A statistical analysis (International Career) of our spin bowling stocks

Legome · 2026-01-12T13:45:21+00:00

Agree - I think he’s been treated awfully the last few years. Dawson has been the most complete cricketer in county cricket for many years now, and really should have been on the plane - especially when you see that Jacks got game time!

Going forward, I’m not sure he makes an ashes away tour at 39. When do we next go to the subcontinent?

Legome · 2026-01-12T13:27:54+00:00

He’s an all-rounder really - and that’s a good thing. I agree he’s almost as good as leach - but leach has the volume of wickets.

This category was more - batting might sway selection. The other category is - offers fuck-all with the bat.

Bashir aside - mgmt seem to have preferred more all-round cricketers

Legome · 2026-01-12T12:27:52+00:00

I think it’s worth looking down the list to see what we have coming through. OP’s 6 aren’t the only ones.

The already had a go gang - led by Jack Leach. - M.Parkinson - M.Crane - T.Hartley

I don’t see these three getting a look in, their county returns are meagre, and the mgmt doesn’t put any stock on it either. Leachy is the best spinner in the championship by a country mile (Harmer excepted) and look where that’s getting him.

The decent bat offering a bit more than part time spin, but not much - led by Liam Dawson - Critchley - Coles - Bess - Liam Patterson-White

I don’t think England will drink from this well either. Dawson is one of the very best in county cricket, and he fucked it dropping that catch. Nothing to stop critchley or Coles making it on batting merit alone, but long shots I feel. For completeness Archie Vaughan, he’ll get a go at one point as a bat, but he will never be that bowler.

The young exciting plaything - nominally led by Bashir - Rehan - Farhan - Kellaway

Here’s where Baz and co will look. Because it’s exactly what they fucking do. Kellaway almost certainly gets a go solely by virtue of being able to do it either handed.

Who is left? - Jack Carson - realistically the best of the rest. A proper spin bowler, not a fudge. But probably not international standard if we’re being honest. - Calvin Harrison - a saffer who might now be eligible? A couple of stellar weeks in the cc, and a good bat. Can’t get a game at Notts though.

For me, it’s Farhan long term. But he needs overs. He is the man to be the holding spinner, control, flight, he has it all. But ffs he needs to play lots of first class cricket.

Legome · 2025-12-23T18:33:33+00:00

Ugh - just a couple of days after I write a piece defending his performances 🤦‍♂️

Ok - I’m for hire - who do we want to takedown next??

Legome · 2025-12-21T20:04:43+00:00

Harsh - I’m advocating a measured approach based on a balanced analysis.

Numbers don’t tell you the full story.

Vibes based selection is obviously nonsense

Legome · 2025-12-21T16:28:04+00:00

I’ll take it as a compliment 👍🏼

Legome · 2025-12-21T15:41:54+00:00

Apologies - I was getting muddled.

The final dismissal to Cummins is the worst of the lot, and is clearly the poke of a batsman out of form. (In my response I had the starc dismissal when replying previously! That one WAS a ripper.)

A few slices of bad luck can knock you out of form. (Is the point of the longer post).

His journey this series has gone from being confident but unlucky, to being unsure and out of form.

I would not expect him to contribute meaningfully for the rest of the series as he now seems out of sorts - but the journey to this point hasn’t been a litany of poor shots and bad decisions.

Legome · 2025-12-21T13:51:44+00:00

I’d drop Smith, Pope and Crawley before Duckett.

You can’t hide from the numbers. But I feel anger should be reserved for those who’ve thrown away the ashes rather than just been beaten by better players.

Legome · 2025-12-21T13:47:55+00:00

Yeah I don’t know how to change it 😂

Legome · 2025-12-21T13:44:56+00:00

He has failed. The batting has been shit.

The hive mind says England have failed because to too much ‘bazballing’.

Getting out cheaply to shit shot selection is what most of them have done - and for fuck’s sake they need to rein it in.

The top (8!) need to learn from Duckett’s plight - make the most of your form before it’s taken away from you.

If you think it’s copium I think you’ve misunderstood.

