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[Buzz]

Given the churn of openers the England team has had recently how long should Lyth be given - or anyone else for that matter? Lyth has been the leading opening bat for the county championship winning team for two years and really earned his spot.

However - it is clear that may of the most successful openers in the past have started in the lower order and then been pushed up the order - Even Ali Cook started at 3, while Langer and Haydon started in the middle order. Michael Vaughan started in the middle order, whereas Trescothic opened in a few ODI's and off he went.

In recent past Lyth, Compton, Robson and Carberry are all openers who have had to go out and face the new ball from the start of their career, as a batsman this has to be the hardest way to start a test career, especially in England against the Duke ball - I consider Trescothic to be the exception given how well he played.

Where I am going with this is - if Moeen was given the opportunity to open in the winter will he have an advantage because he has played for 2 seasons already. Is that fair on Lyth who has had a test career of facing Trent and Southey followed by Starc, johnson and hazlewood! (as did Carberry!)

I have to be honest, i can't make my mind up as to what the best approach might be.

[Alvaro]

I think it depends.

England are quicker to dispose of people who have not been in the system since they were nippers. For this reason I think that Lyth gets a stay of execution.
Compton was picked for England when making all his runs as a no.3 (Trescothick and Suppiah were the opening pair then) and the space was at opener. He probably did not have the psychological profile required by Flower to be given much rope, i.e. he knew his own mind. Carberry looked okay but got stuck, Robson kept getting bowled against a popgun attack, so there were good reasons to move on.

If it's anything to go by, Lyth looked much better at TB. He looked like he was proactively altering his game - he'd tightened up and still played some good punchy shots without chasing outside offstump. He was out early to the swinging ball playing the line. I'd keep going with him to be honest.

[gazr5]

I think Lyth either has to be given more time if they are just plonking him in to open as opposed to playing lower down and moving up.

However, if we were looking for people to move up the order who have already got used to the international game, you could have Ali, Bell or Root. Personally, I like Root where he is, a player to steady the ship so Ali or Bell could open.

[northernboy1987]

I think it depends.

England are quicker to dispose of people who have not been in the system since they were nippers. For this reason I think that Lyth gets a stay of execution.
Compton was picked for England when making all his runs as a no.3 (Trescothick and Suppiah were the opening pair then) and the space was at opener. He probably did not have the psychological profile required by Flower to be given much rope, i.e. he knew his own mind. Carberry looked okay but got stuck, Robson kept getting bowled against a popgun attack, so there were good reasons to move on.

If it's anything to go by, Lyth looked much better at TB. He looked like he was proactively altering his game - he'd tightened up and still played some good punchy shots without chasing outside offstump. He was out early to the swinging ball playing the line. I'd keep going with him to be honest.

Couldn't agree more, especially the last part, I think Lyth is trying to iron out his flaws outside off stump and I think that will buy him a little bit of extra time to try and find his form, there's no doubting his quality (in my opinion, you can't score that many county runs by being rubbish) but time will tell if he has the discipline and mental strength for test cricket. I also agree with Buzz in that I can't make up my mind as to what the correct was forward is and for that reason I'd be inclined to stick with Lyth a bit longer.

[Stuey]

I'd stick with him and give him time to adjust to Test cricket. I like his attitude and think he will be a longterm success. He's probably had the 2nd most difficult initiation as an English test opener of recent times, only behind Carbs who was well and truly shafted.

[smilley792]

Controversial comments may be controversial.


Robson, lyth, Carberry all struggled to stay in. They tried to hang around but they got out earlier rather than later with not much on the board.

So there anyone better out there? Seems not.


So your resigned to losing a wicket early. Why not get that person to score as many runs until he's got and soften the ball abit.

So you could stick with lyth and tell him to play an attacking game(he seems to have it anyway)

Or.......

Open with hales or Roy and tell them to go out in odi mode.
A run a ball hundred every so often could well win them a test. Even a quick fire 30 to 50 will do some damage to the Bol and bowlers egos.
Less than ten? Well we are where we are now.

