First Ashes Test, Edgbaston, 1-5 August 2019

[Arthur Crabtree]

Sounds like Anderson is unlikely to be fit for the third Test.

I guess the squad for the next Test is going to be picked at the weekend.

Archer has been taking wickets for Sussex seconds today.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Really annoys me when people compare Joe Root to Kane Williamson/Steve Smith/Virat Kohli.

Root is averaging 42 since the start of 2017, which feels crazy for a player with his talent.

Still, Buttler, Bairstow and Stokes are going at about 32-36.

Root went for between 50-100 again. Which is infuriating. I think Sussex was touching on the reality by the suggestion that all these players seem to think that 50 balls of careful play buys them the right to bat how they like. In fact commentators seem to imply this when they say at least have a look, when players get out quickly to rash shots. But in some (maybe most) situations, being watchful is the right way to be throughout the innings.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Vic Marks has Leach and Archer in for Mo and Anderson.

[Durhamfootman]

I imagine he is probably right, but so many things felt wrong about the personnel in that first test. We can, at least, thank Smith for single handedly exposing their shortcomings and for doing it quickly enough for England to try and do something about it.

Anderson might be enforced, but Mo is a must. He looks completely shot as a player. The days of Stokes, Bairstow and Ali forming the most destructive 6,7,8 in world cricket seem long gone

[GarlicJam]

What experience in 1st Class cricket does Archer have?

Is he fit enough for test cricket? Bowling 4/10 overs in a match, where variety of speed and placement is an asset, is one thing, but bowling maybe 20 overs in a day, where line, length, and consistency is a key, is another. Is Archer going to be found out in test cricket?

[sussexpob]

He's a better 4 day player than any other format.

[backfootpunch]

What experience in 1st Class cricket does Archer have?

Is he fit enough for test cricket? Bowling 4/10 overs in a match, where variety of speed and placement is an asset, is one thing, but bowling maybe 20 overs in a day, where line, length, and consistency is a key, is another. Is Archer going to be found out in test cricket?

His first class record is exceptional but he hasnt played much recently

[GarlicJam]

righto.

Very good then. Carry on.

[bigfluffylemon]

Moeen, Bairstow, Buttler and Denly at least should go. Probably Stokes too, but I'm not convinced there is a better allrounder and there is room for him in the order with Woakes too (maybe Woakes at 7 and Stokes 8?). Bring back Foakes as a keeper. Not sure who else - Sam Northeast maybe, and Dom Sibley has obviously been scoring well.

Wouldn't look good them playing SL, WI and Ireland and then ripping the side up for the second Ashes Test.

They got torn to shreds in WI, and were bowled out for 85 against Ireland. Bairstow got a pair in that game. They're on a very consistent poor run of form, and it's pretty clear they're falling short of the standard required.

It's all well to say don't rip up the side for the second test, but if we lose, then it's the series gone. Sides rarely come back from 1-0 down. Only one side has ever come back from 2-0, and that was the Aussies with Bradman in their ranks. Something needs to be done. We can't keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting it to magically get better.

Plus the next game is at Lord's, which is England's worst venue by far in recent times. And we just lost at our best venue...

You can argue that England were in the game for the first three days until they were ground out of it by Smith, but then you could argue that about at least three of the tests in the last Ashes series in Australia. We still lost 4-0.

[bigfluffylemon]

Archer crushed it for Sussex 2nd XI today - 6-27 and a hundred
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id ... st-fitness

OK, it's only a 2nd XI game, but you can only play against what's put in front of you, and he's done as much as he can. Assuming he comes through all three days, that'll be a reasonable indication of fitness (although judging by the scores the match will probably be over in 2 days). Given there are no CC games between now and the next test (and only one T20, which presumably Sussex will want him to play), there won't be much to go on, but I suspect England will go for him.

[sussexpob]

I always get the feeling Archer is being singled out a bit for some reason. Quite a lot of people in various places questioned his WC selection, even Dave Willey acting like an entitled prat by claiming picking him would be bad for morale. Now, he steps up and performs in the biggest single over possibly ever bowled in ODI history, in the highest pressure, and we are still hearing murmurs about is he good enough, etc. His record is amazing, he has every single tool to become a great test player. Lets get him in. No point waiting any longer, hes proved pretty much all he can.

