Bowled Darren

So that is that at Headingley. And though it may be cruel to say it, that is probably that for Darren Pattinson's Test career. His final haul of two Test wickets puts him joint-306th in the all-time England wicket-takers table, level with Mike Atherton and one ahead of David Gower. Thanks for trying Darren, take a shower and join us in the bar later.

Comments

[Tony Swinburn]

Had Pattinson been born in broadstairs or cheshire ,gone to Uni and been groomed fo rcricket rather than play because he loves it he would have been kept in th eteam.

Lets face it while the attention is on him no body remembers the opener who was out for a duck or the captain who scored the same number of runs but took less wickets!

[Jeffersonrex]

Imagine no "Siddy" next match. Please. please, do not ever reinstate Harmison , who cares little for his England place. "Oggy" hasnt done much wrong for his country and he should have played in the last test. You couldnt drop a potential allrounder in Broad. So it has to be the chop for whatsisname from Grimsby. Sorry mate but your pretty ordinary after all.

[JMACCA]

The simple problem lies with Vaughans terrible batting, as well as the terribly unreliable batting of the top 6. Pattinson bowled his heart out for England and took some quality wickets, he also made as many runs as Vaughan and he's being made the scapegoat for the loss. I hope they do him a favour and drop him because you wouldn't want to be part of a team like that, would you?

[sena]

I guess Pattison is not high up in Englisg social hiegrarchy. Otherwise he would be given as many chances until he succede

[oldasiahand]

I agree, a one test wonder but he will be able to dine off it forever on the Aussie pub circuit.

'You couldn't understand how dumb thoses Poms are!'

[Jim]

Where do England go now? The batting looks weak, but having reverted to a five-man attack they still struggled to bowl out the Saffers.

Then again, you could argue that the match was lost on the first day (possibly even after the toss), and that the Saffers had the better bowling conditions (swing on day one, wearing pitch on day four) throughout.

A drastic (but plausible) option would be to drop Vaughan and Ambrose for Shah and Prior, with Strauss becoming captain and Sidebottom returning for Pattinson. This would strengthen the batting (and bowling) while retaining a five-man attack.

More probably, Sidebottom for Pattinson will be the only change (barring injuries).

Dropping Broad for a Harmison or Jones is tempting, but, thinking long term, I'd like to see him stay and continue to develop.

One thing I'd particularly like to say is well done James Anderson. Great bowling, solid batting, and excellent fielding. England's man of the series so far.

[James]

How does the English selection process work? I'm wondering where Vaughan gets off in bagging Pattinson's selection as 'confused', when as captain he presumably signed off on it beforehand. But before putting this in the file with Vaughan's other twasn't me interviews, I thought I'd ask.

[Som]

I can't help but sympathise with the chap. I mean Miller & co bungled and Pattinson copped it. Poor lad must have been in a shock when he was named in the XI. If anyone expected him (Miller certainly did) to pluck wickets out of thin air, he has reasons to feel let down.

[jrod]

I agree he is finished, but, geoff does love him, and he did take as many wickets as Broad and Freddie combined.

[Martyd]

Perhaps too soon to write off a little Aussie battler, especially given the vagaries of English test selection