Ozzie win the toss and bowl. What a surprise really hope this back fires we could do with winning this one Strange but Root says would have bowled if they won the toss. The wicket looks well and the weather doesn't look great for tomoro. Decent score, declare and bowl at them tomoro Hope springs eternal Like watching Barnsley fc. Come on England beat these @-#$%
The key to winning any game is batting well in the first innings. Big morning for our batsmen coming up! I’d have probably bowled too but the weather looks set fair today and the pitch is less green than many predicted
To quote W.G. Grace ..... "When you win the toss – bat. If you are in doubt, think about it, then bat. If you have very big doubts, consult a colleague – then bat."
Rather not be batting last in the second innings. Looking at the weather forecast it won’t matter anyway.
*sigh* short wide... *swing and miss* Ok length but wide *play and a miss* Short wide *play edge out* Not good
Jason Roy tried to get out from all three balls he faced, he managed it on the third! Leaving the ball isn’t really an option in his mind it seems
I’ve seen him bat a lot, he was even worse in his first 3 years. Seems to think he’ll be fined if he doesn’t attack every ball. Sadly I don’t think he’s going to be cut out for test cricket
If these are the best 11 cricketers (a whole new debate!) Denly should open and Roy should join the other 23721 middle order hitters we have, I’d bat him at 6 behind burns, denly, root and stokes and Bairstow
I think that new debate is a better starting point to be fair. Whoever the next coach is, I’d be inclined to see if there is a Duncan fletcher type who knows what he wants and needs to be successful and then creates that nucleus The balance of the team is completely wrong. We never really replaced Collingwood. We never replaced Strauss. We certainly haven’t replaced Trott. And we’re nowhere near to replacing Cook. We’ve some decent bowlers (spinner aside) but our batting line up has considerably worsened year on year since 2011.
Actually... I wonder if moving Root back to open might well be a better move. We’re often a few down early anyway, so he’s facing a new ball most of the time he starts his innings. If he can dull it a bit with Burns, maybe the sloggers can play a more natural game and their dreadful technique not be as exposed
I'd drop Denly and put Vince back in and put Stoneman back in for Roy. Drop Bairstow for Malan and Butler for Foakes and give the gloves to Foakes.
He’s got nowhere near enough patience for test cricket. Surely he can’t open the next test. If he’s gonna be in the squad he needs to be in at 4/5
I think Foakes is a better wicketkeeper and therefore he should be first choice. I wouldn’t have Malan or Vince near the test set up though, they’ve failed more than enough and Vince just can’t stop nicking to the slips. Not sure who the more mentally tough gritty batsmen are who can still think clearly under pressure. But that’s what we badly need
Bairstow's test match average has been in decline for the last couple of years. Apart from a one year purple patch starting from the tour to SA, I'm not sure he's shown that he is good enough. Denly was a desperation pick, to go on an overseas tour because he could bowl a bit of spin. He's never really been knocking on the door for selection on his batting over the years. Roy could be good enough, but shouldn't be opening the batting. Interestingly, the one innings where he's not opened, he got 70 odd. Sibley should be given a chance, and Foakes should be in. I'd go, Burns, Sibley, Roy, Root, Stokes, Buttler, Foakes, Woakes, Leach, Archer, Broad. Buttler clinging on by a thread, if he doesn't get any runs in the next couple of tests, would consider promoting Woakes as an all rounder and getting Curran in.
