It’s make your mind up time folks. Which eleven cricketers would you pick for the first test against the Windies? There are a couple of spots up for grabs, and at this point nobody’s really sure who’s in pole position.
According to recent press reports, Alastair Cook and Peter Moores have yet to talk about who will open the batting. I find this a little strange, as there isn’t much cricket before the first test. I imagine whoever plays in the two 2-day warm up matches will get the nod. I’m not sure there’s enough time to let weight of runs decide the issue.
When it comes to the bowlers, do you think Chris Woakes is a certainty when fit? He was probably our fastest bowler during the World Cup (which isn’t exactly ideal) and we know the coaching team like his attitude. He’s probably competing with Ben Stokes for an all-rounder’s spot. Can Stokes cement a place while Woakes is convalescing?
There’s also the remote possibility of Adil Rashid playing as a fourth / fifth bowler if the pitch is likely to turn a tad. With Moeen missing the first test (he should be back for the second) maybe Rashid will get a game ahead of Tredwell?
The other big question mark is the identity of England’s third seamer. With Steve Finn ensconced in the Lord’s nets, and question marks surrounding Chris Jordan’s consistency, Liam Plunkett might be set for a recall. Or perhaps the selectors have seen something in Mark Wood? If England want to experiment at little before the Ashes, then the upcoming games against the Windies are probably the best time to do it.
As it’s difficult for us supporters to ascertain which players are in form – not that good form in the nets means a lot – it’s difficult to make recommendations based on anything other than gut feeling. We’ve all got our favourites too, which clouds matters somewhat.
My own gut feeling is that England should gamble on Lyth. Much as I admire Jonathan Trott, and believe he can still score heavily at test level, I could be time to look forward rather than back. The Aussies will fancy their chances of knocking Trott over, so why not give a different batsman a go?
I’m also somewhat concerned that a top order of Cook, Trott and Ballance looks a little one paced. I’m not suggesting that Lyth is the second coming of Michael Slater or anything, but he’s played quite positively on the occasions I’ve watched him. Why not give Lyth a go? If he struggles then the management can always go back to Trott.
When it comes to the bowlers, I’d very much like to see Stokes picked ahead of Woakes in the long term. Although Woakes has done nothing wrong, Stokes is one of those unpredictable cricketers who can put bums on seats.
Although Stokes’ bowling is probably inferior at this point in time, I think he could emerge as something of a golden arm. Meanwhile his batting certainly has the edge. At the end of the day, Stokes has a higher ceiling as a cricketer than Woakes, and on that basis alone I think he deserves a run in the side. The problem, of course, is that Woakes is the type of hard working team man that England tend to favour.
Finally I’d like to see Liam Plunkett get the nod over Wood and Jordan – as long as Moores and the coaches let him bowl how he wants. Last summer he was instructed to bowl around the wicket at the Sri Lankan batsmen’s ribs for much of the Lord’s test. It was repetitive, boring, and about as effective as a condom with a hole in it. When Plunkett finally started bowling like he does for Yorkshire, he picked up valuable wickets.
As Plunkett is probably the fastest bowler available to England – unless Tymal Mills suddenly discovers his radar – I think we need to back him. He’s strong, aggressive, and could do a good job during the Ashes. I’d much rather pick a muscular bowler like Plunkett than another archetypal English medium-fast seamer.
Overall, I’d like to see the following side finish the series and take us forward into the Ashes: Cook, Lyth, Ballance, Bell, Root, Ali, Stokes, Buttler, Plunkett, Broad, Anderson
James Morgan
@DoctorCopy
Bell’s dreadful test form seems to get overlooked because of Cooks even worse form, No tons for 13 tests for Bell and averaging in the twenties. No one ever talks about him anymore, it’s almost as if people have given up on the possibility of him being dropped. The inclusion of Trott on the team may put some pressure on him though.
BelL got a big hundred at the rose bowl last summer. Has 4 tons in his last 17 tests.
Woakes and Ali aren’t even in the squad – they’re both injured! Although Mo is apparently looking likely to be fit for the second Test, so may well join up with the squad soonish. Personally agree on Lyth over Trott, but would have Jordan over Plunkett comfortably – only way Jordan gains consistency is if he plays and even if he’s bowling inconsistently he takes wickets, whilst also being our best slip fielder and a good batsman down the order. I like Plunkett but he’s 30 now and still only really bowls bouncers and yorkers – I doubt he’s real Test class, where Jordan might develop to be. Like Wood and if Broad looks as listless as he did in the World Cup he’d be in for the second Test. Have a genuinely horrible feeling England might go back to six batsmen though – can see both Lyth and Trott playing with Ballance moving down to six. I’d go:
Cook, Lyth, Ballance, Bell, Root, Stokes, Buttler, Rashid, Jordan, Broad, Anderson.
