It's just not cricket

[DRT]

Some of the contributors to this conversation seem rather caught up with what qualities they want England cricketers to have. Instead you should be asking who would be least bad — who is missing the least amount of the less-important qualities.

Kevin Pietersen.

[LGTrotter]

Some of the contributors to this conversation seem rather caught up with what qualities they want England cricketers to have. Instead you should be asking who would be least bad — who is missing the least amount of the less-important qualities.

Kevin Pietersen.

I don't see problems everywhere for England. Their bowling is an issue for sure, but it is less the qualities of the team as how they are deployed. I don't see a problem with Ali, Taylor, Hales, Buttler, Root etc. I do see an issue a plan which involves scoring 250 to 275 when the opposition are looking to score 300 to 400 and regularly do so. The batsmen I have mentioned did not get close to this but seem to have the wit to know this is where they need to be. But when you have a plan that isn't going to work it is hardly surprising that the players go about their task in such a half hearted way.

Pietersen was dropped because he kept getting out cheaply and refused to acknowledge he is getting older and needed to change his game. Whether they should have said they would never have him back is a separate issue. Would I pick him? No. He seems to have been toxic in every dressing room he has been in. I would remind peeps of the time his kit was thrown off the balcony of Trent Bridge by less than satisfied team mates. Leave it Derek! He ain't worth it!

[jdaw1]

The coach of the hapless English cricket team is an unlikely source of economic wisdom. But unwittingly, in responding to England’s undignified early ejection from the World Cup, Peter Moores has come up with the epitaph for an entire world view that has consumed banking, business and politics in recent years.

When asked how he explained his team’s shocking defeat on Monday at the hands of Bangladesh, Moores said bloodlessly: “We’ll have to look at the data.” Rather than expressing regret, with feeling, at having steered his nation’s team to humiliation — or admitting that the result might be down to a failure of leadership — Moores did what is so common today. He fell back on the data as though the numbers must contain the answer to human failings.

Henceforth this should be known as Peter Moores’ law — to distinguish it from Moore’s law…. Under Peter Moores’ law, if you collect enough information about what just happened then everything might somehow be all right. Then you can run all that data through an algorithm designed in Silicon Valley. Only then will you know what to think about what might happen next.

This mania for data mapping will be well known to anyone who works in business, or who has ever had to go to a presentation by technologists. Indeed, the obsession with the potential power of big data and measurement is everywhere.

[LGTrotter]

The coach of the hapless English cricket team is an unlikely source of economic wisdom. But unwittingly, in responding to England’s undignified early ejection from the World Cup, Peter Moores has come up with the epitaph for an entire world view that has consumed banking, business and politics in recent years.

When asked how he explained his team’s shocking defeat on Monday at the hands of Bangladesh, Moores said bloodlessly: “We’ll have to look at the data.” Rather than expressing regret, with feeling, at having steered his nation’s team to humiliation — or admitting that the result might be down to a failure of leadership — Moores did what is so common today. He fell back on the data as though the numbers must contain the answer to human failings.

Henceforth this should be known as Peter Moores’ law — to distinguish it from Moore’s law…. Under Peter Moores’ law, if you collect enough information about what just happened then everything might somehow be all right. Then you can run all that data through an algorithm designed in Silicon Valley. Only then will you know what to think about what might happen next.

This mania for data mapping will be well known to anyone who works in business, or who has ever had to go to a presentation by technologists. Indeed, the obsession with the potential power of big data and measurement is everywhere.

Once again the FT gets it about right. I weep for a future in which pattern recognition from data trawls becomes the only way to find out what to do next.

[jdaw1]

In the Rugby, Scotland’s SNP strategy was perfectly executed.

(Lose by lots to Ireland, to help Ireland’s chance of beating the SNP’s real enemy.)

[djewesbury]

I think you overthunk that. In fact I would go so far as to say you are wrong.

[LGTrotter]

To be considered in the forthcoming tour of the West Indies are;
1) The return of J. Trott.
2) Who are Adam Lyth, Mark Wood and Adil Rashid.
3) Will this tour be any use in informing selection for the Ashes?

Oh you want to know what I think? OK if you insist. Trott should be given another go because he is so good when he is going well, I have no idea who the other players mentioned are and it will be mainly useless with regard to selection in the Ashes.

[djewesbury]

The England cricket squad are beside me here in Gatwick. I see Jonathan Trott. I see Alistair Cook. I see Owen's heart-throb Ian Bell. I see cricket visionary Peter Moores. They look a bit knackered though.

[LGTrotter]

The England cricket squad are beside me here in Gatwick. I see Jonathan Trott. I see Alistair Cook. I see Owen's heart-throb Ian Bell. I see cricket visionary Peter Moores. They look a bit knackered though.

Didn't you rush over and get me a signature from the captain-in-waiting? I think Cook will throw it all away in a 'Fredalo' moment and Bell (OBE and soon to be Sir Ian, I fancy) will sweep all before him and regain the Ashes.

I did see an article about how Root should be next captain. I like the lad but he looks more like the drummer to me, if you know what I mean.

[jdaw1]

The front page of the BBC website says “Cook hits first century for England since November 2013”.

[DRT]

The front page of the BBC website says “Cook hits first century for England since November 2013”.

Crisis over - the Ashes are in the bag.

[benread]

It was against a team that included ( I think ) a 16 year old schoolboy!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DRT]

Come on, Ben, don't spoil it. I called Jimmy Hill this evening and he said this is the year that he has been waiting for since 1966. It's all looking good.

[jdaw1]

the Ashes are in the bag.

Definitely in the bag. But whose bag?

[LGTrotter]

the Ashes are in the bag.

Definitely in the bag. But whose bag?

The one labelled Starc and Johnson.

[DRT]

A very good innings.

[flash_uk]

A very good innings.

Indeed, what a legend. Reminds me, I must dig out the 12th Man commentary sketches.

[djewesbury]

If I believed in God, I would imagine him in the great commentary box in the sky (should that be Sky?) quietly saying to himself, "Got 'im".

[djewesbury]

Go to 2'19" in on the iPlayer stream of today's Today programme for the tribute from Aggers and Rory Bremner. (This link will only be valid for one month.)

[LGTrotter]

I was saddened by this, but equally delighted that something other than the staged spats between politicos led the news on the BBC.

[DRT]

I was saddened by this, but equally delighted that something other than the staged spats between politicos led the news on the BBC.

*Like*

#IsTheElectionOverYet?

[Alex Bridgeman]

It seems to me that the England batsmen are the right selection but in the wrong order. Trott to open!?

The most interesting stat of the day - that Bell moved into second place on the list of batsmen involved in the most century stands. Surely that makes him a shoe-in as captain.

[jdaw1]

BBC News spent the day behind the scenes at Leicestershire County Cricket Club, who have not won a championship match for two and a half seasons, and found the Foxes are desperate to preserve their first class status.

[LGTrotter]

Congratulations to Jimmy Anderson. Pity about the result. I haven't payed much attention to the game, the highlights were on at a weird time.

[DRT]

Congratulations to Jimmy Anderson. Pity about the result. I haven't payed much attention to the game, the highlights were on at a weird time.

Congratulations indeed. I watched the last half dozen overs of the final day and must say Jason Holder's first test century looked well deserved. I didn't see enough of the game to judge whether or not a draw was the right result but it did seem that the players had decided it was by the time I tuned in. I think the pitch might have been a bit dead.