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The Ashes!

Andy

Andy

Too much time on my hands
Politics 5
Jul 28, 2013
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What a start from England! If you said to me a couple of weeks ago that we'd have the first test won by Tea on the 4th day, i'd have just laughed.

What a turned around this new coaching team has brought!

What are your ashes predictions?
 
I'd had said 3-0 to the Aussies a few weeks ago, now I reckon we've got a decent chance but I'll say 2-2.
 
I'll go 3-1. Mixture of momentum from that match plus NZ series, experience in bowling in our conditions, plus effects of injuries on Aussie squad and the fact that a few of them are getting a bit past it. But I'll give them one test at some point for dogged persistence combined with a collective England batting failure (which no test series should ever be without).
 
I'll go 2-1, but it could be to any team.

If Moeen and Wood can continue to improve, and Anderson and Root can continue there magnificent form it'll be an England victory.

But If Smith settles into English conditions, and Clarke and Haddin find their form along with Johnson, it'll be an Aussie victory.

It certainly won't be the slaughtering we were expecting after the World Cup shambles!!
 
I just worry about Ballance & Bell and what might happen when their quicks get a pitch with a bit more pace in it.
On the plus side I like the look of our squad. If we need to bring Rashid in as a second spinner then Stokes will probably drop out but that doesn't weaken the batting very too much.

I hope the Aussies don't drop Watson but I've never really understood how he gets a game.
 
We need an inform Bell in the team, if it comes down to chasing 250 in the 5th test to win the ashes, we could need Bell's experience, because who knows how the likes of Ballance, Root and Stokes would deal with that kind of pressure. I'd like to see Root at 3, Ballance at 4 and allow Bell at 5 to play the role Paul Collingwood played for so long. i.e if we find ourselves at 30-3 Bell can steady the innings, and if he comes in at 200-3, he can come out and play his shots and keep the innings going along.
 
Well, that's the collective England batting failure out of the way. Plain sailing now ... :D
 
3-1 to the Aussies, rain to save us in the other. Ever the optimist me :(
 
Lyth isn't good enough for me, time to give Alex Hales ago in the test arena. Unfortunately I think Bell's England career is over, atleast for this Summer anyway. Think that they should bring in Bairstow in purely as a Batsman at Number 5. Root should move up to number 3, and Balance down to 4. I know that Balance is in poor form at the moment, and it's hard for him to get back in to form when he's facing the new ball when England are 5 for 1 after Lyth has waved his bat at one.
 
I'd shift Ballance out to make way for Bairstow and somehow change the order to accommodate him at 5. I'd rest a bit of hope on Bell performing on his home ground. Ballance doesn't look like he fancies quickies at all, and he's going to have to face a fairly new ball unless both openers play themselves in for enough overs. Lyth or Hales? I'll confess I don't know. But one test doesn't usually lead to mass changes when it comes to England sides.
 
Whether he would be bad for team moral I don't know but I can't help but feel the selectors shot themselves in the foot by not selecting KP. Desperately need his quality and experience in the batting line up. I suppose that's easy to say in hindsight though.
 
It's not really one Test though, Alan.

England have been 30 odd for 3 in the last 10 innings, that can't continue. As for Bell, he's scored just over 120 runs in his last 12 innings, averaging just over 10, that also can't continue.
 
With 'one test' I was expressing what the selectors may well argue, rather than what I thought. For me the problem is also the absence of stand-out replacements.
 
The answer is KP, but that's not going to happen.
 
Andy said:
The answer is KP, but that's not going to happen.
Click to expand...
If KP had been selected into the squad we would at least have had him to fall back on even if he didn't play the first couple of tests. Bad mistake leaving him out completely and not having that option imo.
 
Bairstow in. I presume that will push Root to 3, Bell at 4 and then Johnny at 5. If next innings, Bell can come in with the score 100-2, rather than 25-2, maybe then he might find the much need form?
 
According to Sky sports, Bell has been pushed up to no.3, with root at no.4, Bairstow no.5, can only assume they're hoping Bell can find some form on his own ground and kick on for the rest of the series.
 
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