As if to prove Callum's point I've just seen this:
Test batting averages of
England batsmen since the start of 2018:
Foakes: 41.50
Buttler 40.78
Root: 37.35
Woakes: 33.71
Curran: 31.81
Stokes: 28.92
Cook: 28.66
Bairstow: 26.62
Jennings: 25.63
Stoneman: 24.75
Denly: 24.16
Burns: 22.28
Leach: 21.14
Rashid: 20.41
Malan: 19.90
Ali:16.65
There is definitely an element of picking players on past achievements. People talk about our strong lower middle order, but those figures are nothing special, Stokes averaging 28.92 or Bairstow 26.62 hardly suggests that they are top 6 quality.
Well bugger me three ways til sunrise, Joe Root, England Test Cricket Captain, is apparently gonna bat 3 in the first test! At least according to Kent's own Joe Denly! What can have happened there? Has he grown some man minerals and some pubes? Has Graham Thorpe threatened to take his dummy away? Of course if the ball moves laterally at all when the convicts bowl he'll be blubbing indignantly about how terribly sub-standard the pitch is and burning reviews on plumb dead lbw decisions. Joe D will still probably be taking guard in the first hour if the aussies pitch a few in the batsmen's half of the cut strip. They certainly won't be hastily redrawing their plan of attack, will they? Plenty of time for captain cretin to overload his nappy and have a meltdown about it though. I'd love to be wrong about the snotty little berk and I'm sure there'll be a few on here champing at the bit to put me in my place.
Well bugger me three ways til sunrise, Joe Root, England Test Cricket Captain, is apparently gonna bat 3 in the first test! At least according to Kent's own Joe Denly! What can have happened there? Has he grown some man minerals and some pubes? Has Graham Thorpe threatened to take his dummy away? Of course if the ball moves laterally at all when the convicts bowl he'll be blubbing indignantly about how terribly sub-standard the pitch is and burning reviews on plumb dead lbw decisions. Joe D will still probably be taking guard in the first hour if the aussies pitch a few in the batsmen's half of the cut strip. They certainly won't be hastily redrawing their plan of attack, will they? Plenty of time for captain cretin to overload his nappy and have a meltdown about it though. I'd love to be wrong about the snotty little berk and I'm sure there'll be a few on here champing at the bit to put me in my place.
I must say Stig your cock is full of thunder today 😉
Well bugger me three ways til sunrise, Joe Root, England Test Cricket Captain, is apparently gonna bat 3 in the first test! At least according to Kent's own Joe Denly! What can have happened there? Has he grown some man minerals and some pubes? Has Graham Thorpe threatened to take his dummy away? Of course if the ball moves laterally at all when the convicts bowl he'll be blubbing indignantly about how terribly sub-standard the pitch is and burning reviews on plumb dead lbw decisions. Joe D will still probably be taking guard in the first hour if the aussies pitch a few in the batsmen's half of the cut strip. They certainly won't be hastily redrawing their plan of attack, will they? Plenty of time for captain cretin to overload his nappy and have a meltdown about it though. I'd love to be wrong about the snotty little berk and I'm sure there'll be a few on here champing at the bit to put me in my place.
Well bugger me three ways til sunrise, Joe Root, England Test Cricket Captain, is apparently gonna bat 3 in the first test! At least according to Kent's own Joe Denly! What can have happened there? Has he grown some man minerals and some pubes? Has Graham Thorpe threatened to take his dummy away? Of course if the ball moves laterally at all when the convicts bowl he'll be blubbing indignantly about how terribly sub-standard the pitch is and burning reviews on plumb dead lbw decisions. Joe D will still probably be taking guard in the first hour if the aussies pitch a few in the batsmen's half of the cut strip. They certainly won't be hastily redrawing their plan of attack, will they? Plenty of time for captain cretin to overload his nappy and have a meltdown about it though. I'd love to be wrong about the snotty little berk and I'm sure there'll be a few on here champing at the bit to put me in my place.
