creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[TANGODANCER]

Argue at will, as will undoubtedly be the case:

No arguing that we had faults in areas ,human error and players at less then best (in as much as a very good opposition allowed) but as I indicated yesterday and state again (not that anyone doesn't know thinking about it) it was England v Steve Smith. His phenomenal batting and the inspiration he obviously has on the rest of the team make it totally critical to contain and remove him if we are to have a chance of winning the Ashes. Broad needs to play for me because he's a passionate competitor, a good bowler and a useful tail ender bat. Jimmy's injury has changed the whole focus of our attack and we'll have to hope Archer steps up. The rest, we'll have to trust the selectors.

Amen.

[Worthy4England]

I don't really disagree with that Tango - there's not much to argue about. Yes we need to get Smith out, yes we need Broad bowling at his best especially in light of Anderson's injury. We all hope Archer steps up, we are at the behest of the selectors - but there's no harm in contemplating the validity of their choices.

[jimbo]

BWFCi's team for me (though v harsh on Leach to bat at 11 after Ireland ).

I'd probably have Curran ahead of Woakes, and eventual would hope to have Archer ahead of Broad, but that would be my 11.

Can’t help looking at that team and thinking that on a bad day the tail starts at 5! That said, I’m not sure there’s much better. Oh to go back to the days where we had a top 7 averaging over 40!

Whereas I think its entirely plausible that Curran or Woakes could frequently be top scorer.

We're not winning any tests by batting for two days and scoring 450 plus. So we may as well have the bowling options there and try and get scores that are competitive if we bowl well.

Yeah I think that’s plausible too. On a good day the batting will be deep, but bairstow and butler look too high up. We’ve essentially got a top 4 (with their abilities debatable) and then 4 number 7s.

[BWFC_Insane]

BWFCi's team for me (though v harsh on Leach to bat at 11 after Ireland ).

I'd probably have Curran ahead of Woakes, and eventual would hope to have Archer ahead of Broad, but that would be my 11.

Can’t help looking at that team and thinking that on a bad day the tail starts at 5! That said, I’m not sure there’s much better. Oh to go back to the days where we had a top 7 averaging over 40!

Whereas I think its entirely plausible that Curran or Woakes could frequently be top scorer.

We're not winning any tests by batting for two days and scoring 450 plus. So we may as well have the bowling options there and try and get scores that are competitive if we bowl well.

Yeah I think that’s plausible too. On a good day the batting will be deep, but bairstow and butler look too high up. We’ve essentially got a top 4 (with their abilities debatable) and then 4 number 7s.

There is a reasonable argument as I said to leave out Bairstow and put a "proper batsman" in either there or to open. I think though such a move would just be a blind gamble at this stage. I like the idea of Ballance - EXCEPT - one of England's major failings last test was batting a long time but scoring incredibly slowly. The Aussies went along at a fair lick and I worry about Ballance in the middle order staying in for half a day for 35 - yes it wears the bowlers down but we have a habit of collapses (say 270 odd for 4 all out for 374 for a day and a half of batting!!). When people are in they need to start getting runs like the Aussies did. I think if we bat a day we've done well so we've got to look at 300 plus in a day where possible. I can't see us batting much longer than that other than when wickets are very flat.

[TANGODANCER]

Such a gentle sport is cricket, thwack of leather on willow on the village green, cups of tea and a spatter of applause for a fine shot or a good over..lovely.....well, most/some of the time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cozSq8XC-LU

[Worthy4England]

Such a gentle sport is cricket, thwack of leather on willow on the village green, cups of tea and a spatter of applause for a fine shot or a good over..lovely.....well, most/some of the time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cozSq8XC-LU

That series and the year before (Aus with Lillie n Thommo) probably the reason I focused on being a bowler rather than a batter. Don't for one minute believe comments about being sorry for hurting the batsman.

[Prufrock]

I see Joffra took 6-27 then scored a hundred.

Think he might be in. .

Poor Gloucester Seconds!

[BWFC_Insane]

I see Joffra took 6-27 then scored a hundred.

Think he might be in. .

Poor Gloucester Seconds!

No doubt. I still question whether Lords is his pitch really and definitely think Curran should come in too.

[Worthy4England]

So if Archer and Anderson are a straight swap - who's Curran coming in for?

[BWFC_Insane]

So if Archer and Anderson are a straight swap - who's Curran coming in for?

Denly.

[Worthy4England]

Yeah ok - not sure I wouldn't swap Ali too, for Rashid. Ali was billed as being "in for his bowling" yet he struggled to pitch some on a corrugated roof.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah ok - not sure I wouldn't swap Ali too, for Rashid. Ali was billed as being "in for his bowling" yet he struggled to pitch some on a corrugated roof.

Oh yeah my team is:

Roy
Burns
Stokes
Root
Bairstow
Buttler
Woakes
Curran
Archer
Broad
Leach

We could debate whether Bairstow/Buttler is left out for another traditional batsman and Roy demoted to 5 or whether we bring in a new number 5 etc or even Foakes gets a go in place of Bairstow.

[Bruce Rioja]

So if Archer and Anderson are a straight swap - who's Curran coming in for?

Denly.

Not Moeen? I mean, there's a case for either.

[BWFC_Insane]

So if Archer and Anderson are a straight swap - who's Curran coming in for?

Denly.

Not Moeen? I mean, there's a case for either.

Both. See team above...

[Worthy4England]

Yeah - that might work....then again!

[Prufrock]

Moeen dropped for Leach.

12 man squad named, BWFCi's team plus Denly (though I reckon it will be Curran to miss out).

[Prufrock]

Oh ffs. Someone needs to tell Roy he can leave it.

[jimbo]

Oh ffs. Someone needs to tell Roy he can leave it.

Confirming everyone’s concerns about him at the moment. Needs more time though, it’s a big adjustment he needs to make to his game and needs to be given the time to do so.

[Prufrock]

Without any other obvious options I agree. My only worry is that we ruin him for test cricket when we then need him to replace the failing middle order.

Oh Joe! Tits.

[jimbo]

Without any other obvious options I agree. My only worry is that we ruin him for test cricket when we then need him to replace the failing middle order.

Oh Joe! Tits.

And the last thing you want to do is take some edge and instinct off his ODI game.

You’ve got to ask what the selectors wanted from him opening the batting in test matches. Did they want him to change his game and dig in, in which case he needs to be given time to adjust as he’s never opened regularly in red ball cricket before. Or, did they want him to come out and play his natural game, in which case you’ve got to accept him failing regularly.

I wasn’t sure he was the right long term option at the start of the series, and so far he’s just confirmed my beliefs, but once picked he has to be given a longer chance to prove himself.