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Post by coverpoint on Jul 4, 2016 18:25:56 GMT
Probable XI: Cook (c), Hales, Vince, Root, Bairstow (wk), Stokes, Buttler, Ali, Woakes, Broad, Anderson
Never mind Borthwick or Stoneman what about Keaton Jennings who now has five centuries this season?
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Post by hhsussex on Jul 7, 2016 11:25:27 GMT
Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Gary Ballance, Joe Root, James Vince, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Jake Ball, Steven Finn, Toby Roland-Jones Surprising that Vince is retained in the squad, especially as they would hardly bring Ballance back just to carry the drinks on the first day. A nice feint and dummy past the journalists over Jos Buttler and now will Roland-Jones become a one-cap wonder or will Ball be able to find the early season form that got him into the lists to begin with? www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2016/content/story/1032969.html |
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Post by fraudster on Jul 7, 2016 21:19:45 GMT
They like Vince and they like Ballance, and they do like liking people. I thought they liked Buttler too but maybe that's more of a dislike, like. One or two odd selections for me. Think Buttler should come back in and keep with Jonny at five as an out and out bat.
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Post by hhsussex on Jul 14, 2016 7:08:23 GMT
It seems to be common consent that the Lord's pitch will be slow and true, and the Middlesex home games this year have produced an average of 432 for the first innings of the match, so the toss will be even more important than usual. Based on how they performed against Sussex the Pakistani openers are extremely fallible, particularly to a ball pitched up and allowed to swing naturally, so I expect Broad to be more effective than Finn, and Woakes too. I haven't seen Ball so don't know what sort of pitch he prefers. The middle order is strong and any chances given must be taken promptly, so no pressure on Bairstow then.
If England bat first it will be fascinating to see how Amir copes with a return to the big match atmosphere, and what will not be a forgiving crowd. I assume he will be backed up with Wahab, Rahat and one of Imran or Sohail plus Yasir Shah. It could be a useful attack if Amir swings it at pace right away, if Wahab and the others have their hearts and brains engaged from the first, and if Yasir can get a little bounce for his leg breaks. The England batting has at least two with past fallibilities and new opportunities in Vince and Ballance and overall it looks a pretty even contest.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2016 18:35:01 GMT
Against my expectations, Woakes is becoming a key member of this England side in all formats. Botham and Atherton today were both saying he's a completely different player from 12-18 months ago. He's put on two yards of pace (credited to the same England coaching set-up which Tymal Mills says has so helped him) and he's playing with great confidence and self-belief - sans Anderson, Broad neutered by the pitch, Finn way below his best and Ball understandably finding his way, he really stepped up to the plate today with a touch of the old Bothamesque 'give me the ball, I'll get him out', although without quite the same swagger.
At 27 he has hit his straps at the right time and I think over the next five or six years he may turn out to be a more consistent, if less explosive, all-rounder for England than Stokes.
Anderson, Stokes and Wood are all set to return in this Test series but I've a feeling that Woakes has made himself undroppable.
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Post by hhsussex on Jul 15, 2016 5:58:08 GMT
Against my expectations, Woakes is becoming a key member of this England side in all formats. Botham and Atherton today were both saying he's a completely different player from 12-18 months ago. He's put on two yards of pace (credited to the same England coaching set-up which Tymal Mills says has so helped him) and he's playing with great confidence and self-belief - sans Anderson, Broad neutered by the pitch, Finn way below his best and Ball understandably finding his way, he really stepped up to the plate today with a touch of the old Bothamesque 'give me the ball, I'll get him out', although without quite the same swagger. At 27 he has hit his straps at the right time and I think over the next five or six years he may turn out to be a more consistent, if less explosive, all-rounder for England than Stokes. Anderson, Stokes and Wood are all set to return in this Test series but I've a feeling that Woakes has made himself undroppable. More Botham than Pringle, would you say?  Seriously, I agree. Having seen him bowl a number of times against Sussex in the past few seasons his Test form this year is a revelation, and he fuklfilled the role I had assigned to Broad in my pre-match post. Ball looked good too, without being deadly. It still looks an even contest so far, but only because of those two late wickets and England will have to ensure that they get into the Pakistan tail and take all chances given to prevent them getting a 400+ score. Vince doesn't look as alert as a Test quality slip fielder should be: one straightforward drop and one that he let sail past, |
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Post by hhsussex on Jul 15, 2016 16:09:50 GMT
Dear Mr May and board
Please sign Yasir Shah for next season. Pay him what he's worth and get the contract negotiated by someone who knows what they're doing.
