Ashes 2015

[dtm06]

It's not balanced with Watson at 6 and Haddin at 7, as quite frankly both of them are tailenders now. No point in pretending otherwise. Once we are 4 down, you've got a long series of number 8s, handy though all of them may be.

But we'll have Watson and Haddin at 6 and 7 for the series I'm sure.

I just don't get why you would weaken your batting lineup to bloat your strength.

Putting the debate about Watson being in the team to one side for a moment, no one can claim with any degree of sincerity that Johnson, Starc, Harris etc are better batsmen than him.

If Watson is dropped, which I believe he should be, the replacement is Mitch Marsh.

If Starc, Johnson, Harris, Hazelwood and Lyon all play, how do they split the bowling up? One of them will be wasted by bowling 10-15 overs an innings. This can and should be done by part timers/ all rounders. It's good in the sense someone can be off their game and there's the ability to cover that, but our batting is much more likely to need that kind of help.

Fwiw I think this will be the lineup come Cardiff.

1. Rogers
2. Warner
3. Smith
4. Clarke
5. Voges
6. Watson
7. Haddin
8. Johnson
9. Harris
10. Hazelwood
11. Lyon

Personally the only change I'd make is M. Marsh in at 6 for Watson. As I said previously I reckon Starc will finish the series in place of Johnson.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Average of 30, four Test 50's. Yeah he's a bit handier than a slogger.

He is no more of a batsman than a 9 or a 10. Our batting is horrific enough without playing 5 bowlers just to fit Starc in who got a few wickets against the Windies..

 

[HBF]

Our top 7 might be old, but its choc full of experience. We'll need this as i can see ball dominating bat this series.

 

[Showbags]

The only way Watson is going to be dropped is either for Mitch Marsh or another batsman they won't play a bowler at 7.

If we were making a joint team pre Ashes. Prior to the 5-0 summer before last I'd say there would barely be an Australian in the team. After the series it would of been hard to pick one Englishman.

This is my combined Ashes XI:

Cook (Eng)
Warner (Aus)
Smith (Aus)
Clarke (Aus)
Root (Eng)
Stokes (Eng)
Haddin (Aus)
Johnson (Aus)
Harris (Aus)
Lyon (Aus)
Anderson (Eng)

7 Australians. 4 Englishmen. I wonder what the tally will be post Ashes.

 

[eth-dog]

The only way Watson is going to be dropped is either for Mitch Marsh or another batsman they won't play a bowler at 7.

If we were making a joint team pre Ashes. Prior to the 5-0 summer before last I'd say there would barely be an Australian in the team. After the series it would of been hard to pick one Englishman.

This is my combined Ashes XI:

Cook (Eng)
Warner (Aus)
Smith (Aus)
Clarke (Aus)
Root (Eng)
Stokes (Eng)
Haddin (Aus)
Johnson (Aus)
Harris (Aus)
Lyon (Aus)
Anderson (Eng)

7 Australians. 4 Englishmen. I wonder what the tally will be post Ashes.

I'd have Buttler ahead of Haddin tbh.

 

[The_Reaper]

Buttler is actually a pretty substandard keeper.

I'd have Nevill over both

 

[eth-dog]

Buttler is actually a pretty substandard keeper.

I'd have Nevill over both

Much better batsman though.

 

[The_Reaper]

You'd probably make up the difference between Buttler and Nevill's batting just from conceded byes

 

[Hellgood]

Obviously the calls already been made and Buttler will enter the Ashes on the crest of a wave of confidence after his short game form, but I think Steve Davies has a right to call himself unlucky. He's been churning out big runs all summer in county cricket and from what I've seen looks a lot more natural as a keeper than Buttler.

I guess he's not even second in line at the moment with Bairstow there to consider too. To be fair to Buttler, he's done enough at test level to warrant further exploration of his talents in that arena, but if he doesn't kick on then Davies could well be worth a go.

 

[Phone]

Davies barely keeps anymore though. Not really an option.

 

[Donnie Darko]

Buttler is actually a pretty substandard keeper.

I'd have Nevill over both

Buttler is good enough to get the job done. I am yet to see him make any serious mistakes behind the stumps..

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Team has been announced for tomorrow. Both Watson and Mitch Marsh playing.

 

[Underarm]

Team has been announced for tomorrow. Both Watson and Mitch Marsh playing.

And Smarsh opening with Rogers. Could Voges miss out on the 1st test?

 

[Doodlesweaver]

And Smarsh opening with Rogers. Could Voges miss out on the 1st test?

I'd be very surprised if Voges would be left out for Marsh after the West Indies.

 

[Power Raid]

Watson has averaged 32 with the bat and 47 with the ball since the beginning of 2012 (26 matches)

how much longer?

 

[The_Reaper]

And Smarsh opening with Rogers. Could Voges miss out on the 1st test?

All that tells me is that Rogers isn't secure.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

And Smarsh opening with Rogers. Could Voges miss out on the 1st test?