As if to prove Callum's point I've just seen this:
Test batting averages of
England batsmen since the start of 2018:
Foakes: 41.50
Buttler 40.78
Root: 37.35
Woakes: 33.71
Curran: 31.81
Stokes: 28.92
Cook: 28.66
Bairstow: 26.62
Jennings: 25.63
Stoneman: 24.75
Denly: 24.16
Burns: 22.28
Leach: 21.14
Rashid: 20.41
Malan: 19.90
Ali:16.65
There is definitely an element of picking players on past g8achievements. People talk about our strong lower middle order, but those figures are nothing special, Stokes averaging 28.92 or Bairstow 26.62 hardly suggests that they are top 6 quality.
There is also an element of picking the right players for the wrong reasons and the wrong players for the right ones.
Remember Denly originally got in the test squad so he could bat in the lower middle order and bowl some leg spin, now he is England's number 4. Bairstow and Stokes should be selected as batsmen, and know they are. If Bairstow doesn't like it drop him and play Foakes and move Butler up the order. If he can't keep and bat at 4 tough.
Stokes can't keep being selected as an all rounder when he doesn't bloody bowl. Look how responsible he was batting in the world cup, when he knows he won't bowl his ten and has to bat well to stay in the side.
Poor Mo Ali doesn't know if he is a batsman that bowls, all rounder, or bowler that bat's. An opener, a number 3, 5, 7 or a number 9.
Well bugger me three ways til sunrise, Joe Root, England Test Cricket Captain, is apparently gonna bat 3 in the first test! At least according to Kent's own Joe Denly! What can have happened there? Has he grown some man minerals and some pubes? Has Graham Thorpe threatened to take his dummy away? Of course if the ball moves laterally at all when the convicts bowl he'll be blubbing indignantly about how terribly sub-standard the pitch is and burning reviews on plumb dead lbw decisions. Joe D will still probably be taking guard in the first hour if the aussies pitch a few in the batsmen's half of the cut strip. They certainly won't be hastily redrawing their plan of attack, will they? Plenty of time for captain cretin to overload his nappy and have a meltdown about it though. I'd love to be wrong about the snotty little berk and I'm sure there'll be a few on here champing at the bit to put me in my place.
I'm hearing that the Aussies will definitely play Pattinson, Cummins and Lyon. Therefore it is likely only one of Starc, Siddle or Hazlewood will play.
I'm hearing that the Aussies will definitely play Pattinson, Cummins and Lyon. Therefore it is likely only one of Starc, Siddle or Hazlewood will play.
Interesting,you would have to think that Siddle would be the one to make way, unless, of course, one of the others has a niggle.
I'm hearing that the Aussies will definitely play Pattinson, Cummins and Lyon. Therefore it is likely only one of Starc, Siddle or Hazlewood will play.
Interesting,you would have to think that Siddle would be the one to make way, unless, of course, one of the others has a niggle.
It is being suggested Starc won't play, which is a massive surprise to me if so. But as I said, if true only one of the three will play so both Starc and Siddle could miss out.
I'm hearing that the Aussies will definitely play Pattinson, Cummins and Lyon. Therefore it is likely only one of Starc, Siddle or Hazlewood will play.
Interesting,you would have to think that Siddle would be the one to make way, unless, of course, one of the others has a niggle.
It is being suggested Starc won't play, which is a massive surprise to me if so. But as I said, if true only one of the three will play so both Starc and Siddle could miss out.
Wow. Yes, of course it would only be one of those 3 that would play. I wonder what the thinking is behind Starc not playing?
I'm hearing that the Aussies will definitely play Pattinson, Cummins and Lyon. Therefore it is likely only one of Starc, Siddle or Hazlewood will play.
Serious depth when you can leave out one of those 3. Lyon's an excellent bowler, but if the pitch looks like being seam friendly I'd be tempted to leave him out instead, especially as the weather won't be super warm
Mitchell Starc could be a shock omission from Australia’s team for the first Ashes Test here on Thursday after coach Justin Langer confirmed he would definitely play James Pattinson in his pace attack.
Starc took 27 wickets at the World Cup, ending with six more than any other bowler, and had 22 victims as Australia routed England 4-0 in the previous Ashes series, too.
