Steve harmison

[Billy Mays]

Is lanky Geordie (Mackem?) miserablist Steve Harmison doing a Brett Lee and bowling himself back into the team for the First Test and if so whose place is most vulnerable? Anderson seems a certainty and Broad adds useful runs late down the order. Here is a wild thought. If we go with 2 spinners at Cardiff does Collingwood miss out? With Flintoff , Prior and Broad you arguably have 3 all rounders so the batting line up is strong enough even though Pieterson as well as being hugely dislikeable is playing like a tart.

How about

Strauss
Cook
Bopara
Pieterson
Prior
Flintoff
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Harmison
Panesar

Tail too long or a bold attacking move to grab the iniaitive and go one up?

 

[Hotchilidog]

Tail possibly too long as Flintoff has not done well with the bat for a long time, he is much more effective bowler these days. If Harmison comes in I reckon one of the spinners would make way, all depends on what sort of pitch is being prepared.

 

[Taybha]

sorry you cant be as gash as harmison has been all season and last then after 1 admitted good performance say there you go steve you can play for england now.There are much better bowlers who have done it time and time again without being picked for england,i would be amazed and a bit pissed off if he gets the nod,i would like to see the guy bresnan get a chance.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Look, if Saj Mahmood can be seriously considered for a place then Harmison must clearly be in the reckoning as well.

England are weak in depth in the pace bowling department and I reckon Harmison has a point about Australia's lack of swagger this time around - even at Hove last week it was clear from the way Sussex batted their way back into the match in the second half of Day 2 the Aussies are not as intense as before.

For me I think we need a bit more of the 2005 team around to provide that vital continuity so if Harmison is bowling well then, yes, he HAS to be in contention.

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

an in form Harmy, in UK conditions gets my vote

 

[bellsize seagull]

the fact that he has taken wickets all year at county and on his day no better bowler around...i know i would want him and Anderson with the new ball in Wales !

 

[Tooting Gull]

I'm one of those who ran out of patience with Harmison, and I suspect some of the selectors are of a similar view.

His attitude and form post-2005 have been, well, shite. There was just too much drunken celebration, TV appearances pissed a year after at the World Cup, and terrible sulky reaction to justified criticism of him. Not to mention that worst ball in Test history that heralded an awful last Ashes series for him.

I'm bored of hearing 'At his best, he's devastating'. Enough. Let's see it. We've waited four years.

Never say never, we want to win the Ashes and if he is our best shot he should be in. But he's got a lot of convincing to do, so I hope he's finally grown up.

 

[Pavilionaire]

A pace quartet of Flintoff, Anderson, Broad and Sidebottom does not have same potency of the 2005 Hoggard - Harmison - Jones - Flintoff vintage, yet it may be enough to see off the 2009 Aussies.

The problem is if one of the first 4 gets injured or loses form, then we'll need Harmison in the wings.

It's a bit like the England football team's lack of forward players, where Peter Crouch and Heskey are still in the frame.

 

[vegster]

Is lanky Geordie (Mackem?) miserablist Steve Harmison doing a Brett Lee and bowling himself back into the team for the First Test and if so whose place is most vulnerable? Anderson seems a certainty and Broad adds useful runs late down the order. Here is a wild thought. If we go with 2 spinners at Cardiff does Collingwood miss out? With Flintoff , Prior and Broad you arguably have 3 all rounders so the batting line up is strong enough even though Pieterson as well as being hugely dislikeable is playing like a tart.

How about

Strauss
Cook
Bopara
Pieterson
Prior
Flintoff
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Harmison
Panesar

Tail too long or a bold attacking move to grab the iniaitive and go one up?

No, the tail is not too long however, I would play Rashid rather than Monty. If Harmison can keep his focus and bowl 20 overs a day at full pace and is a danger to the batsman rather than 2nd slip then he's in !

 

[Lankyseagull]

What's the betting for a first ball wide from Harmison this time round?

 

[Peppermint Tea]

Harmy won't play at cardiff but he's taken a fair few wickets this season and bowled well. One more decent performance for Durham and I reckon he'll start at Lord's in place of, probably, the Sikh of tweak.