England Cricket chat

[Magic817]

i think its the 8th time in the last calendar year we've been 50-3 or worse first up.

still a couple of places to be cemented in the top six for me

cook
? jennings or whovever (stoneman?)
? ballance on his last chance this series (malan?)
root
bairstow
stokes
ali

could easily as said above pick another bat and put ali 8 and use ali/stokes as 4th/5th bowlers

From TMS twitter

In the last three years and in 64 innings, England have lost their third wicket for 55 runs or less 23 times.

[nellberg]

6 bowlers is over kill. Either Ali or Dawson can bowl some cheap overs of spin and bat 8. A better balance to the side would be gubbins / stoneman up top, jennings 3 and ballance down at 5 where he's been getting his runs.

[vegaslover]

I don't like Ballance in the team, someone like Stoneman or Malan should probably be getting a chance.
Think Stokes should come in higher up the order. Batting stronger than bowling anyway and cannot see his knee problems going away. Should probably be used as a strike bowler, where he seems most effective anyway.
Agree about Dawson though, didn't need picking for this match

[nellberg]

Think you have to pick Balllance if selectors want to show they value county cricket. he's averaged 100+ in div 1 cricket this year. The issue I had with Ballance is he's got those runs at 5, batted 4 for the Lions, throwing him in at 3 isn't the correct decision for either the team or for him personally. Dawson is a nothing selection for me (watch him take a 5-for now!) so I'd have picked a proper top-order batsman at 3 (Rocky or Gubbins but others have claims), Ballance to 5 etc etc. You still have 5 bowlers with Root as a 2nd spinner. Bairstow or Stokes down at 7 and Ali down at 8 is a bit of a luxury but we've been 3-30 so often in the past 24 months so it would be my way of going until we shore up that top order.

[HutchGF]

I think having two genuine all rounders in Ali and Stokes means England can think outside the box a little bit.

Heard Atherton talking about Ben Foakes being the 'best wicket-keeper in the world'. No-one could argue that Bairstow is a genuine test batsman who would more than get into the team as a specialist. I think his technique and ability to be flexible in the way he approaches batting makes him an ideal #3. Can dig in, can accelerate, good against both pace and spin........ just a tremendous batsman.

What about dropping Dawson for the 'best wicket-keeper in the world' ( not seen too much of him personally but Atherton is a pretty shred journalist in my opinion) and playing YJB as a specialist batsmen at 3, Ballance at 5, Stokes 6, Ali 7. Think the team would be far better balanced?

[TightEnd]

14 wickets to spin for England,10 for Moeen

14 matches a record stretching back to 1972

win the toss on a dry pitch,make a score and let the pitch do the rest

[Noose]

I think having two genuine all rounders in Ali and Stokes means England can think outside the box a little bit.

Heard Atherton talking about Ben Foakes being the 'best wicket-keeper in the world'. No-one could argue that Bairstow is a genuine test batsman who would more than get into the team as a specialist. I think his technique and ability to be flexible in the way he approaches batting makes him an ideal #3. Can dig in, can accelerate, good against both pace and spin........ just a tremendous batsman.

What about dropping Dawson for the 'best wicket-keeper in the world' ( not seen too much of him personally but Atherton is a pretty shred journalist in my opinion) and playing YJB as a specialist batsmen at 3, Ballance at 5, Stokes 6, Ali 7. Think the team would be far better balanced?

This.....

Not too sure about Balance though.

[KarmaDope]

I originally thought that with Rabada banned, then Morris would come in and take his place and that would be it.

Then I saw this somewhere else:

"Rabada can't play, which means Phehlukwayo must come into the team to have 2 African players. This puts SA short of a strike bowler, which means either Morris or Olivier also has to come in, with either of Kuhn or De Bruyn, having to drop out.

Faftastic will rejoin the team which means both of the 2 mentioned above drops out, leaving you with the predicament of who will open with Elgar. In all likelihood it will be De Kock, which is non-ideal because of his keeping responsibility.

Also because of the great quota policy that useless Duminy gets to keep his place in the team."

