*Official* Fourth Test (Old Trafford, Manchester) 19-23 July

[Red_Ink_Squid]

I think so. iirc Robinson replaced Potts in the 2nd tests against SA last summer. Was Woakes even fit then? And obviously Wood brings some much needed pace to the attack. I suppose that Tongue is the one who's leap-frogged Potts this summer.

Woakes wasn't fit last summer I don't think. He was fit this summer though when Potts and Tongue were picked ahead of him against Ireland. Might be a case of using the Ireland Test to help develop Potts because they see him as a prospect but then wanted Woakes' experience for the Ashes.

I expect we'll see Potts again anyway.

 

[Gob]

Weather forecast looks terrible from four days out

Could actually be a draw

 

[loterry1994]

Don’t want a draw at all. If aus retains from
A draw watch them loosen up the last game and the series will be drawn also.

 

[mackembhoy]

Not sure why we are leaking our plans early every test. This is the earliest leak I swear.

Can already guess Anderson in for Robinson as only change.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1680649418079387651

 

[GIMH]

Weather forecast looks terrible from four days out

Could actually be a draw

Eh, it doesn’t?

 

[CartyDurham]

As a fan of Durham, I hope Potts is not involved so we can continue to be top of Division 2 and get promoted, as he is playing really well

I think Tongue has moved ahead of Potts currently

 

[Boags]

Weather forecast looks terrible from four days out

Could actually be a draw

Could, but I wouldn't put much stock into that. The forecasts are never right and I think the forecast for Headingley was generally worse days from the test and there was no worries about getting a result there.

 

[mustardcharlie]

I don't get why Potts has been given the cold shoulder, whenever he's played for England he's looked more than capable to me

Agreed. He takes wickets regularly in the county Championship and does it at test level.

Didn't Potts get the nod 'cos Robinson had been banned for some comment he had made when he was a teenager_ Robinson has never let England down in terms of performance/results In terms of fitness.........? If it were Stuey, Jimmy and Robbo over 100m not sure if my money would be on the youngster. Jimmy's figures of 77-15-227-3 (Labusch, Carey Starc) do not inspire. Woakes 35-1-161-6 (Labush, Head, Marsh x2 Usman, Carey) Sentiment has no place here. We need to take 40 Australian wickets @ 25 or so to regain the Ashes. It would be Wood, Tongue, Broad and Woakes for me.

 

[Adders]

Disagree strongly.......damp OT it's Jimmy, Broad, Wood and Woakes.

Write Jimmy Anderson off after 2 tests is just plain foolish imo

 

[mustardcharlie]

Could, but I wouldn't put much stock into that. The forecasts are never right and I think the forecast for Headingley was generally worse days from the test and there was no worries about getting a result there.

The forecasts have been pretty much spot on so far. Rain at Birmingham came 6 hours early probably costing England a draw. London and Leeds were just about spot on

Thu 20/7 25% chance of rain before lunch and clear thereafter <8%
Fri 21/7 40-50% chance before lunch lessening to about 10-20% in the afternoon
Sat 22/7 Probable washout 70% chance of rain throughout the day
Sun 23/7 Might just get some play in before lunch but afterwards 70% chance rain
Mon 24/7 Rain likely before lunch and only slightly better than 50/50 later

If you can get 5/1 or better on a draw take it. Safer of course to wait for the SP but then by Wed, night the forecast may have changed

 

[Adders]

The test match starts Wednesday and finishes Sunday mate......19th to the 23rd.

 

[Spark]

The test match starts Wednesday and finishes Sunday mate......19th to the 23rd.

The rain being backloaded does make a washout significantly more likely though. Means you can't make up lost time and also it's a lot harder to work around the rain wrt scoring rates and declarations.

 

[mustardcharlie]

Disagree strongly.......damp OT it's Jimmy, Broad, Wood and Woakes.

Write Jimmy Anderson off after 2 tests is just plain foolish imo

Would not "write Jimmy off" if he were 70 and bowling on crutches. Brain fades in the batting cost us the first 2 tests more than anything. Almost cost us the 3rd. OT has never been one of Jimmy's most favoured grounds though. Believe he has said so himself.

