England v Australia, 2nd Test, Lords, 28 June - 2 July, 2023

Changes?

For Australia, perhaps just one, Starc for Boland, though even that is nit certain.

For England, Foakes and Dawson in for Ali and Duckett? Wood in for Anderson?

Jayzus don't wish Daws on that team!

PeterCS wrote:Jayzus  don't wish Daws on that team!

Yeah, I probably wouldn’t play a spinner there, although it depends on conditions. If Foakes were to come in for one of the openers it would be a hands up who wants to open out of the top 7 scenario, which isn’t ideal… he’s maybe more likely to play in place of the spinner, would be a handy number 8.

There is talk of drafting in Jacks??

PeterCS wrote:There is talk of drafting in Jacks??

I don’t really get what an inexperienced bits-and-pieces player would bring. We need a spinner who can give us either control or wickets with a degree of confidence, or otherwise we may as well just rely on Root to fill in and play Foakes or another seamer or even another specialist batter…

Isn't Jacks a like for like for Moeen, or at least what Moeen once was? Primarily a batsman, who bowls a bit?

There must be some decent spinners in County cricket, at least a Giles standard containing type to bowl a lot of overs? I understood that that was why Dawson has been considered ...

lardbucket wrote:Isn't Jacks a like for like for Moeen, or at least what Moeen once was? Primarily a batsman, who bowls a bit?

There must be some decent spinners in County cricket, at least a Giles standard containing type to bowl a lot of overs? I understood that that was why Dawson has been considered ...

Well yeah, but Moeen has nearly 200 Test wickets behind him. If the choice is between a poor man’s Moeen and a poor man’s Ashley Giles, without the experience of either, might as well strengthen the side elsewhere, or be really brave and pick Rehan Ahmed…

Incidentally, the King of Spain in his prime (such as it was) would have been valuable in this side, though Baz and Stokes would probably have seen him as too negative a selection!

I like the idea of Rehan Ahmed.

A: My preferred selection (yes, I know...)

Crawley
Duckett
Bairstow
Root
Brook
Stokes *
Foakes +
Woakes
Wood
Stone
Rehan

* - if fit. If not, oh bugger.
+ - if the ECB or someone has fallen out with Ben, then debut for Simpson. He knows the gloves, he knows the slope

PANIC STATIONS? ALL CHANGE? Well, it's obvious they are going to have to switch in and out, so make a virtue of it and take them Aussies by surprise by hitting them with the fast revolving doors.

And battering them with a wood/stone combo will be a hard rain.

On the serious side, the selection needs to be purposive, whatever it is.


B: Expected team for Lord's (all being fit to stand):

Crawley
Duckett
Pope
Root
Brook
Stokes *
Bairstow +
Moeen
Robinson
Broad
Anderson

Leaving Pope out, that’s an interesting one (aside from him being vice-captain now…) There’s still something a bit unconvincingly Belfy about him at times but he looked in good form and was one who was actually got out by the bowlers on this occasion, as opposed to playing one reckless shot too many.

Oh yeah, and he made a double century against a minnow recently. Did I say Belfy?

The punchline of the joke - an extended one, it's true - came after the word "Lord's".

In seriousness, I wonder if Duckett and Pope are a bit samey.

And - another serious point - would you drop Bairstow?

PeterCS wrote:The punchline of the joke - an extended one, it's true - came after the word "Lord's".

In seriousness, I wonder if Duckett and Pope are a bit samey.

And - another serious point - would you drop Bairstow?

I don’t see how Jonny can be dropped, as a batsman… still wonder if he might end up being tried as an opener at some point, as we try to shoehorn everyone in. If we did drop Duckett or Crawley, there’s a case for trying any of him, Pope, Root, Stokes or Brook there!

