Even if Stokes was playing we'd still be facing the major problem; the fact that our top 5 aren't scoring enough runs & the 2 experienced players (Cook & Root) are out of form (Root did score a few on Day 4, but as usual couldn't re-start on day 5). Stoneman, Vince & Malan are just not of Test match quality. This was shown in the summer & the selectors chose not to address it.
What could they do? There's no one else waiting in the wings. Hameed was injured (and out of form), Jennings isn't ready, Ballance isn't good enough, Westley hadn't been great.
As an antidote to Ashes depression may I suggest the Amazon Kindle Book MONTY'S DOUBLE - the brilliant new thriller by Neil Sambrook which has just received its fifth successive FIVE STAR Amazon review. Not only does it contain a key scene at the 1946 FA Cup Final, the main character is an English cricketer who always has a trick up his sleeve.
It won't improve England's batting - but will strengthen your resolve for the Tests ahead!!
We need some better batsmen, a dangerous all rounder (would usually be Stokes) and a front line spinner.
Willing to persist with Stoneman and Malan partly because they've shown themselves capable of digging in and making starts. For both of them I get the impression that once a switch is flicked upstairs, they will go on to make big scores.
Cook's form worries me, Root's inability to make a big score worries me, Ali at six worries me and Vince should no longer be anywhere near the team. After a decent first innings in Brisbane he showed that nothing about his game has changed.
Although its unlikely to happen, i think that we need to go Canters route and bring Foakes in (he's not a bad bat either). and relieve Bairstow of the gloves.
Therefore.... Cook Stoneman Root (he just has to bat three - but he wont) Bairstow Malan Ali Foakes Woakes Overton Broad Jimmy
To me, the 2 who are on the precipice are Cook (he has to score some runs) and Ali (has to find out how to spin the ball). I've lost patience with the two of them tbh.I feel the likes of Stoneman and Malan are trying to dig deep but the senior pros are just playing like its Sunday match.
That's preposterously harsh. Ali has grafted for a long while in three innings out of four, and only fell in the other one trying to counterattack from a losing position. Cook is looking wobbly but you can't say Ali is after the summer he's had. And he does spin the ball - just not as much as Lyon
England have named a 16 man squad for the ODIs against Australia in January - this includes Wood, Hales and Stokes but, clearly, the latter's participation is dependent on what happens with the CPS.
So much for dropping Ali - he's the new England Captain!
Well for the team that plays in the 4 day game against a CA X1. He is the only one that played in the last Test and is joined by the five that didn't plus six from the Lions. This includes Wood and could Leach leap frog Crane in the pecking order?
Ali's performances so far... Bat: 40,38,2,25 Bowl:0-23,2-74,0-20,0-79.
So, total runs of 105 over 4 innings, average of 26 and 2 wickets for 196 runs.
Hardly earth shattering are they ?
I would suggest , that a poor 3rd Test, then his place has to be in jeopardy - you simply cant carry an all-rounder in your side who cant bat and cant bowl - i dont care about what he did 12 months ago - whats the bloody good if he's not doing it now!
For some reason I can't quote at the moment, but to be fair @The_President the Australian team in 1978/79 was piss poor due to Packer which affected them much more than us, never even heard of several of their players, I'd fancy our current England team to beat them!
It says it all though, our most recent win in Perth was against an Australian B team...
GM Wood WM Darling KJ Hughes GN Yallop (c) PM Toohey GJ Cosier JA Maclean † B Yardley RM Hogg G Dymock AG Hurst
I think that once we are 3-0 then the only thing we have to lose is potentially Cranes confidence if he gets tapped about. All depends what his character is like - but i'm just fed up with the seniors (Cook and Ali primarily) just not turning up, so lets let him loose- and tell him to rip it. Melbourne might not be very suitable, but it was Warnes home ground so cant be that bad for a spinner, and Sydney is renowned for spinning (at least it was). You never know, he might be a good surprise, I certainly don't think the Oz batsmen are that good enough to totally dominate him (Warner and Smith apart). Might have to man manage him a little but the first ball he rips past the outside edge is going to make their bats think twice. AA was right in his comments about Rashid - I think that was a big failing on the selectors part. But Ali, for me, is one poor game away from the chop - if he[s not spinning it, then whats the point?, as he looks a walking wicket every time he comes to the crease batting.
Walking wicket? He's probably faced about as many balls as any of them. Proved very hard to remove in the first Test. Hasn't been dismissed by one of the vaunted pace trio yet. He just needs to sort out his plans against Lyon and he'll be one of our more assured batsmen.
People have often said Ali is near the chop. And he ALWAYS puts in a performance. Let's see what he does this time.
not sure if anyone knows this already but some Aussies refer to Joe Root as Ellen Degeneres ...the similarity really is quite alarming, in fact i cant remember if they were ever pictured together
For some reason I can't quote at the moment, but to be fair @The_President the Australian team in 1978/79 was piss poor due to Packer which affected them much more than us, never even heard of several of their players, I'd fancy our current England team to beat them!