Woakes isn’t there! He’s injured.
Damn it, should have refreshed the page before replying.
Anyway, I don’t mind who the second opener is or who plays out of Jordan/Plunkett/Wood. But I would like England to play both Stokes (at 6) and Rashid.
Not your fault! I was being dense re: Woakes so did a quick edit :-)
Welcome to the club! Glad I’m not the only one to wear a dunces hat :-)
he scored 3 in 2013 ashes, think he’s allowed a little lee way, you know, like the 3 years cook’s got
We’ve just landed. Let’s use the warm ups and then pick.
There are only 2 two-day games before the test, so that’s basically the equivalent of a single warm up (4 days). I think they’ll have to pick the test team from the word go or they’ll be under cooked.
Would guess they won’t be XI a side games.
on a tour like this they are always going to be undercooked for the 1st test.
I think Lyth will get 1st go at opening, as you say we know all about Trott.
I’d experiment with the bowlers (they won’t) Leave Broad out.
Good point. Would be good if everyone gets a game, although these kinds of fixtures often lack intensity.
I would opt for
Cook, Lyth, Ballance, Bell, Root, Stokes, Butler, Rashid, Plunkett, Wood, Anderson
Second opener- we know what Trott is about but we need to start identifying another opener (ie Lyth) to replace Cook when the selectors finally wake up after the Kiwis and Aussies have ruined him. Whilst it won’t happen I would go for a Trott/Lyth combo to see how Trott copes with some quick stuff and see if Lyth can step up. Watching Cook score runs against short erratic bowling won’t teach us anything.
Ballance and Bell must score runs or he who is not in the plans will be ranking up the pressure (which he is not allowed to do).
Stokes must bat in the top 6 – he’s a batsman who bowls, needs backing with a run in his position – this will start to give us balance to the side.
Rashid needs testing – we need to continue the search for a spinner as Ali can’t bat in the top 6 and not convinced he’s good enough to be picked as a bowler.
I would give Plunk and Wood a run out to see what they can do. Broad needs to prove himself again in county cricket before he gets a look in.
Anderson to be picked but his workload must be managed which would be a novelty for Cook.
Mo can’t bat in the top 6? That’s a bit harsh IMO. I think the problem is that he and Stokes are both perfect fits to bat 6 and bowl. And at the moment I think Mo is the better bowler, as well as lending better balance to the side as a spinner. I don’t envy the selectors with that one when they’re both fit.
Unless Mo learns to play short fast bowling he does not have the technique and ability to score the runs needed in the top 6. Stokes is a genuine fit at 6 but needs backing and not mishandled by management as of late.
Mo’s route into the side is likely to be front line spinner and strong no 8 bat. But I’m not sure his bowling is developed enough for that role yet either.
A lot of hard work ahead for him.
Any thoughts that this series is going to be used to look at some players before the Ashes, or that it might see some bold attacking selections, needs to take into account the axe poised over the heads of Downton, Whitaker and Moores. I’m expecting ultra-conservatism (I’ve seen one Tweet already saying the batting order in practice suggests Trott over Lyth) with maybe one token ‘eye-catching’ selection.
If Rashid is somehow selected, I’ll be interested to see Cook’s captaincy. Remember Cook’s record with spinners he doesn’t trust? Ten straight overs for Jimmy then put Root on!
Exhibit B on ultra-conservatism:
Guardian’s Ali Martin tweeting this morning that he expects Tredwell ahead of Rashid.
That would be classic England.
If you’re not going to play Rashid, why bother bringing him ?
(Of course, one could have said the same about Tredwell in the World Cup…)
He can bat, too. I’d love to see him and Moeen in the same eleven.
Maybe Cook and Moores have a pathological hatred of spinners, and gain satisfaction from mismanaging them ?
“spinners Cook doesn’t trust” == “spinners Broad and Anderson don’t like” == “spinners who are not G. Swann.”
Funny, and probably true…
Other than Cook, Anderson and Broad, is there anyone else left in the team with whom Pietersen does not get on particularly well ?
Compton
Carberry
Trott
Root
KP
Taylor
Prior
Stokes
Woakes
Plunkett
Panasar
Why didn’t we all think of that?! :-)
You’ve picked a wicketkeeper who isn’t fit to play? Wtf?
The only thing to add is the lack of real pressure on Broad. I find it hard to believe he is still considered an automatic pick. Hs batting has imploded after the nasty blow he took and he has lost his pace. Based on recent form he doesn’t deserve to be picked. Not sure we have a great replacement but one of plunkett/jordan/wood would be better. With everyone fit I would think bowling attack should be anderson, woakes, plunkett, stokes/wood/jordan and ali with rashid the wildcard we just can’t judge at test level yet. At least that team would bat deep and the featherbeds we are bound to prepare for the ashes would make it hard work to dismiss.
