Road to the 2017-18 Ashes in Australia

[91Jmay]

Thing is with Buttler he isn't some uber aggressive FC batsmen who if he comes off can win games in a session. He kind of bats normally and averagely in FC cricket

 

[Cabinet96]

Thing is with Buttler he isn't some uber aggressive FC batsmen who if he comes off can win games in a session. He kind of bats normally and averagely in FC cricket

Yeah it's like how one of the reasons people wanted Hales in was to have an attacking opener but he ended up scoring slower than Cook. Not all great one day players are automatically free scoring in longer cricket.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Thing is with Buttler he isn't some uber aggressive FC batsmen who if he comes off can win games in a session. He kind of bats normally and averagely in FC cricket

Yeah a FC average of 31, in County cricket, is hardly a good sign. I've been judging him purely on white ball cricket which is clearly a mistake.

 

[S.Kennedy]

He very rarely plays first-class cricket. The sight of Butler playing county cricket for Lancashire is as rare as a solar eclipse.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I'd have Buttler in the 11 for sure. He can't be any worse than Stoneman, Jennings, Whiteley and all those other batsmen that seem pretty ordinary. I don't know if Bairstow insists on keeping but he definitely doesn't have to to keep his spot.

That from the 6 balls you've seen? Obviously not up there with that all-time Test great Quiney who just retired from FC cricket.

 

[Top_Cat]

Too easily triggered. Bloke got the ball of match, maybe of the summer. TJB clearly trolling.

 

[TheJediBrah]

That from the 6 balls you've seen? Obviously not up there with that all-time Test great Quiney who just retired from FC cricket.

I've seen 0 balls. I was just throwing names out there of the guys who I thought had played this winter, none whom seemed to make runs. There's really no need to get worked up about it.

edit: I also said "Whiteley" when I meant "Westley" if you want something else to be upset about

 

[S.Kennedy]

Commencing 2013 Stoneman has made 1000 (division one) runs per season. Good opener. Not the best in averages but he goes at a good rate which compensates if you have a stodgy batsman at the other end. A bit of a habit crept into his game of getting out in the 60s - 70s like Root. Since the move to The Oval his average has shot up into the 50s so you have to say it has worked out for him. Still a cash-grabbing traitor mind haha.

 

[Gnske]

That from the 6 balls you've seen? Obviously not up there with that all-time Test great Quiney who just retired from FC cricket.

Quiney's 9 > any innings Stoneman will ever play

I'll believe the fake news over Stoneman being good when he can at least average 35 like a mediocre county pro.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Quiney's 9 > any innings Stoneman will ever play

I'll believe the fake news over Stoneman being good when he can at least average 35 like a mediocre county pro.

Averaging 59 this season. Averaged 47 last season.

 

[Starfighter]

Quiney's 9 > any other innings ever.

 

[Gnske]

Averaging 59 this season. Averaged 47 last season.

5 years running of 1000 runs a season and he still can't break into numbers that would see him look anything but a hackfraud.

It's piss, it's sickening.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

The Australia series in Bangladesh means nothing towards the ashes unless the selectors go stupid and decide to drop someone who would be good at home off the back of a poor tour. Hopefully Khawaja gets dropped as he has a brilliant home record but not even the Aussie selectors are that stupid.

Seems alarming the last test v WI may decide the make up of our squad, being so undecided on 3 positions for such a huge tour doesn't bode well.

Aussies will regain the ashes.

 

[Adders]

Yeah, the holes in our batting are going to get exposed badly in Aus, whilst their own holes just don't really exist at home.

Expect us to scratch out 1 win and maybe a draw, so 3-1 Aus is my call at this stage.

 

[91Jmay]

Honestly 5-0 wouldn't shock me at all. We are so weak in so many areas. If Root had a bad tour we'd be unimaginably bad with the bat.

 

[wpdavid]

Honestly 5-0 wouldn't shock me at all. We are so weak in so many areas. If Root had a bad tour we'd be unimaginably bad with the bat.

Yeah, I'm with you at this stage. Much as I'd like to believe that Stoneman and Malan will continue to knock out gritty 50's, our batting is fragile. Unless the lad from Lancashire will be the answer to all our prayers at number 3. And that's before you start to worry that finger spinners don't do a thing in Aus, and Broad appears to be declining.

 

[morgieb]

Yeah, the holes in our batting are going to get exposed badly in Aus, whilst their own holes just don't really exist at home.

Expect us to scratch out 1 win and maybe a draw, so 3-1 Aus is my call at this stage.

Yeah I'd probably say 3/4-1. I think with Broad out of sorts I can't see how you can bowl us out consistently for lowish scores, and your top order is terrible. Think there's enough strengths for you to fire once though, and I can see your #engineroom firing.

 

[Starfighter]

Hope we prepare flat pitches, bat first, hope Starc wastes the new ball.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

It could be the worst combined Ashes teams since the 78/79 tour.

 

[theegyptian]

The thing is with both England and Australia it's hard to see any draws. Only way England draw is Cook to bat 2 days (or rain) - and that's not likely. None of the other bats can bat that time. Root has done it but he doesn't want to do it right now. So even if England aren't that much worse than Aus early in the series they could still lose 5-0. Both teams are obssesed with intent. 4-1 to Aus I reckon is a decent bet.