[DiscoStu]

There was a Cricinfo article a few weeks ago about this. http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/901641.html

The problem England have is that they don't really have anyone who looks comfortable opening with Cook so the next bright young opener has a chance to bed in down the order. Root could do the job but he is in the form of his life in the middle-order so they won't move him up. Ballance or Bell? Maybe but unlikely especially with Ballance's run of form being no better than Lyth. The Oval test is an opportunity for Lyth to bat without as much pressure. He's been lucky that England have been winning while he has struggled but if he can get 1 decent score this test then he has the chance to stay in the team in South Africa.

[SOULMAN1012]

Lyth should be England's opener for the next year or so. Firstly he has proved himself for 2 years at the top of the order in Div 1 of county championship. Secondly look at the new ball bowlers he has faced Boult, southern and Johnson are world class and staff and Hazelwood are class bowlers early in careers. He has 100 already and ok he is getting out in a similar way but that will be worked on behind the scenes. Leave the lad alone for 12 months give him 3/4 series and go from there.

The only other option should be Ali leave Bell and root alone at there current positions.

[Akewstick]

Controversial comments may be controversial.


Robson, lyth, Carberry all struggled to stay in. They tried to hang around but they got out earlier rather than later with not much on the board.

So there anyone better out there? Seems not.


So your resigned to losing a wicket early. Why not get that person to score as many runs until he's got and soften the ball abit.

So you could stick with lyth and tell him to play an attacking game(he seems to have it anyway)

Or.......

Open with hales or Roy and tell them to go out in odi mode.
A run a ball hundred every so often could well win them a test. Even a quick fire 30 to 50 will do some damage to the Bol and bowlers egos.
Less than ten? Well we are where we are now.

This would've seemed like wishful thinking, armchair selection that'd never be picked up by the people in charge, except - Murali Vijay, David Warner, Martin Guptill - why aren't England doing it?

I'd love a return to the belief that your openers go out there with the mindset that there's no reason they shouldn't acumulate for a session or two and get your number 3 in with 150+ on the board, but since England haven't done that against decent opposition since, I'm guessing - 2011? I think it needs doing. Hales.

[Cover_Drive]

I am Commonwealth Nation Citizen, one captain in my club seem to send me as a opener. I played one game as a opener while second one is tomorrow.

I can not guarantee runs but I can guarantee that the bat I bring in middle would be one which can score hundreds of runs in a day. Oh another thing, do not sponsor me for equipment as they can invest that money elsewhere, instead I will sponsor my opening partner...if I have a choice I vouch for @FattusCattus so I can get few biscuits before every ball (because after the delivery, I might be en route to pavilion).

Can I be utilized?

[Seniorplayer]

Don't think there's much point in not sticking with him certainly would nt  move Ali he's found his spot second only to Joe  this series  for ashes runs scored with an ave of 38.

[21wilsonj]

Don't think there's much point in not sticking with him certainly would nt  move Ali he's found his spot second only to Joe  this series  for ashes runs scored with an ave of 38.

so you would put in hales to open? ,  because lyth , hales , ali and possibly bell are the only options i know of.
also would that mean either moeen spins in the UAE or rashid replaces finn/wood and both have won tests in the ashes.

[windyroad]

Hales is undoubtably a good player but I fear if he were to play-opening the batting- his position would soon come under fire by those complaining when England were very quickly not a lot for 1.

[petehosk]

I think give Lyth a half decent run! He did look a little better in the last Test, even though he got out quite early!
But he has hit an International ton already and he has earned his place by showing his class. Is there anyone better at the moment?

If it doesn't work out, then I have thought that Hales could be a half decent option for a while now. But failing that just find the best ODI opening in the County circuit and see how they do - Warner has always been seen as an ODI batsman and he has managed to adapt quite well. So worth a try as there seems to be a shortage of Test openers who can step up! 

[Seniorplayer]

Yes that what I meant stick with him as who else apart from Hales is there like Hales a lot but is he a pinch hitter and there's the problem he fails and England find themselves 3 for not many.