The 'Summer' of Cricket thread 2013

[TheMajorSTFC]

Quick round of the last week of significant cricket news; Durham won County Championship, Lancashire won Div 2 and Notts won the YB40 final against Glamorgan yesterday...Simon Jones' last first class game (will only play t20 games now) and you have to wonder 'what might have been' with him, such potential but injuries prevented him becoming into a world class bowler after that 05 Ashes Series...got a great round of applause yesterday when he came out to bat no.11 and every Notts player made a point to shake his hand afterwards...great show of respect!

[TheMajorSTFC]

Ashes Down Under Squad Announcement:

http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/articles/ballance-rankin-and-stokes-named-ashes-squad

17 man squad, so it's as you'd expect with Rankin, Stokes and Ballance added...Bresnan not included but will travel to rehab from injury. Expect him to be 'number 18' should he prove his fitness.

[fittons_coaching_badge]

Ashes squad named:

Cook Prior Anderson Bairstow Ballance Bell Broad Carberry Finn Panesar Pietersen Rankin Root Stokes Swann Tremlett Trott

No Onions or Compton or Bresnan.

[Nemo]

Carberry over Compton is a disgrace.

[DMR]

Can understand not taking Onions and opting for raw pace/bounce, but surely he should be considered for places like the SCG?

Compton's omission is harsh.

[fittons_coaching_badge]

The two crucial uncertainties are who bats at 6 and 8 .....

At 6 it could be one of Stokes, Bairstow or Ballance.  I suspect Stokes will get first crack to give them a 5th bowling option.

8 is a bit more complicated, mainly because of the batting depth Bresnan added.  Tremlett or Finn would be the obvious 3rd seamer alongside Jimmy and Broad but based on how Broad bats more often than not these days i'm not sure i'd want him at 8.

Apart from that no real issues.

No Onions is sad.  I am surprised they didnt take him as he is the most natural replacement to Jimmy we have. He's a high class performer who has had a brilliant season who in another era would have played 50+ tests and been a first choice bowler for a lengthy period.  Now I struggle to see where is he next test is coming from and fear it wont! Onion is playing in SA this winter so would be match fit if needed but I suspect they'd probably picked from the academy squad.

Good to see Monty back but even as good a spinner as Swann wont win any games over there like he did here and will have to do a holding job.

[TheMajorSTFC]

Agree with that FCB, another option you could have is either Bairstow/Ballance at 6, Prior at 7, then Stokes at 8...however with the trial and error the selectors made at The Oval with Woakes and Kerrigan playing, I can't see them bringing in a batsman who can bowl as a 3rd seamer to offer 10-15 overs a day and go around the park (Same with Kerrigan as the 2nd spinner). Therefore I think we'll see Cook, Root, Trott, KP, Bell, Bairstow/Ballance, Prior, Broad, Swann, Anderson +1 of the big men....a lot can change between now and then though (even if it's only 7/8 weeks until the 1st test).

Another option they may consider is opening with Carberry and putting Root back to 6 if things don't go England's way in the 1st couple of tests?

[Reg Smeeton]

Agree with that FCB, another option you could have is either Bairstow/Ballance at 6, Prior at 7, then Stokes at 8...however with the trial and error the selectors made at The Oval with Woakes and Kerrigan playing, I can't see them bringing in a batsman who can bowl as a 3rd seamer to offer 10-15 overs a day and go around the park (Same with Kerrigan as the 2nd spinner). Therefore I think we'll see Cook, Root, Trott, KP, Bell, Bairstow/Ballance, Prior, Broad, Swann, Anderson +1 of the big men....a lot can change between now and then though (even if it's only 7/8 weeks until the 1st test).

Another option they may consider is opening with Carberry and putting Root back to 6 if things don't go England's way in the 1st couple of tests?

Am I the only one who's underwhelmed by the thought of another Ashes series so soon after the  last?  Just doesn't seem right to me...I believe there's some cogent reason for it happening so soon, but it's over egging the pudding.

[DMR]

Look at this way Reg - it's a great time to play them as frequently as possible and win 4 in a row, they won't be this shite forever.

[fittons_coaching_badge]

Am I the only one who's underwhelmed by the thought of another Ashes series so soon after the  last?  Just doesn't seem right to me...I believe there's some cogent reason for it happening so soon, but it's over egging the pudding.

Agree on over eggin the pudding but when the coin goes up at the Gabba i'll be as excited as anyone.

The reason for one so soon is that normally the World Cup follows directly on from an Ashes tours and they wanted to break the cycle.  So rather than going 3 years without an ashes series they have had two consectuviely to make a shedload of money! With the next WC in Aus Next Feb/March, if the normal cycle had been kept England would have been in Aus for the best part of six months.

[Reg Smeeton]

Look at this way Reg - it's a great time to play them as frequently as possible and win 4 in a row, they won't be this shite forever.

Maybe I'll see it differently in November/December, but right now if I have to see Watson's ugly mug again I'll scream.

[Nemo]

I quite the the idea of a home/away split series.

Another one in 18 months is a bit excessive though.

[Reg Smeeton]

I quite the the idea of a home/away split series.

Another one in 18 months is a bit excessive though.

No doubt driven by Sky...personally I will struggle to get excited.

[Crispy]

No doubt driven by Sky...personally I will struggle to get excited.

Old age, Reg?

[Reg Smeeton]

Old age, Reg?

 

Happily not