Probably a rest. Bare in mind there is a 2nd tour match. They probably want all of the batsmen to have a hit in both tour matches.

 

[MinerBoy]

Harris is our best bowler. First picked if fit.

Hazelwood is tight, takes wickets and is in great form. Second picked.

Johnson has to play first test. The way he demolished England in 2013/14 ensures that. Would be a massive psychological lift for the poms if he wasn't.

Starc. Great white ball form. Great against the Windies. Simply doesn't have the runs on the board compared to the other 3 so he misses out first test.

Pretty much exactly how I see it too.

 

[The_Reaper]

Probably a rest. Bare in mind there is a 2nd tour match. They probably want all of the batsmen to have a hit in both tour matches.

Basically Voges has also played 4 county matches, the warm up match in the Windies and the two tests so he doesn't really need a run.

Smith needs more time to bat at 3 in England to see how he goes against the swinging ball, Clarke needs to bat and Watson and Mitch Marsh are competing for the same spot.
So Voges gets rested.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Basically Voges has also played 4 county matches, the warm up match in the Windies and the two tests so he doesn't really need a run.

Smith needs more time to bat at 3 in England to see how he goes against the swinging ball, Clarke needs to bat and Watson and Mitch Marsh are competing for the same spot.
So Voges gets rested.

If we play Watson for more than 1 test I might lose it. Past it, old, awful. Can we stop playing a number 9 batsman in our top 6...then compounding it by picking Haddin. I can deal with 1 of them but both...grrr

 

[Shiv]

Not sure if this has already been posted but I had a good chuckle at this:

14 reasons why Australia should never drop Shane Watson!

1 - He's scored more test runs in the past year than all the batsman from Afghanistan, Ireland and the UAE, and Chris Martin combined.

2 - He has nearly as many test centuries as Marcus North

3 - He hasn't been injured in weeks

4 - He was in pretty good form five or six years ago

5 - He kind of looks like Jaime Lannister (and bats like he sword fights from the third book), and he's played for Tasmania

6 - He tries hard, and has even started doing his homework

7 - A lot people point out that he doesn't take a lot of ODI wickets. This is unfair, as he also doesn't take a lot of test wickets. Also, his role in ODI's is to be economical rather than take wickets, and in the last two years the only Australian bowlers to have a better ODI economy rate than Watson are Johnson, Starc, Pattinson, Cummins, Doherty, Faulkner, Marsh, Hazlewood, Smith, Maxwell and probably a few others.

8 - He seems as likeable and articulate as David Warner, and he doesn't assault lesbians

9 - He has all the foundations of a world class allrounder, and soon he's going to hit his peak. I know people have been saying that for ten years, but this year it's totally true.

10 - He has previously captained the side, and seems the obvious choice for captain in all formats once they finally drop Steve Smith

11 - He scores runs when the team's under pressure. Several of them.

12 - He's batting is constantly improving.
Early in his career he would get out bowled quite often. After a few years, he worked out you can block the stumps with your legs, unfortunately, he started getting a lot of LBWs. Then he worked out if you use the wooden thing in your hands, you can't get LBW. Unfortunately, sometimes the ball flies off that and goes into a fielder's hands. But wait until he works out you can hit the ball into the ground. He will be unstoppable.

13 - He has incriminating photos of the selectors, I assume
And finally, the biggest, strongest argument for keeping Shane Watson in the team:

14 - If he got dropped now he'll probably retire and become Channel Nine's new top commentator

--- 9 and 10 are my faves hahaha

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Radio 5 Live Extra have coverage. ECB has a reasonably up-to-date scorecard which cricinfo doesn't.

 

[Donnie Darko]

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

My word, there is a lot of sanctimonious twaddle being spoken about ' the spirit of the game' in the English cricket press. 'How wonderful were New Zealand and wasn't it noticeable that both teams were so sporting' and all that genteel crap.

It's SO obvious that the fans and press are desperate for the Aussies to be at their absolute worst in terms of behaviour.

So I hope they behave like a pack of rottwielers and flog the English team while they are at it.

Its all they've got. We generally own them in almost every sport so they resort to what they do best and nobody does sanctimony like the English.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

The only way Watson is going to be dropped is either for Mitch Marsh or another batsman they won't play a bowler at 7.

If we were making a joint team pre Ashes. Prior to the 5-0 summer before last I'd say there would barely be an Australian in the team. After the series it would of been hard to pick one Englishman.

This is my combined Ashes XI:

Cook (Eng)
Warner (Aus)
Smith (Aus)
Clarke (Aus)
Root (Eng)
Stokes (Eng)
Haddin (Aus)
Johnson (Aus)
Harris (Aus)
Lyon (Aus)
Anderson (Eng)

7 Australians. 4 Englishmen. I wonder what the tally will be post Ashes.

I honestly can only see space for Cook and Root. Stokes is a gumby, he'll be dropped before the series is out.