Broad’s batting had been going backwards rapidly for some time before that blow from Aaron.
On Broad’s batting, let’s look at the data:
In his last 47 Test innings (which goes back to UAE in 2012), Broad has made one fifty (that 65 at TB in 2013) and he has an average of 16.
Ok. I’m not good with numbers and never have stats at my finger tips but the tea leaves have given me a clue. Cook Lyth Trott Root Ballance Stokes Buttler Rashid Plunkett Wood/Broad (don’t mind) Anderson.
Trenchant article from Geoffrey….
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/england/11516038/Englands-Alastair-Cook-and-Co-in-need-of-reality-check.html
To me, our biggest problem is our rather threadbare bowling resources.
If we somehow found just one truly world class pace bowler, we might then have a pretty good attack.
Without such a bowler, however you might shuffle the pack, the rest are likely to lapse into mediocrity.
Boycott nails all of that. Wow. Brutal even by his standards.
But he is right. Fair play to him. Telling it straight. Like he sees it.
Could have done with a better sub editor, but otherwise I agree with pretty well everything, too.
He talks about England needing a reality check.
I’m pretty certain the ECB already know what the reality is, and are doing everything in their power to cover it up as we speak.
thats a straight bullet to the head…..
Nigel, Sir Geoffrey was brilliant – pricking the pomposity magnets that are Cook, Whitaker and Downton – No doubt in their inflated egos that THEY are the saviours of England Cricket and GB and al the rest arr Outside and can safely be ignored!
Lyth
Carberry
Ballance
Bell (c?)
Root
Buttler (wk)
Rashid
Jordan (or Tredwell at no. 10 if it’s a spinner’s pitch)
Plunkett
Anderson (c?)
Broad (c?)
Squad: Trott, Stokes
I guess Trott will be tried as yet another opening partner with(according to Broad) our greatest batsman. Anderson and Broad should play in the first warm up game but if they perform like they did in the world cup then i would drop them both.
“Experiment a little before the Ashes”? Yes please. I’ll be delighted if Lyth, Jordan, Rashid, Stokes settle in and prove to be excellent. They can only do so if selected.
I’d be (pleasantly) amazed if they all get the chance.
I’m just glad there is some test cricket to be played. Fed up with the short stuff.
This is a dreadful thing to admit, but I don’t care who plays. If Cooky’s there, if Mooresy’s there, if all those cliquey prats stealing a living are still incumbent, then I’ll be sending my positivity elsewhere. Very sorry it’s come to this.
The Guardian and the Mail are whipping themselves into a frenzy because of a tweet by Pietersen about Gooch.
The Guardian appears to believe writing an autobiography is a worse act than going on a SA rebel tour. English cricket-writing has truly taken leave of its senses.
If English cricket is populated by those of the same ilk as these journos then we’re terminally fucked!!
Hmm…it seems that supporting Apartheid and decimating the England team at the time is nowhere near as heinous as :-
Looking out the window
Staring at your watch
Writing a (subsequently proven to be rather truthful) book
Being the greatest England batsman of his generation
Telling your coach and captain that they are a pair of tossers..(he’ll get no argument here!)
I know the Guardian readership can be a bit odd, but, surely, even they could see through this pile of horseshit?
Graham Gooch is basically Cook’s surrogate Dad, and the world’s leading proponent of the dog ball launcher. Great batter, etc. Admirer of the krugerrand. His books are going for £0.01 on Amazon if you’re keen. But, yeah, great batter. Oh, and he finished David Gower’ career for him. Great batter, though. Expect him back in the England entourage within the next six months.
Grrrrr!
“I know the Guardian readership can be a bit odd, but, surely, even they could see through this pile of horseshit?”
What do you mean, “even they”?
Over the last three years, we’ve had more practice than most at seeing through journalistic horseshit.
GaryBallanceGaryBallanceGaryBallanceGaryBallance is giving it the full “Cooky” and “working hard going forward” routine in the Guardian. Are their brains microchipped after their first test series, or summat? Are they channeling a management-speak word generator? Jeez, I had real hopes for that man last year. Mooresy’s got ’em in his cult now.
George Dobell’s tour preview:
http://goo.gl/PyYnXw
He predicts Trott over Lyth and Tredwell over Rashid (because of how Rashid has been bowling in the nets).
Apart from the amusement factor of not picking Tredders for ODIs and then picking him in a Test, how utterly depressing.
