Not holding out much hope for the ashes

In fairness the all Aussie affair didn't produce big scores. The Aussie game like the test at Lord's has been affected by the atmospherics. I'm an ex bowler, the Irish had amazing conditions yesterday. Stevie Wonder could have got 5fer yesterday. Full and aiming at middle and off then you're in business with the slope. Murtagh's middling pace allowed the ball to do the talking. English batsman were to blame for poor shot selection, but it was perfect for swing / mixed seam positioning bowling. If Jimmy was fit he'd have done the same. Batsmen in those condition need to occupy the crease and pick the easy singles on offer. Not a time for big shots until you've read the movement.

 

Agree. We've neither the mental awareness or the technique to bat time and just protect wickets.

Great conditions for swing bowling and i've seen Murtagh many a time. Dibbly dobbly swing bowler. yet when we bowled, we immediately brought the length back and didn't make the most of it.

 

Possibly a bit of an hangover from the World Cup , but under a bit of pressure we get the usual mixture of stupid shot selection and some looking scaredplayers

 

Bairstow got a pair but he'll figure it out. He's stuck between 1 day and test mode, doesn't know where is off stump is. He's the best I've ever seen at changing his guard in a short space of time.

Burns not good enough, Denly I think 3 lions are a lead weight on his chest.

Always surprised me why James Hildreth never got a call up. He's got all the shots and a mature head.

Anyways the team for me picks itself barring injury. It's the question of whether it's Woakes or Curran. On current form I'd go with Curran he's a proper all rounder. If we need 2 spinners then he makes way for Rashid (If fully fit, shoulder issue sorted) or Leach.

 

I do fear for us in the ashes. To go from 171-1 to 303-9 is very poor. Two of the bowlers outscored the top 6 batsman which is pretty pathetic. We have players getting out to bang average county players bowling at military
medium 70mph. Starc, Hazelwood and Pattinson will have a field day against us.

Has Moeen Ali got something on Trevor Bayliss and Joe Root because I'm amazed he still keeps getting picked for the test team.

 

Mo's a class spin bowler, that's why he gets picked. His figures speak for themselves. He can bat a bit which helps the team but he's a bowler. The team for this game is missing key players. Remember last year we lost to Scotland at one dayer with fringe players. The world cup winners lost to a minnow.

I'm not worried about Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood, they bowl fast and straight. At Lord's they do well on other wickets not too sure. To take wickets in England pace isn't always the key.

 

Not great preparation a week before the Ashes starts....

 

What baffles me with the ashes selection is the venues. We always bat poorly at Lords and Headingley and invariably lose those test matches. Old Trafford nine times out of ten will be weather affected. That only leaves Edgbaston that favours England and the Oval that we invariably have high scoring draws because it's a batsmans paradise.

 

I'm not sure Bairstow will figure it out. He's played 63 test matches, and averages 37. I'm not sure is reputation as a test match batsman matches his actual scores. World class one day player, but his record in the top 5 in test matches is pretty grim, and he's lucky to stay in ahead of Foakes and Buttler as a keeper / batsman at 7 imo.

Denly shows the confusion of some selections. He's been picked to bat in the top order in test matches, off the back of some leg spin he bowled in t20s for Kent. Makes no sense. Hildreth and Sibley would be ahead of him and Burns for me.

I don't think Curran and Woakes are competing for same spot. Not sure Curran is a good enough bowler to be third seamer, where Woakes' test record in England with bat and ball should earn him a chance in the ashes, batting at 8, with either Ali or Leach at 9. Then you have Archer and Anderson taking the new ball. Wouldn't surprise me if Stokes ended up in the top 4 and concentrating more on his batting and Curran ending up at 6 or 7.

 

I'd bring Dawid Mallan back into the fold.

 

This. Root is a ***** captain. He needs the pressure of it taking off him, and it doesn't help that he's relatively young. Just let him concentrate on not getting out. He doesn't even need to be a flashy batsman, just someone who can grind out alongside the rest of the batsmen. That's what your number three does.

 

I think Leach would have got his hundred yesterday if he hadn't have been batting alongside Joe Denly. He bats like a snail but doesn't rotate the strike or score runs.

 

But in Tests, Root is determined to bat at four...a kop out in my view.

 

Cook
Sibley
Malan
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Woakes
Curran
Rashid
Archer
Anderson


We'll **** em.

 

I still think Alex Hales and James Vince can make the grade as test batsman for England. Hales was jettisoned too early for my liking and Vince has great technique. Maybe batting him at three would curb his penchant fro extravagant shots. Hales didn't do too bad a job opening during the Pakistan series a few years ago and has opened with Jason Roy at one day level.

 

Hales has been a naughty boy though and hasn't played much cricket recently. He's just ok at red ball cricket but probably better than those who we are seeing struggling opening now. Sort the top 3 out and we should win the ashes back.

 

It's a conundrum but I've seen in one of the newspapers that Ed Smith wants to see what Vince can do with a run in the side.

 

Hales jacked in red ball cricket at the end of last season...even with a change of mind there's no way he'd be up to speed for The Ashes, we're in the midst of T20 doubt that Notts have a first class fixture for weeks.

 

We need more than a run from our batsmen.

 

I totally agree.