*Official* Fourth Test at Trent Bridge

[grecian]

Footit and Plunkett called up, good choices I think.

Wouldn't mind seeing Footit play myself, reasonably quick, swings it and is a left-armer for variation.

Plunkett, Wood and Finn all very similar IMHO, quick but only good for shortish spells, and go for plenty.

 

[fredfertang]

Lyth very fortunate indeed - can't see him or Bairstow making any runs for the rest of the series - they both look like they know it too - sad reality is batsmen need to have something of the arrogant tosser mentality about them to succeed and which the man they call KP has plenty of - not too many around the counties that seem to be of that mould I'm afraid

As for the bowlers desperately hope Footitt gets the gig - looks to me like a decent bowler and, more importantly, I get the feeling he'll be a lucky one

 

[91Jmay]

Foottit went with them to Spain so guessing he will get a chance to impress in nets. Wood will be the call though, and rightly so. He has bowled really well in a couple of test matches so far, I like him a lot. Plunkett is **** so we best pray no tall blokes get injured.

Lyth drinking in last chance saloon but I am glad that he gets another chance, that ton against NZ was no fluke imo and whilst he looks hopeless I think it sends a decent message that you get a good chance when you are picked by this England side and given that the alternative is Hales who is just as likely to nick off as Lyth I think that is worth something in the long term.

 

[Uppercut]

It's not just that Lyth isn't scoring runs, more he doesn't particularly look like he will even.

Looks a lot looser outside off than I'm happy seeing in a test opener who isn't one of those new-fangled dashers like Warner or Sehwag and Lyth looks more of a grinder, albeit one with an improbably attractive cover drive. His desire to unfurl it may be why he nicks off so often.

I don't really like this 'X doesn't *look* like scoring runs' line that keeps coming up this summer. Neither did Bell, but then he scored some runs. It happens incredibly regularly. A batsman playing ****e one day doesn't mean he'll play ****e next week too.

Lyth was fairly considered the best of a mediocre bunch two months ago, and all that's really changed since then is Lyth has five more tests under his belt. He's an average player against good bowling so he's not likely to score runs, but neither is anyone else. They're right to stick with him.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

I don't really like this 'X doesn't *look* like scoring runs' line that keeps coming up this summer. Neither did Bell, but then he scored some runs. It happens incredibly regularly. A batsman playing ****e one day doesn't mean he'll play ****e next week too.

Lyth was fairly considered the best of a mediocre bunch two months ago, and all that's really changed since then is Lyth has five more tests under his belt. He's an average player against good bowling so he's not likely to score runs, but neither is anyone else. They're right to stick with him.

Win, lose or draw if he fails at TB he won't play at the oval imo.

 

[Dan]

Lyth'll play the series out then be discarded IMO. It is the pattern, after all.

Compton dumped after NZ/before the Ashes. Root moved down between Ashes series, Carberry shafted at the end of 13/14, Robson gets the home summer then discarded, Trott gets a series and is dropped for good, now Lyth will get his home summer and be sent packing.

The grass is always greener, and the wheel is forever.

 

[Furball]

Trott retired [/pedant]

 

[91Jmay]

Lyth'll play the series out then be discarded IMO. It is the pattern, after all.

Compton dumped after NZ/before the Ashes. Root moved down between Ashes series, Carberry shafted at the end of 13/14, Robson gets the home summer then discarded, Trott gets a series and is dropped for good, now Lyth will get his home summer and be sent packing.

The grass is always greener, and the wheel is forever.

Compton was harshly treated, but I also don't think he'd have worked long term with that technique (he got bowled like Lyth nicks off). Although chopping and changing sucks, so do those players mentioned to be honest.

 

[BoyBrumby]

"Not looking like scoring runs" is the polite version of "not quite there at this level", isn't it? Lyth has pretty much spent the series nervously fishing outside off until he gets one to bite.

His retention is a bit of a no lose gamble by the selectors. If he succeeds, happy days; if he fails and the urn is regained he'll get one more go/valedictory lap of honour at the Oval; if he fails and the series is live the call to the shires will go out.

Some lucky chap will get the chance to do a Trott.

