Day 1 of the best contest in sport.
Bring. It. On...
Bring. It. On...
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[Cricket] **** England v Australia, 1st Specsavers Ashes Test, Edgbaston. Official match thread ****
- Thread starter hans kraay fan club
- Start date
Mackenzie
Old Brightonian
Such a low key build up to this in the media, I know we’ve had the 50 over World Cup, but surely THIS is the big one?
Anyway I’m excited. Please bat properly England.
Anyway I’m excited. Please bat properly England.
Geestar
New member
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
Worried here to be honest. Strange England have been so candid with the press. Denly announcing Root would be batting at 3 just strikes me as odd. Just walk out at 3, why give the opposition more information than you need to?
Leaving Archer out is also a big decision. He reminds me of KP in 2005 who hadn't played a test but impressed in ODIs. Need that spark of the unknown sometimes.
Stokes gets a place as a batsmen even if he wasn't bowling, so you could drop Denly, move everyone up the order and have a 4 man pace attack with Stokes as a 5th seamer. Think this team demonstrates how worried we are about our top order. Roy - Burns - Root - Bairstow - Stokes - Buttler - Moeen - Woakes - Archer - Broad - Jimmy would have been my XI.
Leaving Archer out is also a big decision. He reminds me of KP in 2005 who hadn't played a test but impressed in ODIs. Need that spark of the unknown sometimes.
Stokes gets a place as a batsmen even if he wasn't bowling, so you could drop Denly, move everyone up the order and have a 4 man pace attack with Stokes as a 5th seamer. Think this team demonstrates how worried we are about our top order. Roy - Burns - Root - Bairstow - Stokes - Buttler - Moeen - Woakes - Archer - Broad - Jimmy would have been my XI.
Rodney Thomas
Well-known member
That just seems like a very, very long lower middle order though.
Not that there is anyone else to pick as a proper batsman. Honestly I'd have gone for someone similar to Luke Wells. That might sound rediculous but just choose someone with a decent technique who knows how to bat properly in first class cricket. He doesn't have to be a world beater, just make sure he has the right head on him and sound technique. The recalling of Mike Brearley would be a similar decision.
pasty
A different kind of pasty
Can't wait. Taken the day off today. Couldn't keep up the pretence of "WFH" when everyone in the office would know full well I'd be glued to the cricket 
Warne is an utter MESS. 
- Thread starter
- #8
The Essex opener Nick Browne, who averages over 40 in FC cricket.
OzMike
Well-known member
Going to miss the first half an hour.........................then the last 3 or 4 hours of every days play 
Rodney Thomas
Well-known member
I'm not that up with my County Championship knowledge but having read this from ESPN:
Nick Browne, a tall, watchful left-hander with the ability to grow into an innings
He seems like the perfect choice!
Wells wouldn't score against the Dog and Duck Seconds right now - he's horribly out of form,
Sam Northeast has been knocking on England's door for some time and is having a good season. Personally, I've always been staggered that James Hildreth has never played internationally; he scores runs every year. I know he bats on the Taunton road but he looks class - he's probably too old now
Let's smash these twats.
Calling [MENTION=451]BensGrandad[/MENTION]
The Wizard
Well-known member
- Jul 2, 2009
- 18,383
Prediction: England win the toss and bat, 100/6 by lunch.
Is the correct answer. Anyway, it's a moot point. Let's ****ing smash the cheating convict ********! [emoji23]
The Wizard
Well-known member
- Jul 2, 2009
- 18,383
Thing is Burns averages big in county cricket, but looks absolute pony in test match cricket. So many players who score hundreds upon hundreds come into the England top order and fail.
10.14am A close-up on the pitch ... not quite so much grass as there had been four days ago. down from 8mm to 6mm... some tufty bits here and there.
It's straw-coloured, and it ought to provide a fair contest between bat and those lovely bespoke cherry-red Dukes balls.
It's straw-coloured, and it ought to provide a fair contest between bat and those lovely bespoke cherry-red Dukes balls.
Rodney Thomas
Well-known member
I did say 'similar to Wells'
(I grew up playing with Wells so I'd love to see him push on, the last few years have been difficult for him)James Hildreth is exactly the type of person I mean. He scores runs all around the country on the CC circuit and knows how to build a proper innings. His technique also seems sound in English conditions. Burns doesn't have the technique and Denly doesn't have the runs/grit/determination.
Root is a useless tosser. Australia bat.