England v Australia, 1st Test, Cardiff, 8-12 July, 2015

Chris Jordan is out for six weeks with a side strain. No big deal really as he has slipped down the pecking order a bit.

Kent seem to be playing rope-a-dope against the Aussies in the current match.

About time we had the official First Test thread, I guess.

I'm looking at the scoreboard in the first Australian 'practice' game v Kent Thirds, and wondering what we've learned:

I think Rogers has done enough to come straight back in.

Watson's second innings knock probably puts him back ahead of Mitch Marsh, but with Marsh also making runs, there may be a final 'switch' during this series.

Sean Marsh is a ready reserve for Warner, who has made no runs for a while, and who might even miss T1 if he fails in the next practice match v the Chavs.

Fawad Ahmed won't be in the first Test team and may struggle to adapt to English wickets. It would not surprise if he tours without a Test; his best chance may be a dry Oval pitch and/or an injury to Lyon. He needs to play v Essex and to show a lot more than he did here.

Siddle won't play in the first Test, barring injury, and whichever one of the remaining four fast bowlers ends up mixing the drinks can consider himself unlucky.


Rogers
S Marsh (Warner)
Smith
Clarke
Voges
Watson (M Marsh)
Haddin
Lyon
Johnson
Harris
Starc
Hazlewpod

cant we get losing this series over and done with so i can relax?

still ten days to go...

Bring.it.on.

At docile Cardiff, I'm picking a draw.

All that paella, chorizo, tapas and sangria consumed in Spain this week will have precluded any
bonding sessions and fitness training planned with frequent visits to the bog intervening.

Australia 1 - 0 England.
Easily.

I wonder how Bayliss has slid into the England set-up? Welcomed? Senior jocks wary?

skully wrote:I wonder how Bayliss has slid into the England set-up? Welcomed? Senior jocks wary?

Like a jar of honey, skulls.
All sweetness and light, smiles and bear hugs...
The entire England camp apparently* have all said wondrous things about him ... and vice versa!
Cook even went out to dinner with his new boss, to a restaurant where he was compelled to use a knife and fork!

Merlin wrote:Like a jar of honey, skulls.
All sweetness and light, smiles and bear hugs...
The entire England camp apparently* have all said wondrous things about him ... and vice versa!
Cook even went out to dinner with his new boss, to a restaurant where he was compelled to use a knife and fork!

Cheers Merls.

What's the Bails edict on Rikki-ing? Too early?

McGrath has tipped 5-0 to Australia.

Hawaii feels he has to do this, nobody knows.

Well, we're currently smack in the middle of a 'heatwave' so not sure we'll get any rain. Not a bad shout.

You'd get good odds, I reckon. Maybe not much different to those offered for a 5-0 win to England, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, and the Uncle Tom Cobbleys.

Have Ladbrokes and their ilk published such odds?

lardbucket wrote:You'd get good odds, I reckon.  Maybe not much different to those offered for a 5-0 win to England, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, and the Uncle Tom Cobbleys.

Have Ladbrokes and their ilk published such odds?

Aus: 5-0 = 8/1

Eng: 5-0 = 150/1

Sounds about right

You're joking?

Nobody is going to take those odds on Australia, but I reckon a few might stick 100 on England. Why not?

lardbucket wrote:You're joking?

Nobody is going to take those odds on Australia, but I reckon a few might stick 100 on England. Why not?

By gosh you're an optimistic England supporter

Squad announced tomorrow I think. No surprises likely, will be the 11 that played against Snoozia with a backup seamer or maybe two.

Brass Monkey wrote:

lardbucket wrote:You're joking?

Nobody is going to take those odds on Australia, but I reckon a few might stick 100 on England. Why not?

By gosh you're an optimistic England supporter

This is of course a bet I would hope not to win, even if I were a betting man ... a bit like Lillee and Marsh all those years ago. Tell me though where else I might get 15000 for a 100 speculation over a couple of months, when another equally unlikely outcome is listed at 8:1? If those really were the odds, 'John' would be interested.

Brass Monkey wrote:

lardbucket wrote:You'd get good odds, I reckon.  Maybe not much different to those offered for a 5-0 win to England, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, and the Uncle Tom Cobbleys.

Have Ladbrokes and their ilk published such odds?

Aus: 5-0 = 8/1

Eng: 5-0 = 150/1

Sounds about right

ive put a bit on england. at those odds youd be a fool not to although i doubt the weather will let us get a result in all five matches

I'll be chuffed if it's a 2-1 series, hopefully in our favour. A close series is so much more nerve racking and exciting.

lardbucket wrote:McGrath has tipped 5-0 to Australia.

Hawaii feels he has to do this, nobody knows.

Serious breach of forum etiquette there.

I'm assuming they'll go with those with English experience regardless of form (none of which has been bad). If Harris plays Jonhson probably won't.

Nah, Hazy will be the unfortunate one.

I reckon Harris will miss out. It'll be Johnson, Starc, and Hazlewood.

Okay, so it's Mitch, Hazy and Rhino for me.

Just to narrow down the speculative possibilities to near exhaustion.

Which Mitch, bitch