English Cricket Thread

[Arthur Crabtree]

Another 35 over game.

[sussexpob]

This tour is doing nothing for English Test bats' confidence ... and even less for their status in the qualification for the next WC in the format. Hopefully not an omen for the Ashes...

Duckett's form is a real concern, as he was horrendous in the Hundred, and has not made any scores in the internationals following the India series... it equates to roughly 15 games without a half-century, and a LOT of failure. He badly needs to score some runs in the warm up games or the next ODI. And if you remove the dead-rubber 3rd ODI vs South Africa where they rested all the bowling attack to give a few newer guys a run out, Bethell also hasn't done nothing.

Sure, he hit the C attack around for a hundred, but aside from that he also totally flopped in the Hundred with no 50s, and in the NZ/Ireland and SA games at full strength, has a best of 26.

It's very concerning to think that Bethell will almost certainly play. A man with no FC 100, a terrible FC average and in dire form in the formats he should be better in.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Anderson gets a knighthood. Inevitable I suppose as Cook got one.

[sussexpob]

England's squad selection is obviously a worry if key players start to lose form in the batting line up. I cannot fathom at all how we are going away to the hardest place to score runs in cricket, and all we have in reserve for possible batters is two people who combined for 4 FC games in 2025. Something tells me if you cant get in your own county side, the chances of getting runs against Australia away is highly unlikely. What happens after 2-3 tests if the top 3 particularly have struggled? Is Will Jacks going and Bethell seriously going to bat in the top 3?

The selection of Jacks can only be described as England getting high on their own supply.

[alfie]

They seem to think Bethell's potential is enough to justify his selection . But I struggle to believe he is anywhere near being in the best 6-7 batsmen in England - or even the best dozen. He surely won't be picked for Perth but unless Pope turns around his own dreadful record against Australia he looks alarmingly likely to get in as the series progresses , simply due to being the only reserve bat in the squad. Reckon Starc and Hazlewood would be licking their chops already...

[alfie]

I suppose Jacks is the spare spinner. At least he could feasibly bat at 8 and allow three fast bowling rabbits if that were wanted at some point. Probably wouldn't do much less than Bashir anyway with the ball ?

But yes : a couple of very strange picks. Not sure attempting to pull a joker from the pack is the way to go on a tour of Australia - but if it comes off I will doff my hat to the management...

[sussexpob]

They seem to think Bethell's potential is enough to justify his selection . But I struggle to believe he is anywhere near being in the best 6-7 batsmen in England - or even the best dozen. He surely won't be picked for Perth but unless Pope turns around his own dreadful record against Australia he looks alarmingly likely to get in as the series progresses , simply due to being the only reserve bat in the squad. Reckon Starc and Hazlewood would be licking their chops already...

The removal of Pope as Vice Captain feels very significant, and indicates that England are making immediate plans for life without him. The SKY team discussed this on a podcast a while back, and they seemed to even doubt he would make the first test considering the stripping of his position, Hussain I think particularly was in the belief he wouldn't play based on how much faith they have in Bethell. I think Pope will play personally, but I don't think he will survive a disaster at Perth, and I dont think he survives past test 2 or 3 without at least one significant contribution...

If I had to have a guess, I think Bethell will play at least 3 games this series.

I think this makes England's selection all the more baffling, because with one man already seemingly in the last chance saloon, you are already likely to have committed your only reverses early in the series.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Possible a batter from the Lions will be promoted. Maybe a spinner too.

[sussexpob]

I suppose Jacks is the spare spinner. At least he could feasibly bat at 8 and allow three fast bowling rabbits if that were wanted at some point. Probably wouldn't do much less than Bashir anyway with the ball ? But yes : a couple of very strange picks. Not sure attempting to pull a joker from the pack is the way to go on a tour of Australia - but if it comes off I will doff my hat to the management...

I think at this stage its worthwhile considering the fact that selections like these are nothing more than Rob Key trying to preserve his maverick public persona, than representative of any actual thought process. If I want to know how much the captain and coach value Jacks as a spinner, I only have to look at the fact in the last test he played on a turning track in Multan, he had his hands in his pockets all game while Joe Root ploughed through 35 overs, and Leach was on at the other end. That said to me that Stokes/McCullum valued a batter turning his arm over part-time over Jacks as a bowling option.

I am not sure how 17 wickets in 3 FC seasons managed to sway this opinion.

[sussexpob]

Possible a batter from the Lions will be promoted. Maybe a spinner too.

I think the Lions only play two games, and one of them is against the first team. I think by the end of the 1st or 2nd test they are back home.

Whats to bet that the Lions game will be one of those everyone plays and its not even Fc status type affairs that are nothing but a glorified training session?

[andy]

Possible a batter from the Lions will be promoted. Maybe a spinner too.

I think the Lions only play two games, and one of them is against the first team. I think by the end of the 1st or 2nd test they are back home.

Whats to bet that the Lions game will be one of those everyone plays and its not even Fc status type affairs that are nothing but a glorified training session?[/quote

Jordan Cox is a spare batter in the lions but he is only playing first game and then going off to the ILT20

[andy]

3rd ODI starts soon not gonna lie I thought the series had already ended!!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Bethell looks overpromoted at number 4. That's an important batting spot.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Another low scoring effort for the England batters. Bowlers having a go though.

[Arthur Crabtree]

3-0 and a disaster for the England bats. Hardly even competitive.