Off Topic Cricket!!!!

Playing them with a bowler down does not help - Stone or Archer in for Anderson will boost our attack with genuine pace. For me we really need to consider how many wicketkeeper/batsmen we are going to play - neither Bairstow or Buttler are delivering at the moment and personally I'd rather see Foakes behind the stumps with one of the aforementioned taking a break. A wicket taking spinner would be good as Moeen is pants at the moment but there's really nobody out there. II suspect they'll play Leach next test as he doesn't leak as many runs which is hardly a recommendation.

Long summer ahead I suspect!!

 

Losing Anderson left us a man short for the whole game, adding the remarkable performances of Smith with the bat, makes it a great effort to twice be in the driving seat only to blow it. The teams are too close to call, but with our bowlers back to full strength, I think we can still go on and win the series.

 

I'd have Bairstow at 4 and Foakes at WK - although, that said, I've just looked up Foakes recently and he's just got 0-0-0 in 3 innings!!! Still, not much worse than Ali and he's probably a better spinner at the moment even with the gloves on!!

We need a genuine spinner - although Lords isn't conducive to spin but someone who can turn a ball would make a difference - Ali is way out of sorts with bat and ball and a decent spinner was the difference between the sides! Get him back to the county sides to get his form back as England can't afford to keep him in

 

Some of the guys look absoltely shot for me. Bairstow and Ali especially, maybe even Buttler too.

I think we need to change it a bit and freshen it up with some people who are in good form with the red ball. Though I can't think of a number 4!!

My 11 for the next test

1. Burns
2. Sibley (scored loads this season)
3. Root
4. ?
5. Roy (not a test match opener for me, better if the ball moves around less)
6. Stokes
7. Buttler
8. Woakes
9. Archer (replaces Anderson)
10. Broad.
11. Leach (replaces Ali)

 

Not a bad shout - Archer's fitness is still in question but I'd go with that. As I say, Bairstow at 4 without the gloves would work for me - he's a good batsman but often better without the gloves on. Stone in for Archer if he's not fit?

Although I'd leave Roy opening - much like at SAFC, can;t just discard a player after one or 2 games.

 

Archer has just got 6-27 and scored 108 with the bat in a seconds match today so I think it's pretty certain he'll be in. I like Sibley but he's only a young lad so I might be tempted to leave Roy at 2 and bat him at 4 instead while he finds his feet at this level. I'm sure that is what they did with Cook when he first started for a couple of tests at least. Bairstow needs to decide where he wants to bat and stick to it - he wants to bat at 7 and have the gloves but my thinking is that Buttler is a better bet for that role - he either bats at 5 (assuming Roy opens) or not at all at the moment for me.

 

I'd leave Roy opening - Sibley I know little about to be honest but my boss is an avid cricket watcher (and is also Chester the Lion!) and he rates him very highly.

Archer a shoe in without any doubt for me.

 

No play so far due to rain!!

 

Well that might just help us. Hopefully if we win the toss and Archer firings his exocets down, we could get at these. These conditions would be ideal for a fit Anderson

 

They would but apparently it's supposed to be good weather tomorrow so it could be a huge risk bowling if we only get in say 10 overs today and then the sun comes out tomorrow!