Comments on: Alex Hales makes use of the door handle

By: Bailout

Bailout — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 08:42:56 +0000

Another Chelmsford five-fer for Big Jesse.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-championship-div2-2015/engine/match/804309.html

Ripped right through the Kent middle order. Got everyone’s favourite Kent batsman out leg before. Could he make a Kiwi comeback? Or is this just an indication of how crap Div 2 county cricket is (with apologies to Rob Key)?

By: Ged

Ged — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 06:14:47 +0000

In reply to thesaurusrus.

All hail thesaurusrus, a fine contributor to this site. And all hail Alex Hales, a fine batsman.

The Swann retiring pun by Bert was on the following match report of mine:

http://www.kingcricket.co.uk/middlesex-v-durham-at-lords-match-report/2015/04/07/

It contains a short parody of Proust’s “À la recherche du temps perdu” (In Search of Lost Time or Remembrance of Things Past). A central character is named Swann, indeed the first volume of the book is normally translated as “Swann’s Way”.

A joke explained is a joke strained, but never mind.

By: thesaurusrus

thesaurusrus — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 00:05:19 +0000

I don’t understand the “All Hales” pun. I didn’t understand Bert’s “joke” about Swann retiring, and there was something else on here recently that i didn’t understand but I seem to have blocked it from my memory.

By: Ged

Ged — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 17:30:52 +0000

A mere hundred for the other impressive boy, Lees, on the same deck.

Have we had an “All Hales” pun yet? Long overdue if not.

By: daneel

daneel — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 14:10:24 +0000

I’d definitely have him in the ODI side, but then I’d keep Bell in there too until after the next WC. And Moeen. Not sure what order, but whatever I decided on I’d leave them there for the foreseeable.

As with KP, I don’t see a vacancy in the England middle order. As far as opening goes, I’d rather see Lyth than Trott – I’d be happy to see Trott coming out at #3, but there is absolutely no reason to touch Ballance, Bell, Root.

But then I guess the way England’s opening partnerships have gone since they got rid of Compton, #3 is basically opening anyway.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 14:04:00 +0000

I’m not saying Alex Hales is the second coming, but no player sums up the English management more than him.

If you are being kind, England are the 8th best ODI team in the world. Can you imagine any of the countries occupying the 7 places above them having a player of the calibre of Hales and letting him reach this stage of his career with 10 ODIs? Even India or Australia would have given him 40 games by now to see what he is made of – as soon as he made that 99 a couple of years ago he would have been straight into the squad.

He may not be cut out for international cricket at any higher level than T20 biffer. But the fact that England havent even bothered trying to find out is a joke. Even the games he has played have been more of a “I suppose we have to give him a game to shut people up a bit”. They also seem to completely misunderstand him as a player by expecting him to take 40 off the first 5 overs, when by and large he sits in for a bit then cracks on. Sort of like Cook (92 ODIs) and Bell (161 ODIs) only with about 17 extra gears.

By: Micko

Micko — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 13:39:04 +0000

Hales could end up being the English Sehwag/Warner, you think they are average limited overs biffers but it turns out the long format is where they truly shine.

By: DBT

DBT — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 11:27:13 +0000

I’m a big fan of Hales, like everyone who isn’t a selector.
However, he’s smashing the Champions’ attack for a double hundred from number 3.
We’ve already got two excellent number 3’s in the Test side. One of which we’ve shoehorned in to an unhappy openers slot. Maybe Hales will translate to opening better. He seems to do well for Notts in the 50 overs from there.

By: King Cricket

King Cricket — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 11:11:36 +0000

In reply to Sam. He's not disappeared. He's only just got into the one-day side really and not sure any of the middle-order Test dudes really warrant the boot. He's close.

By: Sam

Sam — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 08:55:41 +0000

If only England were looking for a new opening batsman or two.

On the subject of getting pissed off, I recall a similar article about James Taylor last year. Now he’s disappeared again. Maybe the trick is to stay angry.