Looking beyond the Ashes, Central Contracts are due for renewal on 1st October. There will be a lot of hard decisions to be made with a number of those (in bold) potentially struggling to justify being awarded new ones:
Test:Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
White-ball: Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Liam Plunkett (Surrey) Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)
Increment: Jofra Archer (Sussex), Tom Curran (Surrey)
Sam Curran will be a great player for England, but it seems a bit odd that we have a central contract player who so far has played no part in the Ashes, other than a bit of sub fielding.
Indeed the current Test team has FOUR players without any form of Central Contract, Burns, Denly, Overton and Leach
should be a wholesale clear out .. BUT there won't be
There is still a series to level......yes, a significant number of changes need to be made but not until the series is over. Maybe a couple before the next test.
should be a wholesale clear out .. BUT there won't be
There is still a series to level......yes, a significant number of changes need to be made but not until the series is over. Maybe a couple before the next test.
if we agree that significant change is necessary, then why leave it until the next series ? .. problem is of course that the selectors are shopping in a fairly empty shop .. Pope, Northeast, Curran, Foakes perhaps .. the county bowling strength is weak, and how did Overton get a place ?, selectorial inconsistency .. Leach is now a fan's favourite, but his bowling is not good enough at the highest level .. lastly, we must accept (though many on here just will not) that James Anderson's test career must be over. Any 'comeback' now would be, as I have said before, just for the sake of nostalgia and would be a backward step.
Are the central contracts all individually “Taylor” made/paid obviously with differing levels of ability and likely game time . who's in charge of all that aggmin
Are the central contracts all individually “Taylor” made/paid obviously with differing levels of ability and likely game time . who's in charge of all that aggmin
The new selection panel comprises the National Selector (Ed Smith), the England Selector (Taylor) and the England coach (Trevor Bayliss). Ashley Giles turned down the selector role before Smith was appointed. (Who selected Smith ?) The King of Spain (lol) is now cosily ensconsed as the ECB director of cricket, following of course his sacking as an England coach. Too many jobs for the (not up to it) Boys.
I said after Joe Root's interview after the toss on the first test that he looked and sounded shattered. Losing Anderson and trying to shuffle the pack was tough. Broad has had a fantastic series and Archer as expected is learning the 5 day game but had some quality sessions. Wood was a big loss, and Woakes didn't get to bowl when overcast conditions favoured him early in some of the innings.
Cummings and Hazelwood were superb and Pattinson, Starc and Siddle were the perm any 2 from 3. The uncapped seamer Neser was in reserve if needed.
When you have Smith you can afford to carry passengers in your line up. With Root's glue coming unstuck England couldn't.
I predicted 3-1 on the Chizz score on the doors, and TBF it should be that now if Stokes didn't have his magic dust and England had pinched the drawn game.
Broad the top England player over the series so far, and in any other Ashes, Cummings would be the Aussies top man but there's a certain Smudge on England copybook who will walk away with that accolade.
Whilst I do t think we should necessarily be winning the test I don’t think you can argue it should be 3-1. If Anderson stays fit we probably skittle Australia for less than 150 first test and would’ve had every chance of winning.
Second test we ran out of time. Hypothetically with a bit more luck we would’ve been 2-0 up.
Despite that we’ve struggled the last 2 tests and 2-1 is probably a fair reflection of how the series has gone.
as suspected .. not in the least surprised but disappointed .. all the duds will have decent games and lull us unto a false sense of security .. could be an Aussie plot ((:>)
Charity case Jason Roy gets a go on his home ground, known for being a batting paradise. Good on him! Hope he scores 80 and keeps his place for the next 3 series!!
The big question is whether Stokes can bowl or not. If he plays as a specialist batsman, Curran will also play and one of the batsmen will drop out, presumably Roy or Buttler?
Charity case Jason Roy gets a go on his home ground, known for being a batting paradise. Good on him! Hope he scores 80 and keeps his place for the next 3 series!!
If Stokes can't bowl we will have to bring in an all rounder. We should drop Roy (average 18.7 in Test cricket) to accommodate that but I fear that Buttler (average 33.07) will be the sacrificial lamb.
should be a wholesale clear out .. BUT there won't be
There is still a series to level......yes, a significant number of changes need to be made but not until the series is over. Maybe a couple before the next test.
if we agree that significant change is necessary, then why leave it until the next series ? .. problem is of course that the selectors are shopping in a fairly empty shop .. Pope, Northeast, Curran, Foakes perhaps .. the county bowling strength is weak, and how did Overton get a place ?, selectorial inconsistency .. Leach is now a fan's favourite, but his bowling is not good enough at the highest level .. lastly, we must accept (though many on here just will not) that James Anderson's test career must be over. Any 'comeback' now would be, as I have said before, just for the sake of nostalgia and would be a backward step.
You ‘may’ be right about Anderson, however he is and has been too good a bowler not to be given.....(by right).....an opportunity to prove whether or not he still has any significant mojo. It’s also worth noting there isn’t much competition out there anyway!
