[Cricket] The Ashes 2015 ***OFFICIAL SERIES THREAD***

[Simster]

My major concerns are Bell, who hopefully has batted himself back into form in County Cricket but much more so Anderson and Broad.

Vs. the Kiwis they didn't look like a Test Side opening pace pair to me - I know Broad got at 5-for in the last Test but at a horrendous cost.

Maybe risk Anderson but replace Broad with Finn who looks like he is getting back his mojo?

Also maybe a second spinner (Rashid) by Tests 4 & 5 as wickets get dry & dusty?

I fairness, Broad has just bowled himself into a bit of form against Yorkshire. I don't like Stuart Broad much but would prefer he got the nod over Finn.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Ballance has played 13 tests that's a decent sample size. His also got a reputation of being tough mentally something that he and the England team will need in spades this summer.

I hope you're right. Hopefully something clicks in his head and he stops either worrying about his step backward in the crease, or stops doing it.

With Lyth on his 3rd match in test cricket and Cook only just getting his mojo back, no.3 and no.4 are going to be so critical for us, and yet they're our 2 most out of form players right now.

I think part of me also wants to move Root up the order. I know he struggled opening then at no.3 but I think that was a different Joe Root to what we have on our hands now. I'd rather see him batting with a few more of our top order than he gets to right now.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Broad got 7 wickets yesterday at Headingly. No way is he being dropped!!

 

[Stumpy Tim]

The position up for grabs is the third seamer surely? Can't see any other changes for the beginning of the Ashes. Finn or Jordan is my guess - hopefully Finn as Jordan just never looks like taking a wicket.

Edit: Forgot Wood. It'll be him

Cook
Lyth
Ballance
Bell
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Moeen
Broad
Wood
Anderson

 

[Bold Seagull]

KP made more of a irrefutable case for selection than Morgan as his run of scores and the manner in which he scored them over the winter in South Africa and then the summer series vs Australia meant he was a certain pick. Harsh on Graeme Thorpe at the time but Bell in tests and KP in odi's had shown such promise the selectors went with the freshness of youth who hadn't been on the receiving end of Australia's dominance previously.

He only made his ODI debut at the end of Nov 2004. It was a dramatic and incredible rise to the test team from playing 20 odd ODI's and 7 months later making his debut in the Ashes. The 3 100's in South Africa obviously helped!

 

[big nuts]

I'm just racking my brain to think of the England slip catchers as this will be critical to our chances of winning.

Cook stands at first slip then Bell & Ballance. I know Root goes into the gully and Lyth is a slip fielder in County Cricket. Anderson has fielded at first slip to the spinner previously. We have to hold our catches to stand half a chance.

 

[tinycowboy]

Just seen the Aussies outside their hotel in central Canterbury, looking relaxed, as well they might. I'm hoping for an exciting Ashes. Really hard to call how England will do - should be interesting, hopefully a series of fascinating twists and turns, and not just a drubbing. Looking forward to this.....

 

[big nuts]

The position up for grabs is the third seamer surely? Can't see any other changes for the beginning of the Ashes. Finn or Jordan is my guess - hopefully Finn as Jordan just never looks like taking a wicket.

Edit: Forgot Wood. It'll be him

Cook
Lyth
Ballance
Bell
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Moeen
Broad
Wood
Anderson

That has to be the team barring injuries for the first test. It's a good eleven and in English conditions we have a chance but it will be tough, the Aussie pace attack is pretty formidable and in Smith & Warner they have two of the Worlds in form batsman.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I'm just racking my brain to think of the England slip catchers as this will be critical to our chances of winning.

Cook stands at first slip then Bell & Ballance. I know Root goes into the gully and Lyth is a slip fielder in County Cricket. Anderson has fielded at first slip to the spinner previously. We have to hold our catches to stand half a chance.

Bell cannot go in the slip cordon after NZ can he? I would definitely look at Bell being our specialist short leg and get Lyth into the slips. Against NZ they put Lyth at short leg, and Bell in the slips and it was clearly the wrong way round.

Anyway, if Warner gets going early we might not need slips for very long!

 

[Uncle Buck]

I'd say Morgan is way down the list of possible replacements - he's looked at sea in test cricket.

I'm not so sure about Tredwell though: I reckon Rashid is higher up the pecking order - the selectors like a spinner who can bat (which is why Ali got the gig in the first place),

What's most worrying for me is that Mitchell Johnson is playing at Canterbury today in a shoot-out with Harris for the third seamer spot. If Australia can afford to leave out Johnson (who ripped us apart just 18 months ago) then we're really in trouble this summer

I think Rashid has a question mark over him as the view is he cannot hold an end up. I suspect if they drop Ali they will want a spinner to do a shift whilst the 4 seamers are rotated, like Giles did in 05.