 

[Victor Ian]

Not that 'due' makes him due, but with his numbers, Jimmy must be due. I can't imagine there's too many English seasons without him taking a pile somewhere to keep his numbers up. Unless he's gone full Gillespie, he's due.

 

[Gob]

Not that 'due' makes him due, but with his numbers, Jimmy must be due. I can't imagine there's too many English seasons without him taking a pile somewhere to keep his numbers up. Unless he's gone full Gillespie, he's due.

He is not very good at Ashes cricket though. Probably at the same level as Ishant Sharma before Sharma became decent. Looks challenging for sure but does not transfer it to wickets

 

[andruid]

Didn't Potts get the nod 'cos Robinson had been banned for some comment he had made when he was a teenager_ Robinson has never let England down in terms of performance/results In terms of fitness.........? If it were Stuey, Jimmy and Robbo over 100m not sure if my money would be on the youngster. Jimmy's figures of 77-15-227-3 (Labusch, Carey Starc) do not inspire. Woakes 35-1-161-6 (Labush, Head, Marsh x2 Usman, Carey) Sentiment has no place here. We need to take 40 Australian wickets @ 25 or so to regain the Ashes. It would be Wood, Tongue, Broad and Woakes for me.

Potts-Tongue-Robinson to be the first line pace attack for the immediate post Branderson England Test team?

 

[Molehill]

The rain being backloaded does make a washout significantly more likely though. Means you can't make up lost time and also it's a lot harder to work around the rain wrt scoring rates and declarations.

At the moment it looks we'll get pretty much full days play on Days 1-3. Might need to use an extra hour, but it won't be far off. It's been damp leading up to this Test, I'm sure the wicket will offer plenty. For once, the seam only option might not be the most stupid idea if Aus are really thinking of going down that road.

Forecast for Sat/Sun seems too far out and too mixed to make any solid predictions. I suspect it will change significantly between now and then.

 

[wpdavid]

Didn't Potts get the nod 'cos Robinson had been banned for some comment he had made when he was a teenager_ Robinson has never let England down in terms of performance/results In terms of fitness.........? If it were Stuey, Jimmy and Robbo over 100m not sure if my money would be on the youngster. Jimmy's figures of 77-15-227-3 (Labusch, Carey Starc) do not inspire. Woakes 35-1-161-6 (Labush, Head, Marsh x2 Usman, Carey) Sentiment has no place here. We need to take 40 Australian wickets @ 25 or so to regain the Ashes. It would be Wood, Tongue, Broad and Woakes for me.

No, that was the previous year, in the middle of the 2 match mini-series against NZ, and Robinson returned against India. Potts came in when Robinson was injured / unfit at the start of the 2022 summer. And then Robinson replaced Potts once he was fit again and the younger man's performances had tailed off somewhat.

Tongue for Anderson would be such a brave call. I know I pondered it somewhere on these pages a week or so back but I'm not sure I'd be willing to do that if I was actually involved. Given the state of the Edgbaston wicket, we're basing that decision on one poor performance at Lord's, and that was an odd wicket too, irresepctive of overhead conditions. Broad's comments about that particular track that I read this morning were, as always, instructive. And the forecast weather conditions do appear to have been as personally requested by Jimmy.

 

[Ashes81]

The weather is a concern, particularly for Friday as I'm off to the match .

Win lose or draw, let's hope that the series isn't ruined by rain. We've been lucky so far this summer and lucky that this break between tests has coincided with a really wet spell.

There should be enough play to get a result and we should be in for another cracker.

 

[quincywagstaff]

At the moment it looks we'll get pretty much full days play on Days 1-3. Might need to use an extra hour, but it won't be far off. It's been damp leading up to this Test, I'm sure the wicket will offer plenty. For once, the seam only option might not be the most stupid idea if Aus are really thinking of going down that road.

Forecast for Sat/Sun seems too far out and too mixed to make any solid predictions. I suspect it will change significantly between now and then.

This weather forecast means that the tactics England have used this series (like declaring on the 1st day) would make a lot more sense now.

I reckon they would take scoring 350 in 75 overs over 550 in 140 overs in this context.