First Test. England v Sri Lanka at Headingley. 19/5/16.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Probably best to look at the recently selected performance squad for possible options.


Ballance and Bell were in that (Bell has a central contract, Ballance an incremental).

I guess Ansari and Dawson are down as a spinning all rounders, and Morgan, Roy and Billings as limited overs players.

That's it. It'd be surprising of they brought Robson back to fill a spot at six. Maybe he and Borthwick are keeping an eye on Compton's form. Woakes has just scored a ton, but he hasn't taken masses of wickets this season. If he's picked again, ideally he'd be in the form to do himself justice.

It's a shame there are no first class Lions games these days. A player may have emerged from those. They were exremely unpopular among county fans though (when played in the home summer) so not too many can complain at their demise.

[Dr Cricket]

Lions game would have been useful to pick players for the winter tours.
It is actually quite hard picking the lions or the next best 11 to take the field, which isn't a good sign since if Compton, hales fail or injuries happen will be hard to pick replacements.
Would bell be picked or would youngsters get preference. Suspect balance, bell Drummond, hildreth, foakes, Robson will all be in the squad.

[Arthur Crabtree]

To demonstrate how difficult predictions are, when Swann retired, he picked Borthwick as his likely successor.

Buttler's in the performance squad, but he'll be in India.

[Dr Cricket]

Although they do have the north vs south game that acts like the lions games, wish the mcc game got scrapped and replaced by Rest of England vs champions and be televised. Will be an extra lions game and a game where players can make a case for selection.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Hard to know why they would pick a big squad, and then choose from outside it. This is supposed to be a group of names which the ECB will moniter over the season. But it's happened before.

Division two gets a lot of crtiticism for its quality (a poor Test side is sure to get labelled 'Divison 2', at least by Boycott), and for a while now, many of the press have assumed that a player had to get into CC1 to make a claim for a Test spot. Which was a reason Taylor went to Notts. I remember someone at the ECB commenting after KP got the runs Graves suggested he needed to get back in the England side, that you'd think he'd have found a CC1 side...

It feels like a few batters are getting touted without taking that route. With no Lions games, don't players like Westley and B.Drummond have to move up a level with a view to playing for England?

[Dr Cricket]

Tbh the other route is to do what hales did and get in through the Odi route. If the players can score highly in list a cricket against the top teams it would essentially show they can score runs against tougher attacks.

[Dr Cricket]

The squad does look light in test match Batting.
Really only bell and balance and both look unlikely to be picked for the 2nd test. The rest are keepers or all rounders or limited over batsman.

Not sure Roy or Morgan will be picked either for the test matches.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I was thinking that. That's a traditional way into England's Test side. But as you say that gives you Jason Roy. And they won't go back to Morgan.

[Dr Cricket]

Not sure the selector know the next batsman in the rank which is why they still picked Compton. If stokes is a minor injury they would do the easy option and pick woakes or ball, guessing woakes edges it since ball gives England a long tail. Ali at 7 is a bit weak especially with broad at 8.

Crucial game for Ali will want to show people he can actually bat, especially at a time people are questioning is role in the team.

[Dr Cricket]

Wonder what selvey and the other Ecb mouthpiece are saying on the squad they should know which way the selectors are thinking.

[Making_Splinters]

I was thinking that. That's a traditional way into England's Test side. But as you say that gives you Jason Roy. And they won't go back to Morgan.

Roy probably could have made the squad had he hit his straps this season, but, he hasn't. He's definitely got the talent to become more than a limited overs player though he's not made the most of his chances thus far. There are at least two batting spots open should Vince and Compton not get some runs. Compton deserves the full series but he's in horrible nick.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Wonder what selvey and the other Ecb mouthpiece are saying on the squad they should know which way the selectors are thinking.

Only noticed Robson getting positioned by Selvey. We had some suggestions that Compton, Hales and (now, sadly, no longer meaningful) Taylor were vulnerable, and Ballance isn't in favour.

[Dr Cricket]

Yeah Roy a serious talent, probably need a season of domestic cricket still, if anything playing Odi for England ruined him since he just goes all attack at all times and not pick the strokes at the right time.
Got the talent not reached the mental application to succeed yet. Not sure it help that he is a pinch hitter for England and encouraged to go all out in white ball cricket.
Needs to learn how to stay at the crease and score big runs and not score pretty quick 50s.

[Dr Cricket]

Wonder what selvey and the other Ecb mouthpiece are saying on the squad they should know which way the selectors are thinking.

Only noticed Robson getting positioned by Selvey. We had some suggestions that Compton, Hales and (now, sadly, no longer meaningful) Taylor were vulnerable, and Ballance isn't in favour.

Jonathan liew thinks it is between woakes and ball.
Said selectors are thinking between a batsman and bowler but then didn't name a batsman unless woakes is the batsman in question.

Couldn't find any article by Newman or selvey on stokes injuries yet.

[Dr Cricket]

In batting would say cook, Compton, hales, Vince are all vulnerable to leave between now and the next 18-24 months.
Cook could essentially leave at any time but doubt he will leave before the ashes but any poor lengthy form could see him go.
Hales still cementing his spot, berry and few others not a fan of him. Compton in poor form and doesn't have the backing of the media and Vince just made his debut.

Probably could remove cook in the list but would be making plans to find 2 new openers. Probably won't help they going to India where chances are no batsman will score runs.