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

[Papa Lazarou]

Luke Wright is currently 49 not out!

you had to mention it!

 

[El Presidente]

you had to mention it!

Oops

 

[Bold Seagull]

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?

Don't always agree with Boycott, but he made a really good point that picking a test player isn't always about their average in the first class game. It's about seeing whether they is a certain something about them, whether their temperament is right, they've got that determination to succeed, that ability to step up. You want them scoring runs, but averages can be misleading.

The very fact you've said 'shame as there is something different with him' - is a reason to consider him above purely deciding on his average score. We've tried every opener with the highest averages in Country Cricket!

 

[Uncle Buck]

Don't always agree with Boycott, but he made a really good point that picking a test player isn't always about their average in the first class game. It's about seeing whether they is a certain something about them, whether their temperament is right, they've got that determination to succeed, that ability to step up. You want them scoring runs, but averages can be misleading.

The very fact you've said 'shame as there is something different with him' - is a reason to consider him above purely deciding on his average score. We've tried every opener with the highest averages in Country Cricket!

Which is what Fletcher did with Vaughan, Strauss and Trescothick.

 

[spring hall convert]

With the exception of Broad in the first innings, this looked a very ordinary attack.

Bingo!

Father time has caught up with Anderson's ability to be influential in back to back test matches, Wood will be a decent performer but is finding his way, Ali is a wonderful all round cricketer but he needs far more time to be considered a frontline test match bowler, Stokes is in a place where he doesn't appear to know what type of bowler he wants to be.

The worrying thing is we haven't got much else - Finn had the danger coached out of him, Jordan's not good enough, Rankin didn't impress, Woakes would only ever be a 4th seamer. After that you're into the uncapped which is far from ideal.

As for the spinner it's not like Ali or Rashid are kids (they are 27/28 respectively) they need to be established and performing now - not in 4 years time. We really should have had a look at Rashid in the Windies because I don't really think it's particularly fair to chuck an untested leg spinner into the middle of an Ashes series.

However, I would replace Ballance as his deficiencies appear to be technical rather than mental, move Bell up to 3 (last chance saloon) and Root to 4. I'd probably go with Bairstow but Taylor has made a timely monster knock. Those writing Lyth off might be being a little hasty, I'd give him some time to work it out.

One good thing - Bayliss has been exposed to the soft underbelly of this team. I'm sure he was taking notes on Sunday night which will have a large bearing on future selection.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Bingo!

Father time has caught up with Anderson's ability to be influential in back to back test matches, Wood will be a decent performer but is finding his way, Ali is a wonderful all round cricketer but he needs far more time to be considered a frontline test match bowler, Stokes is in a place where he doesn't appear to know what type of bowler he wants to be.

The worrying thing is we haven't got much else - Finn had the danger coached out of him, Jordan's not good enough, Rankin didn't impress, Woakes would only ever be a 4th seamer. After that you're into the uncapped which is far from ideal.

As for the spinner it's not like Ali or Rashid are kids (they are 27/28 respectively) they need to be established and performing now - not in 4 years time. We really should have had a look at Rashid in the Windies because I don't really think it's particularly fair to chuck an untested leg spinner into the middle of an Ashes series.

However, I would replace Ballance as his deficiencies appear to be technical rather than mental, move Bell up to 3 (last chance saloon) and Root to 4. I'd probably go with Bairstow but Taylor has made a timely monster knock. Those writing Lyth off might be being a little hasty, I'd give him some time to work it out.

One good thing - Bayliss has been exposed to the soft underbelly of this team. I'm sure he was taking notes on Sunday night which will have a large bearing on future selection.

Finn seems to be finding his way back and now Saker has gone from the England set up, there is a chance he may not have his action messed around with.

James Harris is worth a mention, again the England Academy messed around with his action, but he seems to have gone back to what is good for him this season.

Jamie Overton long term.

I suspect there was a hope that Mills would have performed this season, but the fact he has an iffy spine, means he is unlikely to play proper cricket again.

 

[BensGrandad]

....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.

Perhaps now is the time to follow that route I remember Close coming from his reclled test innings black and blue through bruising but still stayed at the crease. Perhaps one such old hand could add stability to the middle order to stop the usual collapse. Problem is I am not up on cricket enough to name such a current person now. I am sure one of the experts will know of someone who fits the bill after they have told me how stupid I am with this idea.

 

[Perry Milkins]

Roger Marshall

He would not give his wicket up against some hostile bowling from Mike Proctor.