They are again in the same catch 22 as before the World Cup – Cook & Moores (Flower) need results, and therefore they do not trust themselves to experiment.
They will plod on with their “trusted” inner circle and we will get no further:
Cook, Trott, Ballance, Bell, Root, Stokes, Butler, Jordan, Plunkett,Broad, Anderson – Root to bowl a bit of spin, Ali then to come in for Jordan or Plunkett
And of course, should they fail, they will then be faced with having to bring in the new blood against much tougher opposition.
Coach and captain are well suited, both being reactive, risk averse and utterly unimaginative.
Agree Nigel
PS – This list has some logic in the batting order – trust Moores though to come up with some perversion (only half of them play in the warm ups and a last minute change to assure all players bat out of position!)
Best england side from squad is
Cook trott ballance bell root stokes buttler rashid plunkett broad Anderson
Cook needs runs but WI are erratic bowlers so Should be fine. I really like Lyth and would love to see him play but think they are the 5 best batsman we have got, Trott also deserves a go thanks to big runs himself. Ballance young player of the year and a good test player. Hope he puts ODI form behind him and piles in runs. Otherwise may see trott shift down. Bell is a class layer and should be given responsibility like ashes 2013. Root is a certainty. Stokes has to bat six and probably ahead of Moeen when he is fit. Both good players but ask AUS who they’d like to bowl to… Not stokes. Also Rashid is a better bowler likely to take more wickets than Moeen (and I’m from worcester!) so Mo needs big runs to get in side as a batsman. Buttler straight forward. Really like Rahid and deserved whole series, bowled very well v MCC, pick Tredwell and tears will likely come from my eyes. Plunkett should just bowl. Jimmy is our best ever seamer and still going well in test cricket. Broad has always looked average at times but suddenly sparks match winning spells and when he does there are no better in the World. Wood will get a go during series I hope as there is no need to play Jimmy and broad is the first test is a walkover.
“Jimmy is our best ever seamer”
Is that a typo?
“Broad has always looked average at times but suddenly sparks match winning spells and when he does there are no better in the World”
Is that you Stuart?!
I see Mick Newell has said today in Nottingham Post – that I cannot seem to access full story — that KP will be good at Surrey but he will not be playing for England? So Graves must be lying to those “outside” cricket? One can only assume that the Selectors are in charge at the ECB. Graves is just the man who signs the cheques? Hmm.
It’s just wagon circling Annie…they’re all at it!! There’s a whole army of Apaches coming to attack ’em and they just can’t see it!!
“Fed up with the short stuff.”
I am afraid Lolly, Broad will be dishing up plenty of the short stuff soon…
St Kitts Invitational XI bowled out for 59. We must all shut up about KP. Am I doing this right?
St Kitts No.10 appears on the scorecard as ‘QH Boatswain’ which I think might be my favourite scorecard name ever.
hey, don’t mock, current England scoring rate 2.60 per over – imagine what McCullum would do – Cook has 44 off 84 so must be good????????????? – this ois all getting very boring and England appear to have further to go than imagined – down, down, down….
Stats, stats and more stats…..
Cook has been a great batsman for England. Obviously not our greatest but great all the same
He’s been a pretty crap captain though….
Balls, wrong article!
Where’s Monty nowadays? Or does pissing on a bouncer trump taking wickets?
Sorry I’m late to the party.
Er,
Lyth
Root
Cook
Bell
Taylor(*)
Stokes
Buttler
Jordan
Brooks
Footitt
Monty
12th man, Rashid
Changed mind re trott Lyth now. Think Lyth should open as want Trott to be number 3 cover. I hope Ballance nails down the spot but if not Trott comes in to the side. Root Stokes Buttler Rashid is good engine room to the side. Just hope selection isn’t dependent on this warmup, Joe Root could have taken the wickets Tredwell has and Rashid needs to be backed more by the captain and coach. It’s endemic of our game that we frown upon unorthodoxy. Also I like the look of Wood, he’s not 90mph consistently but he always swings the ball off a full length, would like to see him or Plunkett over Jordan who I just don’t think can create any pressure on the batsman and is easy pickings. Selection of bowlers should not take into account batting or fielding, if Rashid is in the side the batting is deep enough.Here’s to hoping test side is
Cook
Lyth
Ballance
Bell
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Rashid
Wood/Plunkett
Broad
Anderson
Also beyoNd this tour, Mills is said to be bowling fast, really hope he gets a go in the ODI series at least
Hales
Roy
Vince
Root c
Ali
Buttler or billings if Buttler is rested for any games
Stokes
Willey
Rashid
Mills
Wood or plunkett
England XI
Cook
Trott
Bell
Root
Ballance
Stokes
Ali
Buttler
Broad
Wood
Anderson