[Cricket] Second Ashes Test - England vs Australia - Lords

[Uncle Buck]

Root has done amazingly well at 5, but if our top 4 wasn't such a clusterf**k, he wouldn't have had the chance. At some point he's going to have to move up the order, and if we're talking about the end of Ian Bell's career then he's the next most senior in the middle order (amazingly). The other option I suppose is to bring in James Taylor, who might be able to make a decent fist of number 3 and has made 291 today - he's a better long-term bet in that position than Ballance for my money.

I agree on Ali. Rashid is worth a go - I wonder if he might come in if/when we're behind in the series and need to take a few more risks.

I think Rashid might suffer as well.

He was seemingly meant to play in this game, as they were not happy with the injury Ali has, but he injured his hand.

Defensive I know, but I would be inclined to look at a Tredwell style player in the short term, who can keep it at 3 an over in the first innings and maybe get 3 out in the second.

Rashid to me, deserves his chance in the UAE when we will have 2 spinners playing.

It is a shame Morgan has been poor in the 4 day stuff, as he might have been a solution at 3 in this series.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Alot has been made of the abject batting failure,however the bowling attack is looking threadbare. Anderson and Broad are finding tough going and we have no spin option as such or a medium pace trundler that ties an end down for long periods. Now as you look at Micheal Clarke,s options it so different.

 

[BensGrandad]

Could do worse than try to talk Marcus Trescothick into playing again as an opener with Cook oldies will remember the ECB getting Rev David Shepherd to make a comeback for a test.

 

[Driver8]

Could do worse than try to talk Marcus Trescothick into playing again as an opener with Cook oldies will remember the ECB getting Rev David Shepherd to make a comeback for a test.

Just the man for a high pressure series.

 

[BensGrandad]

He has ability to open for us and possibly worth taking a chance. What other options are there, worth trying?

 

[Uncle Buck]

He has ability to open for us and possibly worth taking a chance. What other options are there, worth trying?

Not sure he has done that much for Somerset this season.

Years maybe catching up with him.

 

[Gwylan]

The bowling was pretty insipid but I don't know who you can change - Broad has looked in good form with the ball, Wood has plenty about him to like - if the ball's not going to seam then I think Jimmy is a passenger, but nonethless I think he's more or less undroppable. I'm not sure there are viable options in the CC who are radically different from those three anyway - there's no out-and-out quick that I'm aware of, maybe Finn is the closest?

I'm not quite sure why everyone's talking about the batting and no-one mentions the bowling performance. With the exception of Broad in the first innings, this looked a very ordinary attack. I know people were saying that it was a flat track, but it didn't look flat when the Aussies were bowling on it. The England second innings was a collapse but Lyth, Ballance and Root all got out to decent balls. And yet all the talk is of the batting and the bowlers are left unscathed.

I'd like to think at least one other pace bowler is drafted into the squad for the next test, if only to stir things up a bit. Finn, Overton, Rushworth all worth a look. Woakes is now fit again and what happened to Footitt as an option? We could do with a left-armer.

Not sure he has done that much for Somerset this season.

It's a totally bonkers suggestion: he averages 33 on the flattest track in the country .. and is 40 in five months time - there must be at least 30 people ahead of him in any list.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Could do worse than try to talk Marcus Trescothick into playing again as an opener with Cook oldies will remember the ECB getting Rev David Shepherd to make a comeback for a test.

....and Washbrook and Cowdrey and Edrich and Close and Steele....who were all brought back in to tough it out. Not to give it away. To play properly. To know which balls to leave and which to play. To occupy the crease and frustrate the bowlers. Something our batsmen singularly fail to do.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

The England second innings was a collapse but Lyth, Ballance and Root all got out to decent balls. And yet all the talk is of the batting and the bowlers are left unscathed.

I agree our bowling is nothing special but too many of our top-order batsmen are getting caught behind or in the slips. They are simply playing at too much outside the off-stump. It is a skill knowing which balls to leave and which to play and a number of our players are pushing out at too much. Pundits and fans alike are giving too much credit to the bowlers, who are picking up cheap wickets.
I don't know whether the shorter versions of the game, which are played so much now, are causing this. Players, used to chasing everything wide, short or full, unable to readjust to the totally different demands of Test cricket. Where discretion is the name of the game and not trying to force the pace from the word go and therefore, taking risks.
I want to see our openers leaving a lot of deliveries. Frustrating the bowlers. Building an innings, properly.

 

[knocky1]

With seven clean bowled and 7 catches to Nevill Australia had the plan right. Bang in the corridor of uncertainty, at speed and full.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

What you say about the batters is the likely scenario, although the one player I would not move is Root, as he is doing well at 5 and a move might be counter productive.

.

He's been coming in around the 20 over mark though - effectively he's been playing the #4 role already.

 

[Bold Seagull]

He's been coming in around the 20 over mark though - effectively he's been playing the #4 role already.

That's a really good point. If we've been under 50 runs for 3 wickets in 8 of the last 14 innings, then a lot of Root's batting has effectively been at no.4 if not no.3 during his fine spell of form. Would be really interesting to equate his 50's and 100's with how old the ball was when he came in.

If we were generally 150-3 when Root was coming in, or above a 100 or so at least, then the transition to move him up the order might be a lot more significant.

 

[spring hall convert]

It is a shame Morgan has been poor in the 4 day stuff, as he might have been a solution at 3 in this series.

Even at his best Morgan is not a Test match 3. Suspect technique against quickies.

 

[Uncle Buck]

...

 

[Uncle Buck]

Even at his best Morgan is not a Test match 3. Suspect technique against quickies.

I do agree with Morgan at 3.

The point I was trying to make is, it is shame that he has not carried some of his one day form into the Championship, as it would have given England another option.

 

[El Presidente]

I do agree with Morgan at 3.

The point I was trying to make is, it is shame that he has not carried some of his one day form into the Championship, as it would have given England another option.

As much as I love watching Morgan play, he is the new Michael Bevan in many respects in the long form game.

 

[Uncle Buck]

As much as I love watching Morgan play, he is the new Michael Bevan in many respects in the long form game.

I agree he is a one day specialist.

The problem is the options for England are a bit limited at the moment.

Compton is not going to get picked, so then we are going back to Bairstow, who in Test Cricket has one good innings to his name. Taylor gets talked about, but England discarded him and he has not even toured since.

Hales, well his red ball average is not great this season, shame as there is something different with him.

After that, hmmmm. Billings and Vince seem to be one day players. Who else is pilling the runs on?

 

[El Presidente]

I agree he is a one day specialist.

The problem is the options for England are a bit limited at the moment.

Compton is not going to get picked, so then we are going back to Bairstow, who in Test Cricket has one good innings to his name. Taylor gets talked about, but England discarded him and he has not even toured since.

Hales, well his red ball average is not great this season, shame as there is something different with him.

After that, hmmmm. Billings and Vince seem to be one day players. Who else is pilling the runs on?

Luke Wright is currently 49 not out!

 

[Gwylan]

I
Hales, well his red ball average is not great this season, shame as there is something different with him.

He has an average of 43 - that's not too shabby (better than Hildreth and Compton and only just behind Taylor)

 

[Uncle Buck]

He has an average of 43 - that's not too shabby (better than Hildreth and Compton and only just behind Taylor)

OK.

I have a feeling his average since the ODI's is poor.