In football with limited resources you choose between League and Cup. In cricket you choose between red and white ball. England chose white and won the World Cup.
We've had loads of good luck - umpiring decisions, misfields, super overs.
And loads of bad luck - Anderson injured, Stokes injured, etc.
All in all they put up a decent fight.
But we do need better leadership on the pitch.
Good point.
We've treated The Ashes like Charlton treat the League and FA Cups each year.
Who cares, we've got The Hundred to look forward to next season. Bollox to county and test cricket. The Hundred is going to redefine the game and consign test cricket to the history books where it belongs. Play your county cricket in March and October and tests in early April and late September. My calendar would also have the 1 day internationals in late April and early September, with T20 comp running May/June, The Hundred in July/August and the 50 over comp from March to November with the final on Christmas day.
Who cares, we've got The Hundred to look forward to next season. Bollox to county and test cricket. The Hundred is going to redefine the game and consign test cricket to the history books where it belongs. Play your county cricket in March and October and tests in early April and late September. My calendar would also have the 1 day internationals in late April and early September, with T20 comp running May/June, The Hundred in July/August and the 50 over comp from March to November with the final on Christmas day.
Yep so sad that instead of this summers great opportunity being a starting point for growing the game instead it is the last before the slow death of cricket.
A packed Old Trafford. Applauding FORWARD DEFENSIVE shots. As believe it or not, spectators don't just enjoy the crash bang wallop of T20 white ball cricket. I hope (but doubt) the authorities are taking note
A packed Old Trafford. Applauding FORWARD DEFENSIVE shots. As believe it or not, spectators don't just enjoy the crash bang wallop of T20 white ball cricket. I hope (but doubt) the authorities are taking note
I'm trying to find, with no success so far, how much Lancs C C C paid the ECB to stage the Ashes test and how much of the gate receipts go back to the ECB. The thing is, tens of millions have been spent on OT to get it up to standard. Ashes tests attracting maximum crowds, only come around every 4 years. Other than rock/pop concerts, Lancs C C C has to find a way to make the place pay, AND the best way, like it or lump it, is 20/20 cricket. This is the 'cricket world' in 2019.
Comments
Indeed the current Test team has FOUR players without any form of Central Contract, Burns, Denly, Overton and Leach
Maybe a couple before the next test.
obviously with differing levels of ability and likely game time .
who's in charge of all that aggmin
The new selection panel comprises the National Selector (Ed Smith), the England Selector (Taylor) and the England coach (Trevor Bayliss). Ashley Giles turned down the selector role before Smith was appointed. (Who selected Smith ?)
The King of Spain (lol) is now cosily ensconsed as the ECB director of cricket, following of course his sacking as an England coach. Too many jobs for the (not up to it) Boys.
Broad has had a fantastic series and Archer as expected is learning the 5 day game but had some quality sessions.
Wood was a big loss, and Woakes didn't get to bowl when overcast conditions favoured him early in some of the innings.
Cummings and Hazelwood were superb and Pattinson, Starc and Siddle were the perm any 2 from 3. The uncapped seamer Neser was in reserve if needed.
When you have Smith you can afford to carry passengers in your line up. With Root's glue coming unstuck England couldn't.
I predicted 3-1 on the Chizz score on the doors, and TBF it should be that now if Stokes didn't have his magic dust and England had pinched the drawn game.
Broad the top England player over the series so far, and in any other Ashes, Cummings would be the Aussies top man but there's a certain Smudge on England copybook who will walk away with that accolade.
Second test we ran out of time. Hypothetically with a bit more luck we would’ve been 2-0 up.
Despite that we’ve struggled the last 2 tests and 2-1 is probably a fair reflection of how the series has gone.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-7441387/England-captain-Joe-Root-know-buck-stops-him.html
Indeed still feel that this England team suffer from not playing enough red ball cricket
England name an unchanged squad...
The big question is whether Stokes can bowl or not. If he plays as a specialist batsman, Curran will also play and one of the batsmen will drop out, presumably Roy or Buttler?
It’s also worth noting there isn’t much competition out there anyway!
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/cricket/australia-planned-for-ashes-for-three-years-%e2%80%93-england-distracted-by-world-cup-prepared-for-just-three-weeks/ar-AAH1iGN?li=BBoPWjQ
We've treated The Ashes like Charlton treat the League and FA Cups each year.
Surprised at that
The Hundred is going to redefine the game and consign test cricket to the history books where it belongs.
Play your county cricket in March and October and tests in early April and late September.
My calendar would also have the 1 day internationals in late April and early September, with T20 comp running May/June, The Hundred in July/August and the 50 over comp from March to November with the final on Christmas day.
The thing is, tens of millions have been spent on OT to get it up to standard. Ashes tests attracting maximum crowds, only come around every 4 years. Other than rock/pop concerts, Lancs C C C has to find a way to make the place pay, AND the best way, like it or lump it, is 20/20 cricket. This is the 'cricket world' in 2019.