The Ashes 2009

[Bruce Rioja]

Ramprakash, deary me.

Maybe we could see if Botham fancies getting his pads on too

Your better suggestion being? Oh, you don't seem to have one!

[Bruno]

Ramprakash, deary me.

Maybe we could see if Botham fancies getting his pads on too

Your better suggestion being? Oh, you don't seem to have one!

A better suggestion isn't forthcoming my friend, just seeing if I could get old man CAPS to bite - and he certainly did.

News breaking that Frederick is out of the 5th........discuss

[TANGODANCER]

News breaking that Frederick is out of the 5th........discuss

Are we talking Frederick as in Flintoff? Skysports and the Metro both have him as declared fit?

[thebish]

News breaking that Frederick is out of the 5th........discuss

Are we talking Frederick as in Flintoff? Skysports and the Metro both have him as declared fit?

Bruno doesn't know Tango - my guess is that he thinks "Freddie" is actually short for Frederick - which would encapsulate his startling absence of any insight or knowledge wrt cricket - perhaps only rivalled by his footballing insight.

Freddie will play the fifth test - no doubt.

[Bruno]

News breaking that Frederick is out of the 5th........discuss

Are we talking Frederick as in Flintoff? Skysports and the Metro both have him as declared fit?

Bruno doesn't know Tango - my guess is that he thinks "Freddie" is actually short for Frederick - which would encapsulate his startling absence of any insight or knowledge wrt cricket - perhaps only rivalled by his footballing insight.

Freddie will play the fifth test - no doubt.

Shouldn't you two be falling out about who is more pompous??

I misread a headline, what a bastard I am.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

News breaking that Frederick is out of the 5th........discuss

Are we talking Frederick as in Flintoff? Skysports and the Metro both have him as declared fit?

Bruno doesn't know Tango - my guess is that he thinks "Freddie" is actually short for Frederick - which would encapsulate his startling absence of any insight or knowledge wrt cricket - perhaps only rivalled by his footballing insight.

Freddie will play the fifth test - no doubt.

Shouldn't you two be falling out about Jesus at the moment?

I misread a headline, what a bastard I am.

And the point of that comment was?

Cretin

[thebish]

News breaking that Frederick is out of the 5th........discuss

Are we talking Frederick as in Flintoff? Skysports and the Metro both have him as declared fit?

Bruno doesn't know Tango - my guess is that he thinks "Freddie" is actually short for Frederick - which would encapsulate his startling absence of any insight or knowledge wrt cricket - perhaps only rivalled by his footballing insight.

Freddie will play the fifth test - no doubt.

Shouldn't you two be falling out about who is more pompous??

I misread a headline, what a bastard I am.

bit harsh Bruno - I's settle for "clueless numpty"

[Bruno]

We'll find the middle ground then, claiming no insight, just an interest in the national game.

[thebish]

We'll find the middle ground then, claiming no insight, just an interest in the national game.

that's better - see - you were being way to hard on yourself...

[bobby5]

Harmison is clearly disruptive

He intimidates Anderson

Probably more Andersons fault that Harmisons, but thats by the by

Anderson is the 'captain' of the bowlers and he loses all confidence when the big sulk is in the mix

As fert batting, Bell and Bopara....its not exactly daunting, is it

Crazy I know, but I'd go back to Ramprakash - at least he should be able to play without fear

Ramprakash's problem was that he couldn't play without fear for England. Chokes on the big occasion ( like Bopara I suppose).

But who can name 10 English batsmen who don't currently have contracts who are good enough to play at test level. Trott, Key, Ramprakash...who else?

Not exactly a production line is it.

[jimbo]

Harmison is clearly disruptive

He intimidates Anderson

Probably more Andersons fault that Harmisons, but thats by the by

Anderson is the 'captain' of the bowlers and he loses all confidence when the big sulk is in the mix

As fert batting, Bell and Bopara....its not exactly daunting, is it

Crazy I know, but I'd go back to Ramprakash - at least he should be able to play without fear

Ramprakash's problem was that he couldn't play without fear for England. Chokes on the big occasion ( like Bopara I suppose).

But who can name 10 English batsmen who don't currently have contracts who are good enough to play at test level. Trott, Key, Ramprakash...who else?

Not exactly a production line is it.

Joe Denly, Stephen Moore, Michael Carberry, and despite his patchy form this year, Paul Horton. They are all good players who could do a job.

[thebish]

Harmison is clearly disruptive

He intimidates Anderson

Probably more Andersons fault that Harmisons, but thats by the by

Anderson is the 'captain' of the bowlers and he loses all confidence when the big sulk is in the mix

As fert batting, Bell and Bopara....its not exactly daunting, is it

Crazy I know, but I'd go back to Ramprakash - at least he should be able to play without fear

Ramprakash's problem was that he couldn't play without fear for England. Chokes on the big occasion ( like Bopara I suppose).

But who can name 10 English batsmen who don't currently have contracts who are good enough to play at test level. Trott, Key, Ramprakash...who else?

Not exactly a production line is it.

Joe Denly, Stephen Moore, Michael Carberry, and despite his patchy form this year, Paul Horton. They are all good players who could do a job.

