Oh yeah, Vince back in at 4, that'll be what they do if Denly bites the dust.
Flowing.
Oh yeah, Vince back in at 4, that'll be what they do if Denly bites the dust.
Flowing.
Oh yeah nailed on they go back to Vince at some point. Can’t wait.
They won’t change top seven it’ll be Leach and Archer for Mo and Anderson.
Bairstow Test average is down to 35.7, what would it take for them to replace him with a better keeper?
I saw a load of cunts on the live-text suggesting Vince.
Be assured, lads, that I felt all the rage on your behalf. All of the rage.
Nathan Lyon quietly reaching 350 wickets. What a champion. He and Smith are the first two names on a combined Aus-Eng XI. Then it's Cummins and probably like seven English players, so swings and roundabouts.
That said, I'm not getting cocky yet. It's a long series, and you'll have eleven fit players for the rest of the matches.
I have to assume that Starc will come in at Lords for one of Siddle or Pattinson. Not immediately obvious which one though. They were both... fine.
I'm still not anywhere near sold on Bancroft when two better openers are sitting on the sidelines. Wade I'm begrudgingly happy to continue with, as long as he never gets within a mile of the keeping gloves.
Yeah we all need to keep quiet on any celebrations. Bancroft wont be getting dropped in a winning team but bloody hell he is one lucky prick.
Edit: Every cricket ground in Australia must have a Nathan Lyon statue as an apology due to the gross amount of disrespect he has copped through out his career.
Last edited by Queenslander; 06-08-2019 at 02:09 AM.
Was just trawling back to read some of the sandpaper stuff (all very funny, particularly Ital's involvement) to try and track down predictions of Smith's triumphant return (agreed by me and Jimmy on page 90 or 91) when I came upon this comment in the midst of the scandal (whilst we were presumably fucking up in New Zealand or the West Indies):
plus ca change and all that.
Also, a particular highlight for me yesterday, not to bang on about the same guy ad infinitum, was Denly's little tickle to short leg and review combo. I'm not sure even Watto would have had the brass neck to do that. Bairstow was probably a bit unlucky, and it was a lost cause by that point, but he still needs to think about where the ball hits him when reviewing, which I'm not sure he does.
Bairstow just seems perplexed by the idea that he could be out without having put on a big score. Which frankly you'd think he'd be used to by now.
Enjoyed that despite the result. Nobody loses like the English. Take it all in good humour and get on with your day.
Having Australia 112-8 on the first day, following up with a 90 run lead and still finding a way to lose is pretty good even for us.
I remember saying with absolute certainty to a mate on Friday that we were in control and going to win. Impressive stuff.
Our swashbuckling middle order managing 76 runs across 6 attempts between the three of them was particularly tasty.
Anderson confirmed as missing the second test. This is where we put Archer in before he's ready and he gets another injury as well.
The whole team is 'swashbuckling' which is the problem really. For a couple of years now the rule has been one grinder allowed, previously Cook and now Burns. Not enough. Our side that reached number one had Cook, Trott AND Collingwood grinding, which got the best out of Strauss, Pietersen, Bell and Prior.
We're a proper glass cannon. Basically by design as well with all the focus on the shorter forms.
That Roy wicket was great stuff.
I don't mind the focus on limited overs, the question is why they are playing all the same players in this and not red ball specialists.
Found a thing on the ECB site from last year that says:
"Right, that's the one day side sorted.""This season will see the introduction of a scouting system with designated discipline-specific scouts, including the current ECB national lead coaches, providing information to a three-strong selection panel, made up of a new National Selector, a full-time independent England Selector and the England Head Coach."
*looks at watch*
"Now we can either discuss the merits of our best red-ball cricketers and pick a team geared towards the unique demands of test cricket or we can just do a copy-paste and go to the bar."
I can't remember my stance. It's still utter nonsense that they got 18-month bans for an offence that the ICC gave them zero/one match bans for. And for which other players get smirky finger wags from their home boards (England).
Still, what can you do when the moral campaigners come out. Of which I may have been one? I can't remember.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/49255871
All-rounder.
Ackermann
I think England's test team are ready for another Saffa, give that man a passport.
When did we last not have a Saffa? There's a fairly steady stream of them going back to Tony Greig. In fact, Basil d'Oliveira.
Jennings
Pietersen
Trott
Smith
Lamb
Greig
That's just the proper ones, loads of sort-of-saffas down the years as well.
A few bonus Zimbos too: Hick, Ballance and Curran (x2).
