Off Topic Cricket World Cup

Strange game with an expected outcome, England humiliated in the first innings, and Ireland in their second. Good bowling though on a bowler-friendly pitch.

 

Archer in for the Ashes

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/49138107

 

No Rashid, Is he still injured? Cannot believe our spin options are Ali and Denly. Does this suggest maybe Denly to bat at 3 and him and Root are our spinners as I wouldn't let Moeen within a mile of this team in his current form.

 

Our one, two, three look so unbalanced and temperamentally unsuited to test cricket to me. They may be the best we’ve got and here’s hoping that they come good but my gut is telling me 37 for 3 having chosen to bat on a shirt front. Aussie tails up, snarling like old, snide sledging out the corner of their mouths, baggy green flapping, incoherent guttural grunting from a group of win at all costs, charmless nerks.





Bring it on. I love the Ashes.



Archer’s gonna ****ing destroy them.

 

I hope Archer's up for the 5-day game, in terms of fitness. Seems a bit high risk to me at this point.

 

They won't play two spinners at Edgbaston, so Rashid was never going to come into the equation. He'll only play if there is a spinners wicket, unlikely in a wet English summer. He'll never be No 1 spinner in tests, as he cant bowl tight over after tight over, which is a spinners role in this country. Whether Ali can, time will tell.
Woakes has to play at Edgbaston (home ground), gives Archer longer to rest his side, pace bowlers can't mess with these.

 

Archer played last night in the T20. He's likely to start.

 

We do have a great 'squad' of pace bowlers don't we. With Wood out, I just feel we should be patient, wrap him in cotton wool and play 'horses for courses'

 

We do. Given we're playing the full series in what, 6 weeks ish? we could easliy rotate and not be weakened. Play each test and pick the bowlers to suit the conditions. My major concern will be the batting. I can quite easily see us being 30/3 every innings as I still don't see a decent 1, 2 and 3 emerging. That said, possibly same for them when you get Smith and warner out. Should be a bowlers series.

 

Ashes day! And a series of 'who's got the least **** batting'. Should be a tight series but the pessimist in me think the Aussies might just shade it