No logic to Ireland trip
Fri Aug 28 02:08PM
The one-day international against Ireland in Belfast is best described as an exercise in banana skin avoidance, and we just about managed it with a narrow win.
I have played against Ireland quite a few times and they are a well-drilled unit. They have shown in both the 50-over and Twenty20 World Cups that they can compete, and we were happy to get through it.
The pitch at Belfast was not the sort that we are used to playing on. It was a soft, stoppy surface, like a league wicket. It was not conducive to stroke play, and the seamers were bowling cutters that gripped and turned a lot.
Joe Denly's knock on his debut was very good. He showed great patience and set us up for a total that, although it was only just over 200, we would have been very happy to defend over 50 overs.
The rain meant Ireland's innings was reduced to 20 overs, of which eight were powerplay, so that made things interesting, but we got there in the end.
It would have been nice to win more convincingly, but I enjoyed captaining the side again, albeit on a temporary basis with Andrew Strauss resting.
Realistically, the game was scheduled much too close to the Ashes. If it had gone on to a fifth day on Monday it would have been absolutely ridiculous as we would have had to get to Manchester the next day to travel out.
Fortunately we wrapped it up on day four so we had a bit of extra time, but it was still a tough ask to be honest.
Scheduling was one of the main reasons our Ashes celebrations were considered a bit low-key.
We had this game, and of course we have the full one-day series against Australia coming up - in 2005 the one-day series was played before the Ashes.
We didn't have time for massive celebrations, although we certainly went pretty hard in the dressing room and the hotel on Sunday night. Also, it was not in the public eye like four years ago, where we had the open-top bus tour, the big do in Trafalgar Square and the trip to Downing Street. This time it was behind closed doors.
The other reason we are keeping our feet on the ground is because we know where we are as a team, and where we want to be. We are keen to get on with business and hopefully this is just the start, not the finish.
It sounds harsh, but as soon as you achieve something you have to leave it behind and focus on the next thing. We have got one-dayers against Australia and a tour to South Africa, and it doesn't come much tougher than that.
I was a little disappointed to see that there will be no 50-over County cricket played from next season.
The ECB have gone along with what the public want, and gone with the shorter 40-over form of the game.
However, I think you always want domestic cricket to mirror the international game, so players can understand the different situations and rhythms, and get experience under their belt.
The shorter form doesn't allow you to get that experience entirely as you are missing that middle period from the innings. People have got so used to Twenty20 cricket and batsmen teeing off from ball one, it's easy to forget 50 overs is actually a long time to bat.
It might not have all that much effect; only time will tell. It's just that I would like to see the same formats of cricket being played at every level.
Despite the rise of Twenty20 cricket, I think the 50-over game still has a bright future. It is recognised as a valuable part of the international schedule, and I don't see it as being under threat.
I'm sure all seven games against Australia will be sell-outs and they should provide some great entertainment.
yawn......
From rufus.gpig on Fri Aug 28 03:30PMyawn...
From rufus.gpig on Fri Aug 28 03:30PMpointless exercise, no logic and u still managed to score a massive 9 runs...and to make it worse, you collywobble was appointed captain...dear me.....
From mshah110 on Fri Aug 28 05:07PMNo point to Collingwood playing? Too many England players only want to play the big games. Would Collingwood survive a spell at county cricket. I do not think so.
From buttyhome on Fri Aug 28 05:42PMThe point of the exercise is that it gives a developing cricket team like Ireland a chance to play against quality opposition and yes it was very nearly embarassing. It would of been funny though had Ireland prevailed. Good old lewis-duckworth lol
From bowmanjennifer29 on Fri Aug 28 07:17PMwhy did we need 116 when they only got 203 off 50. by what i worked out it should have been 100 tops and even being generous 105. 116 is not fair when after 25 they were no where near 100. seems to me the umpires were very generous to england.
From chriswhitakerisarugbygod on Fri Aug 28 11:41PMThe ECB website has very detailed explanations and examples of how the Duckworth-Lewis method operates. Frank Duckworth was a statistical analyst in the nuclear power industry and edits the Royal Statistical Society's newsletter; Tony Lewis is a lecturer in mathematics at the University of the West of England, Bristol. The two spent almost five years developing their method; the patterns of every one-day international held to that date were analysed and reduced to a set of statistical co-ordinates; the method was trialed in one-day competitions for two years before being adopted by the ECB and the ICC as the fairest way of modeling the relationship between runs, wickets, overs and stage of the match (collectively called 'resource'). Nobody suggests it is a perfect method, but it is not just figures picked out of thin air; and both players and administrators agree that it is the best method available.
From bretorne on Sat Aug 29 12:17AMis this blog just an excuse for the fact that you are @#$% collingwood ? ( i would say has been but that would imply you were a " once was " ) And given that Trott has shown he deserves a run in the test side you are , once pietersen is fit , fighting with the likes of bopara , and worst still bell , for one spot
From paul.lee1975 on Sat Aug 29 02:16AMCollingwood, suppose he would rather have been in a bar somewhere than having to make all that effort to go and nearly lose to Ireland.. (beciuase teh pitch was not up to his standard)..
From tihsgod on Sat Aug 29 02:26AMbeing a "captain" I would hope he realise that these games are also about developing cricket in other countries, like and Ireland and Scotland, and he should havea better approach than whinging about why he shouldn't be there...
From tihsgod on Sat Aug 29 02:30AMHow many failures does it take for you to be dropped? And then we could play yet another SA in the side.
