isnt swinging and he will get tons of runs. The swinging ball has caused him trouble hes not going to sort that by playing CC give him a run lower down the order. Agree with the Kieswetter call hes been very impressive and gets the nod over Foster has Foster wont get you has many runs. That's test match by the way i would have Foster in the ODI and play Prior as a batter '"

pontings comming back home

Well no one else was managing to take those wickets were they? If we have a better option than Harmison then great, but Plunkett is not it, just seems to be an expensive bolwer to me. If he is the best alternative we have then Harmy should go to SA.

In his interview afterwards he said that he would go to SA. But he said it in the same tone that I might say to my wife "Yes, your dad can come to stay". Didnt inspire confidence.

As opposed to what? 2 weeks R&R in Blackpool?