*Official* First Test (Edgbaston, Birmingham) 16–20 June

[mustardcharlie]

Let's have a wager.
Score at lunch tomorrow
England bat: 135-1
Australia bat 93-3

Agree, a four-man pace attack could’ve been the way to go, I’m not sure there’s a specialist spinner old enough for a spot so why pick one for the sake of it. The Moeen package offers more. The current spinners are some way off even a token 12th man spot for me.

Yes Crawley continues to be an interesting one. Capable of a superb innings scored in the style this England team is making its name in. However, he needs a big series here to surely keep his place in the side beyond the Ashes.

 

[Prince EWS]

Agree, a four-man pace attack could’ve been the way to go, I’m not sure there’s a specialist spinner old enough for a spot so why pick one for the sake of it. The Moeen package offers more. The current spinners are some way off even a token 12th man spot for me.

Yes Crawley continues to be an interesting one. Capable of a superb innings scored in the style this England team is making its name in. However, he needs a big series here to surely keep his place in the side beyond the Ashes.

For me it depends on how confident they are in Stokes's bowling fitness. If he can bowl properly then a fourth quick is a bit of a waste. If he can't then yeah it'd make much more sense to pick Wood or Woakes and have Root as the fifth bowler.

 

[mustardcharlie]

Let's have a wager.
Score at lunch tomorrow
England bat: 135-1
Australia bat 93-3

 

[mustardcharlie]

When will Aus announce their team?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

For me it depends on how confident they are in Stokes's bowling fitness. If he can bowl properly then a fourth quick is a bit of a waste. If he can't then yeah it'd make much more sense to pick Wood or Woakes and have Root as the fifth bowler.

Clearly they are banking on Stokes being fit to bowl here. Whether that changes match to match is up in the air but I would be amazed if Australia bat 100 overs in their first innings if Stokes didn't bowl 8-10 of them. He may bowl this game and potentially only bowl in one of the tests when they play back to back. Can't really see him bowling 15 overs an innings for 10 innings this series given his problems.

 

[chris.hinton]

I don’t need convincing. I’ve been calling out the conundrum England has for months. The deficiencies in both batting and bowling mean they’re chronically disadvantaged in one of them no matter the conditions. It doesn’t matter against half strength Pakistan sides or SA who don’t know which end of the stick to hold, but it will matter from tomorrow.

“We have a fresh outlook”- oh well then, Crawley will become Hobbs, Duckett is Sutcliffe and Cummins & Boland must be ****ting themselves.

The only outlook england’s batsmen will be getting is of the change rooms after they’re rolled and then out in the field for days on end while Aus makes hay.

A fresh outlook doesn’t make up for lack of technique and ability when you’re playing a decent bowling attack and batting line up. I’m just trying to help you out here to ease the inevitable pain, mate. Heal thyself.

You have an old team

Warner 36
Khawaja 36
Labuschagne 28
Smith 34
Head 29
Green 24
Carey 31
Starc 33
Cummins 30
Lyon 35
Boland 34

Average Age: 32


England

Crawley 25
Duckett 28
Pope 25
Root 32
Brook 24
Stokes 32
Bairstow 33
Moeen 35
Broad 36
Robinson 29
Anderson 41

Average age 30


Anderson being amazing is pushing this up to 30. But we are blooding young players, Aussies don't have any

Old man Australia

 

[chris.hinton]

Let's have a wager.
Score at lunch tomorrow
England bat: 135-1
Australia bat 93-3

England Bat 140-1

Aussies 62-5

 

[chris.hinton]

Umm ICC rankings have Labuschagne, Smith and Head as top 3 ranked batsmen in the World....and England are opening the bowling with Anderson and Broad at their age lol

Anderson is still the best opening in the World. Broad is still test class.

 

[chris.hinton]

No-one should ever take Hinton seriously lol

I've called Bazball right. I also said we would win the T20 World Cup

 

[mustardcharlie]

Stokes is not in the caliber of Flintoff or Botham in bowling terms, but is a better batsman than both. I point to 2019 as an example. Which is why I think England should have gone with Wood and not recalled Mo. Strengthens the lower order of course, but if we can't do it with the current middle order. we're doomed. Nobody else can produce a better 4.5,6,7 batting line up!

 

[mustardcharlie]

I've called Bazball right. I also said we would win the T20 World Cup

wtf does sloggerama have to do with this? Or Bollocksball come to think of it. If England had 3 rock solid batsmen who could bat and get Root in at 150-2 instead of 15-2, would you take it? However long it took

 

[chris.hinton]

What excuses will Burgey come out with on day 1 when England are on top

"The pitch isn't fair to the Australians"
"England got lucky"
"The Cricket ball is weird"
"Jetlag"
"Wrong time of year"

Any more

 

[honestbharani]

What excuses will Burgey come out with on day 1 when England are on top

"The pitch isn't fair to the Australians"
"England got lucky"
"The Cricket ball is weird"
"Jetlag"
"Wrong time of year"

Any more

He will go with the tried and tested...

 

[mustardcharlie]

What excuses will Burgey come out with on day 1 when England are on top

"The pitch isn't fair to the Australians"
"England got lucky"
"The Cricket ball is weird"
"Jetlag"
"Wrong time of year"

Any more

Try "Poor umpiring"
"Ball tampering"
"English weather"
"Unacceptable use of sub fielders"
Anderson is on steroids

 

[Ashes81]

Let's have a wager.
Score at lunch tomorrow
England bat: 135-1
Australia bat 93-3

I hope if we bat first, we bat sensibly. Occasionally under Stokes and McCullum, we've got a bit carried away with being positive.

60-1 at lunch would be more than acceptable- we don't need to score at 5 an over all the time.

I'm a bit concerned we'll go ultra aggressive in a bid to show the Aussies that we mean business and could end up at something like 110-5 at lunch if we're not careful.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Australia have the World's No.1 (Marnus Labuschagne) , No.2 (Steve Smith) and No.3 (Travis) ranked batsmen in the ICC batting rankings going into the Ashes ..
Last time this happened was 1984 for the West Indies when Gordon Greenidge, Sir Clive Lloyd and Larry Gomes held the top 3 rankings respectively.

 

[mustardcharlie]

I hope if we bat first, we bat sensibly. Occasionally under Stokes and McCullum, we've got a bit carried away with being positive.

60-1 at lunch would be more than acceptable- we don't need to score at 5 an over all the time.

I'm a bit concerned we'll go ultra aggressive in a bid to show the Aussies that we mean business and could end up at something like 110-5 at lunch if we're not careful.

Well yes, I'm old school too. Think it is very unlikely. but would be happy with that. want to see JR coming in with at least 20 overs on the ball.

 

[GIMH]

60-1 at lunch would be more than acceptable-

Heathen

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Barring inclement weather there is no way there's less than 90 runs on the scoreboard by lunch.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Barring inclement weather there is no way there's less than 90 runs on the scoreboard by lunch.

Unless they get bowled out for under 90 of course