With just over a month of the season to go and several players staking their claim for selection in AOC’s Prospective England XI, we’ve decided to drop the struggling Yorkshire duo Adam Lyth and Adil Rashid. In their place come Nottinghamshire batsman Alex Hales and Hampshire’s Danny Briggs. With the new team assembled, Chris Baldwin takes a look at how our England hopefuls have been getting on.
Jimmy Adams – Hampshire
First-class: 568 runs at 28.40
List A: 184 runs at 26.28
T20: 309 runs at 23.76
It’s been another frustrating month for the Hampshire opener, who has found it difficult to push past 30. After making an unbeaten 50 in a CB40 match at Leicester, Adams has made double figure scores in all but one of his last eight innings but not passed 38.
Alex Hales – Nottinghamshire
First-class: 756 runs at 42.00
List A: 266 runs at 44.33
T20: 544 runs at 34.00
In our last update we hinted that Hales was on the verge of our team and after a consistent few weeks he takes the place of Adam Lyth. The 21-year-old’s impressive form, which has included five half-centuries in his last seven innings, saw him selected for England Lions for the first time. A bludgeoning 78 in the FL t20 semi-final against Somerset was a fine example of Hales’ strokemaking ability and he looks set to feature in England’s limited-overs sides before too long.
Ravi Bopara – Essex
First-class: 866 runs at 37.65; 25 wickets at 37.80
List A: 194 runs at 64.66; 15 wickets at 18.40
T20: 256 runs at 19.69; 6 wickets at 34.50
Bopara’s long wait for an England Test recall is finally over after he was preferred to James Taylor to replace Jonathan Trott in the third Test at Edgbaston. Bopara can count himself a little lucky to be selected despite making 178 against Leicestershire at Southend, as the Essex batsman has failed to consistently post big scores and passed 50 on just one other occasion in the last month.
James Hildreth – Somerset
First-class: 658 runs at 34.63
List A: 102 runs at 34.00
T20: 317 runs at 31.70
Despite Somerset’s recent good run, Hildreth has struggled with the bat since making an important 137 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. A quick-fire 67 at Worcester has been offset by a number of low scores including a third-ball duck in the County Championship match against Sussex.
James Taylor – Leicestershire
First-class: 1215 runs at 55.22
List A: 387 runs at 64.50
T20: 300 runs at 42.85
Taylor’s reputation is increasing by the day and it surely can’t be long before he makes his England debut. He was unlucky to miss out on an England call for the third Test after piling on the runs in the last few weeks. As Leicestershire captain he scored an unbeaten 168 against Sri Lanka A and as England Lions skipper he fell two short of a century against the same opposition.
Andrew Gale – Yorkshire
First-class: 769 runs at 40.47
List A: 300 runs at 42.85
T20: 418 runs at 32.15
Yorkshire have been a disappointment this season but it hasn’t stopped their skipper from performing strongly. However, the last two weeks have been a real struggle for Gale who made ducks in successive games and saw his team lose in the Championship to Lancashire and in the CB40 to Netherlands for the second time this season.
Jonny Bairstow – Yorkshire
First-class: 1063 runs at 53.15
List A: 135 runs at 22.50
T20: 203 runs at 18.45
It’s clear the young Yorkshire keeper is currently more suited to the longer format, which he proved with a second innings hundred against Sri Lanka A for England Lions at Scarborough. His T20 season was unspectacular but Bairstow is in the form of his life in four-day cricket and will have one eye on a winter tour away with the senior side.
Chris Woakes – Warwickshire
First-class: 38 wickets at 19.81; 406 runs at 45.11
List A: 9 wickets at 33.88; 100 runs at 88
T20: 10 wickets at 25.80; 108 runs at 21.60
Woakes’ steady form has continued and he has impressed with both ball and bat of late. Scores of 74 against Sussex and 60 versus Lancashire showed his ability as a batsman and he has also maintained his excellent form with the ball, grabbing 10 wickets in his last two Championship matches.
James Harris – Glamorgan
First-class: 41 wickets at 27.39; 348 runs at 31.63
List A: 9 wickets at 17.33; 42 runs (no average)
T20: 3 wickets at 32.66; 21 runs at 21
The Glamorgan seamer has been quiet of late as he continues his comeback from a foot injury but he was still selected for the England Lions team to face Sri Lanka A and responded with three wickets. Harris will need to recapture his early season form in order to secure a place on the Lions tour this winter.
Danny Briggs – Hampshire
First-class: 34 wickets at 32.97; 49 runs at 4.08
List A: 8 wickets at 35.37; 30 runs at 7.50
T20: 22 wickets at 14.95; 8 runs at 4.00
Hampshire’s young left-arm spinner has had an excellent 2011, so much so that he is being touted as a potential surprise selection for England’s winter tours. The Rose Bowl has been a spinner’s dream this year and Briggs has taken full advantage, becoming the Royals’ main threat, particularly in the T20. His 5-19 in the FL t20 quarter-final ensured his side will have the opportunity to defend their crown on Finals Day at Edgbaston later this month. He is another likely to figure in the T20 internationals against West Indies in September.
Graham Onions – Durham
First-class: 42 wickets at 28.14; 86 runs at 10.75
List A: 6 wickets at 26.66; 1 run (no average)
T20: 6 wickets at 32.33
Onions’ form shows no sign of dropping away and he is clearly relishing being back on a cricket field after a long-term back injury. Last week, he took 6-95 against Nottinghamshire and he will be an important asset as Durham looks to secure another Championship crown.