 

[Prince EWS]

Other than Sidearse (who surely won't be up to bowling a Test workload), who would be the most like for like replacement for Anderson?

Sidebottom did actually retire from international cricket.

It's a really hard question to answer though. You'd expect there to be a swing bowler among the guys doing well in county cricket, but it's mainly been accurate seam bowlers like Rushworth and Harris, who probably would've been really effective at Edgbaston but don't fit the traditional swing stereotype of Trent Bridge/Anderson. Theegyptian said Rushworth was the most Anderson-like bowler in the domestic thread and I clicked reply so I could disagree and point out that Rushworth isn't much of a swing bowler, but then I couldn't actually think of anyone who really did fit the 'poor man's Anderson' description. The answer could well be Wood or Brooks which says a lot.

 

[fredfertang]

Tom Bailey swings the ball and has come on a lot this season - not really ready yet of course, but the idea of the Preston Express replacing the Burnley Express appeals to me - might cause some stress at Turf Moor though

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Rushworth is more like Onions. Close to the wicket compact action etc.

Afaik there is no one around in the counties ATM who was like Jimmy was when starting out with the ability to hoop it. He is a complete freak though in many ways.

 

[Furball]

Sidebottom did actually retire from international cricket.

I know but he's still the bowler that I'm aware of who's closest to Jimmy in terms of style.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

And as has been pointed out if the call went out to ***y Chocolate to roll his arm over one last time to help win the Ashes he'd rescind his retirement in seconds.

Imagine the call going out to him and Compo for the oval. This place would explode.

 

[grecian]

Lewis Gregory is similar to Jimmeh in style obviously.

 

[LegBeforeWatson]

There's not an international bowler that hasn't got Watson LBW is there?

What you trying to say mate?

 

[theegyptian]

I Think Plunkett is pretty lucky to make this squad. Doesn't have much of a season to draw upon.

Personally I think the last thing England need is someone to bowl half trackers around the wicket at 87mph. Broad and Finn are already prone to bowling too short on occasion and if the third seamer is Plunkett I feel like it's an attack that could well waste favourable conditions - and I assume there is a decent chance that they make the Trent Bridge a result wicket. Australian batsmen struggle most again the moving ball so they pick some guy who bowls short at a quick but not extreme pace?

Footitt would be a massive gamble to debut in an ashes test. In the past he's been extremely inconsistent and even now he is still prone to the odd erratic spell. Not sure he's consistent enough generally to play test cricket but would probably still take wickets.

I basically think they're playing Wood.


Really not a Rashid fan but I'd play him also instead of Ali (and I'd advocated playing Ali back at the start of 2014). Ali just hasn't done enough for me and he has had a good run of games to prove otherwise. Ali's batting contribution was vital to the win but it was extremely lucky + both his batting and bowling seems to have regressed. His knock felt a bit like Ballance's in the first test. It was vital to the team's victory but I feel he is on the edge of a mountain and just about to crash off it. If the selectors are sharp they'll make the call before he and the team crashes.

 

[theegyptian]

Aakash Chopra ‏@cricketaakash 5h5 hours ago

Two equally below-par teams can make for exciting cricket but not a spectacle...This #Ashes is exciting but 2005 #Ashes was a spectacle.


Not sure I totally agree with the below-par teams part of this tweet. Think the series has been a fairly accurate representation of the teams.

Australia have struggled in England for a while. Starc is hardly a consistent match winner at test level. Hazlewood hardly established and no prior tests in England. Johnson isn't particularly suited to the conditions and as a result has been fairly miss in England. Smith has had one bad test. etc etc. The only guy who you say has been below par from Aus I would say is Clarke and even that seems to be part of a trend. Batting has been questionable for a while and bowling without Harris is prone to inconsistency in somewhat alien conditions.

England too are still fairly inexperienced. Likes of Buttler, Ali, Stokes, Lyth, Bairstow, Wood are yet to prove they are test class. Some of them aren't underpar they're just not good enough at the moment (or maybe ever)

 

[Neil Pickup]

I think he meant flawed, rather than underperforming, in terms of being below-par.

 

[theegyptian]

I think he meant flawed, rather than underperforming, in terms of being below-par.

You may well be right.