Weakest England top 5 since?

Time began maybe?

It's been a while. I thought maybe 1989 or 1997, but those teams at least looked strong on paper with a lot of blokes who performed well over their careers, if not at the time.

I dread to think how we'll get on down under. The batting bar root one to five looks about on par with Bangladesh. 0-4 with a high scoring or rain draw.

I would have thought with less Kolpak players diluting the chances of young English players coming through that more talent would have emerged.

But aside from Burns, Root and the injured Stokes, the cupboard appears bare.

And the aging bowling stocks of Broad and Anderson may find it tougher on the hard, flat Aus pitches.

Having said that, the Aus top 6 is hardly stellar.

Warner is waning, Smith is not quite so prolific and even Labuschagne has not produced his best of late.

Our other opening spot is up for grabs and we desperately need a no. 5. Cameron Green seems to have potential at 6.

Who knows, it might be a bowlers' series come the Aus summer.

skully wrote:Having said that, the Aus top 6 is hardly stellar.

Warner is waning, Smith is not quite so prolific and even Labuschagne has not produced his best of late.

Our other opening spot is up for grabs and we desperately need a no. 5. Cameron Green seems to have potential at 6.

Who knows, it might be a bowlers' series come the Aus summer.

Two of our top three quicks failed to fire last summer as well.

skully wrote:I would have thought with less Kolpak players diluting the chances of young English players coming through that more talent would have emerged.

It’s proving that the Kolpak players provided the tough competition that the young players needed in order to develop.

The scheduling is probably the bigger issue though. What preparation is it for Test cricket to just play in conditions where 70mph seamers dominate?

Darren Stevens??

Don't you mean "pensioner 70 mph seamers"?? He's 45 FFS.

I see Olly Stone has been ruled out of the Ashes with stress fractures.

Big Dog wrote:I see Olly Stone has been ruled out of the Ashes with stress fractures.

Stone is more glass than Wood…