Hales The Solution To Morgan's Problems

After his failure against Australia, for the first time since 2010 Eoin Morgan's ODI average for England dropped below 40. In 2013, he now has scored 218 at 21.80 and has gone 12 games without a half century, having previously averaged one every four games. This is a worrying loss of form for possibly England's most important ODI batsman, particularly at the start of a tournament.

Yet I don't think it's his fault.

In 2009 & 2010, Morgan averaged 45 at a strike rate of 90. Those are fantastic numbers for a middle order player and helped England to a much more successful period in their ODI form. From 2011 onwards he has averaged 34. Natural logic would dictate that when a player's average drops, so does his strike rate. The higher a player's average, the more runs that player is scoring. The more runs that player scores, the longer they've batted, and the longer they've batted, the quicker you should be scoring. Essentially you would expect a positive relationship between average and strike rate, and this is shown throughout cricket history. Except in this case, where since 2011 Morgan's strike rate in ODIs is 95.

So Morgan is scoring quicker but less runs. The reasons behind this are the change in England's top three in the two periods. In 2009 and 2010, England looked to use a pinch-hitter with Andrew Strauss, mainly Steven Davies and Craig Kieswetter. Since 2011, given Kevin Pietersen's almost permanent absence, England have had a settled top three of Alistair Cook, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott.

The move away from the pinch-hitter has certainly worked for England in terms of the success at the start. Bell as an opener looks an ODI player reinvented, and Trott is averaging over 50 for ODIs. Cook has replicated Strauss' form over the period, which is that of a decent ODI player without being spectacular. But England are starting much slower, and this is heaping the pressure on Morgan. In England's current side he is the only player with the potential to clear the ropes regularly in the top five, and this pressure has badly affected his form. Compared to pre-2011, he now finds himself having to score quicker with less time to play himself in, and this is reflected in his numbers.

The first question is whether this is actually a problem for England. They are still roughly winning the same number of games in both periods, and England can afford to score slowly when they have the bowling attack they possess. But this top three leaves England an extremely one dimensional side. Excellent in home conditions where they can keep sides to 250-270, but away from home on flat tracks or with foreign balls, England are simply incapable of setting competitive totals or chasing anything in excess of 300.

So what's the solution? A very simple answer is "Kevin Pietersen". Had he been both fit and available after the 2011 World Cup, Pietersen would have been given the chance to open and Bell and Trott left to compete for the three spot. But in his absence, England have taken the soft option and kept the experienced Bell and Trott without opting to take a risk by selecting a young player or by dropping either player. My view is replace Trott with Pietersen when fit, and in Pietersen's absence, Alex Hales.

Hales has performed better than competently for the T20 side, and is now up to number six in the world rankings. He hits a far longer ball than the other options for the top three, and would release Morgan from the pressure of being the only big hitter. It would give England a more aggressive look, and would take the pressure also off the bowling attack, given the poor form of those players replacing our first choice seamers.

My side for the Champions Trophy - Alistair Cook (c), Ian Bell, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Peter Trego, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn

Classic Matches

Before a fairly meaningless Champions Trophy after a fairly meaningless Test series, here are a couple of my favourite Test matches you might not have heard of:-

New Zealand v Pakistan 24-28^th November 2009 – New Zealand won by 32 runs.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/423778.html

Not exactly the most enticing match-up, given this was pre-Misbah days for Pakistan and New Zealand were moving merrily towards the dysfunctional mess they became under Ross Taylor. Pakistan won the toss, chose to field, and then tossed the first over to 17 year old Mohammed Amir ahead of Mohammed Asif and Umar Gul. If didn’t raise eyebrows, then the sight of Tim McIntosh shattered wicket first ball of the match did. The first day was nip and tuck, with Pakistan’s well balanced attack testing a resilient New Zealand line-up, with Ross Taylor scoring 94 and Martin Guptill 60.

The following day was cut short, but Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori shared a crucial stand of 164, with the later showing resolve before being cruelly dismissed for 99. The third day saw New Zealand’s innings end at 429. Pakistan’s reply began against the return of oft-injured Shane Bond, who didn’t fire in his first spell. At 74-2, he did, with Mohammed Yousuf, Fawad Alam and Shoaib Malik dispensed with in quick succession. Pakistan’s Akmal brothers, Umar just 19 and on debut, launched a stunning counter offensive, with Umar blazing 129 and Kamran 82. Bond returned dismiss Umar before the close, and the flimsy Pakistan tail was rolled over the following morning, ending the innings at 332. There was enough time for Bond to complete a 5-for.

