summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Broad a doubt for Thursday with a calf muscle 'tweak'.
Cricket
- Thread starter summerisle
- Start date
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
I reckon he's a doubt to start even if fully fit tbh - looks as if they're thinking of including some real pace with their quickest bowler of recent years, Mark Wood and Broad the obvious one to make way.
BigMick
Player Valuation: £20m
Could be a diplomatic way of leaving him out of what would be his 150th appearance. Anderson now also a doubt, with Saqib Mahmood called up into the squad.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Yeah already without Stokes, Woakes, Archer, Broad and now possibly Anderson too, it looks as though England will be fielding a second, or even third string bowling attack to go alongside their heavily weakened batting lineup.
Although some if not all changes enforced it will suit perfectly their recent strategy of fielding their weakest lineups against the better sides and stronger ones against the weaker opponents.
They do really seem to have overcomplicated a lot of simple things to me over this calendar year. It seems a long time ago they won the 1st test in India.
Pope for Lawrence and Hameeb for Sibley seems the obvious pick. Personally I'd have stuck with Lawrence for a bit longer, and I'm not wholly convinced with Hameeb but I suppose he's another one to give a try to. Pope probably quite fortunate too, but there is talent there and he is very much the best of the rest currently.
In terms of the bowling, especially in these conditions they are massive losses. I'd throw Ollie Stone in there too who had always looked useful to me. Robinson looks a really good find though and looks a good test player who will do well in Australia and a competent bat. Wood deserves another chance. Hopefully Anderson pulls through, if not Overton V Curran doesn't look so clever. I suppose all you can say, is you are opening the door for players to push themselves into the Ashes thinking.
I'd probably go with Alli at 8, Curran at 9 with Wood and Robinson. It's a very long batting line up. It won't be easy, but England have just got to bat better. You have to treat Anderson and Broad with care (and if he's got a muscle pull we may not see Broad before the Ashes).
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Interesting reply to mine from bluerinse on TEF...news on Broad not good......quoting bluerinse below
I've heard it said a few times, 'if India can't beat England in England this time, they might as well not bother' and it just rings truer by the day.
If there's no Anderson, on top of already losing Broad Archer and Woakes, then we're probably going to be looking at a seam attack of Robinson, Wood, Overton/Mahmood, Sam Curran (and Wood isn't even a guarantee, as he's on the comeback trail himself).
I've been really impressed with Robinson, he's looked boss, but in just his third test he looks like having to essentially lead the attack. It's a big ask.
Edit - Cba to do a new post, but Broad has torn his calf and is out of the series.
I probably agree with all of the above. In fairness to India rain probably worked against them a bit in that last test match, but it is a great opportunity.
I think people really underrate Woakes and Ali actually. Their records, particularly in England are outstanding. I think I gave Alli's stats a while back, but Woakes is 35/22 in England. They are incredible numbers. While people do generally perform better at home, their numbers are massively skewed. For comparison, Flintoff is 35/36 at home, Stokes is 39/32 (while Curran is 32.5/26). The issue is really, for Woakes and Curran (and to a degree Ali) do you only play people in home Test Matches?
I mean of the names you've mentioned above, if Alli plays, you probably can get away with 5 bowlers, especially the 5 they are looking at (working to the premise Anderson is injured too) as you would have Wood, Overton and Robinson as the most likely 3 to fill in, who are all pretty decent number 9's (and at least 2 will bat lower than that). That may be the way to go for Englan, with Buttler pushed up one who bats better at 6 anyway.
It's tough though, as I'm generally a believer in giving young players time. Lawrence did v well in an A tour to Australia (as did Bracey strangely who looked all at sea recently) and him, Pope and Crawley just need to be given time. I don't think there's much better out there.
As for Broad, if he has torn something that will not be good. He is 35 now I believe, and I always think as a sportsman you are ok, until injuries and tears kick in. They take linger to repair than when you're in your early/mid 20's. If you look at Anderson in 2019, he must have missed 6-9 months with something innocuous.
So I'll certainly be looking forward to the test. It's a tough match, but there's still plenty of quality in the bowling department, and with the two allrounders England can have 5 bowlers which feels a more natural fit. They still bat deep and have good variety. For Mahmood, Overton and Wood there is a real chance to push themselves towards the Ashes tour. For all the good I've said of Woakes, he just hasn't performed away from home.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Can't disagree with any of that tbh, pretty much echoes my thoughts although I've had enough of the rotating door of young county prospects who might do something in a few decades time tbh.
England throw away hard won experience at their peril as we saw in India when youthful nonentities converted a good team into rubbish overnight. Ali like Jonny Bairstow has that experience behind him and I too would be in favour of playing him over someone like Leach who although a better containing bowler is without any great pretentions as a batsman, aside from his brilliant 1* against Australia - I don't count anything against Ireland.
England's massive, massive weakest link is their batting so if they can bat very long indeed then the sum total might add up to something - they haven't got batsmen they can rely on other than Root and so shouldn't just rely on a top six.
On the 1st point, what is the alternative though mate? I don't think you can go beyond picking the best younger players, giving them a reasonable time frame, then making a call.
They handled the India tour awfully and Jonny Bairstow awfully. I said it at the time and stand behind it. He is in England top 5 most talented players. He's flawed but I tend to look at what he can do. I'd like to see him play more aggressively and take the game to bowlers more.
Yes the batting is poor. I also think England is a hard place to bat now with DRS and swing, but no it's not been good enough. Rory Burns probably justifies his place, yet even 5 years ago lads with similar records were just shunted off (Lyth, Robson, Compton) as we have recent memories of Cook, Strauss and Trescothick. I don't think England have got many options other than to be patient, and accept they are having to stay patient with at times some quite limited players. Stokes is the 2nd best Batsman and he is a passive miss. Woakes is a massive miss down the order (as stated averaging over 35 in England with the bat).
It makes sense to me to go Alli and Curran 7/8. With Robinson at 9 behind them and potentially Wood and Overton finishing out, at least the batting order is longer. I'd probably advocate most of the team play more positively. None of their strengths are their defensive games, and I think we have to try and impose our game on opponents more.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
So something like
Burns
Hameed or Sibley
Crawley or Sibley
Root
Bairstow
Buttler
Ali
Curran
Robinson
Overton
Wood
Not in definite batting order?
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Rain at Lords atm meaning the prospect of another test were the weather wins is looking more than possible.
Jimmy Anderson looks set to start so that looks like Mahmood,/Overton won't. The pundits reckon pick your seamers and forget spin so an all seam attack possible - Robinson, Anderson, Curran and Wood - Moeen if playing will principally be a batsman who likely won't bowl much..(Pope released back to his county and won't figure here)
Win the toss and bowl first looks obvious atm but the toss delayed and conditions could change
Jimmy Anderson looks set to start so that looks like Mahmood,/Overton won't. The pundits reckon pick your seamers and forget spin so an all seam attack possible - Robinson, Anderson, Curran and Wood - Moeen if playing will principally be a batsman who likely won't bowl much..(Pope released back to his county and won't figure here)
Win the toss and bowl first looks obvious atm but the toss delayed and conditions could change
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Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Mistake please delete
Forecast looks ok over the weekend. Should be able to make up any time lost today.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
The forecast was ok for today tbf but that was absolute b*****ks
Toss in a few moments if rain stays off, hostage to fortune but I reckon both sides will want to bowl first.
England won the toss and bowl first, Kohli said they would have bowled first too.
England side as predicted above
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