creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[Worthy4England]

Definitely glad we ended Anderson’s test career so we could watch 34 year old Wood and 35 year old Woakes get smashed round by Windies. Still got to look to the future and these young uns will show em….

Well maybe we've found out a bit more about a few on a track that isn't giving 'em much. Woakes got 4-84 which isn't shoddy. Wood and Jimmy wouldn't perform the same role (but 1-71 ain't great)..

[TANGODANCER]

Quote: Ebony Rainford-Brent, Former England batter on BBC Sounds

"Root is the glue for this England side. He just steadies the ship, rotates the strike and then plays those gorgeous drives."

Spot on....

[BWFC_Insane]

Definitely glad we ended Anderson’s test career so we could watch 34 year old Wood and 35 year old Woakes get smashed round by Windies. Still got to look to the future and these young uns will show em….

Well maybe we've found out a bit more about a few on a track that isn't giving 'em much. Woakes got 4-84 which isn't shoddy. Wood and Jimmy wouldn't perform the same role (but 1-71 ain't great)..

We ain’t taking Woakes to Australia unless we fancy a real mullering. And Wood is when fit a novelty test bowler at best.

The logic was to look to the future. The future seems to be playing blokes who won’t be in the future and aren’t as good as Jimmy. Super.

[Worthy4England]

Definitely glad we ended Anderson’s test career so we could watch 34 year old Wood and 35 year old Woakes get smashed round by Windies. Still got to look to the future and these young uns will show em….

Well maybe we've found out a bit more about a few on a track that isn't giving 'em much. Woakes got 4-84 which isn't shoddy. Wood and Jimmy wouldn't perform the same role (but 1-71 ain't great)..

We ain’t taking Woakes to Australia unless we fancy a real mullering. And Wood is when fit a novelty test bowler at best.

The logic was to look to the future. The future seems to be playing blokes who won’t be in the future and aren’t as good as Jimmy. Super.

If the logic was to look to the future, then they're almost certainly thinking, if fit, both Woakes and Wood make the trip to Australia. Wood and Broad were both better than Anderson, last trip down-under, Wood was our best bowler in that series by pretty much any measure - most wickets, lowest strike rate etc, etc. Woakes was no great shakes. Jimmy took the honours in 2017 as best bowler but Wood wasn't on that tour, Woakes was and again pretty average.

I think a fit Wood makes the trip for sure. Woakes probably makes the trip and we're looking round for a couple more with some pace. They aren't queueing up. Great start to a test career for Atkinson, but he's not looked great in this test.

[Worthy4England]

Decent wrap-up and a 5-fer for Bashir. Good win.

[BWFC_Insane]

Definitely glad we ended Anderson’s test career so we could watch 34 year old Wood and 35 year old Woakes get smashed round by Windies. Still got to look to the future and these young uns will show em….

Well maybe we've found out a bit more about a few on a track that isn't giving 'em much. Woakes got 4-84 which isn't shoddy. Wood and Jimmy wouldn't perform the same role (but 1-71 ain't great)..

We ain’t taking Woakes to Australia unless we fancy a real mullering. And Wood is when fit a novelty test bowler at best.

The logic was to look to the future. The future seems to be playing blokes who won’t be in the future and aren’t as good as Jimmy. Super.

If the logic was to look to the future, then they're almost certainly thinking, if fit, both Woakes and Wood make the trip to Australia. Wood and Broad were both better than Anderson, last trip down-under, Wood was our best bowler in that series by pretty much any measure - most wickets, lowest strike rate etc, etc. Woakes was no great shakes. Jimmy took the honours in 2017 as best bowler but Wood wasn't on that tour, Woakes was and again pretty average.

I think a fit Wood makes the trip for sure. Woakes probably makes the trip and we're looking round for a couple more with some pace. They aren't queueing up. Great start to a test career for Atkinson, but he's not looked great in this test.

If the future is wood and Woakes then prepare to lose even more than we did last time. Plus there was no reason to force Anderson out for that. It had to be to bring through two or three who are the genuine future. It’s absolute rubbish.

The argument isn’t that we should take Anderson down under but that there was no point forcing him out now to play an attack that will be battered in Australia and is old.

[Worthy4England]

Our last three have been 0-4, 0-4, 0-5...We won't lose by "more than last time," by much, matey. Wood was our best bowler out there last time. Pretty indisputably. No guarantee he would be this time, but harder, faster wickets likely to suit him.

You seen to be arguing that because Anderson finished, we should drop everyone else. I think there's a case for looking further afield, but Wood "the novelty bowler" has the same strike rate as Jimmy, and more pertinently had half the strike rate of Jimmy, last time in Oz.

On the force him out thing, I think he probably should've got this series, just to try and beat Warne, I don't think Wood nor Woakes are long term future but let's be fcuking honest, in our recent 2-2 home draw against the Aussies, pretty much all our bowling attack performed better than Jimmy. So that's, in order of wickets taken - Broad, Woakes, Wood, Robinson, Ali, Root and Tongue...Woakes SR was 35, Wood 37, Jimmy 184. The highest on either side.

[Prufrock]

I can see why Wood is still there on their logic, but not Woakes. Jimmy had a poor series in the last Ashes, but I'm not sure that's a reason to boot him! Everyone has them.

I don't really buy the constant obsession with everything planned towards "winning down under", we've been saying that for a decade now with nothing to show, the other series count too! You absolutely can give others a chance without binning him off altogether. If he's not in the best 3 (or say, 5 for a series), fine don't pick him, but there's just no need to draw this definitive line.

[Worthy4England]

Mate, we've been planning for "winning down under" all my life! If you play a few seasons with a couple of Aussies in your team, it would all become very clear, that whatever the state if either team, this series is the most important to the participants. This is THE measure.

The larger loss for me in an Ashes, is probably Broad, and Woakes can also bat a bit. He averages pushing 30 overall v pushing 9.

I've said before, I'd have given him this series for sure. He's certainly up there with very good bowlers and no one is going to take his wicket haul anytime soon. But he's played more tests than a lot. Could I honestly say he was better than McGrath - fewer wickets, higher strike rate? I'd be hard pressed if there were no Aussies present...and not only McGrath. Jimmy doesn't appear in the top 100 strike rate club...

[Worthy4England]

Good wrap-up and some reward for Wood.

[TANGODANCER]

England giving Sri Lanka a tough time it seems.

[Worthy4England]

Ohh. Such is the excitement, forgot it had started!

[Worthy4England]

Just seen wickets. Those first 3, you'd have been dropped from Club Sunday XI. Awful shots...good ball from Wood to get Mendis...

[TANGODANCER]

First innings, 40 ahead with four wickets in hand (as I write) and Smith in control so far. Could be far worse

[Worthy4England]

Good fightback so far by Sri Lanka.

[BWFC_Insane]

Good test match. England had to work. Showed some fight. Jamie Smith looking a real talent.

[Worthy4England]

Yes he is and yes it was. Maybe a little tighter tgan we'd have wanted, but a good fightback by SL.

[Worthy4England]

Another good ton for Joe and one for Atkinson too! 45-3 in reply...

[TANGODANCER]

Sri-Lanka currently 154-8 (chasing our 427)and we're looking totally in command.

[Worthy4England]

A decent series wrap up, 33 wickets and a ton for Atkinson. Root showing why he's very best. Sure it's WI and SL at home, but you earn these series over time.