Congratulations Tom Westley

[nat]

Most importantly, the fact is that the important point is you can get into the England team from a "small" club. Sounds like both  cook and Taylor are really impressive.

Not a small club at all. Just that the previous management thought 'small'. Hopefully the new management has bigger ambitions.

[Valentines Park]

Not a small club at all.

Indeed.

Somerset are the bench mark for Essex.

[IlfordEagle]

Not a small club at all.

Indeed.

Somerset are the bench mark for Essex.

Not this year if they get relegated ,they're not!!

[bwildered]

Before Cook and Westley batted together in the third test, presume the last time two Essex players batted together in a England game ever Cook and Bopara . Can anyone confirm ?

[Stringbok]

Before Cook and Westley batted together in the third test, presume the last time two Essex players batted together in a England game ever Cook and Bopara . Can anyone confirm ?

I saw Cook and Bopara batting together against the West Indies at Lords in 2009.  Ravi came in at three and scored 143 they put on 64 for the second wicket.  Ravi played a few more tests after that so it may have happened again.

I think people expected him to have a long test career but his big scores came against a weak Windies team and he was found out against the Aussies. I can see Tom filling his boots against the WIndies as well but hope he fares better than Ravi against quality opposition.

[smandlej]

We saw Cook & Bopara batting together v West Indies at Chester-le-Street in 2009, in the next test after Lord's.  They both scored centuries.

Lynda and Steve

[Valentines Park]

Not a small club at all.

Indeed.

Somerset are the bench mark for Essex.

Not this year if they get relegated ,they're not!!

In general they are.

The under achievement that was tolerated at Essex wasn't that long ago.

[SirChef26]

Most importantly, the fact is that the important point is you can get into the England team from a "small" club. Sounds like both  cook and Taylor are really impressive.

Not a small club at all. Just that the previous management thought 'small'. Hopefully the new management has bigger ambitions.

Spot on that. People just assume we're a small club because of our ground. Our support is far bigger than our ground suggests as we prove when we play in London, not to mention our history of major honours and England cricketers produced, which include England's highest ever run scorer and arguably England greatest batsman of all time just to name two. We've been let down in recent history as Nat said by lack of ambition from the previous management (both playing and executive staff).

[nat]

Anyway back on topic ...
...
just watched Westley get out a la typical. Ain't no Ashes player.

[nat]

Looks like TW (LBW Cummins will be available for Essex's remaining games after all.

[Andy]

Looks like TW (LBW Cummins will be available for Essex's remaining games after all.

To be fair, most on here aren't surprised.  If he's going to make it for England it is in the white ball game - ditto Malan.  Just don't understand the fixation selectors have had for certain players - and clubs.

Poor old Compton. Got dropped for podging around but by far the most successful partnership with chef. 

Gubbings next?

[ytsejam]

Even if Westley fails again in the second innings (although there may well not be the need for England to bat again!) I'm sure he will be given at least one more test before he is dropped.
I have to agree though that it doesnt really look like he's quite good enough to establish himself in the England test side.

[neil]

We need to give new players a chance to settle. Far too easy in this media, twitter, troll world to pass judgement when you know very little about the pressures/the step up etc etc

I wonder how today's social media would have reacted to GG's  faltering steps at test level

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2362622/From-double-duck-debut-to-ball-of-the-century.html

Actually, I do know

Tom may be good enough. I hope so. But how sad to see on the message board of the county he plays for negative comments appearing so soon

Rise above it Tom and show the doubters that they are as wrong as they usually are

[Andy]

We need to give new players a chance to settle. Far too easy in this media, twitter, troll world to pass judgement when you know very little about the pressures/the step up etc etc

I wonder how today's social media would have reacted to GG's  faltering steps at test level

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2362622/From-double-duck-debut-to-ball-of-the-century.html

Actually, I do know

Tom may be good enough. I hope so. But how sad to see on the message board of the county he plays for negative comments appearing so soon

Rise above it Tom and show the doubters that they are as wrong as they usually are

Neil, there was a general opinion on here that Westley wasn't that great at the red ball game - ditto Malan. His technical limitations are blindingly obvious already. Shudder to think what the Aussie quicks will do to our batting this winter.

Not sure of the relevance of the comparison with GG.  The game is different, even red ball, and particularly the greater emphasis placed upon providing a developmental path for talent is far different from an era when there wasn't a Lions team.  Arguably, GG needed a kick up the 'Arris early in his career (provided when Denness got him moved up to open with him) and tended to fritter his talent up until he got the England captaincy.  Clearly Tom has been involved with England for some time now whereas the likes of Gooch and Fletch were picked and dropped without a bye or leave.

Comparisons with Chef are better because they are playing in the same era. I'd suggest GG basically told AC to play like the 1990s Gooch - cut out the risky shots and get stuck in. AC has had his fair share of poor runs: the captaincy not helping, but he'd established a technique and temperament that worked, albeit needing some 'tweaks' at times. 

Westley's big problem is that he's almost having to open.  Personally, I still think someone like Hales needs to play in the top order - Tufnell's point about Hales needing to play his natural game rather than try to be another Cook is interesting. If that came off, that would take pressure off of the number 3.

[JasonP]

We need to give new players a chance to settle. Far too easy in this media, twitter, troll world to pass judgement when you know very little about the pressures/the step up etc etc

I wonder how today's social media would have reacted to GG's  faltering steps at test level

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2362622/From-double-duck-debut-to-ball-of-the-century.html

Actually, I do know

Tom may be good enough. I hope so. But how sad to see on the message board of the county he plays for negative comments appearing so soon

Rise above it Tom and show the doubters that they are as wrong as they usually are

Neil, there was a general opinion on here that Westley wasn't that great at the red ball game - ditto Malan. His technical limitations are blindingly obvious already. Shudder to think what the Aussie quicks will do to our batting this winter.

Not sure of the relevance of the comparison with GG.  The game is different, even red ball, and particularly the greater emphasis placed upon providing a developmental path for talent is far different from an era when there wasn't a Lions team.  Arguably, GG needed a kick up the 'Arris early in his career (provided when Denness got him moved up to open with him) and tended to fritter his talent up until he got the England captaincy.  Clearly Tom has been involved with England for some time now whereas the likes of Gooch and Fletch were picked and dropped without a bye or leave.

Comparisons with Chef are better because they are playing in the same era. I'd suggest GG basically told AC to play like the 1990s Gooch - cut out the risky shots and get stuck in. AC has had his fair share of poor runs: the captaincy not helping, but he'd established a technique and temperament that worked, albeit needing some 'tweaks' at times. 

Westley's big problem is that he's almost having to open.  Personally, I still think someone like Hales needs to play in the top order - Tufnell's point about Hales needing to play his natural game rather than try to be another Cook is interesting. If that came off, that would take pressure off of the number 3.

The Aussies bowling is no better than the South Africans.  We generally went ok against them.