If Bairstow goes straight back in...




... FFS cricket, you were supposed to be the good one

Broad's headband what is that

Man, watching that makes me want to play some cricket

Dom Sibley's trigger movements are literally a mirror image of Cook's

wouldnt fancy team Stokes to chase that

comment by Amanda Hugginkiss (U11574)
posted 46 minutes ago
Broad's headbandwhat is that

Man, watching that makes me want to play some cricket
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When I initially stuck the live stream on, I genuinely thought Jack Brooks had been called up for some random reason. Terrible look!

comment by Amanda Hugginkiss (U11574)
posted 50 minutes ago
If Bairstow goes straight back in...




... FFS cricket, you were supposed to be the good one
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Well at least it's only for one game. Unless he scores a century and comes back in at number 3 when Root returns

Breezy 39 - probably enough to get him back into the side, isn't it

The warm-up ends in a draw.

https://www.ecb.co.uk/matches/21879?

2 wickets and 11 runs for Moeen. Shoo-in for the #8 spot

Ends in a draw *shocked face*

Aren't you glad he's deigned to make himself available for selection again

England 13 for First Test.

Burns
Sibley
Crawley
Denly
Stokes (c)
Pope
Buttler (wk)
Woakes
Bess
Archer
Wood
Broad
Anderson

Reserves👇

Bracey
S Curran
Foakes
Lawrence
Leach
Mahmood
C Overton
Robinson
Stone

No Bairstow

Yep. Bairstow and Moeen both fail to even make the reserves, which is a great call as far as I'm concerned. Feels like Buttler will be given the series and if he fails again then Foakes will come in, and presumably Root will come back in when available for whichever of Crawley or Denly performs less well.

Wasn't there the suggestion at one point that the Test and ODI teams would be kept completely separate?

Interesting that Bess is the spinner. That's surely a spot that's up for grabs.

It makes sense to be honest, as he's got the potential to be a batting all-rounder. Much more depth to the batting with him in at 8 (assuming there's no room for another seamer so Woakes misses out).

Tough on Leach but Bess' bowling has improved and he's a good bat, so he's got a lot of potential to nail down that spot.

Interested to see how the bowling goes. You'd assume Bess, Jimmy and Archer will all be picked so that leaves just 1 from Woakes, Wood and Broad.

Bet they drop a batter to play 4 seamers

My guess is Jimmy, Broad and Wood for the 3 man pace attack with Stokes. Good luck to Bess. I guess he was the bowler in possession of that spin place so deserves a go.

Hopefully we go with Crawley at 3 and we see the start of a solid top order with Burns and Sibley opening. I like Denly, he definitely made us more solid at the top but hasn't scored enough runs.

I'd be surprised if Archer doesn't play tbh, given he'll be well up for it vs the Windies. Tough on Wood but I think he'll miss out.

Crawley is actually a relatively quick scorer. But fair point. I'd still rather see him nail down the #3 spot long term since Denly has never felt like more than a stop gap.

Sibley, Burns, Crawley, Denly, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Bess, Broad, Archer, Anderson

Archer will come in at 9 (despite being a proper #11 in reality). But yeah, I reckon that'll be the team

i dont think it will, can see them playing 4 seamers with Woakes at 7 which is the completely wrong call. really like the look of that top 6

Nah, definitely don't see them dropping any of that top 6

can see them not playing Crawley or Sibley, Denly 3, Pope up to 4, Stokes, Buttler 6

That would have been a temptation in the past but generally they are making more sensible decisions when it comes to the starting XI these days.

Stokes is the 4th seamer and I don't think he won't bowl himself because he will be acting as captain for the first test. No need for a 5th seamer if 4 can't do the job.