Olympics.... Australia KO1 England

I think Key is a better batsman, but Bopara has more improvement in him and can offer an option with the ball as well as being a better fieldsman.

I see your point about Panesar - but the intimidation of umpires is completely unacceptable and needs to be nipped in the bud :deal

I probably see it like this......

Cook
Denly
Pietersen
Bell
Shah
Broad
Foster
Flintoff
Sidebottom
Anderson
Panesar (grudingly)

Denly in for Strauss

Pietersen at 3 rather than Bell - who lacks mental toughness required for #3 :deal

Shah in for Collingwood - better technique and player of spinners (needed for India tour)

Broad above Flintoff - Freddie has been a walking wicket for the past two years whilst Broad looks capable

Foster in for Ambrose - I have been shouting for Foster for ages now. An arrogant ****er, but capable of balancing keeping and batting like nobody else in the county game.

Sidebottom in for Harmison - though he has done well today, you never know when he is going to implode. Siddy is a real tryer and edges Hoggy at present. Hoggy may come in in the winter, as he is proven in the subcontinent.

 

David Wainwright of Yorkshire :yep ......I am not biased even though he is my cousins son.

 

You may be joking......

But I have seen a bit of him and think he has potential in the one day format - don't know what he is like in championship cricket though.

 

He's not a bad little player but only about the third best in that side of the family. My home village of Fitzwilliam has produced some proper sportsmen over the years.

 

1-0 to the UK, we win the pie eating contest.

 

A certain selfish opening batsman, with a tendency to beat up women?

 

:good

 

His grandmother is/was apparently a fairly nifty player too.


http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Geoff_Boycott's_Grandmother

 

The way she wielded a stick of rhubarb had to be seen to be believed

 

I think Boycott should be made President of the People's Republic of Yorkshire.

 

I think Brian Close would sum us up much better.

Boycs is funny but not everybody's cup of tea :deal

 

Brian Close is certainly more considered and balanced than Geoff, but he is probably more single minded. He was supposed to be a bit of a terror in the dressing room, even reverting to physical violence when he thought someone had ****ed up badly on the pitch.

 

Just listening to TMS and Geoffrey appears to have had more than one glass of wine at lunch....he is a bit of a girly when it comes to holding his ale.

 

Actually, thinking about it Alan Bennett would be better than Boycs (his voice is probably on a par with Boycott's batting as a cure for insomnia too).

 

Brian Close was probably the most competitive sportsman ever.

It was rumoured that he offered to fight Muhammad Ali, and while he may lose a verdict over 15 rounds, he would be damned that he would be knocked out, and was willing to bet everything he owned that he would hear the final bell.

Apparently his Somerset teammates at the time raised a wee giggle but were not willing to bet against their skipper.

Tales of Closey are legendary - from refusing to wear any kind of protective equipment other than pads, glove and box, to standing almost in between Garry Sobers's legs whilst fielding during a crucial period of a Test match.

I think most people do have a softspot for Boycs, because he calls it how he sees it rather than bullshitting like to many other commentators in sport - though his rudeness is rather grating.