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[smilley792]

Ballance is apparently a doubt with a groin strain.

We going in with an extra bowler if he doesn't recover? Or can we add to squad?

[ppccopener]

im sure we can add another but the question is who?

Borthwick has had  two or three low scores, Compdog is taking a break, Bell has not got the runs otherwise he might of got a gig

our batting looks vulnerable to me. Root and Cook our runs, plus YJB down the order.

Even if Lords is flat I fancy Pakistan to cause us problems.

If we need a batsman to cover Balance we could do worse than play Stokes as a batter only..

[mohawks94]

Ballance bowls some big turning leggies, so could offer an option a a curve ball. Would much rather see Borthwick though. Very refreshing to see him say in the media that he didn't earn it with his run of low scores, comes across as a down to earth lad, something noticeable in his interview with Kevin Howells the other week.

[Batbuddy99]

Ballance bowls some big turning leggies, so could offer an option a a curve ball. Would much rather see Borthwick though.

But Borthwick earned his only test cap as a leggie?
Surely that would be a better "curveball"?

[mohawks94]

As I said, I'd much rather see Borthwick in the side. Proper bowler and proper batsman vs part time bowler proper bat. Rather have SB to balance the side out. Ballance does offer the random option and may come up trumps, but it is unlikely.

[smilley792]

Balance thigh will apparently be fine.




I'd say we have slim pickings at the moment.

Bell isn't pulling up roots.
Borthwick hit a rough patch.

But as Ballance hit a ton vs Middlesex they probably thought, better to go with someone we know(he did tour with them in winter)

[Big Mac]

im sure we can add another but the question is who?

Borthwick has had  two or three low scores, Compdog is taking a break, Bell has not got the runs otherwise he might of got a gig

our batting looks vulnerable to me. Root and Cook our runs, plus YJB down the order.

Even if Lords is flat I fancy Pakistan to cause us problems.

If we need a batsman to cover Balance we could do worse than play Stokes as a batter only..

I wouldn't worry about it, I don't have any faith in the Pakistani batting scoring enough runs to support the bowling attack. Now it might be a different story if Asif was playing...

[ppccopener]

I don't think the Pakistan batsmen have enough about them either against our bowlers....

Strange story today Anderson has passed himself fit, Bayliss and cook say he is fine and the selectors have 'rested' him.

I'd be much happier if he was playing thou....Vince and Ballance? Not sure about them.High class bowling will cause problems for both teams I think.

Still I'm going tommorow with a Pakistan mate and I'm hoping we bat and start the series well. weather forecast is good so if England go well I will give the beer and Pimms a right hammering
 

[ScottParko]

I stopped reading when Ballance was getting mentioned as a batter and part time bowler.... He's bowled 2 overs in Test match cricket when the game was dead and bowled in tandem with Cook and 27 overs in county cricket. He bowled a good first over and pies in the second over which came later in test cricket. Sorry but he ain't a bowler. Borthwick is consistent one of the top batters in the country and bowls actual legspin.

[traditionalslogger]

This will be a difficult series, first test at Lords without Anderson and Finn in no form at all is a worry, as is the constantly changing batting order. But I can see 2 or 3 times across the series we are able to bowl Pakistan out for under 200, it's just about taking those chances.
Amir looks likes he never been away from first class cricket (God knows how many tests wickets he'd have by now if he hadn't been led astray). A big challenge for England.

[alexhilly1492]

England will win, I'm just hoping it goes to day 4 at lords!

[rickjames]

Quite looking forward to going on Sunday with the weather forecast. Can we never play test cricket in May/June ever again?

[petehosk]

I think it will be a close series! As a few have hinted at, it is always a little unsettling when you keep changing the batting order!
And Root plus a couple of others haven;t been in form. Anderson not playing and a couple of injuries. Pakistan have a decent bowling until, certainly several times better than SL!
I think it will be a real test for England.

[csnew]

It's a shame the lord's pitch is going to be absolutely dead! Has been all season.

[tom line]

Anyone notice the SS sticker on the handle of Hafeez's bat