BensGrandad
New member
What is the latest, if any news on Ben Stokes. I would have expected the police to have made a decision by now as to whether it is worth pursuing further.
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
England squad for Ashes tour announced...
- Thread starter Titanic
- Start date
Ball has sprained his ankle now. This is going well........
http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/10883/report/1124863/day/2/
http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/10883/report/1124863/day/2/
Postman Pat
Well-known member
Australia collapsing in the 2nd innings. 30-7 at the moment. Woakes has taken 4-12.
Cricket Australia XI collapsing, more accurately. Literally none of the players in that CA XI squad are even close to being involved in an actual Australia squad any time soon. Majority of the CA XI squad are players whose only real experience is playing for their respective U23 or younger state sides in a handful of matches each.
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
..but I think we'll take it right now
- Apr 5, 2014
- 23,587
Pretty much this. Tim Paine was reserve keeper for the 2009 Ashes tour and, I think, Sandhu has appeared one dayers.
Those are the only names I recognised in the CA XI squad. Sandhu played a couple of ODIs for Australia , but appears to have fallen out of favour even at state level in the last couple of years - relegated to the U23 team at the end of last season, and hasn't featured in any of the Shield games so far this season (but has played a few one dayers for NSW).
Paine has played a handful of tests (last in 2010; all due to injury to Hadden) and was, from memory, picked for a few test series as the back-up 'keeper prior to that. He had a good run in ODI's (last played in 2011), and has actually played for Aus in recent T20 games vs India. His career stalled in 2011 after he injured a finger quite badly and Wade became the new #2 (and eventually sharing #1 / #2 status with Nevill). So I'll revise my statement here: Paine could, possibly, make his way back into an Australian test side in the future. But having said that, he's getting on a bit now and hasn't played any Shield games yet this season so he may now be a bit of a T20 specialist.
Every other player in that team is either still in "under XX" squads, or a journeyman who's picked up the odd Shield game here and there.
You're welcome to it
. It's a bit like having a drag race between a Ferrari and a Lada, though!Seagull over NZ
Well-known member
Its quite interesting though. The Aussies historically have put out very strong sides in the warm up games to ensure the Poms have a tough time. Doesn't appear to be the case this year though. There was a real need for the Aussie test team to have 2-3 Shield games under their belt prior to the test matches. That probably means 1-2 Aussie bowlers will get injured! But does it also suggest that they are not sure of 1-2 places in their batting line up and want to see who is on form? Might be clutching at straws here but I don't think they are completely convinced about 1 or 2 batting spots. Sound familiar??
Certainly Starc has just got two hatricks in 2 days albeit against lower order batsman. The other NSW bowlers Hazlewood and Cummins also performed well.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-08/steve-smith-lauds-form-of-australian-test-quicks/9128694
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-08/steve-smith-lauds-form-of-australian-test-quicks/9128694
Bowling wise, as long as they're all fit, this is locked in:
Starc
Hazlewood
Cummins
Lyon
Batting wise, we have places up for grabs but I expect these to be the top 5 for Brisbane:
Warner
Renshaw (although he's struggling for Shield runs so outside chance he may lose his place to Burns)
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
The big questions are over 6 and 7 in the batting order. One of them will be the 'keeper, which is most likely to be either Wade or Nevill ... but there's an outside chance of a youngster, Bancroft from WA, sneaking ahead of them. That leaves the 6, which could really go to anyone. Maxwell is in with a shout due to a good start to the Shield season. It does look like they'll go with either a specialist bat or a batting all-rounder rather than a genuine all-rounder - M Marsh, Cartwright, etc aren't impressing enough in the early Shield games. Selectors might spring a surprise - there's Daniel Hughes, who displaced Cowan from the NSW side specifically because Smith wanted to see him play (but hasn't made big runs). Then there's Jake Lehmann who's made runs in the most recent Shield game, and can bowl a bit if needed.
I think this is the team I'd like to see for the first game, and in [brackets] what I think the selectors will do:
Warner
Burns [Renshaw]
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
Lehmann [Maxwell]
Bancroft [Wade]
Starc
Hazlewood
Cummins
Lyon
The Large One
Who's Next?
