Ashes 17/18 thread

Quelle surprise!!!

 

Moeen is definitely not good enough to be a number 3.

 

Weighed up against Vince, Malan, Ballance and whoever else, yes he is.

What he definitely isn't is a test class spin bowler.

 

He's not a better batsman than those guys.

He might be good at slogging it about against second rate South African or West Indians and making quick scores but against top level Australians he'll be found out straight away with newer balls.

If he's number 3 with a newish red ball then he'd not make 10. He's absolutely fine at number 7.


For me (in an ideal world), we should go as follows in Perth.

Cook
Stoneman
Root (c)
Bairstow (wk)
Malan/Vince/Balance/Roy/Hayles - None of which are really test level
Stokes
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Wood
Anderson

 

For me you can't have bairstow at 4 and ask him to keep wicket. Try him as just a bat.

That said I think bairstow batting with the tail has helped him just have a go. The rest of the players come in looking to defend first and that's not their natural game.

And root is no captain IMO. Too nice and smiley.

 

Well we agree on Root, I said at the start of the thread he should move up to three but the fact is, he won't. No 3 might as well be an opener given the weakness and poor form of our actual openers.

Moeen is better, has scored more runs and has more experience than any of the other potential No. 3's bar Root. The rest aren't good enough. To play three he'd have to give up the idea of bowling.

You could keep Malan at five and Bairstow would be six. Without Stokes after that though we're well and truly ****ed.

 

So, what are we waking up to?

500+ or collapse?

****ing hope to whatever it is the former. If so, we win this one.

 

Collapse it is.

Useless ****ing ****s.

 

I can genuinely see the Aussies getting 600 and we'll lose by an innings.

The ****ing frauds might as well all just come home.

Joe Root captain? That's a ****ing laugh. He's a stupid prick.

 

Still, 400+ from being 100 odd for 4 is good going.

Whatever way you look at it, we're still well in this game and with the supposed down pour on Sunday we've got a good chance of avoiding defeat here.

I'd say the game is perfectly balanced. I'd give similar odds on an England win, an Aussie win and a draw.