You’ll maybe be right but it’d be very harsh bearing in mind he averaged 48 in Ashes tour including the only English century AND averaged 60 in the Windies tour again with a century. He was second only to Root in number of Test runs last year and is clear top for this year. On the other hand, Brook has to play or he’ll go out of his mind
Foakes had a superb first innings and only conceded one bye so it’d be cruel .. but you never know. Anyway on a positive note we’re going to draw this game and win the last ……. nuff said
To be able to bat and keep are are a must. I'd argue that Bairstow's stats are better than Foakes. And Baistow's batting figures are better when he is keeping also.
The only winner here is the Nottinghamshire chief executive. Groundsman has prepared a road and the tills are ringing for 5 days
I think we have some very talented players. I think they stick with Crawley all summer. Lees looked good this innings. Pope clearly someone that's a very talented player. Stokes and Root are IMO world 11 players. Im a big fan of Sam Curran at 8. Think he's a very good allrounder and we haven't seen how he can Bat yet. Some in the Media reckon he should be a batter alrounder.
Really classy ton. Left more shots than in any other innings but not so many that he wasn’t scoring at a decent pace. Let’s see Root achieve the same this afternoon and build some confidence that we can bat through the order again.
Bugger me, humility on the BBS! Question for me (genuinely don't know) - could brook open? Lees Brook Pope Root Bairstow (w) Stokes (c) Foakes Broad Leach (Parkinson?) Anderson Potts Realistic proposal for third test?
I think he’s good enough but is it fair to try and change a number 4/5 into opening when he’s 23 and has huge potential to be a great ? He’d do well but could ruin him also. Only my opinion
I didn’t say that bairstow should be dropped, just that his is the spot that Brook would take if called up. He did well in the winter, but in a role that’s not available to him now. Moving from 6 to 5 shouldn’t make much difference, but his record suggests that it does. And while some have said give him the gloves again, how long is it since he kept wicket. My opinion is that Brook for Bairstow will happen if Bairstow doesn’t have a good series against NZ, and it might not be the worst thing to have him concentrate on white ball cricket, where he is so important.
Not kept wicket for a while now though? Difficult to drop Foakes just yet after his innings at the end of the first test.
Isn’t Sam the younger brother who has played in several tests already ? Tom has mainly been in white ball games and hasn’t played many tests. Or is it the other way round ? One of them bowls left handed
Fair point, and I think I agree. The only reason I ask is I think I'm fairly comfortable with Pope being given time (with pressure from Brook), I think Bairstow is reliable as lower-top/upper middle and we have Root and Stokes, then I prefer Foakes as keeper, which means we have 3-7. The issue we have is openers, we just can't find anyone, nevermind a decent pair. Lees seems to be playing ok for now but I don't trust him, but Crawley I can't stand.
Bairstow as expected has flopped again. It's really showing going straight from two months of slog for Punjab, to the five day game with no county championship.
Sam's the youngest and the best out of the 3 brothers at everything. Gone for big money in the IPL I think but also the best at Tests. Left armed seam about 80 he bowls.