England v Australia, 4th Test, Old Trafford, 19-23 July, 2023

So, all to play for.

All of Australia hopes Warner gets dropped. Shirley Marsh has to be retained (never thought I'd ever say that) and Green to return, just a matter of sorting who opens with Ooze. Haze will return for ScoBo, Koo looked sharp and Pat will probably soldier on. Leaves the last spot as a battle between Neser and Murphy.

With only a draw needed, Neser's batting might get him across the line.

For England, only Jonny's keeping remains a problem. Byes and dropped catches almost cost England again.

Does England drop Robinson for Tongue (as form suggests) or surrender to sentiment and being Jimmy back?

lardbucket wrote:Does England drop Robinson for Tongue (as form suggests) or surrender to sentiment and being Jimmy back?

I think Jimmy

On his home ground you’d think Jimmy gets the nod, though I’d like to think they will consider the surface/weather conditions in their selection.

Can Broad play all five? No obvious suggestions otherwise…

Weather aside, this one is going to be 2-3, or 3-1 innit?

Can’t see England accepting a draw.

They can't, we hold the Ashes, so a Drawn series means we hold.

Thank heaven there is a break.

I was awake for 26 hours straight. My sleeping patterns are stuffed.

Ok. I would replace ScoBo with Neser but keep Murphy depending on the pitch.

I don’t give a toss who replaces him, but surely it is damned time he was permanently binned.

Mathematically; the series could still finish 2-1, 2-2, 2-3; 3-1, 3-2, or 4-1.

Only one of these six possibilities sees us losing the Ashes. I’d love to think that’s only a 17% chance!!!

I think the ones involving draws are fairly unlikely, even though the weather forecast looks somewhat unsettled for the next couple of weeks at least.

Another Desmond series as per 2019 would be annoying in terms of failing to regain the Ashes, but maybe fitting on the balance of play.

Yeah, it's been very even so far.

I obviously hope Australia wins the series outright to achieve the first such result since 2001, but would accept 2-all.

If that eventuated, I'd prefer it to be after a drawn Test at OT.

horace wrote:Thank heaven there is a break.

I was awake for 26 hours straight. My sleeping patterns are stuffed.

Ok. I would replace ScoBo with Neser but keep Murphy depending on the pitch.

I don’t give a toss who replaces him, but surely it is damned time Warner was permanently binned.

Was missing the name Warner in the last sentence. I have an aversion to even thinking about him as a cricketer let alone as a person.

Merv was on the 10 Nooz and reckons the Grub is safe, mainly because there's no obvious replacement.

I would argue that Marnus goes in early anyway due to Warner's uselessness, so he IS an obvious replacement.

beamer wrote:On his home ground you’d think Jimmy gets the nod, though I’d like to think they will consider the surface/weather conditions in their selection.

Can Broad play all five? No obvious suggestions otherwise…

The only thing is, last I looked, Jim has a poor record at OT, for some reason. Counter-intuitive.

TB is his best Test ground IIRC. Or was.


Broad? Might depend on how the body's holding up. The week's break helps.

England can't afford a quick who's less than 96% top fitness. Stokes not bowling, or hardly, so doesn't count under that category.

Robbo shoyld be dropped. A (regular) fitness liability, even if passes a fitness test.

unchanged squad for the Poms

The Back Page boys seem to think the Grub will be retained.

Where does that leave Marsh and Green? Would seem very hard to drop Marsh. Play Snot for Murph??

Nath wrote:unchanged squad for the Poms

So no farewell for Jimmeh at his home ground.

skully wrote:The Back Page boys seem to think the Grub will be retained.

Where does that leave Marsh and Green? Would seem very hard to drop Marsh. Play Snot for Murph??

Haddit suggested that Marsh deserves to stay but thinks Warner will remain for the rest of the series. He also thinks that the back stop could come in at #3 to allow Foakes to join Woakes and Stokes.

skully wrote:

Nath wrote:unchanged squad for the Poms

So no farewell for Jimmeh at his home ground.

He was in the squad anyway, so will be an option along with Lawrence and Tongue who also missed out at Headingley.

Ah, cheers beams.

Lawrence has staked a strong claim to play Bazball at Manchester.

Jimmeh into Eng XI for Slobbo.

With the Grub seemingly assured of playing, I'd go in with the Bison at 6, Snot at 7 and Mariah at 8. No Murph for me, with Haze returning for ScoBo.

I know the "experts" will say stacking your batting side never works (although it always seems to work for India), we hold the Ashes, so a long batting line-up (and 5 seamers) seems only logical.

Surely we could ask for a concussion test on Warner. I doubt there’s been a moment in the last 15 years where he would have passed.

Horrie - if the Waughs were ‘koalas’, what of the status of Warner? Why are we protecting The Cane Toad? The pest that just can’t be eliminated?

England’s attack will be the oldest in Ashes cricket since 1928, with Anderson (almost 41), Broad (37), Moeen (36), Woakes (34) and Wood the youngster of the crop (33).