littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Well that was over rather quickly. Sun came out as soon as last wicket fell. Didn't even have time to finish our wine!
The Ashes 2019
- Thread starter Monkeygrinder's Organ
- Start date
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
Are you in SJW?
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
9.9How cross are you on a scale of 1-10? 10 being on the brink of murdering someone?
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
In lords still! Thinking of going to a pub.
Root reckoned the pitch was not of test standard. Combine that with the extremely bowler friendly conditions and a couple of world class swing / seam bowlers and Ireland were always going up against it.
Its interesting whether that pitch was just chance, a hangover from the world cup or a hint at the pitches we're going to see in the ashes. I wouldn't be surprised if England had asked for very English conditions from the groundsmen. If this is the case I'm not sure I'd be confident if I'd brought tickets for day 4 of any test.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Woakes bowled very well. Broad less so. Bit variable tbh. But there weren't demons in that pitch. Root is trying to gloss over his team's (and his own) terrible batting.
Ireland were terrible with the bat today as well mind.
Ireland were terrible with the bat today as well mind.
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
I guess 8 of that England XI will play the first Ashes Test with Stokes Buttler and Anderson returning in place of Curran, Stone and one of the spinners. I wouldn't bet on a couple of others lasting beyond the second or third Test unless they deliver something substantial but I doubt the selectors will be too adventurous just yet.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Trolling from tv to give leach mom. Woakes should have got it. Disrespectful to Ireland.
If Jofra isn’t fit and this comes to pass, we’ll have followed through on our post 17-18 ashes craze to introduce pace and variety by, once again, starting the return series with four fast-medium right armers.
Just wonder if they maybe decide Broad and Woakes are going for the same slot, and take the opportunity to give Stone a game. If we’re not going to rely on Wood’s fitness as one of two pace options in 21-22, we have to bring someone on at some point.
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Mr Retro
Beware hedgehogs
I wouldn’t be cross. We just don’t have the batsmen to bat against that attack in the conditions that were there today. I think Australia would struggle to 200 on that pitch. We hadn’t a hope.
Still Ireland were better than England for 2 days and it was an amazing occasion. I’ve been to test matches to support England several times. Being at *Lords* to support *Ireland* at last in a *test match* against England was incredible. I didn’t expect to be as emotional as I was at the start of play on Wednesday but I really was.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
I thought his comments about the pitch were pretty crap really. If the pitch was "substandard", how was it so substandard?
There was not much spin, there was a bit of movement off the pitch, maybe a touch of variable bounce but really it was just very poor batting and two spells of excellent bowling in favourable conditions.
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
I thought Archer had already been ruled out for the First Test but I notice he played a T20 last night The trouble is that we can beat Australia here without a 90mph bowler (if we don't it's more likely to be the batting that lets us down) but the same attack would take a pasting down under. However I'm not convinced the selectors will be prioritising the next series just yet, and dropping Broad now (I think it would be him rather than Woakes, whose batting stiffens the lower order) would be a bold call given his history of rising to the occasion against the Aussies.
I don't think we'll see any more newcomers just yet but I'm worried that Burns is now approaching dead man walking territory, much like his county opening partner Stoneman last year. If he plays the first two games and fails we'll then have to pitch in someone like Sibley when he hasn't played a red ball innings for a month.
I'd still have Foakes back in as keeper myself but that's not going to happen .
Squad announced.
Only one spinner (as has Australia) - think we are going to have seaming pitches.
Archer in. Either he is there for later tests and an introduction to the squad or he’ll play and one of Woakes or Broad will miss out.
Top order remains the same - a huge worry. As much as I wanted him to succeed and thought he would, I agree the Pink Panther that Burns might be a ‘dead man walking’. In hindsight, the Ireland test might have been a time to try Sibley.
Can see a low scoring series with pace/seam coming out on top but for whom?
Only one spinner (as has Australia) - think we are going to have seaming pitches.
Archer in. Either he is there for later tests and an introduction to the squad or he’ll play and one of Woakes or Broad will miss out.
Top order remains the same - a huge worry. As much as I wanted him to succeed and thought he would, I agree the Pink Panther that Burns might be a ‘dead man walking’. In hindsight, the Ireland test might have been a time to try Sibley.
Can see a low scoring series with pace/seam coming out on top but for whom?
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
Well, they've managed to omit Leach from a squad of 14. I don't have a real preference for him over Ali but I'm struggling to see why they picked him in the first place, they were never going to play both in a 5 man attack against the Aussies, he got no meaningful opportunity to bowl last week, and we might well have lost without his second innings runs. No matter how flaky the team performance it's always the new boys who get dropped first It'll be the icing on the cake now if they can find a way to leave out Woakes.
I just hope Burns comes good because the other two members of the top three have four Test caps between them, so we really don't need to be picking another debutant at the top of the order any time soon. Assuming Roy stays there for the series I wouldn't be at all surprised if he gets a century and a fifty and bugger all else, and averages under 30 over the five matches.
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
Well, that was all a bit fucking weird.
World cup final followed by that ... whatever that was ... if you were just starting with cricket you'd be left with a very weird view of what it was like
Yes I attempted to introduce Mrs Frank to cricket via the Ireland match and the results were decidedly mixed.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Three unproven batsmen. I think at least one or even two of those three are going to have to come off for England to stand a chance. About time someone new came good. I don't particularly feel confident about any of them, tbh. Hoping to be surprised.
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
That sounds about right tbh. I think he'll ride his luck early on and often won't get away with that and be out cheaply. He probably does have a couple of big innings in him though if he gets going.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Bayliss want him at 4 apparently.
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
Probably makes more sense for him doesn't it. Obviously we're still totally stuck for openers then though.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Means Root up to 3 which he may throw a Bairstow size strop over - and probably has final decision on anyway.
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
Yes they're trailing that in the press today so I figure he's agreed to it for the moment - at least until he gets a low score or two anyway.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
I'm wondering if there's plans to take captaincy away at some point as well - maybe that's just me thinking ahead because of Stoke's being given back VC role - leaving Buttler either shafted or told it's his soonish.
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
He hasn't risen to it like the likes of Williamson has he, so it would make sense IMO.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Problem is the low score or two he's already been having at 4. Averaging just over 30 since the end of last summer. I don't much like the strops certain players are allowed have over their position. Bairstow was almost in the weird position of needing to fail at 3 to get the gloves back and go back down the order to his comfort zone.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
or Kohil or Smith.
Tendulkar kept himself away from the captaincy (and down at 4). I have no issue with him not being captain if someone else is available. Or him not batting at 3 if someone else is available. But Tendulkar had Ganguly and Dravid. If he does give up the captaincy, that takes away his current excuse for not batting three.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
It seems a very very long time ago that Root was England's new star opener in the grooming, with Compton shoved out of the way to allow him up the order.
Root is the captain and he averages best part of 50, that comes with a lot of sway. I'm not sure it's within Baylis's power to tell him where to bat, the selectors maybe.
Its clear that Root's batting has declined since he became captain, not that unusual it itself but its coincided with a time when England have a shocking dearth of batting options. Changing the captain maybe worth a go because nothing else has worked in the last few years.
Its clear that Root's batting has declined since he became captain, not that unusual it itself but its coincided with a time when England have a shocking dearth of batting options. Changing the captain maybe worth a go because nothing else has worked in the last few years.