A lead of 97 for New Zealand and the game well into its 4^th day with rain forecast, leaving a draw the most likely result. Guptill choose to swap with McIntosh and take the first over. Amir waited until the fourth ball of the innings to demolish his stumps. New Zealand fell apart against the high skill of Amir, Asif and Gul, with only McIntosh, Taylor and Grant Elliott making double figures, Asif ending the match with eight wickets in the match. 147-8 at the close became 153 all out in the morning, and Pakistan needed 251 to win.

As since the retirement of Saeed Anwar, Pakistan’s openers fell away against the pace of Bond and the accuracy of Chris Martin. Enter Umar Akmal, at 24-3, playing with the same freedom as the first innings, and despite the loss of Yousuf, the score became 161-4. Iain O’Brien removed Malik, but the Akmal’s took the score to 195. With 56 needed and 5 wickets left, the game reached its nadir. Vettori turned to Bond and O’Brien, both players whose careers were cut short by injuries, Bond’s physical and O’Brien’s mental. Here, they bowled New Zealand to victory. Bond removed Umar for 75, O’Brien Kamran for 27 and then Umar Gul. Vettori ended the game with two late wickets and New Zealand had won a game where all three results had been the bookmaker’s favourite in the final two days.

 Bond won the man of the match award. It would be his last Test match. O’Brien’s anxiety attacks ended his international career at the end of the series. For Pakistan, the post match debate focused on the two teenagers, Amir and Umar. One remains a talent unfulfilled; the others career may have ended at 18. But for one day, it looked like these teenagers would lead Pakistan in the future, whilst New Zealand bowlers had one final day in the sun.

 West Indies v Australia 26^th-30^th March 1999 – West Indies won by 1 wicket

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63839.html

Not as well hidden as the other games, it’s in the list because it is the best Test Match I’ve ever seen. Better than watching Onions and Panesar saving games, better than Atherton’s last stand, better than Astle’s explosion in the Basin and better even than anything produced in the 2005 Ashes. It was a game of relentless quality, fluctuation and the final great battle between a side falling away from being the best side in the world and another climbing towards it.

The background of the game starts the story. Steve Waugh had taken over from Mark Taylor as Australian captain, and was keen for a signature win as captain. For the West Indies, Brian Lara had been chosen as captain over the elderly but loved Courtney Walsh for the tour of South Africa. Before the tour, the board and the players had a pay dispute which furthered the divide between Lara and Walsh, with many players feeling Lara had been weak in negotiations. They lost 5-0.

The West Indian media, already seething after this humiliation, sensed blood. A divided dressing room, a superior opponent. The first test began promisingly but ended being bowled out for 51 and despair, with McGrath and Gillespie bowling at the height of their powers, and West Indies reliant on only one batsman and two bowlers. The media hammered into the coaches, the players, and in particular Lara, for splitting the dressing room, whilst others claimed he was never as good as made out.

The 2^nd test in Jamaica (Walsh’s home island) began in the same fashion as the 1^st – The Australians made 256, before McGrath and Gillespie decapitated the top order. But Lara remained, and on the 2^nd day, he and Jimmy Adams put on 340 without loss. Adams grinded, Lara soared on his way to an unforgettable 213, which led to two pitch invasions for each landmark. The following day, for one stunning day, Nehemiah Perry became a world class spin bowler and suddenly it was 1-1.

This brings us to the Test in question, the third in Barbados, with the 4^th to come in Antigua. Waugh won the toss, and chose to bat. Many felt that Waugh had taken the defeat in the previous Test as a personal failing. He arrived at 36-3 with Ambrose and Walsh, the last two great West Indian quicks, at their best. He was out, for 199, with the score 429-7. A young Ricky Ponting chipped in with 104, and Australia carded 490. Waugh was lauded for his innings, seen as one of the great innings by an Australian. It wasn’t even the best innings in the match.

