A team with too many unconvincing batsmen, a quartet of underpaced bowlers and a keeper and spinner who aren't that great at their primary roles. We're going to get f*****.
That is harsh on Bairstow, his keeping has improved no end and in the modern game you simply won't see another Bob Taylor.
A team with too many unconvincing batsmen, a quartet of underpaced bowlers and a keeper and spinner who aren't that great at their primary roles. We're going to get f*****.
The Australian team aren't great either. Smith and Warner are the danger men with the bat, bit really it's Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood who are going to tip it to the Aussies. Lyon is effective without being impressive.
There is no way all their top 3 quicks will play in all the Tests.
A team with too many unconvincing batsmen, a quartet of underpaced bowlers and a keeper and spinner who aren't that great at their primary roles. We're going to get f*****.
The Australian team aren't great either. Smith and Warner are the danger men with the bat, bit really it's Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood who are going to tip it to the Aussies. Lyon is effective without being impressive.
Lyon has 269 wickets at 32, which is pretty impressive ( Moeen may be a much better batsman, but he has 128 wickets at 37)
Their 3 quicks, rotating with Lyon will be the deciding factor I fear, as their batting is comparable.
A team with too many unconvincing batsmen, a quartet of underpaced bowlers and a keeper and spinner who aren't that great at their primary roles. We're going to get f*****.
The Australian team aren't great either. Smith and Warner are the danger men with the bat, bit really it's Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood who are going to tip it to the Aussies. Lyon is effective without being impressive.
Khawaja and Hanscomb both average over 55 in Aus conditions.
A team with too many unconvincing batsmen, a quartet of underpaced bowlers and a keeper and spinner who aren't that great at their primary roles. We're going to get f*****.
The Australian team aren't great either. Smith and Warner are the danger men with the bat, bit really it's Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood who are going to tip it to the Aussies. Lyon is effective without being impressive.
Khawaja and Hanscomb both average over 55 in Aus conditions.
Overton, Ball or Crane, then? I mean I'd probably go with Crane because right-arm fast-medium seamers are BORING but England love BORING, last time we won in Australia it was cos they got bored facing Bresnan or something
No idea what the Aussie batting line up is going to look like. Warner, Smith... does Maxwell get test matches now? Who else?
I would suggest the Australian top order will look something like this: Warner Renshaw Khawaja Smith Hanscomb 6 will either be Maxwell or Hilton Cartwright I have heard Nevill will get the nod over Wade for the wicket-keeping job.
Nothing about those names scare me. Smith and Warner are the only two players capable of taking a game away from us but we can counter that with two of our own in Cook and Root.
I'd rather have Ali over Lyon but their quicks are unsurprisingly better suited to Australian conditions than our quicks. We'll have to see. A good series for two of Woakes, Broad and Anderson is the key in my opinion.
Overton, Ball or Crane, then? I mean I'd probably go with Crane because right-arm fast-medium seamers are BORING but England love BORING, last time we won in Australia it was cos they got bored facing Bresnan or something
That and we had tremlett and Finn. But thinking about it, some medium pace dibbly dobblers is the last thing they'd expect. Call up Darren Stevens.
Broad 16.0-5-33-1 Woakes 18.0-3-54-6 Ali 16.0-4-39-0 Overton 18.0-4-32-2 Crane 22.0-3-87-0
There is not one person in that WA team that I recognize.
Another slow pitch as well, so completely unrepresentative conditions for the Test matches
I know England are just as guilty, but something needs to be done to make such tours fairer, as in recent years the home sides are becoming too dominant. Since 2005 every Ashes series, other than 2010/11, has been won by the home side, including two 5-0s...
We could do with Mitch Starc stepping on a ball ALA Glenn McGrath, IMO he's the danger man and the one bowler who has the ability to really get in our batsmen's heads.
A bit of shameless self-promotion (sorry Admins!), but at Lord's we have launched a three-part Ashes special podcast including guests such as Bob Willis and Simon Jones.
First episode is already out with the second one being released overnight, in case anyone is interested!
No idea what the Aussie batting line up is going to look like. Warner, Smith... does Maxwell get test matches now? Who else?
I would suggest the Australian top order will look something like this: Warner Renshaw Khawaja Smith Hanscomb 6 will either be Maxwell or Hilton Cartwright I have heard Nevill will get the nod over Wade for the wicket-keeping job.
Nothing about those names scare me. Smith and Warner are the only two players capable of taking a game away from us but we can counter that with two of our own in Cook and Root.
I'd rather have Ali over Lyon but their quicks are unsurprisingly better suited to Australian conditions than our quicks. We'll have to see. A good series for two of Woakes, Broad and Anderson is the key in my opinion.
I don't think Ali is a better spinner than Lyon, perhaps the overall better player though given his batting.
