The England selectors have dropped Onions and Finn and brought Panesar, Tremlett and James Taylor into the squad. Taylor is in in case Pietersen is too injured or too uninterested to play on Thursday.
Panesar has an excellent record at Old Trafford. Reckon it will be a turner... Not sure we'll play two spinners, but otherwise would we play tremlett with Anderson and broad? It's an interesting one. Also, Warner might be back for the Aussies. Rearranging the deck chairs.
Good selections - covers just about all options. Simon Kerrigan has taken a shedload of wickets at OT this season and the wicket is a bit of a bunsen so Monty's selection makes sense, his County form has been modest though but he's a known quantity. OT also offers a bit of bounce - hence Tremlett. Finn needs to get his run up right, he's done too much tinkering with it over the last few months.
Tremletts work load had been managed on a weekly basis by surrey this summer in a view to him touring this winter. This and the fact he was in the nets at lords is a very good sign for the return fixture
Agree with McBobbin, Monty has a great record at OT. Remember him winning a test vs Pakistan there a few years ago, he virtually bowled them out single handedly twice in a day from memory.
Have a ticket for Friday, will be a long day as we're travelling there and back from London on the day. Just keeping my fingers crossed for the weather as you never know with Manchester!
Have a ticket for Sunday, plus bought a ticket for Monday, in case play goes on that long and I'm up for the weekend anyway. I'm checking out sightseeing alternatives if play finishes early though!
Agree with McBobbin, Monty has a great record at OT. Remember him winning a test vs Pakistan there a few years ago, he virtually bowled them out single handedly twice in a day from memory.
Have a ticket for Friday, will be a long day as we're travelling there and back from London on the day. Just keeping my fingers crossed for the weather as you never know with Manchester!
IIRC Harmison took a few wickets in that Test - a bouncy wicket suited his bowling quite well.
I just wonder if Swann may have had a recurrence of his injury. No chance of us playing two spinners at OT. Hope we bring back Onions for his home test.
A quick quiz to test your memory, just for fun: I've been watching some of the past Ashes matches on Sky - including Gough's hat-trick - see if you can answer these without googling... 1) Where was it and what year? 2) Who was England captain that match? 3) Who were the three hat-trick victims? 4) Who was England's wicketkeeper who caught the first of the three wickets?
A quick quiz to test your memory, just for fun: I've been watching some of the past Ashes matches on Sky - including Gough's hat-trick - see if you can answer these without googling... 1) Where was it and what year? 2) Who was England captain that match? 3) Who were the three hat-trick victims? 4) Who was England's wicketkeeper who caught the first of the three wickets?
1. 1998/1999 series and the fifth Test at the SCG. 2. Either Nas or Stewart. 3. No idea I think they were middle/lower order victims though as I don't recall the innings ending with the third victim. 4. The obvious answer would be Alec Stewart, too obvious if he was captain...
A quick quiz to test your memory, just for fun: I've been watching some of the past Ashes matches on Sky - including Gough's hat-trick - see if you can answer these without googling... 1) Where was it and what year? - Sydney, January 1999 - I was there! 2) Who was England captain that match? Alec Stewart 3) Who were the three hat-trick victims? Ian Healy (caught behind), Colin Miller (bowled), Stuart MacGill (bowled) 4) Who was England's wicketkeeper who caught the first of the three wickets? Warren Hegg - his second and last Test.
stuart macgill... hugely underrated leg spinner, damned to be around the same age as shane warne. Much like the likes of Jack Russell were around at the time of Alec Stewart.
stuart macgill... hugely underrated leg spinner, damned to be around the same age as shane warne. Much like the likes of Jack Russell were around at the time of Alec Stewart.
Not sure I would say he was under-rated, more a case of just being in the wrong era - like a lot of Aussie players were at that time.
By the time Warnie retired MacGill's body was on the way down and he actually retired in the middle of a Test match in the Windies.
He had a superb record, 208 wickets at 29 with a strike rate of 54 - and twelve five-wicket hauls - in just 44 Tests!
I hate the bastard as he married my all time favourite woman: Rachel Friend AKA Bronnie from Neighbours.
stuart macgill... hugely underrated leg spinner, damned to be around the same age as shane warne. Much like the likes of Jack Russell were around at the time of Alec Stewart.
Not sure I would say he was under-rated, more a case of just being in the wrong era - like a lot of Aussie players were at that time.
By the time Warnie retired MacGill's body was on the way down and he actually retired in the middle of a Test match in the Windies.
He had a superb record, 208 wickets at 29 with a strike rate of 54 - and twelve five-wicket hauls - in just 44 Tests!