I think Pope’s the most “classical” batsman we have, the others are more rock n’ roll (or maybe a touch of laid back jazz, in the case of Root). Anyway, with reference to my comparison, for all we mock the mighty Belf at times, he made nearly 8,000 Test runs at an average comfortably in the 40s, and was player of the series in a 3-0 Ashes win (though almost fittingly, his Test career fizzled out within 18 months of that apparent coming of age). He always had that kind of sense of impermanence at the crease to trump even Vaughan or Gower, to name others of a similar glorious cover drive and inglorious nick to slip. But if Pope matches his career achievements he will have done pretty well (though as current heir to the iron throne of Bazball, he’s obviously seen as more in the leadership mould than IRB ever was…)

The New Belf?

For Australia , maybe Starc for Haze.
For England , request to dial up a greentop and go with Wood, in for Moeen.

Just watched the Day 5 Mini on Nine Now. I had seen it live up to Tea, so whizzed through to the post-Tea stuff.

The boys stayed positive the whole time after that last break (cost Carey his wicket). 2nd's knock was simply outstanding. Lead from the front. And Elmer was ice cool. What a winning partnership that was. Nice to see ferrets ScoBo and Elmer stand up.

The winning shot that was misfielded into the boundary in front of delirious Aussie tour groups and not far from the ecstatic Aus dressing room was GOLD.

I reckon Koo will come in to the Aus XI at Lords. Not sure for who (it won't be 2nd). I reckon Mo's finger might see him rested from the Eng XI for Lords, with maybe Wood to come in as well. Bairstow (his misses were very costly) should be flicked for Foakes but won't be.

lardbucket wrote:The New Belf?

That’s where my “Cheesy” nickname for him came from, as in Baby Bell…

skully wrote:Just watched the Day 5 Mini on Nine Now. I had seen it live up to Tea, so whizzed through to the post-Tea stuff.

The boys stayed positive the whole time after that last break (cost Carey his wicket). 2nd's knock was simply outstanding. Lead from the front. And Elmer was ice cool. What a winning partnership that was. Nice to see ferrets ScoBo and Elmer stand up.

The winning shot that was misfielded into the boundary in front of delirious Aussie tour groups and not far from the ecstatic Aus dressing room was GOLD.

I reckon Koo will come in to the Aus XI at Lords. Not sure for who (it won't be 2nd). I reckon Mo's finger might see him rested from the Eng XI for Lords, with maybe Wood to come in as well. Bairstow (his misses were very costly) should be flicked for Foakes but won't be.

If we don’t play a specialist spinner we don’t need a specialist keeper anyway.

At your peril, beams, IMHO.

Jonny spilled at least one catch off the quicks.

skully wrote:At your peril, beams, IMHO.

Jonny spilled at least one catch off the quicks.

I guess so… though are we assuming Foakes is infallible behind the stumps?

We’ve struggled with this for the best part of 30 years. Stewart v Russell. Jones/Prior v Read/Foster. Buttler/Bairstow v Foakes. In all cases the batsman who keeps has ultimately won the day, rightly or wrongly. I suppose with only 11 players, it’s hard to bring yourselves to pick essentially a specialist fielder, at the expense of your batting or bowling resources.

it would be incredibly foolish to risk moeen again when hes played so little FC cricket that his finger splits open
after bowling about 30 overs. and since Stokes can only bowl a few overs himself, better to select an extra seamer like woakes. but when anderson was interviewd he suggested that 10 days would be enough for all to recover and be ok for Lords. But really all the bowlers except Root and Broad were labouring under handicaps of various injuries, and both woakes and wood are no exception. plus they hve a keeper who hasnt kept much since he broke his leg - they have to hope jonny is sharper for Lords. Its such a long list, its gonna need a miracle to recover from edgbaston!

LOL. Some Aussie fans online have labelled Australia's playing style under Pat Cummins as "Cumball", stating "Cumball > Bazball".

Watch what you do with that Cumball.

Rehan Ahmed added to England squad.

Interesting.

Only in case Mo's skinned-alive finger doesn't fully heal?

Sure I heard last night that Jacks-of-all-trades had been added…

Hopefully haven't jinxed him , but the GOAT will become the first bowler to play 100 consecutive tests.