The International Cricket Thread 2018

[UK Redsox]

Just been looking at England's fixtures for 2018 and the way the season is structured seems different/strange.

eg Aussies over for just white-ball games and the India Tests at the back end

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/teams/england/fixtures

[tomd2103]

Just been looking at England's fixtures for 2018 and the way the season is structured seems different/strange.

eg Aussies over for just white-ball games and the India Tests at the back end

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/teams/england/fixtures

All about the money sadly. 

[UK Redsox]

Squad for NZ Tests

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/590619

Surprised that Curran has been dropped

[tomd2103]

Squad for NZ Tests

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/590619

Surprised that Curran has been dropped

Yep bit surprised about that as well.  Good to see Wood back in and hopefully he can regain some form. 

Been watching a bit of other cricket after the Ashes finished and was interested to see South Africa field a pace attack of Steyn, Morkel, Philander and Rabada against India.  Steyn got injured, but that is some pace attack. 

Also interesting to see Olly Stone of the Bears picked out by Steve Harmison as one of three players to watch this coming season on a cricket show earlier. 

[taylorsworkrate]

To be honest Curran looks well short of test level at this stage of his development. He may get there in a few years.

[Chris Jameson]

Brilliant, a one day series against Australia that everybody will have forgotten about within 6 months. Unless England win the series and then everything will be brilliant again.

[olaftab]

So after terrible Test series the one dayers start soon. A good win for England in the warm up game against Australia XI. The question is if Root is fit than one out of Buttler/Bairstow should be selected or both?

[paul_e]

Buttler will play, he's been in good form in the Big bash and is the vice captain so the question is about whether Bairstow is in good enough form to force himself in as a batsman.

[PaulWinch again]

As Paul says Bairstow and Buttler play. Bairstow and Root are the best batsmen across all formats and have to play whatever.

[tomd2103]

As Paul says Bairstow and Buttler play. Bairstow and Root are the best batsmen across all formats and have to play whatever.

After the poor showing in the tests, I'm looking forward to this one as we should be far more competitive.  Our top five of Roy, Hales, Root, Morgan, Buttler has been pretty stable over the last few years now, so I'm not sure where Bairstow fits in there (unless he replaces one of the openers again). 

Stokes being out means he might come in at six or Buttler might drop down one, but that might limit our bowling options a bit.

[Dave Cooper please]

Excellent start. Bowled well, Ball and Ali were very good, Woakes and Plunkett laess so but neither going for loads.

Superb start with the bat and now consolidating.

[olaftab]

Great innings by Roy. Just got to 100.

[passitsideways]

150 now - peeved that he couldn't manage a trick with the Sixers, but now hammering them all over the place.

[beness]

well done Jason Roy smashing a few records there

[PaulWinch again]

This is a battering.