Print

[19reading87]

Davies? Why? Take it you guys both Surrey fans.

Couldn't be further from the team I support. Scott Borthwick I would love. Gives that spin option too

[petehosk]

Still not convinced that Hales is right to open!
Interested to see how the team will pan out this Summer 

[Red Ink Cricket]

Tom Abel to open. Balance no where near the side, same for bell. Hales to drop down to 5.

All probably unlikely but you never know.

[Bats_Entertainment]

I was interested to read Gary Ballance talking candidly about how he thought people jumped on the bandwagon about his 'technical fault'. I'm also interested to see Yorkshire are using him at no.3 this season.

Well done to those of you who've mentioned Steve Davies - a class act.

[Bats_Entertainment]

Davies had his chance when he said no to being backup keeper, no?

I'm not sure he ever did this.

[WalkingWicket37]

England obviously like Vince they have kept him around the squads,nowadays that normally means a chance sooner or later. I like Vince and Lyth and ballance. There's def competition this summer for one maybe two places. Not sure what to make of Bell, didn't score enough runs so fair enough,he is a natural number 5, Vince a bit higher up the order. I don't think we will go back to bell,it depends which position I guess.i think opening is still a problem which could mean Compton up Vince 3. If we just replace JT? BAllance is 5 for the Yorkies I think.Another ton for bairstow today he has nailed the keeper/batsman slot.

If there is just one place it may well depend on who scores most runs in the championship.
Your right about Vince being compared to Vaughan a lot.
Also if Compton and cook open(presuming he ain't banned for his lid)  is that too stodgy?
Lyth is free scoring he just didn't really get going last summer,but could of been a good counter to Cook at the top.

Interesting stuff, if I had to make one change I would drop hales and stick Lyth back in. Probably won't be popular on here thou
 

Don't like Vince at 3 personally.
He's a naturally attacking batsman, and seems unable to reign it in if an early wicket falls.

He scored the majority of his championship runs at 4 which a position he's more suited to. I can't see him getting that slot for England any time soon though.

I imagine the lineup for the first test will looks something like:
Cook*
Hales/Compton
Compton/Hales
Root
Roy?/Bell/Ballance/Vince
Stokes
Bairstow+
Ali
Woakes/Plunkett/Rashid
Broad
Anderson

[ppccopener]

I was interested to read Gary Ballance talking candidly about how he thought people jumped on the bandwagon about his 'technical fault'. I'm also interested to see Yorkshire are using him at no.3 this season.

Well done to those of you who've mentioned Steve Davies - a class act.

Ballance proved right or wrong about his techinique(runs will determine)...he has a strong mind not to run off to a coach and shout help....
The problem sometimes is change one thing and another goes wrong, so you get a different  technical problem. Tricky one that as most of us have tried to change something over the years. I remember tendulkar saying he was constantly 'evolving' his technique.
Having said that Cook sought out technical help and has changed his set up quite a lot.
I hope ballance gets runs, he's a good player and you need mental toughness aswell as technique-Maybe more so.

Think ramps and hick, technically sound.

[123*]

I totally understand that some people 'have it' and are pigeon holed as England cricketers even after playing only a few CC games.

But people like James Vince has hardly set the CC alight, particularly at Div 1 level. I think we are getting to a point where CC does not matter for weight of selection. There are very few quality attacks in county cricket, especially in Div 2.

What's people's thoughts? Does the CC still actually matter for England selection. If it did surely we'd have seen very different selections?

Anyone heard Chris Rushworth mentioned? Only the 80 odd wickets last year...

[Bats_Entertainment]

Ballance proved right or wrong about his techinique(runs will determine)...he has a strong mind not to run off to a coach and shout help....
The problem sometimes is change one thing and another goes wrong, so you get a different  technical problem. Tricky one that as most of us have tried to change something over the years. I remember tendulkar saying he was constantly 'evolving' his technique.
Having said that Cook sought out technical help and has changed his set up quite a lot.
I hope ballance gets runs, he's a good player and you need mental toughness aswell as technique-Maybe more so.

Think ramps and hick, technically sound.

It would make me chuckle last year to hear club 3rds players analysing what might be wrong with the technique of a man averaging nearly 50 in Tests.

[Bats_Entertainment]

Surely the third seamer's spot is between Finn and Wood (if fit)?

[Bats_Entertainment]

Anyone heard Chris Rushworth mentioned? Only the 80 odd wickets last year...

It would be said that Rushworth is not quick enough to be effective at the top level.

[WalkingWicket37]

Surely the third seamer's spot is between Finn and Wood (if fit)?

I thought they were both out injured at the moment?
As you say if they're fit then the spot will go to one of them, personally I'd go for Finn as he provides something different to the others. Wood seems to make things happen though and the selectors seem to like him

[123*]

It would be said that Rushworth is not quick enough to be effective at the top level.

80 odd mph? How quick does Jimmy bowl, McGrath? Not that I'm putting them in the same class, just saying because he's not 90 doesn't mean he shouldn't be considered.

Name me a better bowler in the CC?

[ppccopener]

Finny is fit his injury healed up virtually before the World Cup which was a shame for him he just missed it

Best bowler in the championship? onions would be up there I would think.erm....Durham again.

[Byo]

I would like to see Butter back in and keeping with Bairstow moving up to take JR'S place.