I'm wondering if there could be an angle here for a bet. If De Kock does open, and goes off like he did in the second innings at Lords, could he be worth a tinkle at 6/1 for Top SA Bat 2nd Test?

[nellberg]

I originally thought that with Rabada banned, then Morris would come in and take his place and that would be it.

Then I saw this somewhere else:

"Rabada can't play, which means Phehlukwayo must come into the team to have 2 African players. This puts SA short of a strike bowler, which means either Morris or Olivier also has to come in, with either of Kuhn or De Bruyn, having to drop out.

Faftastic will rejoin the team which means both of the 2 mentioned above drops out, leaving you with the predicament of who will open with Elgar. In all likelihood it will be De Kock, which is non-ideal because of his keeping responsibility.

Also because of the great quota policy that useless Duminy gets to keep his place in the team."

I'm wondering if there could be an angle here for a bet. If De Kock does open, and goes off like he did in the second innings at Lords, could he be worth a tinkle at 6/1 for Top SA Bat 2nd Test?

Interesting angle. Certainly in limited overs cricket getting wind of a middle order batsman who's likely to open often means a good value price, not sure if that transfers to test cricket.

De Kock has opened in 1 test match so far, making 50's in both innings and winning the MOTM award (his only MOTM in 20 tests) so that alone would make me have a go at the 6/1 i reckon, and probably have a dart at the MOTM if the odds were big enough.

[gherkin]

Team for the next test:
Cook, Jennings, Westley, Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Moeen, Dawson/Malan, Broad, Anderson, Wood/Roland-Jones

Great that Westley has been given a chance.  Would have preferred Stoneman over Jennings but can see the logic behind giving him 1 or 2 more tests so no problem with that decision.  No idea how Malan gets picked ahead of Sam Robson.  Finally, what the fuck is Dawson still doing in the squad... either pick Rashid or play the extra batsman

[TightEnd]

have to play the extra batsman (even if it is the expansive malan)

4 seamers plus moeen is fine.

dawson is aluxury we can't afford

[tikay]

Team for the next test:
Cook, Jennings, Westley, Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Moeen, Dawson/Malan, Broad, Anderson, Wood/Roland-Jones

Great that Westley has been given a chance.  Would have preferred Stoneman over Jennings but can see the logic behind giving him 1 or 2 more tests so no problem with that decision.  No idea how Malan gets picked ahead of Sam Robson.  Finally, what the fuck is Dawson still doing in the squad... either pick Rashid or play the extra batsman

Welcome back, it's been way too long since you last posted.

Post more please.

[gherkin]

have to play the extra batsman (even if it is the expansive malan)

4 seamers plus moeen is fine.

dawson is aluxury we can't afford

I agree...  No idea why Bayliss is so insistent that playing the extra batsman is a luxury that takes away responsibility from the top 6.  It adds a lot more value to this team than a half decent bowler that can bat a bit - can always use Root for a few overs a game if needs be (and more often than not he won't be needed).  Stokes at 7, Ali at 8 and Woakes (when fit) at 9 makes for a very strong lower-middle order and all are good enough as part of a 5 man attack. 

Welcome back, it's been way too long since you last posted.

Post more please.

Thanks - i'll certainly try!

[kp24]

have to play the extra batsman (even if it is the expansive malan)

4 seamers plus moeen is fine.

dawson is aluxury we can't afford

I agree...  No idea why Bayliss is so insistent that playing the extra batsman is a luxury that takes away responsibility from the top 6.  It adds a lot more value to this team than a half decent bowler that can bat a bit - can always use Root for a few overs a game if needs be (and more often than not he won't be needed).  Stokes at 7, Ali at 8 and Woakes (when fit) at 9 makes for a very strong lower-middle order and all are good enough as part of a 5 man attack. 

Welcome back, it's been way too long since you last posted.

Post more please.

Thanks - i'll certainly try!

Westley bowls off spin hasn't bowled as much in the last 18 months as he used do so root doesn't need to bowl,I know what bayliss is trying to say is basically the top 7 should be doing much better and Ali really is a bit too good to bat at 8 but for the moment it's way forward playing the extra batter I personally wouldn't have chosen malan

[TightEnd]

tomorrow the 100th test here

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