Dizzy seems to have stated that Archer was 100% fit and that England were wrong not to pick him first up, so I do wonder if this is another classic case of England claiming a false reality for making their own selection mistakes. The "no FC games in a while" excuse doesnt wash either..... how many of this team have played a FC game in a while?

[Arthur Crabtree]

It's all well to say don't rip up the side for the second test, but if we lose, then it's the series gone. Sides rarely come back from 1-0 down. .

Maybe it would be more tempting to change things now if there were players banging on the door.

The CC being cut back and pushed to the margins doesn't help.

[Arthur Crabtree]

It does seem likely they'll only change the bowlers again!

[GarlicJam]

Maybe it would be more tempting to change things now if there were players banging on the door.

The CC being cut back and pushed to the margins doesn't help.

I seem to recall Aus having a very similar problem last Ashes series - BBL biting heavily into the SS season, and giving none of the fringe players nay chance to press for selection in the 1st class arena.


It's almost like it's a pattern.

Even deliberate...

[sussexpob]

Root went for between 50-100 again. Which is infuriating. I think Sussex was touching on the reality by the suggestion that all these players seem to think that 50 balls of careful play buys them the right to bat how they like. In fact commentators seem to imply this when they say at least have a look, when players get out quickly to rash shots. But in some (maybe most) situations, being watchful is the right way to be throughout the innings.

I am loath to blame ODI cricket and T20 cricket, because quite frankly there are a lot of batters in this side well past 50 tests of experience, and they should know how to play FC and test cricket, especially considering their experience in these more bowler friendly conditions to most of their opponents; but I think a lot of these batsman have a heightened opinion of their ability to hit balls that arent there to be hit, through their success in the OD setup. In a way its the only explanation, because they are constantly trying to manufacture shots in situations which are risky. How many batters have got out this summer already trying to make room to hit through the line (Bairstow has 4 times), coming down the pitch to balls too short to get anywhere near (Root, Roy), or trying to hit through the line of a swinging ball while planting their feet (everyone).

I think its easy to sit there and question the players appetite for a long innings or a long battle, but I think its too simplistic an answer. You have to trust a player is trying and wanting to be successful and is targeting a huge innings every time, so I think the conclusion you reach is that pretty much everyone falls under the category of (1) the Burns/Denly factor, players who want to bat long but who might not have the technique to block out enough balls all of the time. These players if they get lucky can produce, and I guess it depends to the extent of their technical issues. Burns looks faulty in some aspect, but has other qualities. Denly looks a lot worse (2) players who back themselves to take on the bowlers and stroke make, which is everyone else. All of these batters who produce better if they were willing to be more defensive.

So, we have a majority of batsman who are always looking at their innings in terms of how many runs are going on the board. None of them seem to understand that runs are almost the secondary concern for a batsman for a large part of their innings. The most important thing is to win all the key battles and survive. You have to send a batter out with a clear mission and an idea on how to play, make sure that they know what you expect of them. The management of this team I can only conclude have gone awol, because no one is capable of this. They all think smashing the ball is the only way to beat the field.

A batter coming to the crease should not count any balls, should not think about runs; he should bat according to the reactions of the field. If the bowler bowls you 5 overs of back of a length stuff, on English pitches get forward with your head over the ball and block it or let the wide ones go. Eventually, without fail if you block enough balls the fielder will change tact, and that more than any runs on the board is a win. Because then he's going to bang a few short balls in, and everyone that is off targeted you put in the fence. Hes going to throw it a bit fuller, and anything over pitched you can crash through the covers. When bowlers and captains are forced away from plan A, you can then cash in. But the important thing is to stay in and make them initiate those changes. And you will also find the more times you beat a bowler through a series, the quicker this process is. The better your record is on paper, the quicker a captain will react. And there is no point blocking 30 balls only to give it away. Scoring becomes so much easier after a 100 balls. You can end up crashing your second 50 in double quick time as the fielding team tires and becomes frustrated.... and that really is the main battle. To beat the mindset of the fielding team and wear them down. You can do that with the scoreboard at 30-0 after 20 overs.

Smith is the key example of this. He showed he wanted to bat long, and despite a few half chances where he was beaten by the moving back early on, it didnt take long before England were bowling too short and being pulled. They then tried to bowl on his middle stump for the lbw, and he pretty much had the tucked single off his pads whenever he wanted it. The they bowled too full to him, and his SR starting to go through the roof. All started with a willingness to block.