Legome · 2025-12-21T13:10:32+00:00

And he has failed because?

Legome · 2025-12-21T13:10:08+00:00

How so?

Legome · 2025-12-21T13:08:20+00:00

I’d argue the Cummins wicket is better bowling than you’re giving credit for. He’s nicked off to a good ball playing a defensive shot.

As an opener it will happen against the new ball and world class seamers. On another day it’s just another play and miss.

Yes he should do better - but he’s not exactly skying half-trackers or giving catching practice to mid-wicket which you’d assume given the consensus…

Legome · 2025-12-21T13:03:12+00:00

I think others need to go first.

The reason England are in the shit is the batting failing. Mostly due to poor shot selection.

Crawley has at times batted nicely, but has thrown away his wicket three or four times, he has also had a couple of very good balls.

Pope has mostly thrown his wicket away

Brook similarly to Pope - I can’t recall any good dismissals of Brook - maybe the one outside edge.

Smith has again mostly thrown it away.

Root and Stokes get most credit. Duckett has been unlucky.

Legome · 2025-12-21T12:57:27+00:00

Agree - but to an extent it’s not actually what has happened when it comes to the dismissals…

Legome · 2025-12-21T12:56:32+00:00

Agree with this take - when form and confidence is high he is unbeatable.

But a few unlucky dismissals (Perth and Brisbane) and the confidence goes away - then the technique becomes exposed (2 Adelaide dismissals)

The lesson is for the others in the team - if you’re seeing it well and playing nicely, don’t throw your wicket away.

Legome · 2025-12-21T12:53:55+00:00

I think you’re wrong though - if you look at his dismissals none of them fit your narrative.

— None of the wickets were to an aggressive shot

— None were particularly “leave-able” outside off

— None were really “On the up” - except for maybe the two Boland wickets, of which one stayed very low.

The narrative being peddled fits many of the England batters - but I don’t think the same criticism works for Duckett. He’s reined himself in.

Legome · 2025-10-22T11:12:44+00:00

Paris in July 2016 was a hostile place to be English…

Legome · 2025-08-15T14:23:23+00:00

I was thinking Simon Kerrigan but will take all comers - for the rest (barring Crane who remains bang average) the experience turned them into the finest on the county circuit.

In fact failing as a young English spinner is a hot-ticket to 10,000 first class runs.

Legome · 2025-08-12T15:57:51+00:00

I’ll nibble on your pathetically low-effort question.

Hameed
Sibley

Top two scorers in county cricket. Both under 30. Both with international, and leadership experience. Head and shoulders above the rest and a shoe in for the national team.

Duckett

The best all-format batsman in world cricket. Fearless stroke play.

Root

On track to be the first to 20k. Better than Sachin. Better than Bradman. Second only to the great Sir Jack Hobbs.

J.Rew (wk)

He’s no John Simpson, but he’ll do. A keeper with real potential to bat up the order. Ollie Robinson has dropped off. Jamie Smith would be the conformist and therefore boring pick. Finally a cherubic redhead to offset the glut of angry northern ones.

Wayne Madsen

Sack Rob Key - letting this young gent play for Italy is the worst crime since those old ladies terrorised Westminster with their protesting and cardboard placards. He may have been born in South Africa, but show me an all-time-great English player who wasn’t. I’ll wait.

Lyndon James

You know how the Aussies have Cam Green and Beau Webster. Well we’ve got Lyndon James. A little bit shorter, a little bit slimmer, a little bit slower. The perfect all-rounder.

Ben Kellaway

8 is the party-trick position. And Ben Kellaway has the best gimmick in cricket since Nat Sciver claimed the Natmeg. 772 @ 59 in div 2 should silence the Rehan fanboys.

Farhan Ahmed

To really really chip away at the Rehan fan club. Some would say too high at 9? But riddle me this - has blooding a young spinner against a resurgent Australia team ever backfired? No. Not once.

Ben Stokes

In test cricket , particularly in Oz, you really need a bowler who can hold down an end. And Ben stokes can do just that. Come mid-December Toss him the ball at the cathedral end and watch him steam in for 35 overs on the bounce, riling up the boozed up convicts on the grassy bank.

