Cricket

[Mildredblues]

Ali failed. Ali at 6 when he's so hit and miss, and nowadays sadly most often a miss

Eh? Ali scored a crucial 2 runs. Coincidently England won by the same margin!!

 

[Mildredblues]

Ben Stokes' absence is always likely to unbalance a team, there's always a choice but any one player can't adequately replace what he brings to the party. As in the tests, England have chosen to go a batsman light but missing such a talisman doesn't so much leave a hole as a chasm which can't be closed no matter how you try.

I always thought that since Stokes is so important to the side and a bit prone to injury, he should only be preserved for the tests and the LOI tournaments like the WC (T20 and ODI).
Or will that be unstable for the limited overs teams with Stokes missing out so often?

 

[Chris O'Connor]

I always thought that since Stokes is so important to the side and a bit prone to injury, he should only be preserved for the tests and the LOI tournaments like the WC (T20 and ODI).
Or will that be unstable for the limited overs teams with Stokes missing out so often?

No he'll play when available as you can't just pick him for finals, the whole team needs to know what their individual roles are within it and playing together for a substantial period before finals is the only real way to do it.

There is a squad of players though and workloads for those who play all three formats will have to be carefully managed. Injuries can also strike as we saw with Jason Roy in the World Cup. Roy's absence on its own was nearly fatal as we were on the verge of being eliminated by the time of his timely return, Calamity Vince being totally inadequate as a replacement.

Here unfortunately we're missing both Jason and Ben which means Bairstow who has only come off twice in six innings, opening with the bang in form Jos Buttler.

 

[Dannymini]

Butler
Roy
Bairstow
Malan
Morgan
Stokes
Ali
Jordan
Rashid
Wood
Archer

I think that may be the team at full strength, hopefully Ali finds form. Maybe Root and Banton pushing for Malans spot.

 

[Minimeister]

Can't wait for todays game. Have to imagine the Aussies will be smarting after Friday and will have worn some of the rust off so England will have to be at their best. Two great teams going head to head.

 

[summerisle]

Lancashire win the toss and will bat.

 

[summerisle]

Jennings continuing his fine championship form, out for a duck. Lancashire 9-2.

 

[summerisle]

Lancashire 46-2, Jones 22, Bohannon 23.

 

[summerisle]

Lunch, Lancashire 79-3.

 

[Chris O'Connor]

Aus chose to bat

 

[roydo]

Oooh. On BBC 1!!

 

[Walken]

Good toss to win apparently as the pitch is expected to be tougher to score on as it goes on

 

[ToffeeTim]

Warner out for a duck and wasted a review

Cheerio Davy

 

[Walken]

incredibley good first over from archer, awful fielding from ali

 

[Walken]

The gun bowlers are definately back