3 games to go yet and I am not giving up until the fat lady sings ( or when Aus win one more test match ). We can dispense with one spinner and replace with either Finn or Bressie who can both bat a bit too. The team just need to learn not to go for the wild shots until anyone is in treble figures. I'd also like to see us not get dragged into anymore slanging matches with the opposition. At the moment we need to let our batting and bowling do the talking.
Team @ Perth: (Mostly by default as by any other criteria, few merit selection)
Cook Carberry Root Pieteresen Bell Ballance Prior Stokes Bresnan Broad Anderson
The batting needs stiffening and at the very least, Ballance needs to start earning his tour fee. This side theoretically bats down to 10. Reluctantly no spinner, neither Panesar nor Swann are enjoying any success. The fast Perth pitch just justifies the selection of four pacemen (let's hope they can generate some real pace) leaving Root for a few spinning overs.
Bell Kermorgant Root Kermorgant Bell Kermorgant Root Kermorgant Bell Kermorgant Root Kermorgant Bell Kermorgant Root Kermorgant Bell Kermorgant Root Kermorgant Panesar SCP (wait sorry you don't like him do you Golfie)
Team @ Perth: (Mostly by default as by any other criteria, few merit selection)
Cook Carberry Root Pieteresen Bell Ballance Prior Stokes Bresnan Broad Anderson
The batting needs stiffening and at the very least, Ballance needs to start earning his tour fee. This side theoretically bats down to 10. Reluctantly no spinner, neither Panesar nor Swann are enjoying any success. The fast Perth pitch just justifies the selection of four pacemen (let's hope they can generate some real pace) leaving Root for a few spinning overs.
Wouldn't disagree with too much of this and would be my 2nd choice team.
But like Warney says, I always would want to have a spinner in the team just in case and for variety as much as anything. If it's a road (albeit a fast one), 4 85mph bowlers will struggle to get the job done. And Monty's dismissals of Smith and Clarke this game make him worth a punt in my view, especially as the Aussies have 8 right-handers. And isn't it invariably the case that when you leave the spinner out, it's turning square before day 1 is over?
Team @ Perth: (Mostly by default as by any other criteria, few merit selection)
Cook Carberry Root Pieteresen Bell Ballance Prior Stokes Bresnan Broad Anderson
The batting needs stiffening and at the very least, Ballance needs to start earning his tour fee. This side theoretically bats down to 10. Reluctantly no spinner, neither Panesar nor Swann are enjoying any success. The fast Perth pitch just justifies the selection of four pacemen (let's hope they can generate some real pace) leaving Root for a few spinning overs.
Wouldn't disagree with too much of this and would be my 2nd choice team.
But like Warney says, I always would want to have a spinner in the team just in case and for variety as much as anything. If it's a road (albeit a fast one), 4 85mph bowlers will struggle to get the job done. And Monty's dismissals of Smith and Clarke this game make him worth a punt in my view, especially as the Aussies have 8 right-handers. And isn't it invariably the case that when you leave the spinner out, it's turning square before day 1 is over?
I like this side but I would get a taller bowler in, Finn or Rankin instead of Bresnan and Panesar instead of Stokes, his time will come.
The side needs a massive change around next summer post defeat
We apparently have some very good talent coming through so as long as Root, Pietersen, Bell, Panesar, Broad , Bresnan and Anderson are in then we should be ok for a year or two
The rest have technical issues I am not sure they can overcome or are shite
Both Root & Peterson can bowl spin, and seeing as its at Perth they would only need to bowl 8 - 10overs each, if that - so no need for a specialist spinner & therefore Finn can be the 4th bowler.
I'm not convinced that Finn is the right choice . By all accounts he is not bowling well in the nets and he hasn't bowled well for at least the last 12 months. Ever since he changed his run up it seems to have denigrated his game. I would go with the team @lincsaddick suggested . It strengthens our batting line up .
Cook Carberry Root Pieteresen Bell Ballance Prior Stokes Bresnan Broad Anderson
The shabby treatment by England of Nick Compton earlier this year looks worse than ever now. I really think Prior should be dropped, apart from that I'd agree with team above. I hear that Finn, Tremlett and Rankin have disappointed big time on this tour, not just with their bowling but attitude too.
Monty normally does well on pitches with a bit of pace and bounce, as he doesn't rely on turn so much for his wickets as Swann. But Swann is an important slip fielder for England, so leaving him out might affect the close catching?
not sure if he can be called up but he's out there with the England team. training them to deal with the fast short ball. he bowls over 90mph. plays for Essex.
Have any of you actually seen Mills bowl? He is f***ing dreadful - just because he's quick doesnt make him a test bowler. He couldn't hut line and length for four balls an over if his life depended on it. He might be a prospect for the future, but he's at least 2 years away from being eased into the side. If you want to pick someone who might get a couple of wickets but go for about eight an over, Finn's already with the squad...
Besides, there's precious little wrong with the bowling. It's the bloody batting that needs sorting out - and there's no magic replacement for five woefully out of form top order batsmen.
