Dave Graveney versus Flaming Bails

If I were picking a team for Sri Lanka, assuming everyone is fit:

Trescothick
Cook
*Vaughan
Pietersen
Ramprakash
Collingwood
Flintoff
+Read
Harmison
Hoggard
Panesar

I reckon that would be close to the strongest XI England could put on the park. In real life Tres' brain is still weird, Graveney hates Ramps, Read seems to be history and Flintoff would probably break down given the responsibility of being 3rd seamer in Sri Lankan weather. And besides, as we all know, the Devil is whispering in Gravo's ear...

holcs wrote:The only howls I would make would be over Wissy Weed.

It's Sri Lanka we need someone who can stand up to the stumps and catch for Monty.

keep up, Ange, England plays a batting longstop these days

eowyn wrote:

holcs wrote:The only howls I would make would be over Wissy Weed.

It's Sri Lanka we need someone who can stand up to the stumps and catch for Monty.

Sod that Ange, I'd rather have someone who even opens there eyes when Murali is on, than have Read batting at 7 and our tail..... Thats scary!

lardbucket wrote:keep up, Ange, England plays a batting longstop these days

Why?

I like the look of Merlin's squad, Gary's team - /Read, Leo's team, bar Read and think that lardy's preposterous idea of Bell opening and Read at 7 is possibly the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard in my life. A man with a chronic off stump problem, who's never been good when the ball is doing a bit to open? Joisus Chroist.

Also, Angela's 'stand up to Monty' malarkey is runner-up for preposterousness. Geraint Owen Jones did the best job bar Ripley in standing up to Monty and, overall, Nixon was probably better than Read standing up to Monty.

holcs wrote:

eowyn wrote:

holcs wrote:The only howls I would make would be over Wissy Weed.

It's Sri Lanka we need someone who can stand up to the stumps and catch for Monty.

Sod that Ange, I'd rather have someone who even opens there eyes when Murali is on, than have Read batting at 7 and our tail..... Thats scary!

Balls, 1-6 should have sorted Murali, if they haven't we're doomed anyway.

Edit: I was just trying to think up names for everyone and ended up with twelve players.

Alastair Cook
Michael Vaughan
Owais Shah
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Dijon Mustard
Adil Rashid
Stuart Broad
Matthew Hoggard
James Anderson
Monty Panesar

re Bell opening ... Danny, you just know it's going to happen, don't you?

Batfink Begins wrote:I like the look of Merlin's squad, Gary's team - /Read, Leo's team, bar Read and think that lardy's preposterous idea of Bell opening and Read at 7 is possibly the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard in my life. A man with a chronic off stump problem, who's never been good when the ball is doing a bit to open? Joisus Chroist.

Also, Angela's 'stand up to Monty' malarkey is runner-up for preposterousness. Geraint Owen Jones did the best job bar Ripley in standing up to Monty and, overall, Nixon was probably better than Read standing up to Monty.

So GoJones for SL then?

Who would you have instead of Read, Batfink?

Augustus wrote:Cookie
Virgil
Shah
King Pietersen
Colly
Bell
Rashid
Dijon
Broad
Hoggy
Monty

Jeff Dijon?

That's not really my team. I accidentally picked Ian Bell. I'd go with:

Alastair Cook
Michael Vaughan
Owais Shah
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Dijon Mustard
Adil Rashid
Stuart Broad
Matthew Hoggard
James Anderson
Monty Panesar

The Mustard and Onions combo looks increasingly likely ... although Gravy may feel it's unfair competition

With Stuart Broad beans and Adil Radish the team begins to resemble a salad

lardbucket wrote:re Bell opening ... Danny, you just know it's going to happen, don't you?

I'll be over there in a shot and stop the series by way of Buddhist protest.

eowyn wrote:So GoJones for SL then?

Neh, can't bat for sh!t anymore.

Leo wrote:Who would you have instead of Read, Batfink?

Depends how Mustard gets on. Nixon otherwise. He's just been batting and keeping too well to be denied.

lardbucket wrote:The Mustard and Onions combo looks increasingly likely ... although Gravy may feel it's unfair competition

Broadly speaking, a good Cook would 'ave that in a Pan (esar) immediately.

Aye, though some would prefer it with a Hog(gard) roast, couldn't do any Harm(ison).

Oh dear.

We could make an ace cornbeef hash with all that lot, better than making a hash of the cricket, me thinks.

eowyn wrote:We could make an ace cornbeef hash with all that lot, better than making a hash of the cricket, me thinks.

With what lot?

Colly flowers as skipper ...

Augustus wrote:That's not really my team. I accidentally picked Ian Bell. I'd go with:

Alastair Cook
Michael Vaughan
Owais Shah
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Dijon Mustard
Adil Rashid
Stuart Broad
Matthew Hoggard
James Anderson
Monty Panesar

mustard at 6?

A bloke who has averaged 25 in FC cricket this year? May as well play Read.

Mustard is good and he was my pick for the ODI side but not a 6 in test cricket

In batting order-

Cook
Vaughan(c)
Shah
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Foster+
Swann
Tremlett
Hoggard
Sidebottom

It would be nice if we had a quality left hander in that middle order to break things up a bit, but Joyce has gone backwards and Strauss remains in poor form.

No, Read's no good, he averaged 50 in County Cricket ... I guess that just 'proves' that CC is 'shit' ... in his case at least.

Henry wrote:In batting order-

Cook
Vaughan(c)
Shah
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Foster+
Swann
Tremlett
Hoggard
Sidebottom

Foster would be a fair pick. But you'd ditch Panesar?