1st Test v Austrailia

[Marshy]

Who would you pick for the opening Test ?

I would go with providing they are fit.

Tresco
Strauss
Vaughan (cpt)
Bell
Thorpe
Peiterson
Flintoff
Jones (wkt)
Hoggard
Jones
Harmison

I think Giles isnt required at Lords, its a seamers wicket.

 

[Parson Henry]

Who would you pick for the opening Test ?

I would go with providing they are fit.

Tresco
Strauss
Vaughan (cpt)
Bell
Thorpe
Peiterson
Flintoff
Jones (wkt)
Hoggard
Jones
Harmison

I think Giles isnt required at Lords, its a seamers wicket.

I would pick Matty in place of Jones.

 

[Gwylan]

Who would you pick for the opening Test ?

I would go with providing they are fit.

Tresco
Strauss
Vaughan (cpt)
Bell
Thorpe
Peiterson
Flintoff
Jones (wkt)
Hoggard
Jones
Harmison

I think Giles isnt required at Lords, its a seamers wicket.

Only four bowlers, all four of whom have had injury problems? That sounds really risky to me. I think they'll replace Pietersen with Giles to play a more balanced team. If England think they have to play eight batsmen, then they're already thinking defensively.

I'm sure Pietersen will feature at some point in this series though.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Hell of a lot of work for 4 bowlers and then you are relying on Vaughan and Pieterson to bowl a bit of spin.

I still would not pick Pieterson for the Test side, he is still playing across his stumps and in all but 2 of these one day games the Aussies have worked this out.

His time will come, but if Thorpe stays fit, hopefully not until the tour of Pakistan at the end of the year.

 

[Simster]

No question that Thorpe must play. They should be aiming for a good solid draw in this one. I also agree that Giles should play to offer some balance to the bowling attack. His batting isn't all that bad either.

No room for Pieterson yet and it's too early to blood Prior - I'm happy for Jones to keep wicket.

Tresco
Strauss
Vaughan (cpt)
Bell
Thorpe
Giles
Flintoff
Jones (wkt)
Hoggard
Jones
Harmison

 

[Stumpy Tim]

I agree with Sim for now:

Tresco
Strauss
Vaughan (cpt)
Bell
Thorpe
Giles
Flintoff
Jones (wkt)
Hoggard
Jones
Harmison

However, I am keen to see Tremlett given a chance. He looks very useful, and I think will be the next Harmison

 

[Uncle Buck]

No question that Thorpe must play. They should be aiming for a good solid draw in this one. I also agree that Giles should play to offer some balance to the bowling attack. His batting isn't all that bad either.

No room for Pieterson yet and it's too early to blood Prior - I'm happy for Jones to keep wicket.

Tresco
Strauss
Vaughan (cpt)
Bell
Thorpe
Giles
Flintoff
Jones (wkt)
Hoggard
Jones
Harmison

This whole Prior argument is weird, his keeping and batting are no better than Jones, so I do not see why people think he should replace Jones.

What England need is to find another genuine all rounder and then we could actually play our best keeper which is Read.

 

[Simster]

This whole Prior argument is weird, his keeping and batting are no better than Jones, so I do not see why people think he should replace Jones.

What England need is to find another genuine all rounder and then we could actually play our best keeper which is Read.

Plus, wasn't Ambrose keeping him out of the Sussex side purely on keeping ability alone not so long ago?

 

[Parson Henry]

This whole Prior argument is weird, his keeping and batting are no better than Jones, so I do not see why people think he should replace Jones.

What England need is to find another genuine all rounder and then we could actually play our best keeper which is Read.

Has bias to our home county no role to play then?

 

[CHAPPERS]

Tresco
Strauss
Bell
Thorpe
Vaughan
Flintoff
G. Jones
Giles
S.Jones
Hoggard
Harmison

 

[Uncle Buck]

Has bias to our home county no role to play then?

But I would rather Sussex players did not play for England in the summer as it weakens Sussex.

Simster, you are correct, Ambrose kept wicket the season we won the Championship and scored about 1000 runs. Prior was in the side purely as a batsman.