West Indies soon slumped to the McGrath bowling-machine, before Gillespie removed Lara with a snorter. At 98-6, the game seemed over, before Sherwin Campbell, a player whose career was beset by poor shot selection, found a discipline that eluded him on so many occasions. He held the innings together, scoring 105 on his home ground. Ridley Jacobs slapped 68, and Perry, Ambrose and Walsh fought past the follow-on, ceding a lead of 161 to Australia. McGrath took 4-128, at that point his worst figures of the series.

Walsh and Ambrose, refreshed, launched into the Australians. Ambrose violent lift pushed Australia onto the back foot before Walsh finished them off. Pedro Collins provided much needed support, including the vital wicket of Waugh, and in two sessions the Australians had disintegrated to 146. West Indies had a day and a half to make 308 to snatch a game two days earlier in which they had seemed dead and buried.

Campbell and Griffith started superbly, nullifying the superb McGrath before building a partnership. But the final hour undid their good work, as 72-0 became 85-3 at the close. Gillespie dismissed Griffith and Carl Hooper early the following morning, and West Indies needed 203 with half the side out. But Lara was there, and once again aligned in a partnership, Adams surviving and Lara showing a whole new level of mastery against McGrath and Warne. The crowd sensed victory amongst high drama. McGrath struck Lara on the helmet with the new ball, and as Lara ran the leg bye, strong words were exchanged. McGrath’s next ball to Lara was also short, but disappeared through mid-wicket at the speed of sound to huge roars from the crowd.

West Indies slowly moved into a position of strength. The new ball was negotiated, only 70 was needed, and Lara had reached his hundred. But McGrath kept on coming, producing a 13 over spell, at the end of which he bowled Adams with a peach, and then took Jacobs and Perry in successive balls. The West Indies, 15 minutes earlier favourites, needed 60 with Lara to be joined by Ambrose (not a batsman) with Walsh (hopeless) to follow.

The period after tea is some of the most tense cricket I have ever witnessed. Lara manipulated the strike, Ambrose hung about as well as he could and the target reduced. A stunning drive from Lara off Warne meant less than 30 needed, which became 17 when Ambrose needlessly flapped at a wide ball, which then flew harmlessly in air between two fielders for four. With seven needed, Lara edged Gillespie to Healy, who put down a tough chance. This would be Healy’s final tour. Lara took a single next ball, giving Gillespie four balls at Ambrose. Ambrose once again flapped at the first, and edged to Matthew Elliott, the silence on the ground only broken by the sound of celebrations from the few travelling Australians.

So Walsh would have to bat. At 6’ 6”, and no natural athlete, Walsh tended to possess a comical air when he batted, appearing to be wearing children’s kit, and unmarked due to little use. He had three to face. The first was a no ball, bringing the target to five. Walsh then blocked a back of a length delivery, dug out a yorker and defended the last ball into the gully. Back to Lara and McGrath with five needed. A beautiful delivery from McGrath saw Lara edge in the air past an airborne Shane Warne, but as the ball rumbled towards the boundary it was brilliantly stopped by Stuart MacGill. 3 needed. McGrath reverted to bouncers to attempt to prevent Lara winning the game and giving Gillespie another shot at Walsh, but the first was a wide. 2 to win. The next ball Lara pulled and they took a single, levelling the scores but giving McGrath one ball at Walsh. Australia crowded the bat, but Walsh was able to leave the ball. 1 to win, Lara facing Gillespie. Waugh once again crowded the bat, and took nearly two minutes to set the field, leaving Lara plenty of thinking time, a tactic that would work spectacularly for Australia in the 1999 World Cup Semi-Final six months later. Gillespie ran in and bowled, Lara drove for four, and the villain of three weeks ago was a hero.

Australia would win the last Test, drawing the series 2-2, despite another glorious hundred from Lara. After this series Waugh would win the 1999 World Cup, and the decade of un-relenting dominance from Australia began. For the West Indies, this win was a final hurrah for Ambrose and Walsh, and led to decade of defeat and false hope only ended in the last year by a new generation of players under Darren Sammy’s leadership. Both of these futures were inevitable whatever the result of this series, with Australia having both talent and the perfect captain for the side, whilst the West Indies were an ageing side dogged by indiscipline and a lack of leadership. Lara was never a good captain, but for two innings that will forever survive his reputation as a captain, he held back the Australian war machine under the most incredible personal pressure, facing two of the greatest bowlers of all-time, one at his very best, and the other whom he reduced to a career low. It is considered by many the greatest innings of all-time, in one of the greatest matches of all-time.