4th Test at Old Trafford, Manchester

[PikeyB]

Nah Roy aint working . I'm all for developing the bloke for Test cricket down the line but right now he's a stone round our necks in my opinion .

 

[Bijed]

Nah Roy aint working . I'm all for developing the bloke for Test cricket down the line but right now he's a stone round our necks in my opinion .

Yeah, fair. I'd be up for Roy out/Pope in for the next test but tell Roy that if he does well in CC, he'll get another chance in the middle order at some point. If we're going to keep him, though, definitely swap him and Denly now, though Roy's confidence might have taken too much of a hit for him to do much better anyway.

Could potentially swap Buttler for Pope too (Bairstow back down to 7) - I know the run-out was Stokes' fault but Jos the test batsmen isn't doing well right now and isn't going to work long term imo, so it would give Pope a chance to come into a position he's theoretically be more comfortable in

 

[Test_Fan_Only]

England are struggling for batsmen, Ollie Pope averages close to 60 in FC cricket and is coming off a double century, there surely must be a place for him.

Roy must go. which would mean Denly to open and Pope at 4 unless Stokes bats 4 then Pope.

Then there is the options of dropping Denly and or Buttler but I do not think that is going to happen.

 

[hazsa19]

Should consider Curran for Buttler rather than Pope imo. Genuinely can’t remember him failing with the bat down the order, and would add something different if the ball is swinging.

I’m not normally one for advocating knee jerk reactions after 3 matches, but it is difficult to see any future for Roy opening at test cricket. His confidence must be shot too so don’t see the value in dropping him down the order, especially at the expense of Denly, who’s coming off his best innings in an England shirt.

 

[halba]

Khawaja
Warner
Labuschagne
Smith
Head
Wade
Paine
Pattinson
Cummins
Lyon
Haze.

Bowling attack no changes as rolled eng for 67 in 1st innings, and should've won in the 2nd innings(Paine and then Lyon stupidity)

 

[Daemon]

I know. And they haven’t got anyone decent to come back into the side to help either

Ben Stokes only did what he did because he ran in all day in the 3rd innings and had a big heart.

The answer is staring you in your face, and it's not pretty.

 

[Daemon]

8 days between tests is pushing it

 

[DonnyBoy]

Burns
Sibley
Root
Stokes
Pope
Bairstow
S Curran
Archer
Leach
Broad
Anderson

 

[zaremba]

I think we should pick Haseeb Hameed for OT to open with Burns - he couldn't do any worse than Roy, and it would maybe make Paul Allott realise just how much of an idiot he's been

Gets me thinking. Who was the last player picked for England without a FC county contract?

SF Barnes?
Botham?
Pietersen?

 

[Burgey]

Roy and Buttler are getting the summer, quite rightly.

Some good news for Australia out of headinlgy at last

 

[Flem274*]

england need root back at #4 pronto

but then i didn't like stokes at #5 because i thought it was overexposing a trump card. shows what i know.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Gets me thinking. Who was the last player picked for England without a FC county contract?

SF Barnes?
Botham?
Pietersen?

well Adil Rashid had retired so surely it was him

 

[wpdavid]

well Adil Rashid had retired. so surely it was him

I think he had only retired from red ball cricket

 

[TheJediBrah]

I think he had only retired from red ball cricket

Isn't "FC county contract" synonymous with red ball cricket?

 

[hazsa19]

england need root back at #4 pronto

but then i didn't like stokes at #5 because i thought it was overexposing a trump card. shows what i know.

Why? He played wonderfully at 3 on Saturday.

 

[stephen]

england need root back at #4 pronto

but then i didn't like stokes at #5 because i thought it was overexposing a trump card. shows what i know.

The difference between batting 3 and 4 in that test was no more than an over or two for England.

 

[Uppercut]

I don't understand why Australia would be mentally ****ed? They weren't humiliated, they were beaten in an ATG test. When I lose a tight football match I don't play badly next time, if anything I'm more motivated than after a win. Is cricket different?

I can see them being mentally exhausted for sure, but that could equally affect England.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I don't understand why Australia would be mentally ****ed? They weren't humiliated, they were beaten in an ATG test. When I lose a tight football match I don't play badly next time, if anything I'm more motivated than after a win. Is cricket different?

I can see them being mentally exhausted for sure, but that could equally affect England.

It wasn't like it was a close tug of war which fluctuated either direction for days. They made some really really costly blunders costing them a match they dominated for almost 90% of the 4 days. That kind of thing can be very demoralizing.

Not saying they'll collapse completely from hereon out though, infact Smith coming back will provide them with a huge boost. But I wouldn't be shocked it they did fall apart.

 

[vcs]

It can't be easy knowing you've let such a big chance slip through your fingers (literally in case of Lyon). Smith will probably be as good as ever, but the media will keep reminding them that it is 17 years since they won in England and they missed a huge chance to bury that hoodoo.

Also it would suck knowing that you've dominated most of the series and still find yourself level on the scoreline.

 

[Uppercut]

It wasn't like it was a close tug of war which fluctuated either direction for days. They made some really really costly blunders costing them a match they dominated for almost 90% of the 4 days. That kind of thing can be very demoralizing.

Not saying they'll collapse completely from hereon out though, infact Smith coming back will provide them with a huge boost. But I wouldn't be shocked it they did fall apart.

I don't think I'd call it demoralizing. They won't start doubting their abilities as cricketers the way they would after a spanking.

I can definitely see them being (even) more likely to **** the bed when a game gets close though.