Back with a Bang: Bumble's Blog

David Lloyd welcomes back Marcus Trescothick and ponders an unlikely hero.

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Back from his travels in Pakistan and a New Year in the studio for the Indian leg of England's winter tour, David Lloyd is fit and ready for another summer of cricket on Sky Sports and skysports.com.

Throughout the rest of the year Bumble will be helping Sky in its coverage of England's Test and ODI series with Sri Lanka and Pakistan as well as with our county cricket programme that covers the the Twenty20 Cup, C&G Tophy, Pro 40 and Liverpool Victoria County Championship.

Here on skysports.com he will be keeping his eye on the wide world of cricket and letting you know whathe thinks on matters, both serious and slightly less so.

And he also wants to hear from you. Ask him anything you like by sending an email here. He's a busy man so he can't promise to answer them all but we will post a selection of his replies every time he updates his blog!

Bumble's Blog - Wednesday April 26

Welcome to my new blog on skysports.com! I'm afraid I can't tell you much more about where I am today as I am out and about with the Cricket AM team compiling some slightly different pitch reports that you will be able to see on the new show over the summer.

All I can tell you is that I have had to bring my skis and the river banks have just burst so I am knee deep in water but you'll have to tune in over the summer to find out any more.

It is a busy summer ahead but, as you will have noticed, cricket doesn't stop so as well as keeping an eye on what England have been and will be up to, I am keeping an eye what's been happening elsewhere in the world.

Dizzy about Gillespie

One of the most remarkable things that has happened has been a double Test hundred scored by a number ten batsman. It is an unbelievable achievement for Jason Gillsepie.

I can't think of another nine, ten, jack in the game at the moment who could do that and from a coaching viewpoint to get ten and eleven to be able to concentrate for that long is staggering. To concentrate like that and make 50 is marvellous, never mind a double ton.

Good on Gillespie too, he has been through a tough time of it, but I bet he would swap it for a six-wicket haul, especially next winter in the Ashes.

Banging on about Bangladesh

Of course people will talk about the opposition he scored it against but he still had to concentrate and score the runs. As for Bangladesh, rather than this ratifying anyone's view that this means they should not be playing Test cricket, I disagree, it is all a part of the process.

They have shown glimpses that they can live with the very best. Their coach Dav Whatmore will, as ever, not be looking at results but performances and will be very pleased with certain aspects of their play. Right now Australia are always going to win those Test matches but Bangladesh but put some good sessions together.

When you consider New Zealand played 45 Tests before they won one it is unfair to bang on about Bangladesh. They have a good stucture to their game and the U19 team is as good as any in world, in fact it is excellent. Don't judge them just yet.

Tres back with a banger!

Back with England, Marcus Trescothick's century in the C&G was great news from both an England and personal perspective. Marcus must have had some self doubt about whether he would be back yet and scoring runs. but a big century like that will have done him the world of good.

My view is that it is a real bonus that he is back playing cricket already and scoring big tons. As well as that ton he had a few low scores and a duck on the first day against Worcester but to have him back dealing with success and failure is a real plus for England, who have said they will have him straight back in the side.

King of Pain?

On the other hand the news about Gilo is a real setback. I have been with him quite a bit during the winter on Sky and he is not mobile at all. The hip problem and now the hernia must be very frustrating for him and it disrupts the balance of England. England have a capable lad in Shaun Udal but they like the balance of Gilo. If and when he does get fit, he then needs to play to get mileage in his legs to be able to comepte.

It will be a long, drawn out job to get him fit and the target must be to have him ready for Australia in the winter, which he means he will have needed to play for Warkwickshire and possibly Engand, at some stage this summer. The way it is looking it will be during the latter stages of the season. I wish him the best.

Now for some of your email this week...

SIMPLE ABOUT SIMON
Is Simon Jones really missed that much? With Freddie, Hoggy and Harmo (Harmi?) is everyone just making a big deal about Jones just because he took a number of wickets in the Ashes. Don't get me wrong, he is a good bowler, but I feel people are being a bit extreme about him not playing. Joe

BUMBLE REPLIES: I think he is the most improved player that we have and looks really menacing now with the ball. He bowls a full length into the pads and wickets, which offers something different from Flintoff and Harmison who bang it in and Hoggard who shapes the ball away. He does it at a decent pace too and is very much an integral part of the attack. I remember when he couldn't land it on the strip but he is the most improved of the attack, it is a shame that he can't string four games together in a row. He has been missed this winter, with his late and reverse swing and if he is fit and well he will return to the side. Also should have had a good rest, so hopefully he will be raring to go.

ASHES TO ASHES
I was fascinated to hear Ricky Ponting's comments regarding the next Ashes. He claims that Australia are in much better form and are favorites for the Ashes in November. Now I mean no offence to the Australian captain, but I beg to differ. Whilst it is true that Australia have won more games, it is vital one looks at the context of the situation. The reason Australia lost the Ashes was there inability to cope with constant genuine pace and swing from our attack. Since then they have played sides which have contained no bowlers who have these properties. They have lulled themselves into a false sence of security and come November they will have the same shock that they had last summer. The side is just as old as it was and their youth is in such a bad state that they have gone back to Kasprowicz, Gillespie and Martyn. Glenn McGrath is also unlikely to play another Test match, and Ponting is just as poor tacticaly as he ever was. Whats your opinion on the subject? Joshua Begner, London.

BUMBLE REPLIES: On the Ashes, I am afraid I agree with Ricky Ponting, that Australia will win them but I would love to be proved wrong. In their own back yard they won't have to contend with the swinging, bouncing ball so much because I expect that them to take that out of the equation by preparaing pitches that spin. I can tell you two of those will be in Adelaide and Sydney  where you will find big turners and the Australians playing with their two leggies, Warne and MacGill. It will depend who is fit and what sort of team we can put out but the odds for the Ashes have Australia as strong favourites and that is right for in Australia. As I said, I would love to be proved be wrong, as we were last summer.

Thanks for your mail - I'm off to do some pot-holing. Watch it on Cricket AM.