Swannneeeee! What a year

Ridiculed by WIFAN, then Matthews & McGill on Aus telly and then the Skullmeister on here.

Will he go the same way as Monteh? Or do you think he has a bit more up top?

At this point in time, he's probably the most effective finger-spinner in test cricket. We won't know for sure how good he is until this time next year when the Aussies get hold of him on their pitches.

One going in his favour is that he seems to have a decent cricket brain.

Swanneeee!!!!!! in 2009:

Twelve tests: averaging 45 with the bat, 52 wickets at 28 each, 3 x michelles *. Certainly the best English finger-spinner I have seen, including Emburey and Edmonds. He may fade a bit in 2010 as the test batters start to work him out, but he is able to beat the bat on both sides and I cannot remember another England spinner who did that.





* with power to add in this last innings of 2009

I think it's nice to see someone who can bowl genuine attacking offspin. He gives it a rip. That seems underrated these days.

Yep I severely underestimated him on the basis of underwhelming totesport performances on tv a few years ago and the pasting he took at the hands of Barath and Simmons.

I was wrong and he is infact a much improved spinner who gives the ball a really good rip and can beat both edges of the bat. Fair play to him, I would love to have an attacking finger spinner like him in our side. Unfortunately our Swanny equivalent can't bat and was given only 1 test before being consigned to the dustbin.

I just hope that he isn't ruined by the England management. He does a fine job batting at nine for England, and maybe he is good enough to go in at 8. But. No. Higher. He has licence to attack from where he is, and that is where he will be most effective for England.

Possible V/C to Cook in Bangladesh?

Basil wrote:I just hope that he isn't ruined by the England management.

I don't think he's ruinable. Too old and set in his ways to become what anyone wants him to become.

He's his own invention.

He reckoned England liked him batting low as they could then give him license to just have a thrash without too much responsibility - they'd given up on any ideas that he could bat properly.

Agree with that Bas, we'd be mad to change Swann/Broad around. It's working - why change it?

Amazing to think that Swann could have been playing test cricket for 8 years before he got his debut.

JKLever wrote:Agree with that Bas, we'd be mad to change Swann/Broad around. It's working - why change it?

Amazing to think that Swann could have been playing test cricket for 8 years before he got his debut.

Aye, the selectors seemed to have filed his name under Poor Man's Gareth Batty ever since his first test to SA.

England's lower order is very impressive, probably the best going around at the moment. Broad is useful at 8 (as much as I hate to say that as he is a Twatson like dibdobdibdob) and Swanny's a superb man to have at 9.

You work hard (or not so hard on some occasions ) to get through the middle order and then you are confronted with numbers 8 and 9 who are extremely effective attacking batsmen.

WIFAN wrote:England's lower order is very impressive, probably the best going around at the moment. Broad is useful at 8 (as much as I hate to say that as he is a Twatson like dibdobdibdob) and Swanny's a superb man to have at 9.

You work hard (or not so hard on some occasions ) to get through the middle order and then you are confronted with numbers 8 and 9 who are extremely effective attacking batsmen.

The better sides always bat a long way down - even if they don't have any genuine allrounders.

Absolutely and Anderson is certainly not the worst number 10/11 going around either.

2010 might well be a good year for you lot. I do not forsee any more 51 all out jobs next year (unfortunately).

Easily my favorite Eng player.

Just love the way he approaches his game. Always involved in the game.

PS: Monty's career over?

Monty Watch: Made 9 and 37 for Lions and took a couple in the second innings against Cape Cobras.


In other words, other spinners will start knocking at the door in the next 6-8 months, so a 'couple' of wickets won't help Panesar. He needs a couple of 5fers and possibly one 10fer. You know, something which stands out.

Monty is a duke ball monster. Certainly wouldn't rule him out of the second spinners slot at a place like Old Trafford.

Didn't help him that last year teams in Div 2 were playing with a completely new ball that no one else uses.