I agree that bar Smith and Warner their batting doesn't look particularly strong, but neither does ours. Their seamers should outperform ours, unless someone like Ball or Overton surprise people.
It's a weird series, IMO will all come down to two or three people having an unexpected blinder, needs to be someone like Stoneman or Malan rather than Khawaja or Cartwright.
Any Lifers in Brisbane for the Test? Sort of “can’t wait” but “worried we’ll fall apart”. As others have said, it might hinge on one or two from either side stepping up.
One thing about the last series in Oz was that we actually them in a lot of trouble on 3/4 different occasions and seemingly it was always smirk-faced Haddin that got them out of trouble by counter-attacking when the bowlers got tired. He aint there this time, and I cant see any one else doing it - its whether we can get them in the same position again though.
Overton, Ball or Crane, then? I mean I'd probably go with Crane because right-arm fast-medium seamers are BORING but England love BORING, last time we won in Australia it was cos they got bored facing Bresnan or something
Are you not going to advocate Naby Sarr as captain and opening bat?
One thing about the last series in Oz was that we actually them in a lot of trouble on 3/4 different occasions and seemingly it was always smirk-faced Haddin that got them out of trouble by counter-attacking when the bowlers got tired. He aint there this time, and I cant see any one else doing it - its whether we can get them in the same position again though.
I had a look at this, and the front order line up failed in the first innings by Oz in most of the tests and was rescued by Haddin..
1st Test - 132-6 recovered to 294 Haddin made 94 3rd Test 143-5 Haddin 55 4th 122-6 Haddin 65 5th 97-5 recovered to 326 with Haddin 75
One thing about the last series in Oz was that we actually them in a lot of trouble on 3/4 different occasions and seemingly it was always smirk-faced Haddin that got them out of trouble by counter-attacking when the bowlers got tired. He aint there this time, and I cant see any one else doing it - its whether we can get them in the same position again though.
I had a look at this, and the front order line up failed in the first innings by Oz in most of the tests and was rescued by Haddin..
1st Test - 132-6 recovered to 294 Haddin made 94 3rd Test 143-5 Haddin 55 4th 122-6 Haddin 65 5th 97-5 recovered to 326 with Haddin 75
Bang on - and the worst thing was that he had absolutely incredible luck in every innings, it was unbelievable how he got away with it.
England were crap in that series but nobody could have lived with Harris and Johnson and, as you say, we bowled well but Haddin rescued them every Test with some outrageous luck.
None of those three will play in this series and their danger men are Warner, Smith and Starc.
Would agree with that except Greg Chappell for Border and maybe Knott for Gilchrist.
I think we all did this a few weeks ago. The format is flawed, you cannot pick two spinners and are limited to certain players in certain positions. My side (of players I've actually seen) is more balanced and more entertaining:
Gooch Hayden Gower Chappell G Hughes K Botham Knott Warne Lillee Underwood Thomson
Aussie Twitter in a sort of angry frenzy cos they're picking Paine (one FC hundred ever, in 2006) and S Marsh. Tbf Paine is about their best wicketkeeper and S Marsh is very dangerous on his day
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Their 3 quicks, rotating with Lyon will be the deciding factor I fear, as their batting is comparable.
Broad 16.0-5-33-1
Woakes 18.0-3-54-6
Ali 16.0-4-39-0
Overton 18.0-4-32-2
Crane 22.0-3-87-0
I'd rather have Ali over Lyon but their quicks are unsurprisingly better suited to Australian conditions than our quicks. We'll have to see. A good series for two of Woakes, Broad and Anderson is the key in my opinion.
I know England are just as guilty, but something needs to be done to make such tours fairer, as in recent years the home sides are becoming too dominant. Since 2005 every Ashes series, other than 2010/11, has been won by the home side, including two 5-0s...
First episode is already out with the second one being released overnight, in case anyone is interested!
iTunes link -> https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-lords-podcast/id616640278?mt=2
Audioboom -> https://www.lords.org/news/audio-and-video/the-lords-cricket-podcast/
I agree that bar Smith and Warner their batting doesn't look particularly strong, but neither does ours. Their seamers should outperform ours, unless someone like Ball or Overton surprise people.
It's a weird series, IMO will all come down to two or three people having an unexpected blinder, needs to be someone like Stoneman or Malan rather than Khawaja or Cartwright.
1st Test - 132-6 recovered to 294 Haddin made 94
3rd Test 143-5 Haddin 55
4th 122-6 Haddin 65
5th 97-5 recovered to 326 with Haddin 75
England were crap in that series but nobody could have lived with Harris and Johnson and, as you say, we bowled well but Haddin rescued them every Test with some outrageous luck.
None of those three will play in this series and their danger men are Warner, Smith and Starc.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/41944444
Gooch
Hayden
Gower
Chappell G
Hughes K
Botham
Knott
Warne
Lillee
Underwood
Thomson