I'm with CAPS - there isn't a new batsman you could bring in now who would not suffer from the HUUUUUUUUGE expectation - saviour of England's batting hype - that would accompany his arrival. if it were Ramps (not discounting fact it is also his home ground) - then nobody will be building him up as the England number three for the future and he would have no pressure to seal or cement his place.... there would of course be SOME pressure on ramps - but nowhere near as much as there would be on a newbie..


I have a hunch though that they'll stick with Bopara - and he'll score a ton...

[jimbo]

Harmison is clearly disruptive

He intimidates Anderson

Probably more Andersons fault that Harmisons, but thats by the by

Anderson is the 'captain' of the bowlers and he loses all confidence when the big sulk is in the mix

As fert batting, Bell and Bopara....its not exactly daunting, is it

Crazy I know, but I'd go back to Ramprakash - at least he should be able to play without fear

Ramprakash's problem was that he couldn't play without fear for England. Chokes on the big occasion ( like Bopara I suppose).

But who can name 10 English batsmen who don't currently have contracts who are good enough to play at test level. Trott, Key, Ramprakash...who else?

Not exactly a production line is it.

Joe Denly, Stephen Moore, Michael Carberry, and despite his patchy form this year, Paul Horton. They are all good players who could do a job.

I'm with CAPS - there isn't a new batsman you could bring in now who would not suffer from the HUUUUUUUUGE expectation - saviour of England's batting hype - that would accompany his arrival. if it were Ramps (not discounting fact it is also his home ground) - then nobody will be building him up as the England number three for the future and he would have no pressure to seal or cement his place.... there would of course be SOME pressure on ramps - but nowhere near as much as there would be on a newbie..


I have a hunch though that they'll stick with Bopara - and he'll score a ton...

I'm not a fan of going back to Ramps. He's from the era of very very good players who never lived up to it for England - see Hick and Malcom. He wasn't mentally up for it then, and facing Australia's attack is a bit tougher than 2nd division county trundlers - ask Phil Hughes.

[thebish]

Harmison is clearly disruptive

He intimidates Anderson

Probably more Andersons fault that Harmisons, but thats by the by

Anderson is the 'captain' of the bowlers and he loses all confidence when the big sulk is in the mix

As fert batting, Bell and Bopara....its not exactly daunting, is it

Crazy I know, but I'd go back to Ramprakash - at least he should be able to play without fear

Ramprakash's problem was that he couldn't play without fear for England. Chokes on the big occasion ( like Bopara I suppose).

But who can name 10 English batsmen who don't currently have contracts who are good enough to play at test level. Trott, Key, Ramprakash...who else?

Not exactly a production line is it.

Joe Denly, Stephen Moore, Michael Carberry, and despite his patchy form this year, Paul Horton. They are all good players who could do a job.

I'm with CAPS - there isn't a new batsman you could bring in now who would not suffer from the HUUUUUUUUGE expectation - saviour of England's batting hype - that would accompany his arrival. if it were Ramps (not discounting fact it is also his home ground) - then nobody will be building him up as the England number three for the future and he would have no pressure to seal or cement his place.... there would of course be SOME pressure on ramps - but nowhere near as much as there would be on a newbie..


I have a hunch though that they'll stick with Bopara - and he'll score a ton...

I'm not a fan of going back to Ramps. He's from the era of very very good players who never lived up to it for England - see Hick and Malcom. He wasn't mentally up for it then, and facing Australia's attack is a bit tougher than 2nd division county trundlers - ask Phil Hughes.

personally I'd stick with what we've got - with the addition of freddie - hobbling or otherwise - but if we were to drop Bopara (can't Bopara also bowl?) - then a newbie would be under serious pressure and I'd be interested to see what ramps could do in those circumstances. Tis a finely balanced argument though...

what if we stuck Trott in? you might say it could be a career-making move - but a failure might also completely destroy him

you might then say - if you can't take the pressure - then better off out of it - you might also say - bugger the soft-pedal - if their good enough get them in now - and I could see both sides...

you might say - cometh the hour, cometh the man - but that could just as easily be Bopara as it could Key or Trott or any other fresh-faced newbie you might mention...

[TANGODANCER]

you might say - cometh the hour, cometh the man - but that could just as easily be Bopara as it could Key or Trott or any other fresh-faced newbie you might mention...

I'll go with that one. But for Monty P in the first test we might not even be in it. Then there are the tail end heroes in various situations, Anderson, Broad, Swann etc, as well as Collingwood in the second. Nowhere for anybody to hide in this one. Stick with what we have and hope fortune favours the brave.

[thebish]

Tango and Bish in total agreement shocker!!

[officer_dibble]

There#s innings owed from a few in this one

I reckon we might get one from Collingwood

As for Bopara, I'd 'rest' him...but as for who, well I'm not sure

Harmy out for Freddie and we have our bowling attack back though

[Tombwfc]

Bopara out, Trott in.

Correct decision methinks. Thoughts?

[TANGODANCER]

Bopara out, Trott in.

Correct decision methinks. Thoughts?

Bopara's already played in this series, not too well, I'll admit. How Trott will fare is a hopeful. If he's up to the occasion the decision might be a good one. Bet nobody's dashing to the bookies with large amounts on this one.

[TANGODANCER]

Ponting starts the mind games:

http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/0,1 ... 20,00.html