English cricket thread
- Thread starter Samid
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There's zero chance of shuffling the order and binning Crawley now imo. The squad has already been picked, they've stuck with Crawley for so long and he's just scored a (very scratchy) 50. Certainly not for the first test and probably not for the first 2 or 3 tests minimum. Bairstows return was the time to drop Crawley and shuffle the order, and Baz and Stokes have spoken a lot about being loyal to the players in the side. Whoever they pick it will be a somewhat straight swap for Leach, and it'll likely be someone has played a test in the last year (Parkinson, Ahmed or Jacks as spinner, or 4 seamers currently with the squad + Root). A wildcard option maybe Crawley out for Lawrence, with Root and Lawrence both bowling some spin, just because Lawrence is already with the squad. But seems unlikely.
If the injury was announced a few weeks ago we might have seen/Jacks Ahmed and Woakes at 7 and 8 with Stokes as a specialist batsman and one of the middle order opening in place of Crawley.
If the injury was announced a few weeks ago we might have seen/Jacks Ahmed and Woakes at 7 and 8 with Stokes as a specialist batsman and one of the middle order opening in place of Crawley.
Gonna be a fun series. Aussies are gonna crush england
England’s inability to keep any of their genuinely quick bowlers fit over the last few years is a worry. The rest of the seamers are similar in terms of pace and there’s not even the variation of a left armer.
I’d be surprised if Australia don’t win the series relatively comfortably.
I’d be surprised if Australia don’t win the series relatively comfortably.
Honestly the best solution would be to bin Crawley and have Stokes open assuming the latter may not be able to bowl. You can then have Jacks at 7 and Woakes at 8 with Robinson, 2 of Anderson/Broad/Wood.
Dobell’s broken the news that Moeen’s considering a return for the Ashes. Considering how unceremoniously he was dropped after the first test in the last Ashes here, it would be quite a comeback.
No first class cricket in nearly 2 years. It's certainly not the ideal solution.
Agreed this is what I would do. Or possibly Brook opening, I think he has opened for Yorkshire in the past. Given Crawleys record I'll he surprised if he lasts the whole series in the side, especially given Australia's quicks. Just seems a certainty he will get at least 2 games minimum and probably more before the inevitable.
I think there is no obvious solution to this really. Pretty pathetic that there isn’t one reliable spinner around to replace Leach who isn’t even a world beater in the first place. Going back to Mo feels like such a backwards step but I don’t really see what the alternative is. Just can’t see them playing a leggie as the spinner in this attack
Is Dawson not reliable? Tbf I haven't seen him bowl in a 4 day game I don't think but he always looks pretty accurate in the short form, albeit not getting much rip. My issue with Moeen is that every over seems to have one bad ball and that just isn't good enough from an offie at Test level. In terms of a leggie I wouldn't have an issue with it if you could also bowl Root and Stokes from time to time. Without Stokes it's certainly a risk.
For me Moeen is a no brainer, particularly him bowling away from the left handers (all the lefties in Australia’s batting lineup) and his batting lower down in the order. Also gives the option of adding another pace bowler if Stokes can’t bowl.
Everyone knows I love Moeen an unreasonable amount so I wouldn’t hate it but it does highlight our lack of depth in this department massively.
Moeen wouldn't be my choice largely because of the reason @DOTA outlined. But he is the Bazball choice, going after wickets and won't be cowed down if he gets attacked which probably is the worry with someone like Rehan.
I don’t really follow County so there may be a known answer to this but why have we struggled to produce any properly decent spinners since Swann retired? It’s been ages now, and if bringing Moeen in is a better option than any of the upcoming talent it shows how thin the prospects are.
We’re now completely exposed on this front with Leach out, who as others have said isn’t first rate anyway (likeable as he is).
We’re now completely exposed on this front with Leach out, who as others have said isn’t first rate anyway (likeable as he is).
The main issue is the schedule. There's barely any Championship fixtures in the summer months, they're squeezed into April and September where conditions are favourable to seamers so they're either left out or a last resort.
Surrey for example had both Virdi and Moriarty fairly highly rated a few years back but they've barely played a game in the last couple of years because Jacks can bowl a few overs when required.
Ah ok, thanks. And I guess that isn’t resolved because the schedule is dictated by other competitions which are more lucrative for both individuals and the ECB?
Yeah, the Hundred is the priority now for the ECB so everything has to fit around that.
Moeen Ali... seriously? A bloke that doesn't really have the stomach for tests and we're parachuting him in for ashes? I can see that backfiring hugely. McCullum seems to have the golden touch but even he'll struggle to make that one work.
We must have a better option... surely...
We must have a better option... surely...
We might but they're hiding reaaaallly well.
