*Official* England Tour of West Indies 2019

[Borges]

Does Hameed have a chance if he does well in this county season? Would love to see him back in tests.

 

[hazsa19]

Makes you truly grateful for players like Collingwood. How we could do with him now.

 

[Tom Flint]

If hameed even averages around 40 I think he will be selected. He is the one we all hope can be our next Alistair cook

 

[fredfertang]

Assuming Jennings opens and Denly bats at 3, I can’t remember a worse England top three since I’ve been watching cricket. How far do we have to go back to find something comparable?

Martin Moxon and Tim Curtis opened up once, with a young Athers at first drop - we were soon 14-3 thanks to Terry Alderman

 

[fredfertang]

If hameed even averages around 40 I think he will be selected. He is the one we all hope can be our next Alistair cook

Someone needs to break him of his habit of missing straight ones - whenever he was out last season it was bowled, lbw or caught behind - he looked so good when I saw him at Lord's in 2016, yet so dreadful for the whole of last summer

 

[wpdavid]

Martin Moxon and Tim Curtis opened up once, with a young Athers at first drop - we were soon 14-3 thanks to Terry Alderman

Yes, I was thinking about that 1989 series too.

Maybe there's a particularly poor top 3 circa 1982 or 1983 when Gooch and Boycott had preferred to take the rand.
EDIT Gower was generally batting at 3 and obviously he alone compensates for Burns + Jennings + Denley. But we did have some shocking pairs of openers at the time.

 

[fredfertang]

Yes, I was thinking about that 1989 series too.

Maybe there's a particularly poor top 3 circa 1982 or 1983 when Gooch and Boycott had preferred to take the rand.
EDIT Gower was generally batting at 3 and obviously he alone compensates for Burns + Jennings + Denley. But we did have some shocking pairs of openers at the time.

Painful memories aren't they?

The blackwashes were bad, but at least there was no expectation of anything different - I recall expecting to win the 89 series at the start - soon disavowed of that notion of course - a dreadfully one sided series

 

[Tom Flint]

Burns is fine tbh. Hasn't had a bad start at all given both his series have been away. Can see him doing well in the ashes

 

[Cow]

I read Keaton Jennings is back in the team. But in no rationale universe could that be true.

 

[lockton2skipper]

Dropping flakes and leaving buttler in is stupid , quite happy with the top 3 selected as they are supposed to be batsman , wood in for pop gun Curran is also an improvement.

 

[Borges]

This looks like a very good pitch to bat first on. I suppose the West indies got carried away by what happened in the first two tests.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Just get through the first hour without losing a wicket, and 600 on the horizon

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Ian Bell will be back to do that job for the Ashes - will bring a bit of sanity to our chaotic post-brexit country

Bell is more of an old Tomcat which have lost all its agility and pounce-ability. In his 9th life.

Jennings is the alpha now.

 

[Top_Cat]

Rare that two of a top-6 shouldn't be playing Test cricket.

And why are we still talking about Flintoff and the pedalo. Really Athers?

 

[Top_Cat]

Kinda surprised the WI bowlers are around the sticks to these guys too. Both surely more vulnerable to the swingers away from the left side of the umpire?

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Kinda surprised the WI bowlers are around the sticks to these guys too. Both surely more vulnerable to the swingers away from the left side of the umpire?

I think it's a plan they have worked with well so far in the series.

Holder usually bowl over the stumps, and Alzarri to the lefties.

 

[marc71178]

Dropping flakes and leaving buttler in is stupid , quite happy with the top 3 selected as they are supposed to be batsman , wood in for pop gun Curran is also an improvement.

I presume you’ve not ever seen Wood bowl if you’re going to make statements like that?

 

[Top_Cat]

Butcher saying he was in nick 20% of the time is an interesting statement.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

It's decent wisdom from the pair of Key and Butcher.

 

[Groundking]

Bairstow being moved down the order is the most spineless thing I think I've ever seen from a player, soft touch bastard.