 

[Parson Henry]

But I would rather Sussex players did not play for England in the summer as it weakens Sussex.

Simster, you are correct, Ambrose kept wicket the season we won the Championship and scored about 1000 runs. Prior was in the side purely as a batsman.

Good point Buckie!!

 

[Marshy]

Will Aus go with more than 4 bowlers ?
I know one will be Warne which does tie up one end for long periods to rest the seamers, but i think just the 4 seamers will be fine.

 

[Seagull over NZ]

No way will they drop Giles. The weather has been good lately, the wicket will be quite dry at Lords although England should adopt some bias by getting the pitch to favour our team, ie a bit of green in it.

You only have to look at what Gilchrist and Ponting have done on flat wickets at Lords and Oval when the sun's out to know what they prefer.

I reckon they will go with Piterson instead of Thorpe. You have to take 5 bowlers in against the Aussies.

Something that does concern me is how much Warne keeps going on about playing Pieterson - now he isn't saying this for the good of English cricket. He would much rather bowl at Pioeterson than Thorpe simple fact of the matter.

I personally would still go with Thorpe.

 

[Marshy]

Giles will be a total waste of time on the wicket, if we are going to play 5 bowlers i would rather it was 5 seamers.

 

[Pavilionaire]

A big factor is the late start to this series.

With the 1st Test starting late July and the series not being over until well into September I think it is very likely the latter tests will be rain-affected and therefore more likely to be drawn.

Therefore, England must go out and attack from the word go, with the aim of being at least 1 up going into the 4th Test.

I would class a draw in the 1st Test as being a disappointment and would not take it if it was offered. After all, a drawn series means the Aussies retain the Ashes.

I would therefore go for Thorpe and Pietersen on the basis that Thorpe has form and experience, Pietersen is explosive and can win a match almost single-handed.

This is hard on Bell, but he is still unproven vs the Aussies and they certainly won't be fearing him.

 

[Uncle Buck]

A big factor is the late start to this series.

With the 1st Test starting late July and the series not being over until well into September I think it is very likely the latter tests will be rain-affected and therefore more likely to be drawn.

Therefore, England must go out and attack from the word go, with the aim of being at least 1 up going into the 4th Test.

I would class a draw in the 1st Test as being a disappointment and would not take it if it was offered. After all, a drawn series means the Aussies retain the Ashes.

I would therefore go for Thorpe and Pietersen on the basis that Thorpe has form and experience, Pietersen is explosive and can win a match almost single-handed.

This is hard on Bell, but he is still unproven vs the Aussies and they certainly won't be fearing him.

Bearing in mind in each of Bell's test innings he has got 50 plus, he is a certainty for the first test. The one thing the selectors have been pretty good about is the consitant selection in the last couple of years. Other than their uncertainty over Jones or Anderson there has not been much change except when a player gets injured.

If you leave Thorpe out, you lose your best player at holding an end up and being able to keep the scoreboard ticking over. We have a lot of potentially explosive batsman at present, but it is useful to have the odd grafter in there who can stick around, just to give some balance.

 

[Seagull over NZ]

Giles will be a total waste of time on the wicket, if we are going to play 5 bowlers i would rather it was 5 seamers.

Why do you say that?? He got 38 wickets in 12 tests last year - more than useful.

 

[Seagull over NZ]

Also, you have Tresco, Strauss and Thorpe in the side, 3 left handers in the top 6 to nullify part of Warne's effect. Much better against right-handed batsmen.

I go back to the fact that Warne is pushing for Pieterson's inclusion and therefore he would prefer to bowl at him than Thorpe.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I think the team picks itself, apart from the Bell / Pietersen / Thorpe any 2 of 3 issue . I think Giles will play because he gives variety and can bat a bit.

The batsmen to omit is the one the Aussies would most like to bowl at. Typically, they relish getting under the skin of a player like Bell who is relatively new to the big stage. This is a potential weakness for us.

With Thorpe and Pietersen you don't have that potential weakness, as they both thrive on the big stage. Don't forget, Strauss will also be nervous, Trescothick's track record vs McGrath is crap and I can't see Bell picking up the pieces if they both get out cheaply.