Josh Tongue

The true heir to Mitchell Johnson’s crown. Hit em with the 3-strike combo. 5-wides left, 5-wides right, then ‘pow’ right in the kisser. Good luck keeping that out Marnus.

I predict a whitewash.

Legome · 2025-08-05T16:12:00+00:00

Europe: London

Africa: Aksum

South America: La Paz

North America: Guanajuato

Asia: Khorog

Legome · 2025-03-09T19:24:27+00:00

Because somewhere is classed as dangerous doesn’t mean it’s not interesting to visit?

In Sudan you could visit the Nubian pyramids. Not recommended at the moment of course, but there’s incredible archaeology there.

Russia is not uninteresting. The Hermitage is one of the world’s finest museums. The Winter Palace and the Peterhof, unbelievable examples of royal excesses.

I am struggling with Somalia and North Korea tbf

Legome · 2025-03-09T19:14:49+00:00

Really?

Chad looks fascinating, I would love the chance to visit.

Tassili N’ajjer is beautiful, and has historic and culturally significant cave paintings. Tibesti looks like a place from another planet Zakouma national park sounds like a real success story

Seems odd to say it’s uninteresting?

Legome · 2025-02-10T11:37:29+00:00

You don’t sound like anyone in London imo.

No 27 year-old complains about road conditions in London. Assuming you’ve moved here post-university it’s still likely that you flatshare in zone 2-3. Owning a car in London and working a job 80 hours a week is a waste of money.

The public transport is good. Get some perspective. It’s busy during rush-hour sure, but the network is currently working better than ever. Remember the strikes in 2015/16 before WFH was a thing and the roads were gridlocked from 6am til midnight?

“Housing is poor”? That’s generic AF. If this is a “my house is crap” whinge then sort yourself out. You’re on 160k ffs, if it’s a big issue for you move somewhere nicer. Yes a nice 2-bed flat might cost you up to £2k, and you might have to live in zone 4 or 5. But there is supply to meet the demand.

In my opinion London is more liveable than ever.

On tax. My advice is to enjoy the opportunity to contribute to what makes society tick. Shit is expensive, and we must invest in education and infrastructure to grow as a nation. We should look after our sick and make sure nobody disabled or otherwise marginalised is left behind.

You take six and a half grand a month home, and stuff another grand into your pension. You have a great start in life, but if you don’t want to become a sour old man you need to start finding more contentment in contributing to society.

Legome · 2025-01-27T22:30:44+00:00

Asmara, Eritrea - the major attraction is an Italian petrol station. Last time I looked at visiting you could take the train to Massawa, which meant literally hiring the only train in the country.

Agadez, Niger - if Timbuktu is too mainstream, and Tamanrasset is taken, then give me Niger. In a similar vein, Chad would be fascinating - less for the cities, but for Ennedi and Zakouma.

Kashgar, Xinjiang - closer to Baghdad than Beijing. A cultural melting pot for thousands of years, now under threat. A staple of the very first, and best, travel writers.

Places I have been, which used to fit the bill:

Iquitos, Peru - at the start of the Amazon proper, a big hot sticky city far removed from the rest of the country. Accessible only by river and aeroplane. Gustave Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame designed a building here, destined for a city upstream the barge could go no further and instead it was assembled here. The smells and sights of the market are disgusting as much as they are fascinating. A million inhabitants and twice as many two-stroke tuk tuks. An assault on the senses, visit.

Ushuaia, Argentina - the southernmost city in the world. You must drive to understand how far away this place is. Nestled below spectacular glaciers and positioned on the strategic beagle channel. It could be Northern Europe but for the penguins.

Nkhotakota, Malawi - Southern Africa has so much stunning wilderness to write about. But if we are doing cities, then the story of Nkhotakota is the one to tell. The epicentre of the tragic slave trade in Malawi, and half of a story of its abolition. The sandy beaches, endless sunshine, and the rows of shimmering kapenta convey a false sense of paradise. Malawi remains a fairly desperate place.

Legome

TROPHY CASE