The Cricket Thread 2017

[paul_e]

I think the massive qualifier with Wood is whether he is 100% match fit. If he isn't his pace tends to be early to mid eighties and he doesn't really offer anything we don't have.

Exactly, that's why he's not a regular but I'd have loved us to wrap him in cotton wool for this tour.

[Ads]

He was bowling in the 90s in the tour game.

[UK Redsox]

Tom yes it would have been nicer to turn up at Melbourne with Ashes still in doubt but as Oz said there are collateral benefits. And to be honest it’s a life time wish to be at the MCG at the start of a Boxing Day Test match with 90K crowd.😊
Not doing any one dayers as flying out Day after the Sydney test match to stay in Bali for a week.

It's possible that England might beat Bali

[tomd2103]

Personally I probably wouldn't change the team too much, Cook, Moeen, and Anderson both deserve another crack, either due to previous performances and the fact that I cant see the side improving by replacing them with Jennings, Crane or Ball.

Broad is a bit different as he's been really poor and he really couldn't have many complaints but only if it's for an out and out quick like say Mark Wood.  If Wood isn't ready to go then Broad stays in.

The other thing is if you throw in players not ready then you could risk setting their careers back.  This isn't any old dead rubber where you might experiment with a few things, this is a Boxing Day Ashes Test. 

Melbourne is a drop in pitch so should be decent to bat on and not express in pace. Might suit England a bit more but it's now become a confidence thing.

Agree and it's a bit of the old "you got us in to tis mess, now get us out of it" mentality.  I don't think the MCG is the place to be throwing youngsters in, but the final test in Sydney might provide an opportunity.   

[tomd2103]

I think the massive qualifier with Wood is whether he is 100% match fit. If he isn't his pace tends to be early to mid eighties and he doesn't really offer anything we don't have.

True and I think you would have to look at who he would replace as well.  If he plays alongside Broad and Anderson then we are looking at quite a long tail, so he would probably have to replace one of those two.

[paul_e]

I think the massive qualifier with Wood is whether he is 100% match fit. If he isn't his pace tends to be early to mid eighties and he doesn't really offer anything we don't have.

True and I think you would have to look at who he would replace as well.  If he plays alongside Broad and Anderson then we are looking at quite a long tail, so he would probably have to replace one of those two.

On form it has to be Broad sitting out.

[tomd2103]

I think the massive qualifier with Wood is whether he is 100% match fit. If he isn't his pace tends to be early to mid eighties and he doesn't really offer anything we don't have.

True and I think you would have to look at who he would replace as well.  If he plays alongside Broad and Anderson then we are looking at quite a long tail, so he would probably have to replace one of those two.

On form it has to be Broad sitting out.

I would be fine with that Paul and think it might be time to make that call going forward anyway.  Broad's batting woes have limited him a bit as he is now only a 10 or 11.  If his bowling has a dip, then his selection becomes questionable.

[PaulWinch again]

Got to bear in mind that Overton will probably miss the game as well.

[paul_e]

Got to bear in mind that Overton will probably miss the game as well.

Might as well give Curran a go though because he did well in the 2dayer in Perth and there should be some form of progression to be seen if players do well when they get a chance.

[PaulWinch again]

Maybe yeah, although I think Curran's bowling is some way short of Test quality. That being said what is in his favour is that he appears to have a lot of fight about him, so he's possibly the sort of player who could develop quite a lot.

[tomd2103]

Got to bear in mind that Overton will probably miss the game as well.

True and that will probably give Broad a reprieve at the MCG. 

[Chris Jameson]

Still, at least we won the T20 World Cup which is what seems to be the priority these days.

[tomd2103]

Still, at least we won the T20 World Cup which is what seems to be the priority these days.

Not sure about that Chris, as I think if you asked many English cricket fans they would still put the Ashes right at the top, even above the World Cup perhaps.  That said, the upcoming ODI series against them should be good.   

[cheltenhamlion]

We would probably score more runs if we just played the ODI team.

[OzVilla]

If/whoever did come in you know the Aussies will go after them.