Looks like its safe to play Harmison at OT but keep him well away from Edgbaston.

The Times today - :)
But England could, potentially, have enough bowling options to pick a bowler for an individual ground based on a history of success on that particular pitch. "The first key is to make sure all those bowlers are bowling well and playing well in county cricket if they're not in the international set-up," Moores said. "We know certain bowlers have good records in certain places, so for instance Harmison has a good record at Old Trafford.

Broad hasn't played Tests in England but I have fitted him in for some Tests.

New Zealand
1st Test -Lords - Anderson, Tremlett, Sidebottom, Broad
2nd Test - Old Trafford - Harmison, Hoggard, Broad, Flintoff, Panesar
3rd Test - Trent Bridge - Tremlett, Harmison, Plunkett, Panesar

South Africa
1st Test - Lords - Anderson, Tremlett, Sidebottom, Broad
2nd Test - Headingley - Sidebottom, Mahmood, Plunkett, Panesar
3rd Test - Edgbaston - Hoggard, Plunkett, Mahmood, Flintoff, Panesar
4th Test - Oval - Harmison, Anderson, Broad, Flintoff, Hoggard

Strike Rates -

South Africa - Ntini, Steyn, Morkel, Kallis, Harris - 289.0
Australia - Lee, Clark, Johnson, Symonds, McGill - 293.9
India - Khan, RPSingh, Pathan, Kumble, Harbhijan - 304.5
New Zealand - Martin, Mills, Southee, Oram, Vettoria - 320.1

England (4 bowlers) - Sidebottom, Broad, Flintoff, Collingwood, Panesar - 347.9
England (5 bowlers) - Sidebottom, Hoggard, Broad, Flintoff, Panesar - 322.7

How have you come up with those composite strike rates, and over what period of time?

New Zealand's task will be even greater should Flintoff prove his fitness and be selected for the first Test as one of a four-man attack.

But Sir Richard, one of the great allrounders, believes England's Ashes colossus has some way to go before he can be compared to the giants who bestrode the game when he was at his peak, like Ian Botham and Kapil Dev.

'I don't think Flintoff has played long enough to be compared to those guys,' said Sir Richard, speaking to promote Sky Sports' exclusive coverage of the forthcoming series.

'His strike-rate is around three and a half wickets per Test and the greats all took four and a half to five. But there's no doubt he can bat, bowl and has a presence. We'd like to have him in our side!'

6+ wickets per Test
Murali 6.12
5+ wickets per Test
Steyn 5.21
Lillee 5.07
Hadlee 5.0
4+ wickets per Test
Warne 4.88
MacGill 4.83
Kumble 4.78
Marshall / Bond 4.64
Asif 4.63
Donald 4.58
McGrath 4.54
Clark 4.53
Younis 4.28
Gul 4.18
Lee 4.16
Ambrose 4.13
Sidebottom 4.07
3+ wickets per Test
Akram 3.98
Ntini 3.95
Gough 3.94
Walsh 3.93
Pollock 3.89
Akhtar 3.86
Caddick 3.77
Botham 3.75
Harmison 3.71
Hoggard 3.70
Willis 3.61
Panesar 3.53
Vaas 3.29
SJones 3.27
Malinga 3.25
ZKhan 3.20
Vettori 3.06
2+ wickets per Test
Flintoff 2.94
Oram 2.11
Kallis 1.93

i think you should get out more!

At this time of night? :cheesy:

there has got to be a number of late establishments open?
;)

well done for all the stats though.
:bravo:

Why have you added a list of "England (4 bowlers)" but still added in collingwood as the 5th? Surely that is not 4 bowlers combined strike rates, is it? Adding Collingwood distorts the figures.

because collingwood bowls for us!
:roll:

Yes he does. Since Moores has been coach we have been using 4 bowlers.
The only players that have played in all the matches are Sidebottom, Collingwood and Panesar. Sidebottom has bowled 478 overs and Collingwood 115 so he does bowl but adding up the strike rates doesn't really prove anything. Vaughan has said that with 4 bowlers Panesar will have to bowl more but I think it will be Collingwood that will take on more bowling.

Well then it isn't 4 bowlers then, is it!:roll:

Is that list comprehensive? How many wickets per test did Trueman, Tyson, Holding, Marshall and Walsh get?

307 wickets Trueman 4.58
76 wickets Tyson 4.47
249 wickets Holding 4.15
376 wickets Marshall 4.64
519 Walsh 3.93

indeed!
:thumbsup:

shows what a legend Marshall was. He bowled in an attack that was ludicrously strong and had other great bowlers, yet still had the highest wicket per test stats amongst some pretty high quality competition.

Bowlers aged 25 and under -

23 Tests - 120 wickets at 21.60 econ 3.61 s/r 35.80 - Steyn (24)
29 Tests - 100 wickets at 32.26 econ 3.28 s/r 58.80 - Pathan (23)
28 Tests - 91 wickets at 33.80 econ 3.86 s/r 52.40 - Malinga (24)
25 Tests - 89 wickets at 34.61 econ 3.79 s/r 54.60 - Anderson (25)
16 Tests - 67 wickets at 31.55 econ 3.51 s/r 53.90 - Gul (24)
29 Tests - 66 wickets at 41.63 econ 3.28 s/r 75.90 - Mortaza (24)
20 Tests - 63 wickets at 34.69 econ 3.60 s/r 57.80 - Taylor (23)
11 Tests - 51 wickets at 23.13 econ 3.03 s/r 45.70 - Asif (25)
14 Tests - 50 wickets at 31.46 econ 3.28 s/r 57.40 - Sreesanth (25)
13 Tests - 40 wickets at 39.10 econ 4.02 s/r 58.20 - RP Singh (22)
9 Tests - 28 wickets at 33.57 econ 2.98 s/r 67.50 - Patel (24)
9 Tests - 23 wickets at 39.82 econ 3.57 s/r 66.80 - Plunkett (23)
6 Tests - 17 wickets at 32.35 econ 3.85 s/r 50.40 - Morkel (23)
6 Tests - 17 wickets at 36.47 econ 3.52 s/r 62.00 - Sharma (19)
5 Tests - 16 wickets at 27.37 econ 3.79 s/r 43.20 - Zondeki (25)
6 Tests - 16 wickets at 40.62 econ 3.06 s/r 79.50 - Broad (21)
2 Tests - 5 wickets at 63.20 econ 3.76 s/r 100.80 - Tanvir (23)
2 Tests - 5 wickets at 39.60 econ 3.13 s/r 75.80 - Southee (19)
3 Tests - 5 wickets at 60.40 econ 4.37 s/r 82.80 - Tait (25)

I would like to see how they have all done in a years time and who is still playing Tests and what new under 25 year olds have appeared. All are still developing and should be near the finished article when they reach their thirties.

Steyn is head and shoulders above the rest with Asif about the next best.

It must be pointed out that Irfan Pathan's brilliant statistics have come from destroying Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in a period of 4 Tests.

How do you rate our bowlers The Law?