Ashes 2021/22

[Voice of the G]

Average of 100 odd as an opener is pretty handy

Still struggle to understand why he has not gone back to opening in shield cricket with a possible spot there for him in the Aust.team.He is going to make it really difficult for the selectors if he gets a ton here with all batsman so far except Green getting 30 plus.

 

[Cainozz]

I really don't understand why Pope isn't being persisted with for England when they have now lost the ashes. What's the use in turning to Bairstow who has averaged in the low 30s for 80 test matches? Look to the future and get some experience on Australian soil with these younger players who will be back again.

An example of sticking with young talent who turn out to be pretty handy - Kane Williamson who I think is a good comparison with a similar technique. Their stats at the same position of their careers are pretty close too.

Comparison (After 38 test innings)
Kane Williamson - (Age 22) 1114 Runs | 3 x 100s | 5 x 50s | HS 135 | Ave 30.10
Ollie Pope - (Age 23) - 1013 Runs | 1 x 100 | 6 x 50s | HS 135* | Ave 29.79

He also should be batting at No.5 (traditionally the easiest place to bat in the middle order) to bat with Root as much as possible, allowing Stokes to be more counter-attacking at No.6 and batting with the tail.

 

[BGman]

Great pressure bowling Green and Boland. 8 overs 8 maidens 3 poles. Joe Root is mentally cooked going on that shocker of a stroke. Brilliant snaffle by bucket hands Smith. Most wud've fumbled that.

A wit on cricinfo posted this.
After rejecting Djokovic, it seems Australian immigration have now started an investigation into Joe Root's team for putting incorrect information on their visa forms when they all stated their occupation as "professional cricketers".

A cricinfo commentator:
Hello again, and welcome back to the dystopian survivalist horror show that is England's tour of Australia 2021-22.

 

[Themanbun]

Stop it, they're already dead

 

[big_e]

Lyon's record at the SCG is terrible. Two 5fas, both in the same match (against New Zealand). But otherwise he's really struggled.

0/25
1/64
1/69
1/66
1/57
2/70
2/123
2/110
3/120
3/115
2/100
1/86
3/54
4/178
5/68
5/50
0/87
2/114

 

[BrownYouGun]

Ashes 2023 England side

1. Crawley (25)? Potential based pick
2. ?? Sibley (28)/Hameed (26)/Burns (33)/ someone else? Based off persisting with Hameed you'd assume Burns' papers to be stamped.
3. Malan (36)? / someone else? Is he likely to hold his place until that point? Would need to be in decent form barring other options appearing
4. Root (33). The only lock in the batting lineup
5. Pope (26). Should be playing currently with the view of locking in this spot.
6. Stokes (32). The only other lock in the side. Likely captain
7. Bairstow (34) / Foakes (30). Have to move on from Buttler you would think.
8. Robinson (30). Expect he will be there
9. Archer (28) / Wood (31). Depending on fitness. Two all out quicks not needed as much in England and who knows the fitness of them
10. Anderson (41)? Will the champion still be going around? I'm predicting yes
11. Bess (26) / Leach (32) / Parkinson (27) another spinner? Expect them to move on from Leach, predicting Bess but who knows.

Other quicks - Olly Stone (30) / TCurran (28) / SCurran (25) / Woakes (34) / Broad (37) / Mahmood (26)
Other batsmen - Dan Lawrence (26) / Liam Livingstone (30)

Anyone able to fill in the gaps?

 

[eth-dog]

Ashes 2023 England side

1. Crawley (25)? Potential based pick
2. ?? Sibley (28)/Hameed (26)/Burns (33)/ someone else? Based off persisting with Hameed you'd assume Burns' papers to be stamped.
3. Malan (36)? / someone else? Is he likely to hold his place until that point? Would need to be in decent form barring other options appearing
4. Root (33). The only lock in the batting lineup
5. Pope (26). Should be playing currently with the view of locking in this spot.
6. Stokes (32). The only other lock in the side. Likely captain
7. Bairstow (34) / Foakes (30). Have to move on from Buttler you would think.
8. Woakes (34) / Broad (37). Suspect one of these gets moved on at this point.
9. Archer (28) / Wood (31). Depending on fitness. Two all out quicks not needed as much in England and who knows the fitness of them
10. Anderson (41)? Will the champion still be going around? I'm predicting yes
11. Bess (26) / Leach (32) / another spinner? Expect them to move on from Leach, predicting Bess but who knows.

Other quicks - Olly Stone (30) / TCurran (28) / SCurran (25)
Other batsmen - ??

Anyone able to fill in the gaps?

Parkinson could be the spinner. Robinson as a seamer. Dan Lawrence, Liam Livingstone are possible bats. Saqib Mahmood as a quick maybe.

 

[BrownYouGun]

Good call re Robinson, missed him. Added all to the list

 

[The Passenger]

Not sure about 2023, but for the next test I'd open with malan as he basically is anyway. I genuinely don't know who to play as the other opener. Burns has probably shown the most resolve over the last couple of years (although not necessarily in this series) so probably him.

Pope to number 3. He's their best young talent. Can't play spin for s**t but Hobart in a D/N will be the closest pitch to English conditions he'll face outside England or NZ. He's also gonna have to learn to play spin in test cricket because he's not gonna get the practice in county cricket.

Bairstow has saved his spot for the short term. Stokes might be able to play as a batsmen only.

Butter will stay because there's no other option on tour but Foakes needs to come back into the team and it's insane that he hasn't played 20+ tests by now. He's the best keeper in the national setup and the additional runs buttler is supposed to provide have never eventuated.

