***Official*** South Africa in England

[James90]

Four test series. I'm a bit undecided on this one though. Broad seems below par with the ball and you can't really claim that his batting gets him over the line because Flintoff as a batsman is more than apt. Reckon I'd give Broad and Collingwood one more chance but wouldn't be disappointed or ever surprised if one of them were to carry the drinks.

 

[NZTailender]

Think Collingwood should be given the rest of the series, tbh.

 

[Days of Grace]

If Flintoff comes in for Collingwood and bats at no.6, will you be that confident if England went to lunch on the first day 80/3?

 

[Jono]

I'd play Flintoff for Broad.

Strauss
Cook
Vaughan
Pietersen
Bell
Collingwood
Flintoff
Ambrose
Anderson
Sidebottom
Monty

Pretty good team. If Jones is anywhere near his best in the future he could slot in for one of the other bowlers depending on the conditions, and then I reckon England are in a good position to be a consistent threat in test cricket at the very least.

 

[Goughy]

I think Flintoff for Broad is the right call.

In Panesar, England have a bowler that can bowl a great deal at a decent standard and in Collingwood they have a servicable 5th option.

It isnt as if they are going in with 4 seamers that will wear down quickly.

 

[Prince EWS]

I'd play Flintoff for Broad.

Strauss
Cook
Vaughan
Pietersen
Bell
Collingwood
Flintoff
Ambrose
Anderson
Sidebottom
Monty

Pretty good team. If Jones is anywhere near his best in the future he could slot in for one of the other bowlers depending on the conditions, and then I reckon England are in a good position to be a consistent threat in test cricket at the very least.

Agree with that eleven, but I personally think that if Jones is ever going to play again, it needs to be for a batsman. Could you really risk Jones and Flintoff as part of a four-man attack? You could easily be left with an attack consistenting of just Sidebottom and Panesar if you had an unlucky Test.

 

[Richard]

Think Collingwood should be given the rest of the series, tbh.

You would.

Collingwood's place must pretty soon become untenable. Whether that's now I'm not sure, but if he doesn't score in the Second Test it'll be time to say "he should be axed", and if he survives to the Third it's getting into the realms of "shocking selection".

The fact he got a bad decision in the First Test might, with some good reason, make the selectors reluctant to drop him this second.

 

[Richard]

Any particular reason this shouldn't be merged with the official thread?

Looks really weird now seeing a poll about the Second Test in a massive long thread.

 

[Richard]

Gibbs won't play. Wouldn't feel so good about Duminy opening, maybe they'd move de Villiers up?

Nah, no chance of that. They almost seem to have decided de Villiers will never open in a Test again no matter how many middle-order batsmen they have to manufacture into openers in order to do it.

 

[Zinzan]

I'd play Flintoff for Broad.

Strauss
Cook
Vaughan
Pietersen
Bell
Collingwood
Flintoff
Ambrose
Anderson
Sidebottom
Monty

Pretty good team. If Jones is anywhere near his best in the future he could slot in for one of the other bowlers depending on the conditions, and then I reckon England are in a good position to be a consistent threat in test cricket at the very least.

I would have thought the obvious thing to do would be a straight swap between Collingwood and Flintoff. I suppose the only argument is whether no.6 is too high for Flintoff. Personally I believe with a strong top 5 (which IMO England currenly have) and the added strength that would give the bowling attack, its worth it. Having said that I know nothing about Flintoff current first-class form with bat or ball, so someone please enlighten me.

 

[Richard]

Flintoff's domestic form has mostly been abysmal with the bat, and he's got truly good figures in just 1 game this season, though he's been said to have bowled reasonably well most of the time.

Flintoff's recent Test form with the bat, of course, has been poor too - or perhaps more accurately, he's been pretty poor with the bat for most of his Test career.

 

[Jono]

Agree with that eleven, but I personally think that if Jones is ever going to play again, it needs to be for a batsman. Could you really risk Jones and Flintoff as part of a four-man attack? You could easily be left with an attack consistenting of just Sidebottom and Panesar if you had an unlucky Test.

Fair enough. Ideally we're talking 12-18 months down the line I guess, but in the immediate future that's true.

If Flintoff were decent with the bat (average 35+ at the least) it'd make it easier for that to happen.

I would have thought the obvious thing to do would be a straight swap between Collingwood and Flintoff. I suppose the only argument is whether no.6 is too high for Flintoff. Personally I believe with a strong top 5 (which IMO England currenly have) and the added strength that would give the bowling attack, its worth it. Having said that I know nothing about Flintoff current first-class form with bat or ball, so someone please enlighten me.

Yeah as I said above, if Freddy were to show in the next few tests that he's in some decent form with the bat, then Freddy at 6 can work again if Jones is fit.

If Jones isn't fit, I don't think its worth the risk.

 

[Zinzan]

Flintoff's domestic form has mostly been abysmal with the bat, and he's got truly good figures in just 1 game this season, though he's been said to have bowled reasonably well most of the time.

Flintoff's recent Test form with the bat, of course, has been poor too - or perhaps more accurately, he's been pretty poor with the bat for most of his Test career.

Cheers for the update. Certainly wouldn't see him do any worse than Colling has in his last 5-6 tests where he's only scored a couple of 50s and to me has looked the most easy to dismiss English batsmen in the top 8 all season.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Still think it's pretty much envitable that he'll pick up a niggle if he plays in the 2nd test, especially if he comes in for Broad.

 

[Craig]

Loving Neil McKenzie ATM. Was always a fan and I have wanted him to do well for his whole Test career and now he is finally going the right way, good for him.

 

[Zinzan]

Loving Neil McKenzie ATM. Was always a fan and I have wanted him to do well for his whole Test career and now he is finally going the right way, good for him.

Me too, not to mention his particularly good taste in women

 

[_Ed_]

Loving Neil McKenzie ATM. Was always a fan and I have wanted him to do well for his whole Test career and now he is finally going the right way, good for him.

Yeah me too, I'm really pleased for him as well.

Have to admit though that even though I'm a McKenzie fan his innings still bored me nearly to tears.

 

[Richard]

If Flintoff were decent with the bat (average 35+ at the least) it'd make it easier for that to happen.

I cannot see this coming close to happening - not against good bowling-attacks.

 

[aussie]

I cannot see this coming close to happening - not against good bowling-attacks.

If he gets a injury free fun such as IND 01 to SRI 06 i think Freddie has it in him to curb his natural aggressive instinct and very well & become a solid test match #6 againts good bowling attack based on what he did in IND 06. Its just that since with the all his injury woes he hasn't been able to build on that.

 

[Top_Cat]

I cannot see this coming close to happening - not against good bowling-attacks.

Bit hyphen-happy aren't we?