I hate the bastard as he married my all time favourite woman: Rachel Friend AKA Bronnie from Neighbours.
In any other era he would have been seen as one of the fine aussie leg spinners, but he's forever in the shadow of warney. In that way I'd say he's underrated. But agreed, was a brilliant bowler
That's fair enough, MacGill's onluy weakness compared to Warne was that he bowled quite a few more 'four balls' whereas Warnie could tie an end down for hours.
You can see this in their Test economy rates, Warne's was 2.6 and MacGill's 3.3 - that can make quite a difference if the spinner bowls 60 overs in a game.
MacGill's stats look extra good as (apart from during Warne's slimming pill ban) he only played on spinner's paradise pitches (when Australia played 2 spinners) whereas Warne would play in all conditions, even when spinners got no help.
I'm sure I've heard that in the tests MacGill played with Warner, MacGill had the better record. He was a great leggie, no doubt, but better than Kumble for example? or Qadir?
I'm sure I've heard that in the tests MacGill played with Warner, MacGill had the better record. He was a great leggie, no doubt, but better than Kumble for example? or Qadir?
Kumble was more of a top-spin bowler than leggie, he rarely bowled leg breaks.
Qadir could be great but his overall record is not as good as MacGill, he took 236 wickets at 32.8 at an SR of 72 - and he played half his games on dusty turners in Pakistan.
MacGill DID out bowl Warne when they played together, word is that Warnie REALLY did not like that!
He had a major falling out when Steve Waugh dropped him for MacGill in the Windies in 1999 and they never really made up.
I'm sure I've heard that in the tests MacGill played with Warner, MacGill had the better record. He was a great leggie, no doubt, but better than Kumble for example? or Qadir?
Kumble was more of a top-spin bowler than leggie, he rarely bowled leg breaks.
Qadir could be great but his overall record is not as good as MacGill, he took 236 wickets at 32.8 at an SR of 72 - and he played half his games on dusty turners in Pakistan.
MacGill DID out bowl Warne when they played together, word is that Warnie REALLY did not like that!
He had a major falling out when Steve Waugh dropped him for MacGill in the Windies in 1999 and they never really made up.
Good points. Can you think of anyone better than MacGill though? Chandrasekhar? Muzzy? Danish "twat" Kaneria?
Comments
Have a ticket for Friday, will be a long day as we're travelling there and back from London on the day. Just keeping my fingers crossed for the weather as you never know with Manchester!
I've been watching some of the past Ashes matches on Sky - including Gough's hat-trick - see if you can answer these without googling...
1) Where was it and what year?
2) Who was England captain that match?
3) Who were the three hat-trick victims?
4) Who was England's wicketkeeper who caught the first of the three wickets?
2. Either Nas or Stewart.
3. No idea I think they were middle/lower order victims though as I don't recall the innings ending with the third victim.
4. The obvious answer would be Alec Stewart, too obvious if he was captain...
1) Jan 1999 at the SCG
2) Alec Stewart
3) Ian Healy, Stuart MacGill and ??????
4) Warren Hegg
Was a superb days cricket, the hat-trick was the highlight but the batting of the Waugh brothers was also sublime.
In particular Mark Waugh was incredible, achieved huge power but it seemed effortless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rN_h667-CI
It was indeed Colin Miller who had the honour of being the historic hat-trick wicket.
By the time Warnie retired MacGill's body was on the way down and he actually retired in the middle of a Test match in the Windies.
He had a superb record, 208 wickets at 29 with a strike rate of 54 - and twelve five-wicket hauls - in just 44 Tests!
I hate the bastard as he married my all time favourite woman: Rachel Friend AKA Bronnie from Neighbours.
Looks like rain may play a part in this test though.
That's fair enough, MacGill's onluy weakness compared to Warne was that he bowled quite a few more 'four balls' whereas Warnie could tie an end down for hours.
You can see this in their Test economy rates, Warne's was 2.6 and MacGill's 3.3 - that can make quite a difference if the spinner bowls 60 overs in a game.
Still a fine bowler though.
I'm going on the Saturday, so potentially missing out on Bournemouth for a rain day.
Qadir could be great but his overall record is not as good as MacGill, he took 236 wickets at 32.8 at an SR of 72 - and he played half his games on dusty turners in Pakistan.
MacGill DID out bowl Warne when they played together, word is that Warnie REALLY did not like that!
He had a major falling out when Steve Waugh dropped him for MacGill in the Windies in 1999 and they never really made up.
They are all good bowlers - sorting out who is the best of that lot is a tad tricky though.
You can add Mushtaq Ahmed and further back Bill O'Reilly and Clarrie Grimmett.