Alistair Cook

I thought he was dead. Sunday mornings without Letter from America are not the same any more.

 

No he is not passed it , yes the ashes have gone & we were poor , but every match against the Aussies matters big time especially to the Barmy army who deserve a performance & although Cook has struggled , he is still a class act & on form, an absolute pleasure to watch

 

Click bait.

 

I don't particularly disagree with you or Michael Vaughan, but this is the same Michael Vaughan who you ripped apart for daring to criticise the team, our batsmen especially, back in the summer for batting collapse after batting collapse?

Fingers crossed our bowlers can follow up Cook's effort. Game is there for the taking.

 

You are now quoting Michael Vaughan, the very same man who you tore to shreds for his analysis merely a few months ago?

You didn’t have any credibility to lose Philip my old love but at least you used to be consistent. Well, repetitive anyway.

 

Wonder what you would say about Hecky if we are relegated this year, but go on a 3 match unbeaten run after it is confirmed?

 

Exactly, in America when they play a series once a side has a unasiable lead they just stop. Cook is and has been a great player but a big score when there is no pressure is completely different to doing it when it matters.

 

Let's be honest he's been poor as have the rest of them we always struggle over there it'll be completely different next time they come over here. Just a reminder of what he's achieved up to date;
- Most capped England player
- Youngest player ever to 11,000 test runs
- Most test centuries for England (32 I believe)
- Test average around 47
- Currently scored 6th most amount of runs in test match history


To suggest he's past his best at 33 is absolutely ridiculous, yes he's been out of form, yes his double hundred is meaningless now the series is over but he's one player I'd rather have playing for us than against us.

 

This thread is a fine example of the priceless value of the "Ignore" function.

 

A little bit of Christmas cheer for the barmy army Alistair Cook is a good player but not in same league as Kevin Peterson the cupboard is bare as far as quality batsman are concerned Boycott reckons Vince is the most stylish but plays too many loose shots. We have a much better one day batting line up.

 

Just a shame pietersen is such a **** really

 

If you think playing against the Aussies in front of 60000 people brings no pressure or it doesn"t matter then I think you are mistaken my friend , because of his failures in the series Cook was under immense pressure but he delivered & showed why he is a class act

 

You might have a point but most geniuses are flawed in some way the reverse sweep for six was an amazing shot of his.

 

Peterson was a class player , but you cannot compare him to Cook , opening the the innings in a test match against the best bowlers in the world is as hard as it gets & Cook averages over 47 which is superb . Peterson may be more entertaining when he is bullying a tired attack with an old ball but when it comes to batting at the highest level , Cook takes it hands down

 

He did but it was also a flat deck which cook himself said and Australia without starc. On his day his brilliant at what he does which is the ugly side of cricket he has great temperament. He's probably a throw back to test cricketers of years gone by.
But I say again it's fairly meaningless. Sport is about winning and like it or not it's a dead rubber. Of course it still counts for his stats and everything but it has very little value. A gritty 80 when we needed it would have been better than a double hundred when we have already lost.

 

When they have batted together for England usually Peterson bats at 4 he usually outscores Cook they compliment each other well. Pieterson will have faced the new ball and second new ball on lots of occasions .Pieterson is more fluent and perhaps the only English batsman to master Shane Warne full respect to Alistair Cook too who has now had 11 different opening partners since Andrew Strauss retired.

 

More importantly what would Michael Vaughan say about it...

 

EVERY Ashes match has value. Doesn't matter what the state of the series is. Just look at the players in the winning team. It means everything to them to beat the other lot. Always, without exception. Same goes for the fans as well. If it didn't matter there wouldn't be that much support for England at this match along with tens of thousands of Aussies.

 

With respect , I do not think Pieterson will have opened for England on many occasions , its a totally different scenario facing a second new ball ,as a rule a number 4 batsman will already be set, the fielding team & bowlers will have been out there for 80 overs , possibly more , therefore fatigue etc comes into the equation but do not get me wrong , he has been a top class performer & has given some great performances