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The Ashes 2019

This captaincy ruining form thing does seem a peculiarly English malaise. The averages of Williamson, Kohli and Smith all went up after taking on the captaincy (while batting at 3).
 
This captaincy ruining form thing does seem a peculiarly English malaise. The averages of Williamson, Kohli and Smith all went up after taking on the captaincy (while batting at 3).

Agreed. Though Root's white ball game is still pretty bloody good so its not really a form thing as such. The thing about Root when he first came into the set up was that he was always joking around and laughing, you still see a bit of that in white ball cricket but rarely in tests. I just don't think he enjoys captaining.
 
Agreed. Though Root's white ball game is still pretty bloody good so its not really a form thing as such. The thing about Root when he first came into the set up was that he was always joking around and laughing, you still see a bit of that in white ball cricket but rarely in tests. I just don't think he enjoys captaining.
Yeah, compare and contrast with Kohli, who clearly sees it as his destiny to be captain. How could he possibly not be?

But who does it then? Buttler's the only one, I'd think, but is he guaranteed selection?
 
The trouble is that the team is in such churn right now, making it difficult to know who is even guaranteed a place, let alone who should be captain.
 
Without Root at 3 we’re looking at a lot of 26-2s over the next ten innings.

As for someone getting a century, a fifty, and bugger all else adding up to an average of 29.5 but won’t be dropped (as mentioned about Roy) I give you YJB.
 
Root up to 3
And Denly to 4:

Ashes 2019: England captain Joe Root to bat at number three in first Test - Joe Denly

"Rooty just wanted to get involved and get out there." He didn't exactly have to sit around waiting all morning last week.

We've got batsmen at 3 and 4 who began their careers as openers and opened regularly for years in county cricket. While Roy, a destructive middle order batsman whom Surrey unsuccessfully attempted to convert to opening before giving up 6 years ago, is going to open.
 
That's what I mean, we're playing mind games with the Oz.

The wee urn is ours :cool:
They'll be in a kerfuffle as to who exactly is going to stride out to the middle next. :cool:

Glenn McGrath was quoted the other day saying he would have been quietly confident if he'd still been playing coming into this series given the England batting, the Duke's ball in hand, the wickets and the weather. He's a great big liar. He would have been very loudly confident.
 
Their hubris shall be their downfall, as it has been in countless series before.











:hmm:
The Ashes creates stars. That's my hope here. But I do think someone from the batting department is going to have to step up and become a star. I don't care who it is, but it has to be someone beyond the usual suspect.
 
They'll be in a kerfuffle as to who exactly is going to stride out to the middle next. :cool:

Glenn McGrath was quoted the other day saying he would have been quietly confident if he'd still been playing coming into this series given the England batting, the Duke's ball in hand, the wickets and the weather. He's a great big liar. He would have been very loudly confident.
He always talks them up. His metronomic bowling was far more impressive than his metronomic punditry.

We always play better with a pessimistic build up. It's when we are favourites that you have to worry.
 
It doesn't really matter that much in the end. It's the personnel that's the problem, not the order. I just wish all four of them the very best of luck. :) They might need it.
There's certainly logic in getting the most experienced batsman a bit higher rather than having a top three with about ten Test caps between them. What really gets me is the constant tinkering and chopping and changing, never really persevering with something before giving up on it. If we still have the same top four in the Fifth Test we'll have won the series, because if we're behind at any stage you can bet there will be another change of tack.
 
There's certainly logic in getting the most experienced batsman a bit higher rather than having a top three with about ten Test caps between them. What really gets me is the constant tinkering and chopping and changing, never really persevering with something before giving up on it. If we still have the same top four in the Fifth Test we'll have won the series, because if we're behind at any stage you can bet there will be another change of tack.
Well given he's (vice-)captain sensible nowadays, there's even a case for Stokes at 3. Or shove Roy down to six and bump Stokes and Buttler up one. Who knows? :D
 
Well given he's (vice-)captain sensible nowadays, there's even a case for Stokes at 3. Or shove Roy down to six and bump Stokes and Buttler up one. Who knows? :D
Stokes was tried at 3, but not persevered with at 3. Bairstow was tried at 3 and scored a century there at the first attempt, but the decision was reversed after one further match. If something doesn't produce instant results it's abandoned, and if it does someone still finds a reason to change again.
 
Stokes was tried at 3, but not persevered with at 3. Bairstow was tried at 3 and scored a century there at the first attempt, but the decision was reversed after one further match. If something doesn't produce instant results it's abandoned, and if it does someone still finds a reason to change again.
Ok, optimist's head on. Both teams have excellent bowling options and strong people to come in if there are one or two injuries. So it's going to come down to who can piece together something with the bat.

Precise batting order doesn't really matter too much. Buttler, Stokes, Bairstow, Ali is still a formidable lower-middle order, especially if Woakes comes in after them. Ali can come good again with the bat while retaining his happy knack to take wickets in England. Bairstow will remember how to hit straight ones. Root will prosper at 3 or 4 or wherever and at least one of the other three in the top order will do something significant. One of the other two will stick around a bit for stabilising 20s or 30s. We can afford one of them to fail.
 
Names & squad numbers on the back of shirts for the first time.
Root is 66 :D
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Why?

They're pointless enough in white ball cricket but at least that is the format to fuck around around in. What is to be gained from this?
 
Why?

They're pointless enough in white ball cricket but at least that is the format to fuck around around in. What is to be gained from this?
They've had It in Championship matches for years. I'm surprised it's taken this long to have it for Tests. As a traditionalist I can do without, but it can be useful for identifying fielders when you're actually at the ground.
 
Also useful if you're at the ground and have a passing interest in which bowlers have bowled how many overs in the innings thus far. Scoreboards don't have enough space to show overs bowled by name but can do it by number.
 
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