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Post by joe on Jul 15, 2016 16:42:55 GMT
NO! We don't need any more bowlers unless they can bat at 6/7!
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Post by fraudster on Jul 15, 2016 22:59:59 GMT
NO! We don't need any more bowlers unless they can bat at 6/7! Depends on the comp. We need a classy little leg spinner in the CC and a batsman or two in T20. Bit of a pickle really. HH, Yasir is hot property. He has 80 odd wickets in 13 odd Tests - he ain't gonna be playing for no county. Certainly not for long. You know the better alternative, we all do. Pakistan are an interesting team. Their bowlers are a big threat to anyone, if we didn't already know that. England are getting their selections wrong right now, for me. Eventually, we should have Anderson, Stokes, Buttler and Rashid in the team, while keeping the impressive Woakes. Do well to win this one from here batting last against these boys - I mean men, sorry Pakistan, that was very disrespectful of me. |
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Post by pompeymeowth on Jul 17, 2016 16:15:35 GMT
Pakistan were fabulous value at 11-2 to win the series, I wish I'd put more than a tenner on atm. Unless England win from here (which I'll be pleased about of course), 186-6, 97 needed as I type.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2016 19:47:07 GMT
Secretly glad Pakistan won if it makes England face up to the fact that Cook and Root are the only genuine Test quality batters in the top five and that Moeen Ali is not Graeme Swann and never will be...
I used to think Moeen was too low in the order at eight - but I've nowe come to the conclusion that he's too high at seven. Not sure quite how one squares that!
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Post by fraudster on Jul 17, 2016 21:28:01 GMT
Secretly glad Pakistan won if it makes England face up to the fact that Cook and Root are the only genuine Test quality batters in the top five and that Moeen Ali is not Graeme Swann and never will be... I used to think Moeen was too low in the order at eight - but I've nowe come to the conclusion that he's too high at seven. Not sure quite how one squares that! By dropping him, because at either position he is a bowler first in this side and not a very good one. Bit different to Sri Lanka this Pakistani attack. If we pick the right team we can beat them though. Quite a lot of changes needed for me - Stokes, Rashid, Anderson and maybe Buttler too, but definitely the first three. Cook Hales Root Vince Ballance Bairstow Stokes Woakes Rashid Broad Anderson Maybe Buttler for Ballance and give him the gloves but who knows. |
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Post by flashblade on Jul 20, 2016 9:21:12 GMT
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Post by hhsussex on Jul 21, 2016 11:39:47 GMT
Test Match Special @bbctms 2m2 minutes ago
England narrow squad down to 12 with @jakeball & @finnysteve released. @adilrashid03 remains in 12 #bbccricket
Obviously the selectors - or whoever - decided that the one sort of bowling the Pakistanis couldn't cope with was fast and straight, and clearly it was the bowling that was to blame when England failed to score enough runs.
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Post by flashblade on Jul 21, 2016 13:10:01 GMT
Test Match Special @bbctms 2m2 minutes ago England narrow squad down to 12 with @jakeball & @finnysteve released. @adilrashid03 remains in 12 #bbccricket Obviously the selectors - or whoever - decided that the one sort of bowling the Pakistanis couldn't cope with was fast and straight, and clearly it was the bowling that was to blame when England failed to score enough runs. To be fair, these two have been replaced with Anderson and Stokes, so I reckon the seam bowling has been strengthened. The batting weaknesses have still to be addressed, although I think Stokes will bolster the batting. |
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