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Post by Srihari on Oct 5, 2015 15:03:06 GMT
for what it is worth, this would be my XI purely based on current form in the UAE
Cook, Hales, Taylor, Root, Bairstow (wk), Stokes, Moe, Rashid, Wood, Broad, Anderson.
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Post by Balladeer on Oct 5, 2015 15:15:27 GMT
I'd buy that for a dollar. Four pacers and two-and-a-half spinners is more than most teams can afford.
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Post by Srihari on Oct 5, 2015 15:29:03 GMT
Although if you wanted more batting security, you could swap Stokes for a pure batter or bring in Buttler as keeper and play Bairstow as batter.
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Post by Balladeer on Oct 6, 2015 7:32:15 GMT
Ali winning the battle of the spinners so far, with two wickets at a lower economy. I really hope they both play though, and get to bowl. I mean, they should, but this is England.
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Post by Srihari on Oct 6, 2015 7:40:32 GMT
Ah songster, always looking at the stats to make you feel good about Moe Fyi, if he is your front-line spinner, he shouldn't be opening. I mean it is too much work and spin bowling is an art in and of itself. Anyways looks like a decent track.
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Post by Balladeer on Oct 6, 2015 7:50:21 GMT
Honestly winning the battle of the English spinners isn't much to 'phone home about, but there's no doubt that Moe's performance in this warm-up match is outshining Rashid's. I'll give it time. Also I don't rate him as an opener. "Onto the frontfoot/backfoot and does a defense" is one of my new favourite lines of commentary. EDIT: Cricinfo thinks that Bairstow's bowling. Much thought I'd love that, I suspect that they just can't tell their gingers apart.
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Post by Steadzz on Oct 6, 2015 8:18:38 GMT
Talking about stats, Mark Wood's figures at Lunch are beautiful. Nothing like a sub 1 economy rate!
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Post by Balladeer on Oct 6, 2015 9:22:59 GMT
Good to see England doing that English thing of letting the game drift.
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Post by Steadzz on Oct 6, 2015 9:37:38 GMT
We better get used to this sort of run-rate. This will be the series I'd imagine.
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Post by Balladeer on Oct 6, 2015 9:40:51 GMT
It's not the run rate I object to: in fact, I rather relish it. A world away from the T20s and ODIs going one at the moment. It's the wicket rate where England are disappointing me at the moment.
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MK
Robbie White
Posts: 66
Team Supported: Surrey
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Post by MK on Oct 6, 2015 10:22:22 GMT
Bit of an annoying partnership building, it's not the end of the world though. It's just a shame these warm-up games are only two days long, there's not enough time to get a real test-like innings in.
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Post by Srihari on Oct 6, 2015 10:48:02 GMT
Karnataka beat an almost full strength Bangladesh A side in under three days. The days aren't really an issue, in any case it just getting practice. As long as the team gets some time to both bat and ball, that is good enough for that is why warm ups are there.
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MK
Robbie White
Posts: 66
Team Supported: Surrey
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Post by MK on Oct 6, 2015 10:58:00 GMT
I agree Sri but you need match practice too: playing for a result, strategising, days in the field to get used to the heat, learning how the pitches play. Away tours are becoming pointless now days because no team has time to properly prepare before the Tests start. Two two day games are not enough, especially when most of this squad has never played here before.
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Post by Srihari on Oct 6, 2015 11:02:12 GMT
Fair point, if it is more than a two or three test series then you certainly need two proper FC warm up games. And this is a bit pointless.
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Post by Balladeer on Oct 6, 2015 11:10:11 GMT
Better than nothing. If nothing else, it's telling us not to get our hopes up - England can't even bowl out this lot once.
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