Impressive feat but will never be a great.
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Sorry mate, that's bullpap

................

I wouldn't have been that nice to him, Greasy.

Stokes has now immediately been recalled into the squad for the 3rd test. Big call to make on whether to bring him back into the starting XI. I'd go unchanged personally although our seamers should be dangerous no matter which 4 are picked for Trent Bridge.

Surely we can't drop Woakes or Curran after man of the match performances in this series and 5 seamers is just overkill unless we go with the 5 seamers and no spinners...

Seriously though how the actual fack did he come out of that mess not guilty...

Good lawyers I guess

comment by The Candlestick Maker (U8959)
posted 3 hours, 13 minutes ago
Stokes has now immediately been recalled into the squad for the 3rd test. Big call to make on whether to bring him back into the starting XI. I'd go unchanged personally although our seamers should be dangerous no matter which 4 are picked for Trent Bridge.

Surely we can't drop Woakes or Curran after man of the match performances in this series and 5 seamers is just overkill unless we go with the 5 seamers and no spinners...


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Rashid didn't bat or bowl in the 2nd test. Clearly we can take 20 wickets with seam in these conditions.

comment by HaaK (U11574)
posted 1 hour, 31 minutes ago
comment by The Candlestick Maker (U8959)
posted 3 hours, 13 minutes ago
Stokes has now immediately been recalled into the squad for the 3rd test. Big call to make on whether to bring him back into the starting XI. I'd go unchanged personally although our seamers should be dangerous no matter which 4 are picked for Trent Bridge.

Surely we can't drop Woakes or Curran after man of the match performances in this series and 5 seamers is just overkill unless we go with the 5 seamers and no spinners...


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rashid didn't bat or bowl in the 2nd test. Clearly we can take 20 wickets with seam in these conditions.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No doubt, and its it going to swing anywhere it will swing at Trent Bridge. Just don't see the need to pick 5 steamers when 4 will do the damage if the ball is moving. Can't risk not picking a spinner if there's any turn though.

He probably won't play this test but stokes could come in for butler who doesn't look a test batsman to me.

comment by Bennythedip - Living The Dream (U9359)
posted 23 minutes ago
He probably won't play this test but stokes could come in for butler who doesn't look a test batsman to me.
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Agreed. Love Buttler but just don't think he's right for tests. Besides, having 2 quality all rounders (3 if Curran keeps it up) can only be a good thing.

Is it right that the test starts on Saturday...?

comment by Sheriff JW Pepper (U1007)
posted 38 minutes ago
Is it right that the test starts on Saturday...?
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Yep.

comment by HaaK (U11574)
posted 47 minutes ago
comment by Sheriff JW Pepper (U1007)
posted 38 minutes ago
Is it right that the test starts on Saturday...?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yep.
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Bit wierd

comment by HaaK (U11574)
posted 10 hours, 14 minutes ago
comment by Bennythedip - Living The Dream (U9359)
posted 23 minutes ago
He probably won't play this test but stokes could come in for butler who doesn't look a test batsman to me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreed. Love Buttler but just don't think he's right for tests. Besides, having 2 quality all rounders (3 if Curran keeps it up) can only be a good thing.
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Agree on Buttler but we need another specialist batsman lower down the order who can dig in and try and prevent the spectacular collapses that happen too often. The all rounders are great but they are all aggressive batters. Unfortunately there aren't too many around and our strength is in the all rounders so we are stuck on that path.

comment by The Candlestick Maker (U8959)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by HaaK (U11574)
posted 10 hours, 14 minutes ago
comment by Bennythedip - Living The Dream (U9359)
posted 23 minutes ago
He probably won't play this test but stokes could come in for butler who doesn't look a test batsman to me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreed. Love Buttler but just don't think he's right for tests. Besides, having 2 quality all rounders (3 if Curran keeps it up) can only be a good thing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agree on Buttler but we need another specialist batsman lower down the order who can dig in and try and prevent the spectacular collapses that happen too often. The all rounders are great but they are all aggressive batters. Unfortunately there aren't too many around and our strength is in the all rounders so we are stuck on that path.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Stokes is always overlooked for his defensive technique. Personally think he should be batting higher, 5 at the lowest.

I think Stokes has it in him to grind it out, but then he usually gets out with a really loose stroke because eventually he wants to dominate the bowler.

You're not wrong. I think he's better able to play the situation than most of our batsmen though.

Yeah, he's also a player who's batting average is better away from home. It's something like 32 at home and 36 away from home. He's got a century in SA, Australia and India as well as 3 at home.

I think he's capable of having a batting average in the 40s and ideally you want everyone in your top 6 to be above 40. Currently we only have Cook in the mid 40s although his has been tumbling down from above 50 for a little while now and Root in the early 50s. Bairstow is up to 39 although since he's landed a permanent spot in the side in the last 3 years, his average is around 45.

If theres a bit of weather around Nottingham. You may as well not bother with Rashid. Hes not gonna bowl much anyway is he?

cook
Jennings
Root
Pope
Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler
Woakes
Curran
Broad
Anderson

From the current squad, I'd agree with that lineup. Seems pretty uncontroversial, to be honest. Though I still reckon Pope should be coming in at 6 to start his career, with Bairstow and Buttler bumping up one each.

Long-term though, I would prefer to see Burns in for Jennings and one of the promising spinners (Leach/Bess/Virdi/other) come in instead of Buttler. Sam Curran is thought of by all his coaches as a batting all-rounder, so there's every chance he could move quite a way up the order in future if he progresses.

Lots of strength in depth in batting at the moment, we just lack the top order men to lay a solid foundation on a regular basis - which is why it's so mystifying to see Burns and Hildreth being overlooked in favour of players like Jennings who I can't see ever really making the position his own.

Obviously it would help if Cook remembered which way round to hold the bat/stopped getting absolute jaffas too.

Bairstow and Stokes* bumping up one each, sorry

Oh, and for what it's worth, I reckon Rashid will still play the next test. I think Stokes will probably miss out, because recalling Buttler was kinda the big call in Ed Smith's first squad selection. I reckon he'll stick by him for a bit longer.

Plus Buttler did okay in the Pakistan series with a 60 and an 80. He's had 3 innings so far in this series and he will get the whole series to prove himself. Think he's the kind of batsman who will look better away from home as well.

Burns should probably have got a look in before we recalled Jennings and he may well still get a chance in the next 12 months. Hildreth's time has gone, and I reckon Northeast will be the next Hildreth. Overlooked when he should be in the side.

I agree Hildreth won't get a chance, but it's worth mentioning he's only the same age as Ali Cook. Not past it by any stretch.

Espncricinfo are running a poll on who to leave out of the 3rd test; Woakes, Curran, Rashid, Pope, Buttler, Stokes, Jennings. Rashid is winning the vote with 27% but interestingly Jennings is next with 25% with people wanting Bairstow to open and slot Stokes until the middle order.

I could live with that.

Will Stokes appear in the remaining 4th and 5th Test matches versus India?