Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

I'd think we will play leach and mo in the west indies

Something like

Burns
Jennings
Bairstow
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Foakes
Moeen
Curran/woakes/broad
Anderson
Leach

Don't see what is wrong with

Burns Jennings Bairstow Root Stokes Ali Foakes Curran Rashid Broad Anderson

....much as I hate 6 bowlers.

Slipstream wrote:Don't see what is wrong with

Burns Jennings Bairstow Root Stokes Ali Foakes Curran Rashid Broad Anderson

....much as I hate 6 bowlers.

Well you haven't picked the guy who had the highest average of our batsmen in 2018 for starters

Foakes?

I've started a match thread. I wasn't sure if we should have just one for the whole series, but I stuck with tradition.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Foakes?

I meant butter bug I suppose foakes did have the highest

Buttler had 760odd at just under 45

backfootpunch wrote:

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Foakes?

I meant butter bug I suppose foakes did have the highest

Buttler had 760odd at just under 45

Can't believe I forgot Buttler.

Burns Bairstow Stokes Root Buttler Foakes Ali Curran Rashid Broad Anderson

Slipstream wrote:

backfootpunch wrote:

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Foakes?

I meant butter bug I suppose foakes did have the highest

Buttler had 760odd at just under 45

Can't believe I forgot Buttler.

Burns Bairstow Stokes Root Buttler Foakes Ali Curran Rashid Broad Anderson

Six bowlers , three wicket keepers and two batsmen ? I know it's been difficult to find worthy top order bats lately but I don't think that means totally giving up on normal team selection and expecting 7-9 to make the lion's share of the runs...

That XI has Stokes artificially high at three , YJB - already on trial at 3 - now punted to opener ; and Buttler and Foakes arguably one spot higher than they'd prefer : none of these necessarily wrong ; but surely , combined , a risk . And all just because of a reluctance to make a choice as to which bowling combination is best for the conditions facing the team in this match ?

As Arthur indicated earlier , five bowlers should be ample. Six were employed in a few games mainly because (a) batting lineup made it possible (b) selectors were experimenting with their spinners ; and (c) unusual conditions in Sri Lanka. As it was one at least of those bowlers was generally underemployed , though the team didn't suffer due to the overall all round strength. To best the strongest opposition , I suspect resources might need to be more focused ; so I think setting up a reliable top six while rotating the bowling options for prevailing conditions is probably the best way forward.

I think that should start here.

WI opt to bat.

Two spinners for England. WI will depend on spin from Roston and Kraigg.

Sam selected instead of Broad. Alzarri's selection looks surprise.

3 slips and gully for Jimmy to begin the bowling innings. Good over that.

Not amused England omitting Jack Leach, can not leave a player who averages 24.9 with the ball..

The English attack looks pretty weak. Rashid and Ali carrying the work load for everyone else... not a brilliant prospect.

Plus is Curran really the type of player expected to do better than Broad in conditions that arent swingcentric?

Woakes doesn't seem to get much of a look in these days, don't think the selectors like him very much. I wouldn't drop Curran for him I'd drop Jennings and have Bairstow opening. Root, Butler and Stokes can then decide between themselves where they're all going to bat.

Anderson has been excellent so far

He is a joy to watch at times

The quality has been a lot lower at the other end

Time for a spinner.