Besides, there's precious little wrong with the bowling. It's the bloody batting that needs sorting out - and there's no magic replacement for five woefully out of form top order batsmen.
There are problems with the bowling. Swann is shot to pieces. Never seen him bowl so ineffectively and inconsistently. Aussie started getting hold of him last summer and have continued to do so. Anderson is not the bowler in Australia he is at home. Broad is great. Third seamer an issue. In two innings Aussie have scored nearly 1,000 runs for 16 wickets. That indicates that all is not well with the bowling.
There are problems with the bowling. Swann is shot to pieces. Never seen him bowl so ineffectively and inconsistently. Aussie started getting hold of him last summer and have continued to do so. Anderson is not the bowler in Australia he is at home. Broad is great. Third seamer an issue. In two innings Aussie have scored nearly 1,000 runs for 16 wickets. That indicates that all is not well with the bowling.
Agreed. Whilst our batting has been worse, our bowling has not been good and both will need drastic improvements if a miracle is to happen.
I would replace Panesar with Bresnan and Stokes with Ballance. Swann isnt playing well but needs to keep his place for his slip catching at Perth. Would be tempted by Finn, but Bresnan means we add that little bit more stability to the batting.
The sad thing is , that if we lose the toss on Friday then we can pretty much kiss goodbye to any chance of retaining the ashes. Our only hope is ( and it's a very slim one ) is to win the toss and put 450 + on the board. That will put the Aussies under a little bit of pressure for the first time in the series.
The last time we scored over 400 in an innings was against New Zealand , 7 months ago.
If we win the toss on Friday do you really think we'd chose to bat?
Absolutely . Putting the Aussies into bat and being out of the game by day two again would be suicide for Cook , regardless of how flat the wicket will become on days four and five.
Yes I've seen mills bowl a number of times and know he is raw and wayward but for every half tracker there will be a genuinely quick ball that might trouble a batsman. I think we are in the last chance saloon and may as well roll the dice.
Yes I've seen mills bowl a number of times and know he is raw and wayward but for every half tracker there will be a genuinely quick ball that might trouble a batsman. I think we are in the last chance saloon and may as well roll the dice.
If we do pick him - and it's not impossible - then it would have to be as part of a five man attack to hedge our bets.
Comments
Cook
Carberry
Root
Pieteresen
Bell
Ballance
Prior
Stokes
Bresnan
Broad
Anderson
The batting needs stiffening and at the very least, Ballance needs to start earning his tour fee. This side theoretically bats down to 10. Reluctantly no spinner, neither Panesar nor Swann are enjoying any success. The fast Perth pitch just justifies the selection of four pacemen (let's hope they can generate some real pace) leaving Root for a few spinning overs.
Bell
Root
Bell
Root
Bell
Root
Bell
Root
Bell
Root
Panesar
But like Warney says, I always would want to have a spinner in the team just in case and for variety as much as anything. If it's a road (albeit a fast one), 4 85mph bowlers will struggle to get the job done. And Monty's dismissals of Smith and Clarke this game make him worth a punt in my view, especially as the Aussies have 8 right-handers. And isn't it invariably the case that when you leave the spinner out, it's turning square before day 1 is over?
We apparently have some very good talent coming through so as long as Root, Pietersen, Bell, Panesar, Broad , Bresnan and Anderson are in then we should be ok for a year or two
The rest have technical issues I am not sure they can overcome or are shite
I would go with the team @lincsaddick suggested . It strengthens our batting line up .
Cook
Carberry
Root
Pieteresen
Bell
Ballance
Prior
Stokes
Bresnan
Broad
Anderson
I really think Prior should be dropped, apart from that I'd agree with team above. I hear that Finn, Tremlett and Rankin have disappointed big time on this tour, not just with their bowling but attitude too.
cook
Carberry
Root
Pietereson
Bell
ballance
Prior
broad
Bresnan
mills
anderson
not sure if he can be called up but he's out there with the England team. training them to deal with the fast short ball. he bowls over 90mph. plays for Essex.
Hobbs
Sutcliffe
Hammond
Cowdrey
Compton
Flintoff
Botham
Knott
Underwood
Trueman
Willis
Are we talking Compton D or Compton N? :-)
Compton D averaged something like 5.51 in Australia during the 1950-51 tour so he'd fit the current mob like Cinderella's slipper!
Besides, there's precious little wrong with the bowling. It's the bloody batting that needs sorting out - and there's no magic replacement for five woefully out of form top order batsmen.
I would replace Panesar with Bresnan and Stokes with Ballance. Swann isnt playing well but needs to keep his place for his slip catching at Perth. Would be tempted by Finn, but Bresnan means we add that little bit more stability to the batting.
The last time we scored over 400 in an innings was against New Zealand , 7 months ago.
I would love to see us stick it up this lot with Mills - but as Leroy says he is not ready for Test Cricket yet.
I'd go with....
Cook
Carberry
Root
KP
Bell
Balance/Bairstow
Prior
Broad
Finn
Anderson
Panesar
Number six is an issue, I think we need more runs from there so we can put the Aussies under pressure.
Cook
Carberry
Root
KP
Bell
Stokes
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Finn
Anderson