It says it all though, our most recent win in Perth was against an Australian B team...
GM Wood WM Darling KJ Hughes GN Yallop (c) PM Toohey GJ Cosier JA Maclean † B Yardley RM Hogg G Dymock AG Hurst
I wouldn't call that team piss poor. Rodney Hogg was an excellent fast bowler and he took 41 wickets in the series. Most of that team continued to play for Australia when the Packer players returned.
For some reason I can't quote at the moment, but to be fair @The_President the Australian team in 1978/79 was piss poor due to Packer which affected them much more than us, never even heard of several of their players, I'd fancy our current England team to beat them!
It says it all though, our most recent win in Perth was against an Australian B team...
GM Wood WM Darling KJ Hughes GN Yallop (c) PM Toohey GJ Cosier JA Maclean † B Yardley RM Hogg G Dymock AG Hurst
I wouldn't call that team piss poor. Rodney Hogg was an excellent fast bowler and he took 41 wickets in the series. Most of that team continued to play for Australia when the Packer players returned.
But then Australia weren't strong in the 80s. They lost the Ashes in 81, 85 and 86/87, only winning in 82/83 2-1 against an England team weakened by the absence of South African rebels. Their golden era started with the 87 World Cup and then the 89 Ashes...
I really hope the Aussies haven't said anything about his Dad, (not saying they have) but it seems to me like that is what he is referring too
Bob Willis referred to Bairstow being targeted with "particular personal" comments that crossed the line. Perhaps the likes of Bancroft, Handscombe and even Warne should concentrate on their own game because they have hardly been great successes with the bat so far.
Comments
They had to pick 3 from somewhere.
It won't improve England's batting - but will strengthen your resolve for the Tests ahead!!
http://samtimonious.com/samtimonious-com…by-neil-sambrook/
http://forum.charltonlife.com/utility/thumbnail/29994/s3://uploads/FileUpload/9e/b9b7a1808839242ff369816d7b4af9.jpg
Willing to persist with Stoneman and Malan partly because they've shown themselves capable of digging in and making starts. For both of them I get the impression that once a switch is flicked upstairs, they will go on to make big scores.
Cook's form worries me, Root's inability to make a big score worries me, Ali at six worries me and Vince should no longer be anywhere near the team. After a decent first innings in Brisbane he showed that nothing about his game has changed.
Therefore....
Cook
Stoneman
Root (he just has to bat three - but he wont)
Bairstow
Malan
Ali
Foakes
Woakes
Overton
Broad
Jimmy
To me, the 2 who are on the precipice are Cook (he has to score some runs) and Ali (has to find out how to spin the ball).
I've lost patience with the two of them tbh.I feel the likes of Stoneman and Malan are trying to dig deep but the senior pros are just playing like its Sunday match.
Here's my team for the 3rd Test at Perth:
Boycott
Gooch
Randall
Brearley
Gower
Botham
Miller
Lever
Taylor
Willis
Hendrick
That is the last England team to win there, 1978/9. I'm sure sure they'd still do a job.
Australia
Well for the team that plays in the 4 day game against a CA X1. He is the only one that played in the last Test and is joined by the five that didn't plus six from the Lions. This includes Wood and could Leach leap frog Crane in the pecking order?
Moeen Ali (Captain) (Worcestershire)
Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire)
Gary Ballance (Yorkshire)
Mason Crane (Hampshire)
Tom Curran (Surrey)
Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire)
Ben Foakes (Wicketkeeper) (Surrey)
Keaton Jennings (Lancashire)
Dan Lawrence (Essex)
Jack Leach (Somerset)
Liam Livingstone (Lancashire)
Mark Wood (Durham)
Bat: 40,38,2,25
Bowl:0-23,2-74,0-20,0-79.
So, total runs of 105 over 4 innings, average of 26
and 2 wickets for 196 runs.
Hardly earth shattering are they ?
I would suggest , that a poor 3rd Test, then his place has to be in jeopardy - you simply cant carry an all-rounder in your side who cant bat and cant bowl - i dont care about what he did 12 months ago - whats the bloody good if he's not doing it now!
It says it all though, our most recent win in Perth was against an Australian B team...
GM Wood
WM Darling
KJ Hughes
GN Yallop (c)
PM Toohey
GJ Cosier
JA Maclean †
B Yardley
RM Hogg
G Dymock
AG Hurst
AA was right in his comments about Rashid - I think that was a big failing on the selectors part.
But Ali, for me, is one poor game away from the chop - if he[s not spinning it, then whats the point?, as he looks a walking wicket every time he comes to the crease batting.
People have often said Ali is near the chop. And he ALWAYS puts in a performance. Let's see what he does this time.
I really hope the Aussies haven't said anything about his Dad, (not saying they have) but it seems to me like that is what he is referring too