England thread

[ImpatientLime]

How does a country as strong as England (yes I realise they're forever odi strugglers) end up with Ali and Talor in the top 3 for a World Cup? Mind boggling.

because our opening options are mostly dire and because james taylor is seriously ****ing good.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Sadsack Bopara's record in Oceania is absolutely awful. It's not just indifferent. It's absolutely awful.

If he plays and he's rises to underwhelming, mediocre, average or the like it will be a big improvement.

 

[theegyptian]

Sadsack Bopara's record in Oceania is absolutely awful. It's not just indifferent. It's absolutely awful.

If he plays and he's rises to underwhelming, mediocre, average or the like it will be a big improvement.

We should be enjoying every day Bopara has left. Less than two months of his ODI career to go. We're gonna be sad once he's gone.

It was only a couple of months ago that Bumble, Botham, Knight etc were saying he had to bat higher and he was too classy to be batting 6 and 7. ****ing idiots.

 

[grecian]

We should be enjoying every day Bopara has left. Less than two months of his ODI career to go. We're gonna be sad once he's gone.

It was only a couple of months ago that Bumble, Botham, Knight etc were saying he had to bat higher and he was too classy to be batting 6 and 7. ****ing idiots.

Morgans's fault, he didn't bowl him, he'd have nipped a few out on that pitch, then his confidence would have been up, and he'd have batted like Sachin in his prime.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Yeah but Sachin Baby was never very good anyway.

 

[theegyptian]

Bopara just seems to lose confidence so easily. Click your fingers, boom and he's awful and you remember everything you hate about Bopara. It's at time like these when everyone is criticizing him that I start to love him again though.


Of course what's likely to happen is .... Bopara is dropped after the WC but with the full weight of cricinfo and sky behind him he makes his way back into the team 12 months before the 2019 WC and then when Root, Buttler or Morgan get sacked as ODI captain Bopara takes over and leads England to a first round exit in the world cup of 2019. And then Bopara makes the 2023 world cup and becomes the first English player to play 5 world cups and goes down as a great of the english game whilst averaging 30 with the bat .... and the 'I don't actually hate Ravi Bopara thread' becomes the greatest thread in cricketweb history.

 

[marc71178]

I'm surprised Cricinfo haven't put him out there as an answer to the Test opening spot.

 

[Cabinet96]

Morgans's fault, he didn't bowl him, he'd have nipped a few out on that pitch, then his confidence would have been up, and he'd have batted like Sachin in his prime.

I know you're being slightly facetious, but there just hasn't been stages where bowling him should even be considered this series yet. Moeen is doing a fantastic job and with four proper seamers in there isn't really any point in Ravi.

I remember being slightly hesitant about Ballance being the man to replace Cook because we already had a backup top order bat in Hales, we should've brought in another lower order batsman/all-rounder type. Taylor bats around five for Notts doesn't he? Guess he could do a job at 4 and everyone else can drop down with Hales/Moeen at 3.

 

[theegyptian]

I'm surprised Cricinfo haven't put him out there as an answer to the Test opening spot.

Bopara walking out to bat to face the first ball of the ashes would be some spectacle.

 

[Niall]

So trying to figure out which would be the better side if Ravi is binned.


Ali
Bell
Taylor
Root
Morgan
Buttler
Woakes
Jordan
Broad
Anderson
Finn

or

Bell
Ali
Taylor
Root
Morgan
Ballance/Hales
Buttler
Broad
Anderson
Finn


I hate moving players about. Taylor has done super at three, Ballance batted about 4 or 5 didn't he for Yorkshire and was quite an aggressive batsman. He can actually smack it about. Maybe under Morgan he may more positive?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Bopara walking out to bat to face the first ball of the ashes would be some spectacle.

Wouldn't face the 2nd.

 

[theegyptian]

So trying to figure out which would be the better side if Ravi is binned.


Ali
Bell
Taylor
Root
Morgan
Buttler
Woakes
Jordan
Broad
Anderson
Finn

or

Bell
Ali
Taylor
Root
Morgan
Ballance/Hales
Buttler
Broad
Anderson
Finn


I hate moving players about. Taylor has done super at three, Ballance batted about 4 or 5 didn't he for Yorkshire and was quite an aggressive batsman. He can actually smack it about. Maybe under Morgan he may more positive?

Team 1 as it has 11 players. Once you bring in a bowler to team 2 to make 11 players that is the better team. Team 1 is poor as there is too much bowling and not enough batting.

 

[theegyptian]

Wouldn't face the 2nd.

A grand spectacle tho.

 

[cpr]

Bopara walking out to bat to face the first ball of the ashes would be some spectacle.

The only time Bopara should be near the crease on day 1 of a test is if he becomes a groundsman

 

[WalkingWicket]

Wouldn't face the 2nd.

Because he'd work the ball through extra-cover for three, thus exchanging the strike. *nods*

/joke

 

[Adders]

Am I the only one that thinks Ali would better suited as a middle order bat? I'm far from convinced about him at the top and tbh, the way he's bowling atm he's becoming more a bowling allrounder.I think he could replace Ravi at 6 and provide some biff in the middle order and let Hales open with Bell.

 

[Furball]

Hales is ****.

 

[grecian]

Am I the only one that thinks Ali would better suited as a middle order bat? I'm far from convinced about him at the top and tbh, the way he's bowling atm he's becoming more a bowling allrounder.I think he could replace Ravi at 6 and provide some biff in the middle order and let Hales open with Bell.

In the end Furball has said, in a rather blunter way, my opinion. In the end Hales record is much worse as opener than Ali's in runs or strike-rate.

 

[Cabinet96]

Yeah, but he's a talent so who cares about his performances.

 

[Adders]

Yeah look, I'm no Hales fanboi like plenty seem to be. But I don't think he'd be too much different to Moeen.......occasionally they'll have a day out and make a big score that might win or at least set up a game for you, but more often than not you'll find your self at 20/1.

Do we have any other opening options in the squad?