Rehan would be an aggressive choice, and I have no idea why they completely gave up on Parkinson. No apparent reason. I think he's a good bowler with some tools to work with.
I think the problem is they see the spinner as mainly tying down the opposition, resting our old boys in the attack. So stylistically that's probably why they're less keen on the wrist spinners and are going back to this conservative choice.
We can't pick an 18 year old leg spinner for the ashes. The liklihood that it would have a severe negative effect on his career is sufficiently high I would be demanding an investigation if we did that.
Parkinson hasn't been making Lancashire's red ball team this season, right?
Parkinson’s too slow for international cricket I think. Sad how little he’s been invested in since his test debut this time last year though, this country has no idea how to develop spinners.
Ahmed’s basically playing every game because he can bat otherwise they wouldn’t both with him in the 4 day stuff either.
Ahmed’s basically playing every game because he can bat otherwise they wouldn’t both with him in the 4 day stuff either.
We could. Conventional wisdom says don't but if he's good enough, he's old enough.
He probably isn't ready, but Parkinson might have been if they bothered to give him time to develop in easier tests. He's got a great FC record, if Lancashire want to be idiots thats on them, we should be taking spinning talents into the fold at international level regardless because we're desperate for them. If he had a quarter of the backing Crawley got where would things be?
Looks like Moeen has been added to the squad, was always gonna happen I guess, always felt he was a confidence player so hopefully the new set up suits him by allowing him to just go for it
Can I interest anyone in some Lancs discussion? Good first day at Southport.
Close - Lancashire trail Hampshire by 3 runs with 9 wickets remaining
Can our draw kings finally force a win?
Close - Lancashire trail Hampshire by 3 runs with 9 wickets remaining
Can our draw kings finally force a win?
Surrey currently making a good job of chasing down 501 to win at Canterbury.
Dom Sibley is 97 not out off 356 with a 27 strike rate.
Dom Sibley is 97 not out off 356 with a 27 strike rate.
Sibley brings up his 100 off 368 deliveries.
He's been out there for more than eight and a half hours.
He's been out there for more than eight and a half hours.
Poor guy. Has absolutely no chance of an England recall under Stokes
Poor guy. Has absolutely no chance of an England recall under Stokes
Foakes has also brought up a century and is now putting his foot down a bit. I hope England don't live to regret leaving him out.
England going with Broad,Anderson,Robinson and Mo for the first test. Hard to see how they will get 20 wickets at Edgbaston with this attack
I’m not sure they were left with much choice. Archer, Stone and Wood all injured, right? Definitely not an ideal situation given there’s injury doubts over all of the quicks bar Broad.
Wood is in the squad so I assume that he is fit
Oh sorry I didn’t realise. I don’t think there was any way they could leave Broad out given the injury doubts over the others. But you’re right, it looks too one dimensional considering the pitch and conditions.
I’m worried about Anderson, Robinson and Broad as the three seamers - they are all pretty pedestrian in pace these days and 2are coming back from injuries. Add Stokes’s knee and you’d have to be worried, especially as Ali could easily get hit out the attack.
I like Wood for his short bursts; he can make thing happen from nothing and swing the old ball.
Australia bat pretty deep - I don’t want to see 3 80mph bowlers trying to bounce them out.
I like Wood for his short bursts; he can make thing happen from nothing and swing the old ball.
Australia bat pretty deep - I don’t want to see 3 80mph bowlers trying to bounce them out.
I’m not that surprised by the Broad and Anderson double pick. Obviously going for their experience and knowledge of some of these Australian players, but yeah could backfire badly if the pitch is flat or any of them struggle for fitness. Guess we’ll have to just wait and see…
I was feeling quite confident and excited a few weeks ago but the injuries to our bowlers and Australia’s dominance against India has dampened that quite a bit!
I was feeling quite confident and excited a few weeks ago but the injuries to our bowlers and Australia’s dominance against India has dampened that quite a bit!
Some of the posts are just laughable, whether it people stating what the Edgbaston pitch & conditions will be like or that Anderson, Broad and Robinson aren’t good enough to get 20 wickets in a test match…
What’s laughable about them?
Well obviously said posters are groundsman at Edgbaston and it’s not as if Anderson & Broad have had any succes bowling with the Dukes ball in England. God give me strength..
I don’t think anyone is talking in definites, but the pitch looks dry and flat. We’ve had a heatwave for a month with maybe one day of rain, at least where I am in the country. The conditions for the first two days look very hot and dry, with no cloud cover or moisture in the air.
Added to that, three of the bowlers had very recent injury concerns and all bowl a similar pace, two of them in their mid/late thirties, which is almost unheard of with quick bowlers at this level, with their best performances coming in conditions that are good for movement.
Obviously it’s guess work, but surely you can see why there’s concerns?