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[Manormanic]

Cook
Probably Hameed
Root
Probably Jennings
Bairstow
WOR Sturkes
AN Other
Ali/Rashid
Woakes/Wood
Broad
Jimmy

One batting slot. If I had to bet right now, its Livingstone.

[six and out]

Do we think Buttlers place has been lost? Will barely play a FC game (if any) before the tests this summer but didn't do dreadfully at the end of the India tour. Also the kind of guy who could have the awkward number 7 spot.

I believe that they are really trying to get him in the side however i can't see Ali batting in the top 5 at home or in Australia, so that puts him at either 7 or 8 as Stokes will bat at 6.

[Bats_Entertainment]

I'm sorry, but 2 spinners has got to be the the way forward.
Ali and Rashid!

I accept that Ali needn't necessarily bat at 5.

[six and out]

Cook
Probably Hameed
Root
Probably Jennings
Bairstow
WOR Sturkes
AN Other
Ali/Rashid
Woakes/Wood
Broad
Jimmy

One batting slot. If I had to bet right now, its Livingstone.

Yep thats pretty much what i reckon.

I think they might look at someone at 7 who gives them an extra option with the ball. So a batter who bowls a bit like Livingstone or even a batting allrounder. Rather than an out and out batter.

I do think it might get interesting if Hameed keeps on getting naff all and the likes of Stoneman smashing it round the park and also the option of Jennings opening and Root at 3 and picking someone else.

[Bats_Entertainment]

Please not a batsman at 7!

[rickjames]

I think Root goes back to 4 and Jennings slots in at 3, captains orders. And for the love of God don't move Ali back down to 8, doesn't deserve it.

[Bats_Entertainment]

Hameed, Jennings, Cook, Root, Ali, Stokes, Bairstow, Woakes, Rashid, Broad, Anderson.

For me, the biggest question marks are still the openers. Hameed obviously has a big future,  but he's still very young and his current form is sketchy, to say the least.

[Sam]

I think Root goes back to 4 and Jennings slots in at 3, captains orders. And for the love of God don't move Ali back down to 8, doesn't deserve it.

I think he'll get slaughtered by the Aussie quicks this winter in the top 6. Given Root is batting 3 for Yorkshire with multiple alternatives available for that job I wonder if that's a sign of where he intends to bat for England.

[it's_a_pudding]

For me I think

Hameed
Jennings
Cook
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Wood
Anderson

Can see ballance getting a call if Hameed keeps on not performing if that's the case cook and root up on.

[Bats_Entertainment]

5 seamers? Really?

[Alvaro]

When's the first test.... ? 🙈

[six and out]

No matter which bowlers play there will definitely be rotation - we are playing 7 Tests (4 vs SA and 3 vs WI) in 9 weeks

That includes the 1st and 2nd plus the 3rd and 4th Tests in the SA series are technically back to back (only 3 days break if they go 5 days) and 1st and 2nd Tests in the WI series.

[Bats_Entertainment]

Rotation means not playing them all at once!

I'd like to think Footitt might be in the mix at some point.

[Bats_Entertainment]

When's the first test.... ? 🙈

And why does a County Champpionship thread inevitably turn into a thread about the make up of the England team?

[Manormanic]

On the rotation issue, I suspect that there will indeed be some common sense applied - unusual thing to say about England!  I would imagine that that will mean that the "first choice" quartet/quintet (Anderson, Broad, Woakes, Sturkes, Wood) play the South Africa series before the guys who are battling for the remaining slots on the plane to Australia come in for the West Indies (Ball, Finn, Roland-Jones, Plunkett plus any bolters).

This, of course, assumes that Anderson is going to be taken Down Under.  There have been mutterings that he might be invited to sit it out - the pitches and balls won't suit him, and he has a lot of miles on the clock for that.