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[fros23]

agree with Buzz here , we need to bring buttler up the order , drop lyth and bell and make our order look more like this.
Hales
Cook
Root
Bairstow
Ballance
Stokes
Buttler wk
Ali/Rashid?
Broad
Another Bowler
Anderson

So you're bringing Buttler up the order by keeping him at 7?

[ppccopener]

Yes well done the aussies first up,quite why we are playing them on pitches that nulify(spellcheck alert) is something of a mystery to me.the mollycoddled english batsmen need to get in with it on green pitches that move sideways-this is england for heavens sake not mumbai.
Do you guys seriously expect someone likes Hales to come in and start smacking high quality bowling around the park?
Its not going to happen in test matches!
bell,love watching him in form but im afraid time could be up-get bairstow in
And pointing is right move root to 3,too easy down away from the new ball in comfort city.
Lyth must be given another chance too.
Someone mentioned Compton-good point,harshly treated.heres another name -Carberry...what exactly did he do wrong? He's mid thirties,so what?

[ppccopener]

I meant nulify our bowlers on wickets woth nothing in them obviously

[21wilsonj]

So you're bringing Buttler up the order by keeping him at 7?

Yeah , noticed that after I did the order. So much talent in the order with Stokes , Buttler , Ali , Bairstow and Root but we need some specialist batsman with both Moeen and Stokes bowling and Jos keeping.

[tim2000s]

Given where root has been combo in recently, 3 or 5 makes little difference....


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[golden duck]

James Taylor on 163 no vs Sussex (I think) at the moment. Hales got 3.

Dont really know either form this season though.

[dougydee]

Great win by the Aussies after their showing in the first test. Will be interesting to see what type of wicket is dished up for the 3rd test.
The Aussies might be forced to make a change with Rogers suffering what could be a delayed concussion after getting struck in the 1st innings. 3 head knocks in the past year with headaches and dizzyness, hope the bloke is going to be ok in the longterm.

[Vic Nicholas]

Interesting: http://m.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/the-ashes/the-ashes-2015-steve-smiths-stunning-form-ranks-him-alongside-the-greats-20150719-gifyq4.html

[dougydee]

Interesting: http://m.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/the-ashes/the-ashes-2015-steve-smiths-stunning-form-ranks-him-alongside-the-greats-20150719-gifyq4.html

But can he play in english conditions? 

[jamielsn15]

They won't drop Lyth. Yet.  They won't drop Bell, as the next game's in his own yard.  I think they will drop Ballance.  It's not time for fantasy cricket yet.  I reckon it will be;

Lyth
Cook
Bell
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler
Ali
Broad
Wood
Anderson

Bell's in the last chance saloon, there are rumours that he's going to retire from Tests, perhaps after South Africa, maybe that's on his mind.  I think he's lost at 4.  I'd tell him to be the main man at 3, big him up, give him the responsibility and the position he always wanted.  Two tests to make a score, if not, we look to the future in the 5th test.

Lyth will probably have two more tests to make a score OR stop making the same mistakes and doing his best Robson Green impression outside off.  Ballance I agree with Bob Willis (?!?!), he's not going to make a run with that technique, which needs much more work than Bell's does.

If Edgbaston turns, give Rashid a go as well, but I don;t think you can totally blame the English bowlers, who had a track at Lord's that didn't play to their strengths.  Yes Australia got more out of it, but they have better bowlers, we know that.  But ours aren't as bad as the figures show.

[tim2000s]

If Edgbaston turns, give Rashid a go as well, but I don;t think you can totally blame the English bowlers, who had a track at Lord's that didn't play to their strengths.  Yes Australia got more out of it, but they have better bowlers, we know that.  But ours aren't as bad as the figures show.

They have different bowlers. On a pitch which does nothing, our bowlers don't cause the batsmen to have to do anything, and Aussies bowlers are that little bit quicker so can still just use pace as a weapon.

If the ball seams and/or swings, our bowlers are in a different position. If Mark Wood is injured, then expect someone else to play in that role...

[jamielsn15]

They have different bowlers. On a pitch which does nothing, our bowlers don't cause the batsmen to have to do anything, and Aussies bowlers are that little bit quicker so can still just use pace as a weapon.

If the ball seams and/or swings, our bowlers are in a different position. If Mark Wood is injured, then expect someone else to play in that role...

Completely agree - I guess that's why pundits are looking at Trent Bridge as a good one for England.  I'd much rather bank on seaming pitches in the hope that English batsman are used to those conditions...

[springbok45]

How about Daryl Mitchell to come in and open?

[L21]

Where do you start after a performance like that?

Lyth     - Struggling to justify his selection, at no point has he shown any ability to be an opening batsmen. By far the worst opener in the last 10 years, sorry but he is a joke.
Cook    - A rubbish shot on 94 and an awful shot on 11, showing grit at the moment but is that really enough in an Ashes series? 
Ballance - If he stood any deeper in his crease he would be part of the slip cordon. Averages are all well and good when you play crap teams for 9 months of the year, but not that great when you average about 5 in an Ashes series.
 
Bell       - Poor Bell, how often have we seen it? Will probably put on 200 at Edgbaston and all will be forgotten.
Root      - "Super Root", unfortunately someone has to carry the England team and if you can only do it once then that isnt good enough. Got a horrible ball second innings but by then it was too late anyway.
Stokes   - Village! Just get hit by the ball and take it like the hardman you like to be seen as. Needs to be told he isn't Flintoff.
Buttler   - Best of a bad bunch? But who can replace him? Bairstow can bat but can he keep for 5 days?
Ali         - An opening bat hiding down at number 8 and throwing down part time off spin. Steve Smith doing the same but batting at 3 and scoring tons.
Broad     - As expected to be honest.
Wood     - A really nice bowler, cant understand him being slated for not hitting runs. If you are expecting your number 10 to score runs then you are either Australian or playing in Div 15
Anderson - Enjoy your retirement Jimmy. George Bailey showed you up last year and you have never really recovered. Go enjoy your garden with Swann.

[joeljonno]

The three batsmen people are talking about.

Lyth has shown, once, that he can do it. Just a shame he has struggled 7 other times. Probably got a couple of games left, tops. Will be a top, top, opener if he can get into the rhythm that he had a county level for last couple of years.

Ballance has the quality of he can get back to knowing where his off stump is. Needs to work on the technique but has shown that he can do it.

Bell is really struggling for confidence.

Who comes in?

Bairstow is out in front on form at the moment, but a number 5-6 where England need a top 3 batsman.

Hales has been batting 3 for Notts, but could potentially open. I'd rather see him come in against a "weaker" bowling line up before being up against the Aussies, however, maybe the fresh rawness might help.

Back to Compton? Hmm. Not sure but not the worst idea.

Hildreth and Taylor also doing ok.

Lyth/Hales
Cook
Bell
Root
Ballance/Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler
Ali
Broad
Wood/Plunkett
Anderson

I really cannot see them changing anything, possibly giving it one more test?  I'm looking forward to seeing if they add anyone to the next test squad.


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