Last edited by Jimmy Floyd; 07-08-2019 at 09:14 PM.
Roy's a sort-of-saffa isn't he?
Came over at 11 or something, hard for they of the elephant rifles to claim.
Same for evil establishment posho Andrew Strauss.
apparently jim maxwell asked boycott on tms "are you a believer", and boycott proceeded to explain he was an atheist because of the problem of evil. kind of wish i'd heard that just because it sounds so surreal.
Jim Maxwell sitting there thinking "Strewth, Geoff, I only meant do you think England can win the match."
I do love an occasional pang of surreal cricket commentary. The best time to find it is when we tour Pakistan, it's 5am, you're barely awake and Ramiz Raja is suddenly giving his opinion on seals, or the Church of England.
Blowers waffling on about a sumptuous (or possibly luscious) London bus is a highlight of mine.
And his pigeon updates.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...herts-49241368
Monty's such an odd character. If you're going to lie why choose sodding Bedford?
His twitter is a deranged and often disturbing thing. I think he has the dual jeopardy of mental issues and a hugely exploitative agent.
He needs to settle down and become a spin bowling coach.
At Bedford School, if that's one of the suitably posho ones.
Posh enough for Sir Alastair 'right sort of family' Cook to have emerged from it, though the accent reduces his posh credentials a fair bit.
Leach in for Mo, then, as expected. Other than that and Archer just taking Jimmy's spot are we expecting any other changes? I'd like to see us find room for Curran but I've no idea where.
Not that it matters given that Smith is definitely going to be out before he hits 50 by the hand of Jack Leach, 100% guaranteed, and we'll romp to victory from there.
I would have kept Moeen. Aus are packed with left handers. You can't pick a team because you're scared of one bloke.
I would borderline pick Curran instead of a useless batsman.
I can't remember if it was somebody on The Spin when I gave that a bash the other day or somebody on Sky but I some some journo going (I'm paraphrasing) "Fuck it, just put Woakes in Denly's spot and pick another bowler."
I love Mo but I do think it is the right decision to drop him - he looked completely out of form with the ball and Stuart Broad looked comfortably more in control with the bat which tells you everything.
I probably would go for the following:
Burns
Roy
Root
Denly
Stokes
Buttler
Woakes
Curran
Broad
Archer
Leach
It’ll never happen as YJB is apparently completely untouchable.
I would ditch Denly before YJB. There has to be someone in county cricket batting well enough to replace either of those. Sibley to open and Roy moving down?
Curran for Denly. Woakes to 6. Players in this team seem to get massively hung up on what their 'role' is though, so I don't know. Moeen as guilty of that as anyone, he goes into meltdown every two years when there isn't a lead spinner in the side.
Mo looks absolutely shot. He's such a weird, mercurial player. For the last 5 years or so I must have flip-flopped between thinking he's such an absolute must-pick game winner and thinking he's absolutely village about 10 times. I'd perhaps bow to your superior knowledge Jim, but my gut instinct is that I can't see Mo playing his way back into form against the Aussies. Let him have a giggle in the VITALITY BLAST with Worcestershire and bring him back if Leach has a mare in the next couple of tests.
Who's 3rd in line?
Rashid has fucked his shoulder, so you're probably looking at Bess or Virdi, both of whom are miles away.
I like Leach but think all those lefties will get after him and negate the 'hold up an end' quality that he brings. Mo doesn't have that but he can get people out. The selection does however allow the convenient myth to build up that we are getting beaten because Smith is really good, rather than because our batting is really shite.
Last edited by Jimmy Floyd; 09-08-2019 at 08:31 PM.
In happier, non-Ashes news, Rahkeem 'the Dream' Cornwall has made the West Indies Test squad for the first time.
Google images, for the uninitiated.
He is immediately my favourite sportsman.
The spirit of Dwayne Leverock lives. What a man
I thought it was Keith Lee for a minute (Google image for anyone who isn't Ian).
When I searched for Rahkeem Cornwall on Google, the first photo that actually showed up was of Leverock.
Tom Banton is the real deal isn’t he?
Yeah, we need to get him the T20 side in advance of next autumn or whenever it is. Other formats to follow as well.
Think I might have a gigantic wedge on us for that tournament. Bigger than even the Champions Trophy. I can’t remember, that went well right?
Didn’t bet on the World Cup.
Yeah, I guess Australia will be strong at home but not sure who the other threats are. India are surprisingly shite at T20 really.