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

Almost upon us

we even have squads

question marks over the fitness of key players from two sides who already seem to be in a state of flux

I have no idea how any of this will pan out.

As can be expected, there has been ex-players and journos (even ex-selectors) expressing their surprise and disappointment at certain players missing out. Newspaper back sections (and websites) need to be filled with something, I suppose.

Yes, Carey was unlucky, but the same people have been clamouring for Wade to be included in an Aus team, ANY Aus team, for some months now. Do they expect Aus to have three Wk's in their 17 man squad? Wade's form with the bat, not the gloves, is what has got him selected - and he probably won't play a test. Lyon is the only frontline spinner in the squad, with a raft of pace/seam bowlers, so Aus are expecting (hoping) Lyon will stay fit and spin to be a minor player like during the CWC. Labuschagne's chances of playing tests look to have improved by this.

Fascinating squad selection by Australia . As you say , Garlic , there was little point in picking Carey once Wade was included in the squad. I'm not sold on Wade myself but have to admit he has runs on the board . Carey's time will come , I'd imagine : Paine won't last forever .
And little point in picking a Lyon standby. There really isn't a spinner worth selecting apart from "Gary". Better hope he stays fit !
Neser the surprise pick. Bowled well in the trial game ; and is seen as one suited to English conditions I guess. Still seems like fast bowling overkill , but...

And speaking of fast bowlers ...do England need seven of them ?! I suppose they are worrying about injuries but it still seems a bit unnecessary to name so many.
Assuming all fit surely Anderson Broad and Woakes for Edgbaston ? I appreciate Archer is a talent ; but he has just come back from a side strain which apparently had him battling with painkillers and hasn't played more than a ten over game for ages : you'd think he can keep for later in the series - surely going to be injuries/fatigue issues over five Tests.
Besides with Moeen hopelessly out of batting form a last four of him plus Broad Archer and Anderson almost brings to mind the famous Tufnell Mullally Giddins tail

The batting (such as it is) rather picks itself from this squad. Top three still looks dodgy ...nothing new there. Will be hoping four to seven are on the ball.

Not sure yet how the Aussie batting will line up. But again , Smith and Warner might need to do the heavy lifting.

Could be a short match if the conditions suit the bowlers...

Low scoring matches, look very possible, with these teams

could be a really exciting series if they are

How about:

Harris/Warner/Smith/Khawaja/Head/Labuschagne/Paine/Cummins/Starc/Lyon/Hazlewood
Bancroft/M.Marsh/Wade/Pattinson/Siddle/Neser

Eighteen years since Australia have won a series in England. Maybe this time their best chance since 2005. I suppose the series was 3-2 last time, but the Ashes were won by the Oval and the final Test was a dead rubber. The feeling in 2015 was that when the pitch was flat, Australia were better, but the hosts didn't give them many of those.

My first memory of that contest was Peter Siddle doing well at the Oval. I suppose it might be tempting to slot him in again in memory of that, but he was a very experienced bowler then, and that was four years ago. Still he's a couple of years younger than Anderson.

Second recollection, Rogers getting hit on the head. Can't remember much else.

Just looked it up. Broad at TB of course. Root, Rogers and Smith had good batting series. No one else got a ton.

Hard to credit Finn was playing for England. Lyth got the whole series. Voges was playing for the Aussies and Clarke was still skipper. Mitch1 played all five Tests (as did Mitch2).

feels like a long time ago when you put it like that

English cricket on the up at the moment, having won the last two Tests.

Root will bat at three and Denly at four. Anderson will be fit but Jofra is a doubt.

That makes Jofra potentially the third Joe and Joseph Buttler could be called in for Joe duty too.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Root will bat at three and Denly at four. Anderson will be fit but Jofra is a doubt.

Why the devil swap Denly and Root ? Surely Denly was only picked as a third opener ? Are we sure of this ?

It is understood Root spoke about moving up one place from his preferred No 4 spot with the team management during last week’s victory over Ireland – a match that saw England bowled out for 85 in the first innings and the tail-ender Jack Leach top-score in the second with 92 after coming in as a nightwatchman opener.

Trevor Bayliss will doubtless have been receptive to Root’s offer, having long maintained it should be the position for the team’s leading batsman to impose himself on the opposition bowlers.

From The Guardian. Not as certain as I thought last night, but on the cards.

hard to see Denly making it to the end of the series. England would have to romp into a big series lead for that to happen, I think

perhaps Root at 3 is a fail safe that would allow Malan to slot into the side at 4 if Denly fails (or if Burns fails and Denly moves up) without interfering with the rest of the line up

and if that is the reason, it makes some sense, because Roy and much of the team have WC tufty points in the bank, Santiago and the blonde medium pacer are long established and proven performers, leaving Burns and Denly as the vulnerable members of the team in the event of any early set back culling