*Official* England in South Africa 2019/20

[FBU]

I’d go.........

Sibley, Crawley, Denly, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Curran, Bess, Wood, Broad.

Don’t think Archer is fit. Wood is apparently raring to go. Think they liked enough of Bess holding one end allowing the seamers to rotate at the other. Suddenly we seem to have a settled top 7.

Hope it is Wood, prefer watching him than Archer. As long as it is not Woakes.

 

[Tom Flint]

Can't really call it a settled top 7 when Crawleys hs is 23 lol

 

[Tom Flint]

I'd pick wood too 100%

 

[Daemon]

Denly's been quite important. He's faced almost 80 balls per innings on average in his career so far and almost 90 since the Ashes. Compare that to the other plebs in the past like Vince (50), Stoneman (60), Roy (32) etc.

Even if he has no tons and only averages 30, it's a very valuable 30.

 

[Tom Flint]

Yes Denly is doing an ok job, he needs a big score to boost his average up

 

[StephenZA]

Is Wood good with the change up delivery?

This pitch is likely to be very slow, slower than CT. Slowest pitch in SA for Test venues. Been overcast and muggy for last week, and don't see lots of sun coming to dry out and quicken it up.

 

[Father Time]

Can't really call it a settled top 7 when Crawleys hs is 23 lol

With Rory Burns to come back in when recovered, we can give some Test experience to a very talented young player, instead of being desperate on him to score big. That's what I meant. You know what I meant.

 

[NUFAN]

Denly's been quite important. He's faced almost 80 balls per innings on average in his career so far and almost 90 since the Ashes. Compare that to the other plebs in the past like Vince (50), Stoneman (60), Roy (32) etc.

Even if he has no tons and only averages 30, it's a very valuable 30.

Getting both left handers Elgar and de Kock out 4th innings was so important too.

 

[Father Time]

Jack Leach is out of the last two Tests. Been sent home to get healthy for Sri Lanka. Get well soon Leachy.

 

[Tom Flint]

With Rory Burns to come back in when recovered, we can give some Test experience to a very talented young player, instead of being desperate on him to score big. That's what I meant. You know what I meant.

No I didn't know what you meant, your two posts were completely different but anyway thanks for clearing it up in the end.
I think if sibley can build on his last innings then yes I think we can start to look to have a more settled batting line up with everyone playing in their actual positions for a change

 

[BoyBrumby]

Jack Leach is out of the last two Tests. Been sent home to get healthy for Sri Lanka. Get well soon Leachy.

Bugger. Bless his heart.

Guess that means Dom Bess gets another go.

As to which of the seamers gets the nod, I might be leaning towards Woakes. Apparently Jofra's elbow isn't properly right (Vithushan Ehantharajah reports in today's Independent he was bowling at "80% intensity" in the nets) & Wood hasn't played a game since the WC final.

Chris hasn't been without his own injuries of late, but generally he's a less fragile specimen than the Durham man and PE isn't supposed to be a quick deck, so I'd be tempted with the whole package Woakes brings rather than risk breaking Wood or Archer on a track that in all likelihood won't suit them anyway.

 

[BSM]

There's no point in going for Wood unless the pitch is really conducive to quick bowling. Would not want to risk him breaking down on a pitch he in all probability won't be that effective on anyway. If the pitch is going to be slow like people are expecting, then I think Woakes has to be picked since you'd like an accurate bowler who will make the most out of anyway movement and who has skills in variation

 

[Neptune]

Woakes for me. Can bat too.

 

[ImpatientLime]

its a very english way of thinking to want to pull your express bowlers from the team on a slow pitch, no? surely they are more likely to break through and take the pitch out of the equation rather than someone like woakes who is not only considerably slower but a proven failure away from home?

 

[BoyBrumby]

its a very english way of thinking to want to pull your express bowlers from the team on a slow pitch, no? surely they are more likely to break through and take the pitch out of the equation rather than someone like woakes who is not only considerably slower but a proven failure away from home?

I think if Woods and Jofra were fit and gunning it I'd be more inclined to lean their way, but as both are emerging from injury clouds and are likely to have quite a bit of bowling to do Woakes, with the extra depth to the batting he brings too, is still the way I'd go.

 

[StephenZA]

its a very english way of thinking to want to pull your express bowlers from the team on a slow pitch, no? surely they are more likely to break through and take the pitch out of the equation rather than someone like woakes who is not only considerably slower but a proven failure away from home?

Depends what sort of bowler they are... if they can take the pitch out of the equation, pitch it up and get movement through the air the great. If they are the sort of bowlers that bang it half way down, then playing them on slow surfaces is pointless.

 

[Howe_zat]

Woakes is a better player than Wood and it's not close imo. Bring conditions into it when comparing those two is long-sighted.

 

[Starfighter]

Depends what sort of bowler they are... if they can take the pitch out of the equation, pitch it up and get movement through the air the great. If they are the sort of bowlers that bang it half way down, then playing them on slow surfaces is pointless.

Presumably this is like how Australia drops Cummins each time they play on a slow pitch, as his bang-it-in style just doesn't work and they need someone who bowls full and swings it.

 

[StephenZA]

Presumably this is like how Australia drops Cummins each time they play on a slow pitch, as his bang-it-in style just doesn't work and they need someone who bowls full and swings it.

Well if you want to define Cummins as a bang-it-in style bowler that is fine... me I think he has a few more skills than that.

 

[theegyptian]

I'd be worried about playing Broad, Woakes, Curran and Bess together if the wicket is going to be flat as suggested. Just don't really see the penetration there. Woakes away sr of 110, avg of 55. Now the SA batting is bad so maybe they will self combust even against that mediocracy.

That being said it's hard to comment with any certainty regarding selection given the unknowns about the fitness of Woakes, Wood, and Archer.