The Official Cricket Thread

[Son of L8]

Just move Bell and Root up one.

 

Yeah, that`s the obvious answer, but I`d be worried about exposing Bell more to the new ball right when he`s just finding some form. Also a bit concerned about moving Root around given his history of losing form moving around the order ...  not so much these days with the form he`s in, but mucking around with your best player on the eve of the Ashes is still a bit dodgy.

 

Another option would be having Ali up to 3, where he bats for Worcs, and giving Bairstow the license-to-smash-it spot down at 8.

[Spy Bee]

Warwickshire 36/8 against Yorkshire

[Spy Bee]

37/9

[Jose Jones]

From our side, I'd go:

 

Rogers

Warner

Smith

Voges

Clarke

M Marsh

Haddin

Johnson

Starc

Lyon

Hazelwood

 

The actual team will probably have Watson in it (again) but young Mitch has done about as much as could be expected from the tour games.

 

Sad news about Harris but it isn't a great surprise it has come to this. It's a damn shame he isn't even 5 years younger as he could've attempted to go again, but with a group of good young pace bowlers coming through it was going to be tough for him to keep coming back.

 

Watson instead of Voges do you think?  Or Marsh?

Harris being injured is a bit of a boost to England.  I think Starc is excellent and Hazlewood is promising too, but they are both still a bit inexperienced.  There could be the odd session where England batsmen get a bit on top and the bowling gets a bit wayward.  Harris never got wayward and always kept the pressure on.

Johnson doesn't seem to be at his best at the moment either (although England will probably shit their pants against him again). 

[A_S]

I can see the selectors being conservative with the Watson call, as that will be it for him playing Tests if that call is made soon, barring some serious upturn in form. Voges has to be kept in, as he was excellent in the West Indies.

 

So yeah, I can only see Mitch Marsh coming in for Watson. Faulkner has done his short-term Test prospects no favours with the recent drink driving charge. Watson is hanging on and Marsh is challenging, but Faulkner was certainly in the mix.

[lifetime fan]

Easy solution...

It's not going to happen though, certainly not before the ashes anyway.

[A_S]

Fucking brilliant this. Enjoying a couple of weeks off after the birth of my first. The Ashes will run from approximately 8pm-3am each night. So for the first couple of Tests before I'm back at work, she is very happy about the fact I'm staying up until all hours watching cricket as I can do the night feeds. Winning.

 

Why can't more things in life work out this well?

[rubble-rouser]

Out of rep AS, but congratulations!

[Markmywords]

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Fucking brilliant this. Enjoying a couple of weeks off after the birth of my first. The Ashes will run from approximately 8pm-3am each night. So for the first couple of Tests before I'm back at work, she is very happy about the fact I'm staying up until all hours watching cricket as I can do the night feeds. Winning.

Why can't more things in life work out this well?

Good on ya mate, congrats

 

Here's hoping those long nights are full of painful cricketing disappointment

 

 

[lifetime fan]

Fucking brilliant this. Enjoying a couple of weeks off after the birth of my first. The Ashes will run from approximately 8pm-3am each night. So for the first couple of Tests before I'm back at work, she is very happy about the fact I'm staying up until all hours watching cricket as I can do the night feeds. Winning.

Why can't more things in life work out this well?

Result mate.

 

Test times here should be from 2 pm so work shouldn't fuck me up too much bar the morning session.

[Spy Bee]

Fucking brilliant this. Enjoying a couple of weeks off after the birth of my first. The Ashes will run from approximately 8pm-3am each night. So for the first couple of Tests before I'm back at work, she is very happy about the fact I'm staying up until all hours watching cricket as I can do the night feeds. Winning.

 

Why can't more things in life work out this well?

My mate was never into cricket until he had his lad. Then he stayed up doing the feeds and watching the Ashes in Australia and now he fucking loves cricket!

[lifetime fan]

My mate was never into cricket until he had his lad. Then he stayed up doing the feeds and watching the Ashes in Australia and now he fucking loves cricket!

I don't know whether to rep him or neg him.

[Son of L8]

Brilliant, Aussie. Enjoy it mate... The cricket that is, not the kid, they're just a load of nuisance!

 

Away Ashes series are brilliant timing for the telly in my neck of the woods: first ball around 5pm, done at midnight. Home in the evening, takeaway meal and straight on the beer.

 

Home series... Not so much: play starts at 3am.

 

I'll be up for the start tomorrow, but figure I'll be watching two sessions out of three for the rest of the summer.

[Karma Pollis]

Fucking brilliant this. Enjoying a couple of weeks off after the birth of my first. The Ashes will run from approximately 8pm-3am each night. So for the first couple of Tests before I'm back at work, she is very happy about the fact I'm staying up until all hours watching cricket as I can do the night feeds. Winning.

 

Why can't more things in life work out this well?

Congrats bud

[Spy Bee]

Got the next 5 days off. I'm staying on my own in a log cabin on the Llyn Peninsular with Sky Go. Life does not get any better!

[Vincent Vega]

Well it all kicks off again today, looking forward to it, even if I don't hold out too much hope for an England series win. Most commentators and pundits predicting an Aussie win, with 3-1 and 2-1 the most likely outcomes according to the experts and even the most optimistic one eyed English pundits going at best 2-2. Anyone on here think any different? Anyone backing an England series win?

 

I think we might see some tight matches, but with the Aussies edging most of them. It's their bowling department where I see them having the edge, and I see it more likely that they will get lower order runs than England. I'm going 3-2 to Australia.

[the chimp]

McGrath reckons a whitewash. I've no idea really. Hoping that it's a contest at least which I'm more confident of than I was three months ago.

[Jose Jones]

Well it all kicks off again today, looking forward to it, even if I don't hold out too much hope for an England series win. Most commentators and pundits predicting an Aussie win, with 3-1 and 2-1 the most likely outcomes according to the experts and even the most optimistic one eyed English pundits going at best 2-2. Anyone on here think any different? Anyone backing an England series win?

 

I think we might see some tight matches, but with the Aussies edging most of them. It's their bowling department where I see them having the edge, and I see it more likely that they will get lower order runs than England. I'm going 3-2 to Australia.

 

I think you are about right there VV. 

Still hope for England though.  I think England can get through the top order fairly quickly a few times (they did in the 5-0 thrashing in pretty much every innings) but just need to be able to step it up for the lower and middle order a few times.  Stokes and Ali/Rashid will be important there - if they both play well England are in with a shout.

 

If you did a combined team who would you have?

 

Warner

Cook

Smith

Clarke

Root

Stokes

Buttler/Haddin?

Johnson

Starc

Anderson

Lyon

 

It's not massively one sided.

[Hades]

Can't wait for the long nights ahead. Have a bottle of Black Label whisky ready and coffee machine in working order. Going to be a zombie at work for the next month. Just want to see good cricket without tedious off-field drama.

[Spy Bee]

I'm gutted we've gone with Ali instead of Rashid as our token Muslim player.

[Russ Atmosphere]

Pick Rashid you boring cunts.

[s(k)aturation]

Good luck, everyone.

 

Here's to good cricket, Test Cricket.

 

May the better team get the rewards.

[Spy Bee]

England need to play out of their skin to win, but I wonder if England are on the rise and the Aussies on the wane. Injuries to Clark, or Rodgers, getting the wood on Smith. Small things could make big differences.

[Spy Bee]

All this shit is ridiculous, start playing fucking cricket!

[Jairzinho]

 

 

May the better team get the rewards.

 

Fuck that. I hope we win.