 

[OzMike]

Can't wait, having a good run up helps and I will make my usual $100 bet with the staunch Aussie turnip at the club on Friday.

 

[knocky1]

I think Rashid has a question mark over him as the view is he cannot hold an end up.

That's why we need Wood. but to be serious neither could Monty till he got to Sophia Gardens.

Australia love targeting spinners. This will be an interesting contest. It is a hard call between Moeen and Rashid. My gut feeling is for the proper spinner to be given a chance but I would also be happy for Moeen to be in. Getting Ballance to sit out for Rashid and playing 2 spinners would have to be down to any venues expecting to get turn.

The other battle is the Aussies using the hand stitched Duke's ball. Will they take to it like Glenn McGrath or bowl to the left, bowl to the right like Johnson.

Getting excited.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I think Rashid has a question mark over him as the view is he cannot hold an end up. I suspect if they drop Ali they will want a spinner to do a shift whilst the 4 seamers are rotated, like Giles did in 05.

Agreed.

If Moeen isn't actually turning it, and is purely operating to provide rest for the seamers, then you might as well let Joe Root do it.

 

[Braggfan]

The position up for grabs is the third seamer surely? Can't see any other changes for the beginning of the Ashes. Finn or Jordan is my guess - hopefully Finn as Jordan just never looks like taking a wicket.

Edit: Forgot Wood. It'll be him

Cook
Lyth
Ballance
Bell
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Moeen
Broad
Wood
Anderson

I think that line up will be what they go with in the first test, and I agree with it except for the spinner. I think they have to play a specialist spinner not a part time one, because with Stokes being the 4th seamer it means we can gamble a little bit. Personally I’d play Tredwell as I think he’s a better bowler than Ali, and Rashid hasn’t been tried at test (Not his fault, just awful selecting decisions by those in charge). I wouldn’t be gutted if Ali plays, as he hasn’t played badly, but he’s not the best spinner and if it wasn’t for his versatility he wouldn’t get in on batting alone or bowling alone. If Tredwell struggles then I’d possibly gamble on Rashid and have Ali as a 3rd choice. If Stokes got injured, that might be different, then I think you’d play a 4 seamers and have Ali as the spin option.

In regards to Morgan, he's had a fantastic series against New Zealand but in my opinion that's the first time he's been consistently good through a whole series. I'm not saying he shouldn't get another chance at some point, but I think there are others in line ahead of him, such as Taylor. I’d prefer us to persevere with Ballance.

 

[fat old seagull]

I'd say Morgan is way down the list of possible replacements - he's looked at sea in test cricket.

I'm not so sure about Tredwell though: I reckon Rashid is higher up the pecking order - the selectors like a spinner who can bat (which is why Ali got the gig in the first place),

What's most worrying for me is that Mitchell Johnson is playing at Canterbury today in a shoot-out with Harris for the third seamer spot. If Australia can afford to leave out Johnson (who ripped us apart just 18 months ago) then we're really in trouble this summer

He hasn't got English Grandparents has he?

 

[Bold Seagull]

What's most worrying for me is that Mitchell Johnson is playing at Canterbury today in a shoot-out with Harris for the third seamer spot. If Australia can afford to leave out Johnson (who ripped us apart just 18 months ago) then we're really in trouble this summer

This is undoubtedly pre Ashes bravado from Lehman about how strong they are. Unless Johnson injures himself, he is a guaranteed start for them. Lehman just keeping the rest of them on their toes and sending a message to England.

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

I cannot wait for this series to start. I am finally going to an Ashes Test. Day 3 at Edgbaston and Day 5 at the Oval (if it gets that far)

I think it will be a tight series but we will probably lose

 

[Gwylan]

This is undoubtedly pre Ashes bravado from Lehman about how strong they are. Unless Johnson injures himself, he is a guaranteed start for them. Lehman just keeping the rest of them on their toes and sending a message to England.

Oh great, that means Harris is the back-up bowler - the guy who caused most of the trouble last time the Aussies were here. I'm strangely not comforted by the thought that Rhino is not good enough to get into this side

 

[pasty]

Just booked July 8th and July 29th off work. I wfh Thursdays and Fridays so with the 1st and 3rd tests starting on Wednesdays, I now have at least the first 4 days of each test not being in the office

Can't wait.

 

[crodonilson]

Tredwell would be an awful choice, I thought we'd put the days of safe, negative cricket behind us when we got rid of Moores??