*Official* Opening Match- England v New Zealand- October 5th, Ahmedabad

[Moss]

I mean you can say that, but the last 3 games in England saw them give NZ 3 pretty resounding beatings......and that was without Wood. The bookies have England 4-9 to win this.

I'd be surprised if the winner of this game didn't make the semi finals.

Obviously there’s been more T20 than ODI cricket between these 2 sides in the last 4-5 years, but though it’s commonly held that England’s bowling is relatively weak, they seem to turn up often enough against NZ. Can’t recall too many instances of NZ’s batting running away with it against England in recent white ball encounters. Wood returning to the lineup is a major boost for England too.

NZ did get some decent batting practice in the warmups, so it’s a good time for the top 6 to turn things around.

 

[Molehill]

Would be awkward for England if Stokes and Bairstow are both ruled out. They only have one spare batsman in the squad (Brook). Would mean playing something like

Brook
Malan
Root
Buttler
Livingstone
Ali
SCurran
Woakes
Willey
Wood
Rashid

Which bats deep ...just not particularly well.

I've seen no evidence of Bairstow being injured, Buttler didn't mention it at all, just about Stokes' hip. Of more interest was that they're thinking of 4 seamers, which probably means Moeen misses out.

Bairstow, Malan, Root, Brook, Buttler, Livingstone, Curran, Woakes, Wood, Rashid, Topley would be my guess.

 

[Socerer 01]

That's Bairstow, Stokes, Williamson, Southee with niggles for this game. And the world cup has not even started.

the football injury virus is spreading to cricket too

 

[CricAddict]

sorry, the Bairstow niggle is an old article that I read and mistakenly informed here. He is fully fit now.

 

[Moss]

Williamson and Southee have both been included in the squad in the knowledge they aren't a hundred percent ready, so in NZ's case they were always going to be picking from a squad of 13 for this game.

 

[Molehill]

The Stokes injury sounds more serious, like it could be a while till he's available. I wonder what Jason Roy is up to at the moment?

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Formerly "retired" Stokes with an "injury" eh

 

[mackembhoy]

The Stokes injury sounds more serious, like it could be a while till he's available. I wonder what Jason Roy is up to at the moment?

I really hope his decision to come back doesn't screw up his getting fit for the India test series.

He's played this year being stuck together with tape and feels like he's pushing himself still.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

I've seen no evidence of Bairstow being injured, Buttler didn't mention it at all, just about Stokes' hip. Of more interest was that they're thinking of 4 seamers, which probably means Moeen misses out.

Bairstow, Malan, Root, Brook, Buttler, Livingstone, Curran, Woakes, Wood, Rashid, Topley would be my guess.

4 seamers would be interesting. I feel like they've only done that recently when resting Rashid, as Livingstone and Ali bring the batting depth. The team you've posted there is logical but lighter on batting than we like to run with. If we lose a couple of quick wickets at the start you could see us not batting the full 50 overs.

Willey over Topley would help with the batting but Topley is definitely one of our best 4 quicks. Would they consider not playing Rash if they don't think it's going to favour spin maybe?

 

[Molehill]

Would they consider not playing Rash if they don't think it's going to favour spin maybe?

That's essentially what they did when giving NZ 3 thrashings recently. If they leave Mo out it probably means Root will have to bowl some overs.

 

[Molehill]

Crapinfo are suggesting this for New Zealand: 1 Will Young, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Daryl Mitchell, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Tom Latham (capt & wk), 6 James Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult

That's quite a tail....

 

[Moss]

Crapinfo are suggesting this for New Zealand: 1 Will Young, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Daryl Mitchell, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Tom Latham (capt & wk), 6 James Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult

That's quite a tail....

It would be pretty bold if they did that (as well a demand for greater responsibility from the top 5 which underperformed in England) but I suspect we'll see Ravindra at number 7 and either Sodhi or Ferguson missing out depending on how they decide the wicket is going to play.

Would love for Chapman to be in the XI ahead of Neesham, that's something they should seriously consider if they are playing 3 frontline quicks.

 

[Nintendo]

Stokes never should have unretired.

 

[Adorable Asshole]

Stokes never should have unretired.

No way that's real

 

[thundaboult]

Stead counting on southee to be fit and playing in the first 11 in the next few games is scary to think about. England will rue the fact that they had a hand in injuring him recently. They could have easily used him as the pressure release valve once boult, henry and sants spells ended. Way to shoot yourselves in the foot. I was starting to warm up to southee in recent times due to his t20 heroics but the hatred and general malaise at his presence is slowly coming back. This guy is going to play in the 11 with 9 f****** fingers. I thought he was a somewhat logical selection over milne because he can bowl all his overs unlike Milne who breaks down every 3 games. Right now I'd take an injury prone milne's 6 overs a game vs southee's 10 overs while dealing with a surgically repaired thumb from A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. A SURGERY, JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. And he's supposedly ready. WTF. They literally see him on the same level of importance to the odi playing 11 as kane williamson. Mind-blown.

 

[Athlai]

Crapinfo are suggesting this for New Zealand: 1 Will Young, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Daryl Mitchell, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Tom Latham (capt & wk), 6 James Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult

That's quite a tail....

They're morons

 

[Athlai]

They literally see him on the same level of importance to the odi playing 11 as kane williamson. Mind-blown.

I kept telling ya'll

 

[straw man]

Been distracted with other life recently but now this is only what, 11 hours away and I'm fizzing.

Time to sledge the English but the CW English are (mostly?) too nice for that - hope it's a good game old chaps.

 

[straw man]

Stead counting on southee to be fit and playing in the first 11 in the next few games is scary to think about. England will rue the fact that they had a hand in injuring him recently. They could have easily used him as the pressure release valve once boult, henry and sants spells ended. Way to shoot yourselves in the foot. I was starting to warm up to southee in recent times due to his t20 heroics but the hatred and general malaise at his presence is slowly coming back. This guy is going to play in the 11 overs with 9 f****** fingers. I thought he was a somewhat logical selection over milne because he can bowl all his overs unlike Milne who breaks down every 3 games. Right now I'd take an injury prone milne's 6 overs a game vs southee's 10 overs while dealing with a surgically repaired thumb from A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. A SURGERY, JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. And he's supposedly ready. WTF. They literally see him on the same level of importance to the odi playing 11 as kane williamson. Mind-blown.

To be (unusually) fair to Stead, the quote I saw from him said he hopes Southee is available for selection from game 2 - doesn't imply he's in the first choice XI.

 

[thundaboult]

Well that's a somewhat sigh of relief.