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Post by pierredelafranchesca on Aug 4, 2019 13:02:11 GMT
Following on from the above.... Smith provides a real catch 22 conundrum, prepare a pitch you can get him out on and you tilt it in favour of their quicks, prepare pitches to nullify their attack and he's never getting out
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Post by Balladeer on Aug 4, 2019 13:27:49 GMT
How about playing a quick of your own? Any quick will do. Cripes...
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Post by nemouk on Aug 5, 2019 12:33:09 GMT
I just want to buy Joel Wilson a pint and let him go and sit down somewhere for a bit, he's having an absolute horror.
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Post by pierredelafranchesca on Aug 5, 2019 13:05:56 GMT
No one, and I mean no one, saw this coming did they? Fragile batting, unable to take wickets with no swing or seam and a spinner whose confidence is shot to pieces. 120/8 on day 1.....
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Post by nemouk on Aug 5, 2019 16:23:45 GMT
Not really, although in hindsight Steve Smith scoring the winning margin single handedly is more predictable than we all made out.
Think we need him to step on a ball a la McGrath really, hard to see us winning the series otherwise. The rest of the Aussie side is good but beatable, but Smith has kicked on to another level in the way that Root sadly hasn't quite.
Team for Lord's will be tricky. Moeen is in no sort of form, neither is Bairstow. I didn't mind picking Denly as a top three player but if you're batting him down the order there are so many better players available. Anderson presumably unfit. Woakes our best bat. Think I'd go:
Burns Denly (open or dropped for me) Root Roy Buttler Stokes Foakes (k) Woakes Broad Archer (if fit, otherwise Stone) Leach
Which does finally deliver the much dreamed of Stokes-Foakes-Woakes combination if nothing else.
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Post by pierredelafranchesca on Aug 5, 2019 18:15:33 GMT
There is no way on earth bairstow is getting dropped, too much of an ecb and captain love in with him, watch him score a solid 20 in the next test and celebrate with a churlish dig at the media again.... Prick.
Denly will get to carry on too, bit of a made the bed lie in it situation with selectors, they'll have to persist for another test at least.
I think they'll drop mo for leach and put archer (stone if he's injured) in for Andersen, and that'll be that, other than a bit of deck chair rearrangement with the batting order.
As for what I'd do, well.... I'd drop denly for ballance at 4, bairstow for foakes at 7, Mo for leach, Andersen for archer, and if he's feeling his knee, stone for woakes, though I'd be reluctant to make that change as that tail would be abysmally long
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Post by Balladeer on Aug 5, 2019 18:34:59 GMT
I’d play
Burns Roy (sigh) Root Any good county batsman, like honestly really take your pick, failing that put Woakes up here mostly as a bat, Christ Stokes Buttler Foakes Curran unless Woakes is absolutely 100%, in which case he loves Lord’s Archer unless he’s not absolutely 100%, in which case Stone Leach but I love Moe and he gets a lovely present Broad
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Post by waughandpeace on Aug 6, 2019 12:27:51 GMT
Some young lad called Archer has just taken 6-27 from 12.1 overs in a 2nd XI game for Sussex today, looks a good prospect
Edit: And now 100 runs for good measure
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Post by Balladeer on Aug 7, 2019 13:56:01 GMT
Stone out. No pressure Jofra.
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Post by pierredelafranchesca on Aug 9, 2019 14:23:47 GMT
ECB nothing if not predictable, Ali and Anderson for Archer and Leach. Denly retains his place, for now. Ballance on stand by ;-)
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Post by Balladeer on Aug 9, 2019 14:53:43 GMT
Probably so as not to make too many changes at once. That’s why Bairstow’s still in there, right? Right???
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Post by nemouk on Aug 14, 2019 9:41:40 GMT
Well, this looks for all the world like one of those four-day tests that seem to be in vogue now. Would be very surprised if we get much play today.
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Post by Balladeer on Aug 15, 2019 9:46:25 GMT
Cricket!
How many do you reckon England can lose in the first session? All ten? I’m going with six.
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Post by nemouk on Aug 15, 2019 10:26:19 GMT
stillnotatestopener.jpg
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Post by Balladeer on Aug 15, 2019 10:31:13 GMT
Well quite.
Does Rory still have his stupid moustache? Whatever works I guess, but cripes.
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