From ctdivers on Sat Aug 29 08:50AMYou grudgingly give Ireland some compliments regarding thier development as a cricketing force in one day cricket , then say it was a pointless excercise !! It is right that the top countries engage with Ireland , Holland , Scotland etc . It seems they need to pinch thier crickerters anyway (Morgan , Joyce ) so it is in Englands interest for thier own future survival without going cap in hand to South Africa for even more players . Colly should concentrate on his own game as he is playing like an amature at the moment . And oh deara yet another failure for Bopara , matbe Morgan should have played ??
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From daan.johnson on Sat Aug 29 09:45AM116 implies by sheer logic not nuclear whatever that england scored 240 which they did not. a simple equation would be divide by 5 and multiply by 2 with say 7 runs added to the total needed for every batsman not bowled or run out by the end of that teams innings. we therefore should have been set a total of 88 to win not 116.
From chriswhitakerisarugbygod on Sat Aug 29 01:30PMI suggest you study the details before you rely on 'sheer logic'. A 20-over slog is in no way the same thing as a 50-over innings, which is what the Duckworth-Lewis raios were designed to address.
From bretorne on Sat Aug 29 01:54PMdeadwood you should count yourself lucky to play against the irish,you shold see it as a chance to get some runs,no matter the opposition class,maybe you should have even opened the batting ,instead of hiding at five ,while other players face the fire ,but still get dropped.
From pquintyne on Sat Aug 29 02:19PMdeadwood you should count yourself lucky to play against the irish,you shold see it as a chance to get some runs,no matter the opposition class,maybe you should have even opened the batting ,instead of hiding at five ,while other players face the fire ,but still get dropped.
From pquintyne on Sat Aug 29 02:19PMdeadwood you should count yourself lucky to play against the irish,you shold see it as a chance to get some runs,no matter the opposition class,maybe you should have even opened the batting ,instead of hiding at five ,while other players face the fire ,but still get dropped.
From pquintyne on Sat Aug 29 02:19PMdeadwood you should count yourself lucky to play against the irish,you shold see it as a chance to get some runs,no matter the opposition class,maybe you should have even opened the batting ,instead of hiding at five ,while other players face the fire ,but still get dropped.
From pquintyne on Sat Aug 29 02:19PMdeadwood you should count yourself lucky to play against the irish,you shold see it as a chance to get some runs,no matter the opposition class,maybe you should have even opened the batting ,instead of hiding at five ,while other players face the fire ,but still get dropped.
From pquintyne on Sat Aug 29 02:19PMOh poor you ,DEADWOOD ,i,m so sorry you had to go to Ireland,but maybe that was a chance for you to open the batting instead of hiding at five,while other fellows face the fire,but still get dropped.
From pquintyne on Sat Aug 29 02:27PMSo arse-backwards to put Bopara in at 1 when he had failed at 3, susceptible to the new ball clearly and everyone said he should bat at 5. Give the guy a fair go or don't pick him at all, I suggest.
From frogerius on Sat Aug 29 05:43PMbretorne whoever you are i dont need you or anyone else for that matter to tell me what the hell to do okay. ill think as i see fit and not how some moron deems i should. if logic is too much for you go watch a simplier sport like football. 116 by any reasoning was not a fair score for ireland to chase plain and simple if that is simple enough for you off course.
From chriswhitakerisarugbygod on Sat Aug 29 07:31PMThanks Paul, do you actually read these comments? So do you really believe that Ireland doesn't deserve to play against the big nations. Guess what, the Irish players are probably tired as well as they are amateurs who have to work their 40 work a week job. A little respect please.
From markear1 on Sat Aug 29 07:46PMWho cares!!! My boyfriend thinks the same with me. He is eight years older than me, lol. We met online at __ AgelessFriends @ com __ a nice and free place for Younger Women and Older Men, or Older Women and Younger Men, to interact with each other. Maybe you wanna check out.
From lydia.smith36 on Sat Aug 29 07:54PMdo england a favour collingwood and retire.....You SUCK
From paul.lee1975 on Sun Aug 30 01:56AMif Denley goes well in the upcoming games, they should look seriously at taking him to SA. He is young but they could bring Key as well, who will look after him. Colly is at the end of the road in my humble opinion. the best you will get from him is a year or two or scrapping and getting by. By this time a new player could have been blooded. i have offered a few opinions but am now thinking the 7 bats for SA should be Strauss, Denley, Cook, Key, KP, Trott, Bopara. most likely option is that Denley does not quite make the side but there may be an opportunity to blood him at 6. He does look to have some strong potential. Colly is just holding up the progress of others now and not doing well enough to justify this.
From miseryguts77755 on Sun Aug 30 02:21PMOh Colly, please stop writing this blog; it's making you look stupid every time you f_ucKup for England, which is very often at the moment. Still, could be worse, use_less Bopara could be writing it.
From lawrencemcneela on Sun Aug 30 03:16PMIreland are the best non-test nation. FACT. Time for people to start treating them with a bit more respect. Joyce should be playing with England instead of Bopara.
Time for Ireland to join the ranks of the great teams.TEST CRICKET HERE WE COME!!!!
Oh,and f**k you Collingwood,you were nearly beaten by a good team,not by some lucky county side.
Oh,and praise for the Irish team,they have to have a JOB to make money,then add cricket on top and then even their sport isnt acccepted by their own people. Ya,they don't deserve to play,do they?From robsull14 on Mon Aug 31 01:15AMBit disappointed by your attitude to this Colly. All cricket matches are an opportunity and should be looked at as an opportunity rather than something that you have to do for the scheduling especially when you are playing for your country and at a proud cricketing moment. As you say the Irish are a well-drilled and improving team and the pitch was not great. I don't think the Australians thought the pitch at the Oval was too good either. Great opportunity for some of the players without a lot of international experience to get an opportunity and at least Denly seized it.
From bazisnow on Mon Aug 31 03:07AM
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