Off Topic The Ashes

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FFS. that isn’t ideal…
 
Woakes is a fairly able replacement and he will add a lot of strength with the bat.

can’t wait until it starts. Hoping to stay up to watch the first session.
 
The Aussie bowling unit is a lot stronger than ours and I think that will be the difference.

I'll go 3-1 Australia and Labuschagne to be the top run scorer.
 
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I've just seen Willy Hill are offering 16/1 for Labuschagne to be top Aussie batsman and Stokes top English batsman, in the first innings. Decent bet that.
 
TopCat_SMB said:
BBC and other outlets now saying he's being "rested" or is not quite "match fit"

Either way we need to start planning for life without him
Click to expand...

Could be my fault - on the BBC team selector a couple of days ago I left him out of this one on the grounds that he's unlikely to play all the tests and he's never done too well on this pitch. I would also like to see Woakes given a good run in the side as he's absolutely deserved that chance. Robinson and Wood virtually pick themselves on these tracks so it's down to one of Broad and Anderson for me.
 
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Riever said:
Could be my fault - on the BBC team selector a couple of days ago I left him out of this one on the grounds that he's unlikely to play all the tests and he's never done too well on this pitch. I would also like to see Woakes given a good run in the side as he's absolutely deserved that chance. Robinson and Wood virtually pick themselves on these tracks so it's down to one of Broad and Anderson for me.
Click to expand...
The selection suggests that we may go with an all seam attack (Woakes, Robinson, Broad & Wood) which I think would be a mistake as Leach gives us an option to rest and rotate the quicks when nowt is happening with the ball
 
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TopCat_SMB said:
BBC and other outlets now saying he's being "rested" or is not quite "match fit"

Either way we need to start planning for life without him
Click to expand...
We are, mate. We've gradually been bringing through the likes of Wood, Woakes, Robinson. I can see the latter two being our future. I'm still undecided on Wood, tbh.
 
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TopCat_SMB said:
The selection suggests that we may go with an all seam attack (Woakes, Robinson, Broad & Wood) which I think would be a mistake as Leach gives us an option to rest and rotate the quicks when nowt is happening with the ball
Click to expand...

Burns
Hameed
Malan
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Woakes
Robinson
Wood
Broad
Leach

This was the 11 that I chose - my dilemma was whether to try and shoe horn Pope in to the side (possibly for Broad) as I would rather that Buttler was coming in at 7 but quite honestly I think that his weight of test runs recently is no better than the tail enders. Woakes, Robinson and Wood can all hold a bat so on balance I prefer a stronger bowling unit over an extra batter who's not in the greatest of form.
 
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TopCat_SMB said:
The selection suggests that we may go with an all seam attack (Woakes, Robinson, Broad & Wood) which I think would be a mistake as Leach gives us an option to rest and rotate the quicks when nowt is happening with the ball
Click to expand...
Would be a big mistake IMO.
 
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Riever said:
Burns
Hameed
Malan
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Woakes
Robinson
Wood
Broad
Leach

This was the 11 that I chose - my dilemma was whether to try and shoe horn Pope in to the side (possibly for Broad) as I would rather that Buttler was coming in at 7 but quite honestly I think that his weight of test runs recently is no better than the tail enders. Woakes, Robinson and Wood can all hold a bat so on balance I prefer a stronger bowling unit over an extra batter who's not in the greatest of form.
Click to expand...
Buttler, Woakes and Robinson all batting a place too high there.

I'd be nervous at 50-3 with Buttler the next man in
 
Riever said:
Burns
Hameed
Malan
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Woakes
Robinson
Wood
Broad
Leach

This was the 11 that I chose - my dilemma was whether to try and shoe horn Pope in to the side (possibly for Broad) as I would rather that Buttler was coming in at 7 but quite honestly I think that his weight of test runs recently is no better than the tail enders. Woakes, Robinson and Wood can all hold a bat so on balance I prefer a stronger bowling unit over an extra batter who's not in the greatest of form.
Click to expand...
I'll go with that but I'd have Pope in the side in place of Leach.
 
TopCat_SMB said:
The selection suggests that we may go with an all seam attack (Woakes, Robinson, Broad & Wood) which I think would be a mistake as Leach gives us an option to rest and rotate the quicks when nowt is happening with the ball
Click to expand...

If Stokes can put a few overs in we could play Leach? As you say,it gives the possibility to hold up an end and give the quicks a rotating rest.
I think they'll go with Leach,Robinson,Broad and Wood and decide between Pope and Woakes.....I'd go for Woakes.
 
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