Ire tour of Eng, May 28 - Sept 26

[Arthur Crabtree]

Rare first day wickets for Leach.

Getting more of a bowl with Stokes crocked.

Should be some fireworks when England bat.

[Arthur Crabtree]

5-fer for Stuart. A couple for Pottso.

Can Crawley bat out the day?

[Arthur Crabtree]

109-0 off 16! I presume that's broken a record.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Can Crawley bat out the day?

Nerp.

[Arthur Crabtree]

England's day though!

[Durhamfootman]

definitely England's day

[sussexpob]

England should be targeting a score somewhere very high on the all times innings list, because this bowling attack looks like it was picked out at random from people who had wandered into the nearest Irish themed pub.

Adair took 1 for over a hundred in 3 years at Warwickshire before being released.

Fionn Hand played his first FC game for 4 years, and only his second overall, last week....only 3 FC wickets

Campher has 4 wickets in 5 FC games over 80 a wicket, and didn't even get picked in the Ireland team in their warm up (being one of those fielded by Essex).

And while Hume on paper looks like he has mind blowing FC stats, it's only because of the historical quirk of South Africa considering their mostly amateur 3-day competition as a FC competition. The reality is he was playing with amateurs, academy youngsters and D team forgotten professionals.

He had one season 8 years ago in the actual real Sunfoil series, and played 3 times for the Dolphins before never playing a FC game again.

I mean, I ask this with no hyperbole.... Is this the worst test attack in the history of the game?

Way England bat, I might put a bet on them being the first test side to break the 1000 run barrier

[Arthur Crabtree]

Hope England declare before they get to 1000.

[bigfluffylemon]

Given how fast they bat, they could be there halfway through day 3. Let's not count chickens though. There will be enough thrown-away wickets.

Why is Broad being considered second-tier now? He has 55 wickets at 24 and an SR of 44 since the start of 2022.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Anderson, Robinson and Wood have better averages though...

[bigfluffylemon]

True, but Wood just barely, and they've all got a pretty similar SR. Broad's also played twice the number of games - not sure if that counts for anything.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Just conjecture but there have been suggestions that only one of A&B should play, and that's currently A. And Wood is the brute pace alternative, which is something England like.

Maybe if Anderson retires this summer, Broad will be a more obvious first pick.

[Durhamfootman]

England should be targeting a score somewhere very high on the all times innings list, because this bowling attack looks like it was picked out at random from people who had wandered into the nearest Irish themed pub.

I imagine we thought this in 2019 before england were bowled out for under a hundred. Adair got Root twice and YJB once. Even the 300 runs England scored in the second innings was in some measure down to Leach opening as nightwatchman and going on to score 90 odd

But yes...... this is a very different England to 4 years ago. It's hard to see them having to bat more than once

[Durhamfootman]

Just conjecture but there have been suggestions that only one of A&B should play, and that's currently A. And Wood is the brute pace alternative, which is something England like.

Maybe if Anderson retires this summer, Broad will be a more obvious first pick.

Do you not think both will start the first ashes test?

Apart from anything else, Broad has had wee Davey in his pocket for the last several home ashes series. Surely they'll want to find out if that's still the case

[sussexpob]

I imagine we thought this in 2019 before england were bowled out for under a hundred. Adair got Root twice and YJB once. Even the 300 runs England scored in the second innings was in some measure down to Leach opening as nightwatchman and going on to score 90 odd

But yes...... this is a very different England to 4 years ago. It's hard to see them having to bat more than once

Its a very different Ireland team too, because there is no one in this attack on the same universe of proven quality to Tim Murtagh or Boyd Rankin. Sri Lanka scored 1300/9 vs this side in two innings of the last series . And the attack that were slaughtered in the last series have basically been replaced now after that performance, so its debatable if we are even facing what Ireland would have considered their best offering a few months ago.

Could be a very ugly day for Ireland if England get a foothold early to splay them around. I mean no disrespect, but this is pretty much a club cricketer attack...