George Garton of er... Sussex gets the call up in place of Jake Ball.
http://www.sussexcricket.co.uk/news-1/news-george-garton-joins-england-squad-in-australia
http://www.sussexcricket.co.uk/news-1/news-george-garton-joins-england-squad-in-australia
- Apr 5, 2014
- 23,587
Is it April 1st ..... ?
He's bloody quick, but seriously, he could end up playing at Brisbane without even having a foot in county cricket yet.
Brighton lad.
He's not in the test squad though, it's just for the one game.
Makes you wonder about Matt Hobden though - he'd probably be there by now
- Apr 5, 2014
- 23,587
He's not in the test squad though, it's just for the one game.
Makes you wonder about Matt Hobden though - he'd probably be there by now
What if Ball doesn't return though ?
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
they'll call up Plunkett who's in Bangladesh now.
Wood is also on the Lions tour and if he proves his fitness could be called up.
and Curran and Overton are in the squad already of course
Moshe Gariani
Well-known member
- Mar 10, 2005
- 12,091
Excellent news. Lovely lad and great experience for him. #OneOfOurOwn
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
Final round of pre-Ashes selection Shield games underway in Australia. While the bowling line up is locked in, there's at least 1, possibly two, maaaaybe 3 (if Renshaw gets the treatment), other spots still up for grabs.
Of the contenders:
WA vs SA
Bancroft - currently on 161* in the WA 1st innings (of a first day total 381/5 with play not yet complete).
M Marsh - might have timed it perfectly? Made a rapid 95 in that same WA innings.
Lehmann - not yet batted due to the massive WA innings.
Tas vs Vic
Bailey - outsider IMO, but made a good 106 (out of 172 for Tasmania) on a day dominated by the bowlers.
Wade - failed (same Tasmania innings)
Paine - failed (same Tasmania innings)
Maxwell - failed (Vic innings)
(Handscomb - also failed but I expect he's already locked in)
QLD vs NSW
Renshaw - failed
Burns - failed
Khawaja - 78* in a completed innings of 183 (only mentioned because I think this seals what was already a 95% chance)
All of which suggests to me, knowing our selectors, the Aussies are going to go into the first test with at least 1, possibly 2, of the top 7 in the batting line up being well off the boil (Renshaw and Wade retaining their places). On latest results from today, though, I'd love it if they sprung a surprise and went for this:
Warner
Bancroft (WK)
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
Lehmann
Maxwell
Starc
Hazlewood
Cummins
Lyon
Of the contenders:
WA vs SA
Bancroft - currently on 161* in the WA 1st innings (of a first day total 381/5 with play not yet complete).
M Marsh - might have timed it perfectly? Made a rapid 95 in that same WA innings.
Lehmann - not yet batted due to the massive WA innings.
Tas vs Vic
Bailey - outsider IMO, but made a good 106 (out of 172 for Tasmania) on a day dominated by the bowlers.
Wade - failed (same Tasmania innings)
Paine - failed (same Tasmania innings)
Maxwell - failed (Vic innings)
(Handscomb - also failed but I expect he's already locked in)
QLD vs NSW
Renshaw - failed
Burns - failed
Khawaja - 78* in a completed innings of 183 (only mentioned because I think this seals what was already a 95% chance)
All of which suggests to me, knowing our selectors, the Aussies are going to go into the first test with at least 1, possibly 2, of the top 7 in the batting line up being well off the boil (Renshaw and Wade retaining their places). On latest results from today, though, I'd love it if they sprung a surprise and went for this:
Warner
Bancroft (WK)
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
Lehmann
Maxwell
Starc
Hazlewood
Cummins
Lyon
Papa Lazarou
Living in a De Zerbi wonderland
That's a strong line up <gulp>
Good news for England is that I very much doubt the Aussie selectors will go for it. They're too conservative, unless they have a string of bad results to jolt them out of it (as happened when Renshaw and Handscomb came in).
They'll keep Renshaw up top (or maybe Burns), they'll have either Wade or Nevill as 'keeper, and I suspect they'll pick Maxwell at 6 despite the fact he's not a 6 at international level (he'd make a great 7 in my line up, I reckon, but 6 is not his role).