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[Big Mac]

200 runs and 20 wickets in 4 tests has been done by:

Botham - 244 runs and 20 wickets vs India in 1979

Hadlee - 301 runs and 21 wickets in England in 1983

Imran Khan - 212 runs and 21 wickets in England in 1982

MJ Procter - 209 runs and 26 wickets vs Australia in 1969/70

AK Davidson - 212 runs and 33 wickets vs Windies in 1960/61



Moeen is on 230+ runs and has 20 wickets with one more innings to play.

He's crap.

[Big Mac]

1 more run and he'll have gone past Botham for the best all-round performance for England in a 4 test series.

Drop him for Rashid.

[golders]

Anyone else want to see Alex Hales recalled for the number five spot? Bumble mentioned it tonight. If Hales can come in and do well,gives us an exciting g middle to lower order,with Root,Hales,Stokes,Bairstow  and Ali...

[Bats_Entertainment]

Anyone else want to see Alex Hales recalled for the number five spot? Bumble mentioned it tonight. If Hales can come in and do well,gives us an exciting g middle to lower order,with Root,Hales,Stokes,Bairstow  and Ali...

Yes, could work. He might still be the best bet to open though.

[ppccopener]

Can't see Hales getting a recall ...he is never a test quality opener but to be fair if you were going to pick him at all it should of been in the middle order so can see where the thinking is there.

Here's a name for those that don't think Ballance is up to it and presuming there is a spot available -for the middle order

Ben Duckett.

[six and out]

Don't think Hales will get a look in. He made his bed when he decided not to go to Bangladesh.

As for Duckett you only had to see his dismissal against Jeetan Patel in the Blast to see he is still struggling against off spin like he did in Bangladesh.

[ppccopener]

Yea maybe so...seems to me tho Duckett was earmarked as one for the future, had a very difficult tour and was discarded.either the intial selection was wrong or he should be been persevered with, you could make a case either way I suppose

England seem to like Jennings, the mental side of top level sport maybe he has what's needed, technically he gets out the same way each time...not as bad as it sounds as he prob just needs to work on outside off and getting his weight forward.

He seems tippdm by the pundits to be left out next match. Interesting to see,which way they go, Hameed has not done enough but is the long term bet technically and mentally, Stoneman has done ok over a longer period of time.

We will need 3 openers for Oz....

England could drop Malan keep Jennings and bring back Woakes...that's one option available.

I think myself it's a difficult call to make for the next match.

As was pointed out on here a while back, we have a lot of batsmen not quite good enough at top level.

I would not be totally surprised to see Jennings stay in with Woakes back, and Malan missing out.

[UpandOver]

Surely Jennings can't be persisted with for the WI series. Looks a good player but just needs to work on his technique a bit.
I would have to say stoneman looks the best bet to replace him, or maybe give sam Robson another go.

Malan also doesn't look up to test cricket standard so looks like he will go too surely.
As a middle order batsman to replace him id maybe take a punt on Rory burns. One of the highest scorers in div 1 this year and last, never gets mentioned but is a good player and it doesn't look like there are too many other options there at the moment apart from ballance if westley was to still bat at three. 

[rickjames]

On a lighter note, it's great to see Root not changing his sense of humour at all

[six and out]

For WI i think a lot depends on what they want to do with Ballance.

If he gets another go then Malan gets dropped. If not than Malan gets a chance to stake an ashes claim etc...

Woakes will definitely play. He needs to get tests under his belt before the Ashes and we have seen that TRJ is good enough.

As for the openers spot 😣 its anyone's guess! I think you could actually put about 5 or 6 names in a hat and just pick 1 out.

FYI - some of the candidates started CC cricket again yesterday - scores on the doors were -

Hameed - 6
Robson - 3
Duckett - 52
Browne - 23
D-B-D - 0 v WI

[edge]

Hameed - 6
Robson - 3
Duckett - 52
Browne - 23
D-B-D - 0 v WI

Chris Dent? Highest scoring non-Surrey/Ali Cook opener in the country so far this season...

[six and out]

Chris Dent? Highest scoring non-Surrey/Ali Cook opener in the country so far this season...

I was literally just noting who started again yesterday. I have seen Dent's name in a few journo's tweets though.

[ppccopener]

For the hales fans out there Swann saying he should come straight back in and suffered a bit from some muddled thinking first time round. Same club swann and hales and they may be mates but a few on the forum think we need some power hitting up front
I don't myself but I see the reasoning
Vaughan says HAmeed should not be recalled yet he's not ready and has no form this year

[rickjames]

That's an absolute beauty from Broad, ball is doing all sorts

[six and out]

For the hales fans out there Swann saying he should come straight back in and suffered a bit from some muddled thinking first time round. Same club swann and hales and they may be mates but a few on the forum think we need some power hitting up front
I don't myself but I see the reasoning
Vaughan says HAmeed should not be recalled yet he's not ready and has no form this year

Hales has just gone past 50 for Notts.... perhaps most notably batting @ 5 all year for them in CC though.