Pattinson, who has struggled with a succession of injuries including a back problem that required spinal surgery in 2017, will play his first Test since February 2016.
His return gives Australia the luxury of selecting one of Starc, Josh Hazlewood or Peter Siddle. As the top-ranked Test bowler, Pat Cummins is locked in to the XI for his first Test in England and the fourth member of the attack will be spinner Nathan Lyon.
Langer admitted: “There’s probably three to be fair, (Starc), Peter Siddle and Josh Hazlewood for one spot.
“Three pretty good players to try to find a spot for, I reckon.”
Langer also confirmed that he will have Usman Khawaja back from a hamstring injury at No3.
There are two other contentious spots in Australia’s XI. The first is who will partner David Warner at the top of the order. There is no great concern from the Aussie camp about Warner’s fitness after he took a blow on the left thigh having inside-edged off the uncapped seam bowler Michael Neser at training yesterday. Cameron Bancroft, who was banned for nine months for ball-tampering, looks to have the edge over Marcus Harris for that spot.
With Khawaja over his setback and Steve Smith and Travis Head batting below him, the other position up for grabs is No6. “Usman Khawaja will definitely be in, he’s fit, ready to go and he’s playing well,” said Langer.
Comments
Plenty of time for captain cretin to overload his nappy and have a meltdown about it though.
I'd love to be wrong about the snotty little berk and I'm sure there'll be a few on here champing at the bit to put me in my place.
Remember Denly originally got in the test squad so he could bat in the lower middle order and bowl some leg spin, now he is England's number 4. Bairstow and Stokes should be selected as batsmen, and know they are. If Bairstow doesn't like it drop him and play Foakes and move Butler up the order. If he can't keep and bat at 4 tough.
Stokes can't keep being selected as an all rounder when he doesn't bloody bowl. Look how responsible he was batting in the world cup, when he knows he won't bowl his ten and has to bat well to stay in the side.
Poor Mo Ali doesn't know if he is a batsman that bowls, all rounder, or bowler that bat's. An opener, a number 3, 5, 7 or a number 9.
You don't see these problems in the ODI squad.
Burns
Roy
Root
Denly
Stokes
Buttler
Bairstow
Ali
Archer
Broad
Anderson
Therefore it is likely only one of Starc, Siddle or Hazlewood will play.
But as I said, if true only one of the three will play so both Starc and Siddle could miss out.
Yes, of course it would only be one of those 3 that would play.
I wonder what the thinking is behind Starc not playing?
Mitchell Starc could be a shock omission from Australia’s team for the first Ashes Test here on Thursday after coach Justin Langer confirmed he would definitely play James Pattinson in his pace attack.
Starc took 27 wickets at the World Cup, ending with six more than any other bowler, and had 22 victims as Australia routed England 4-0 in the previous Ashes series, too.
Pattinson, who has struggled with a succession of injuries including a back problem that required spinal surgery in 2017, will play his first Test since February 2016.
His return gives Australia the luxury of selecting one of Starc, Josh Hazlewood or Peter Siddle. As the top-ranked Test bowler, Pat Cummins is locked in to the XI for his first Test in England and the fourth member of the attack will be spinner Nathan Lyon.
Langer admitted: “There’s probably three to be fair, (Starc), Peter Siddle and Josh Hazlewood for one spot.
“Three pretty good players to try to find a spot for, I reckon.”
Langer also confirmed that he will have Usman Khawaja back from a hamstring injury at No3.
There are two other contentious spots in Australia’s XI. The first is who will partner David Warner at the top of the order. There is no great concern from the Aussie camp about Warner’s fitness after he took a blow on the left thigh having inside-edged off the uncapped seam bowler Michael Neser at training yesterday. Cameron Bancroft, who was banned for nine months for ball-tampering, looks to have the edge over Marcus Harris for that spot.
With Khawaja over his setback and Steve Smith and Travis Head batting below him, the other position up for grabs is No6. “Usman Khawaja will definitely be in, he’s fit, ready to go and he’s playing well,” said Langer.