Interesting that the bowling unit that allowed the Australians to rack up 566 - 8 and 254 - 2 survive completely intact. Of course bowlers will always moan that it is a batsmans game but somehow it is always the batsmen who are first in the firing line after a heavy defeat... Unfortunately Broad and Anderson (wicketless for three test innings in a row now) are undroppable, Wood deserves to keep his place and we can't (surely we can't) play five seamers so your side (with Bell at 3 and minus KP - I'm more likely to be selected for Edgbaston than he is) is likely what we will see
Sadly I think you're right about KP! Bell has got to be dropped! But probably won't be! Toss always wins at lords though! Although I expected us to make more of a game of it on a road flatter than the one I've been walking on this week!! Onto the next one! Wood and Stokes should be dropped.... Only because Durham miss them and England seem to disgard decent players and hang on to ****e!! Bell, ballance and Lyth all struggling massively. Barstow and James Taylor both playing very well! Barstow can play at number 3! No idea really but something needs to change
Next test is at Bell's home ground so he won't be dropped imo. Bairstow could come into the middle order and move Root up to 4. But as Butler still in team that would mean Bairstow just simply in for batting. Would it not be better to get Morgan bk in the side in that case? Also Lyth and Ballance need to go. Hales should come into the side to open bat. If we lose the next test thats it...game ower!
I know and that's the unfortunate reality of the situation - form means nothing - if you're playing crap it shouldn't matter where the test is being played really!! His last 11 innings have been 11, 1, 0, 1, 29, 12, 1, 60, 1, 1, 11 at an average of 11.63 - Jimmy anderson's test average is 10.6 - would anyone put him in at number 3?
Good point mate. Our selectors need to sort things out and quick. Unless Bell delivers next time out he will be dropped. But Ballance and Lyth are even bigger worries to me!
And it's the same with football mate with the England team. Form counts for very little. The same players get picked time and again regardless of their club form..
Cook is a great cricketer but a **** captain, we need somebody with some bollocks. Bell & Lythe need to be dropped as they are both ****. Ali, Root, Stokes & Broad are the only ones that have shown owt so far. Smith & Rogers are ****ing immense for the Aussies & fair play to them. Unless we bring Rashid in I can't see Edgebaston being any different to Lords.
Bairstow for Ballance in the only change.. Maybe not such a bad move - Bell to 3 Root to 4 and Bairstow in at 5. Would making 3/4 changes be the right move? Suppose we'll find out soon enough.
I'd have taken bell out too personally. As I said before 11 innings with an average of a number 10 or 11 batsman! Only one score over 30 and only 2 scores over 12 in those 11! 11.3 is terrible form by any stretch! I used to WK and bat at 9 for my local club and averaged 32 in a full season! Yes it's a poor batsmanship average but it's better than Ian Bell and I was a number 9 on merit!! He's batting 4! Lyth at 2 is poor also!
We can't win the Ashes with averages like that. i have a feeling with it being his home ground that Bell will come good in the next Test. Its make or break for him and Lyth. Another bad Test and they will get dropped i reckon. This will be the 1st time Bairstow been in the side as purely a batsman...normally WK batsman...
Does anyone really think KP would change anything? I think it's as petty as everyone else that he gets left out, but he hasn't exactly proven himself. Going off on holiday when he should be playing county first division and scoring runs. In my opinion our bowlers are the biggest issue anyway, we just don't have anyone who can match the ferocity of someone like Johnson. Can't see any way we can possibly win the series to be honest.
No but I am sure he would be able to sell a few more books/promote himself etc. I think that he proves the ECB's point why isn't he playing county cricket (first division not against pie throwers in the second division to grab headlines). I said when he re-joined Surrey to *score some runs to get his place back" why not face the best possible bowlers you just have to look at one of the next great hopes James Vince (good player lots of potential btw) at Hampshire - taking the P last season in division 2 over 1500 runs - this season in div 1 he had 350 runs after 10 matches. No Pieterson is what he is a w**ker
Agreed mate. Now I do happen to think that KP would improve the side slightly. But as you say, everything he's done in the last 6 months has been nothing but self promotion, with no regard for how much turmoil he throws the TEAM into. He doesn't care a jot about England and has not earned his place back as he said he would.
Also what exactly did he do on the last Aussie tour - FA its purely him trying to be the Beckham of cricket and all of his showbiz mates gobbing off to the press does my head in
Something that is constantly brought up is that he was the top scorer in the last Ashes series. Thre is absolutely no glory in being the best of that turgid bunch. And since then he has been off hitting balls around in 20/20 games, promoting his book, going on holiday and playing a couple of second class games to get easy headlines. Meanwhile the rest of the team have been working hard and trying to put things right. Unfortunately the Aussies are far too good for us and will win the series IMO but at least some self respect will be preserved by keeping that egotistical prick far, far away.
He scored under 300 runs on that tour so that is nowt to be bandied about for the "premier " player This is from wiki says it all about his team ethic (but he is happy to play in div 2 when it suits); After Nottinghamshire were relegated in 2003, Pietersen requested a release from his contract, saying "I haven't been happy for a while....The pitch at Trent Bridge has been one of my problems... I could have done so much better if the wicket had been good."[53] This led to a public row with club captain Jason Gallian, where Gallian allegedly threw Pietersen's kit off the Trent Bridge balcony and broke his bat: During the game I told the captain that I was not happy and that I wanted to leave. After the game we spoke in the dressing room and then I went to have dinner. I got a call saying the captain had trashed my equipment. I was told the captain had said, 'if he does not want to play for Notts he can f*** off.' I have not spoken to Gallian since, nor have I received an apology.[54] Pietersen was made to honour the last year of his contract at Nottinghamshire, but "didn't enjoy it at all".[55] In October 2004, he joined Hampshire under the captaincy of Shane Warne.[56]
