Western Australia v England, Perth, November 5-7

Some video highlights
http://www.ecbtv.co.uk/page/Video/TestsArticles/0,,11617~2211118,00.html

I'm wondering if England are just going to play their full strength side for every match leading up to the first test and try and win them all?

Nice idea. I just hope they don't get burnt out/injured.

Actually wait. I remember Strauss saying that the three fast bowlers for the first test will more than likely travel from Adelaide straight to Brisbane to get used to conditions there, and miss the game against Australia A in Hobart.

I wish KP would forget about that reverse sweep/switch hit of his unless it's absolutely necessary (ie the bowler is bowling a foot outside leg stump with a packed leg side field)

Henry wrote:Positives- Strauss, Broad, Pietersen, and to a lesser extent Swann have all found form.

Negatives- Anderson did nothing to show that he can take wickets in this part of the world, Cook and Collingwood are badly out of touch.

I'll let Jimmy off this time as he is coming back from injury.

The knives are being sharpened though! He has to play in most of the warm ups for me.

Agreed - JA has always been a bowler who's at his best when playing on a regular basis. It won't hurt him to play all three warm-ups and get the overs in his legs, find his rhythm, especially as his training pre-series was somewhat curtailed.

Still can't believe he got a busted rib doing boxing of all things - nothing wrong with that in itself, but which huge-brain didn't consider body protection as well as head guards ? You don't need the brains of a quantum physicist to see a bloke of Tremlett's size & reach has a good chance of injuring somebody .......

Growler wrote:Agreed - JA has always been a bowler who's at his best when playing on a regular basis. It won't hurt him to play all three warm-ups and get the overs in his legs, find his rhythm, especially as his training pre-series was somewhat curtailed.

Still can't believe he got a busted rib doing boxing of all things - nothing wrong with that in itself, but which huge-brain didn't consider body protection as well as head guards ? You don't need the brains of a quantum physicist to see a bloke of Tremlett's size & reach has a good chance of injuring somebody .......

Yes but "brains" and "ECB" are not necessailly words which would feature in the same sentence.

I reckon they'll play Anderson in all the warm up games, but send Broad, Finn and Swann to Brisbane after Adelaide.

Yep, I'd go along with that - just so long as Bresnan is kept as professional 12th man. I don't think I coud stand the embarrasment if he actually had to bowl in atest in Aussie.

If Anderson gets crocked Bresnan will come in. You can be sure of it. 'Like for like', and all that rubbish. Imo you pick your best bowlers. End of.

Henry wrote:If Anderson gets crocked Bresnan will come in. You can be sure of it. 'Like for like', and all that rubbish. Imo you pick your best bowlers. End of.

"Like for Like"? you'd struggle to find an opening bowler in England with Bressie's waist measurement. Yep' I'd go for Tremlett in place of Anderson if push comes to shove as I suspect this Aussie batting line-up doesn't fancy it up 'em.

If Anderson doesn't take wickets in the next to warm up games then i'd pick Tremlett over him anyway. Depends a bit on the weather forecast as well. If it's cloudy at Brisbane then it should swing.