Burns, Malan, Pope, Root, Stokes, Bairstow, Foakes (Butter for Hobart).

It's not great but I think that's the best top seven they can field.

 

[eth-dog]

For me:

Malan should open, agreed. He's coming in in the first 10 overs anyway and even though he's struggled the last couple of games might as well persist. Other opener, eesh, probably Crawley. He hasn't been good but Burns sucks and Hameed's not up to it right now.
Pope at 3 makes sense. Just give him games there and let him play with a bit of freedom. Agree that he needs to learn at test levelrahter than County because really there's only Leach, Bess and Parkinson at county level right now worth their salt.
Root obviously stays at 4 and they'll be hoping he's not out there until after 25 overs somehow.
Dan Lawrence at 5 for me. He's been stuck on the sidelines watching everyone fail this tour without getting a go, might as well play him now and see if he's there.
Stokes isn't right, but the other option is Buttler (with Foakes going back to England) or plucking someone like Livingstone out of the BBL with no red ball form to speak of.
Bairstow averages 38 with the gloves with 5 tons. He averages 28 without them with 2 tons. He's not a great keeper but he's much better with the bat when he does keep.

Malan, Crawley, Pope, Root, Lawrence, Stokes/Livingstone, Bairstow (k)

 

[big_e]

Dawid Malan is 34 years old and averages 29 in test cricket.

He couldn't possibly be around in 2023, surely.

 

[eddiesmith]

View attachment 1307213

#OnThisDay in 2011, England celebrated a 3-1 #Ashes series win after an innings victory at the SCG! They haven’t won a Test in Australia in the 11 years since then.

Such a great team, they’d beat this current Aussie side 5-0

 

[The Passenger]

probably Crawley

I don't think it's gonna matter runs wise, but actually Crawley is probably the go opening as he is half decent in the field.

Burns is below par (especially as I remember the press given him wraps for his fielding when he got promoted out of county cricket) and Hameed is possibly the worst fieldsmen I remember seeing at international level (outside of old school lumbering quick bowlers)... And what's more they keep sticking him in crucial positions, either under the helmet or at leg slip. Bizarre.

Bairstow (k)

Bairstow is not a good enough keeper but given Buttler's woes in this series, there's a fair case Bairstow is actually a better keeper. If you go down this path, this then gives you a chance to eye off someone new (or newish) for #6 - probably Lawrence for mine. If Stokes can't play as a batsmen and Bairstow retakes the gloves then you could eye off two new guys in the middle order. Maybe even swap with Buttler and play Jos as a batsmen to see if that frees him up.

I would only play Buttler as a batsmen if Stokes is ruled out. I'd much rather try someone else at 6 then just simply swapping the JB's roles around - that would just be shuffling deckchairs I feel.

Medium term though I think they need to give Foakes the gloves again. Buttler's keeping has cost them so much in this series and regardless of whether it's been he or Bairstow behind the stumps, this has been a problem since Prior retired. It's a small sample size but Foakes has performed just as well with the bat as Bairstow or Buttler, and his FC average of 38 is perfectly acceptable. There's not even a question he is the best keeper of the three.

 

[philreich]

If Hazlewood and Boland aren't fit for Hobart, then I reckon that’s good news for Jhye Richardson. The guy deserves another chance, and I'd love to see him grab it with both hands.

 

[The Passenger]

If Hazlewood and Boland aren't fit for Hobart, then I reckon that’s good news for Jhye Richardson. The guy deserves another chance, and I'd love to see him grab it with both hands.

Even if it doesn't happen this series, the only thing that will stop him from having a big career is injuries. Still only 25.

 

[The Passenger]

what target will our skipper be looking to set the Poms. I'd say nothing less than 300.

It will be closer to 400 than 300.

We can get to 350 without exerting ourselves and have 7 hours bowling with no interruptions - not sure what the forecast is like.

If someone tees off 400 lead with 100 overs bowling easily achieveable.

 

[Themanbun]

Love watching Mark Wood bowl. Throws everything into every delivery, like a javelin thrower.

 

[rolling123]

Get harris out of the team ffs.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Get harris out of the team ffs.

Head in for Harris, and Uzzie to open in Hobart. Pretty easy change.

 

[11kgm]

So England have called up Billings as Butler/Bairstow unlikely to play in Hobart

 

[Ohitsthatguy]

Jhye for Boland in Hobart?

I'm looking at pink ball and apparently Boland doesn't have the greatest of records in Hobart

It would seem cruel but horses for courses has worked so far

 

[ROOTA#6]

So England have called up Billings as Butler/Bairstow unlikely to play in Hobart

Alec Stewart was next cab off the rank

 

[Santana]

Jhye for Boland in Hobart?

I'm looking at pink ball and apparently Boland doesn't have the greatest of records in Hobart

It would seem cruel but horses for courses has worked so far

Maybe rest Starc and play both? I know it's a night test but still

If Starc does play then he will have to rest him for most of the ODI's & T20's if he is going to play all 5 tests.

 

[Ohitsthatguy]

* it, play Jhye, Boland and Neser

Only half kidding

 

[Sphynx]

Hazlewood will not play in Hobart either. Missed watching my favorite Aussie seamer thriving on these seaming decks this series. Reckon he'd have destroyed the Poms. Will have to wait until March when he tours Pakistan but on tracks far removed from these. Like him also to have a red ball hitout in one or two shield games before they leave. Otherwise he may forget what a red ball looks like.

Starc had the chance to mop up the innings but Boland beat him to the punch. 122 lead so what target will our skipper be looking to set the Poms. I'd say nothing less than 300.

Haze won’t play much if at all on those tours imo with the emergence of Green.