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dagraham

Well-Known Member
Sep 20, 2005
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Just seen the Ashes squad. Thought we were going to be in for a rough ride and now seeing the squad I'm off to put a bet on 5-0.

Talk about uninspiring. Just a long list of batsmen who've made fuck all runs at test level and haven't even done all that well this summer for their counties by all accounts. I know Hales is thought of as just a white ball smasher, but surely he's got to be given a go?

No Plunkett either. More importantly, where is Finn?! I don't follow county cricket so maybe someone can put me straight but unless I was tripping I'm sure he got 8 wickets recently for his county. If fit he's an absolute no brainer in Australian conditions.
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,886
32,513
Just seen the Ashes squad. Thought we were going to be in for a rough ride and now seeing the squad I'm off to put a bet on 5-0.

Talk about uninspiring. Just a long list of batsmen who've made fuck all runs at test level and haven't even done all that well this summer for their counties by all accounts. I know Hales is thought of as just a white ball smasher, but surely he's got to be given a go?

No Plunkett either. More importantly, where is Finn?! I don't follow county cricket so maybe someone can put me straight but unless I was tripping I'm sure he got 8 wickets recently for his county. If fit he's an absolute no brainer in Australian conditions.

Finn should be nowhere near the squad, thank god the selectors agreed. Was a pretty crap bowler who at least had some pace when he started, now he doesn't really even have pace...

As for his 8 wickets, it's one game, and it's almost October and look at what some of the scores have been across the country - perfect bowling conditions at this point.

Jake Ball is the definition of average though also...
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
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And I'm surprised Root didn't go all out and get his brother in the squad, if he can get Ballance his umpteenth chance.....! :LOL:
 

dagraham

Well-Known Member
Sep 20, 2005
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Finn should be nowhere near the squad, thank god the selectors agreed. Was a pretty crap bowler who at least had some pace when he started, now he doesn't really even have pace...

As for his 8 wickets, it's one game, and it's almost October and look at what some of the scores have been across the country - perfect bowling conditions at this point.

Jake Ball is the definition of average though also...

Fair enough. I don't follow cricket as closely as I used to. My memory of Finn is probably a good few years ago and he's a wicket taker.

I just can't see us taking 20 wickets in Australia at the moment.

As for the batting, is there not a case for pushing Moen and Bairstow up the order rather than relying on several batsmen who have barely made a score between them or never even played Test cricket?
 

WorcesterTHFC

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2016
1,777
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Fair enough. I don't follow cricket as closely as I used to. My memory of Finn is probably a good few years ago and he's a wicket taker.

I just can't see us taking 20 wickets in Australia at the moment.

As for the batting, is there not a case for pushing Moen and Bairstow up the order rather than relying on several batsmen who have barely made a score between them or never even played Test cricket?
Are you talking about the entire series, or just one Test?
 

Buggsy61

Washed Up Member
Aug 31, 2012
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Fair enough. I don't follow cricket as closely as I used to. My memory of Finn is probably a good few years ago and he's a wicket taker.

I just can't see us taking 20 wickets in Australia at the moment.

As for the batting, is there not a case for pushing Moen and Bairstow up the order rather than relying on several batsmen who have barely made a score between them or never even played Test cricket?
I think there is definitely a case for pushing Bairstow up the order to 3, or even playing him as a specialist batsmen as going in 3 after a stint behind the stumps is not easy, and he would likely be at the crease very quickly!.
To be honest I think both sides are fielding their weakest ashes teams for a while, but I think you are right that Australia should be in the box seat.
I wonder what has happened to Finn - when he first hit the scene he looked like he was going to be a fast bowling mainstay for years to come.
 

LSUY

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2005
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I think there is definitely a case for pushing Bairstow up the order to 3, or even playing him as a specialist batsmen as going in 3 after a stint behind the stumps is not easy, and he would likely be at the crease very quickly!.
To be honest I think both sides are fielding their weakest ashes teams for a while, but I think you are right that Australia should be in the box seat.
I wonder what has happened to Finn - when he first hit the scene he looked like he was going to be a fast bowling mainstay for years to come.

You can thank the England and Middlesex bowling coaches for that. England wanted him to shorten his run-up (which threw off his timings) and develop a better jump prior to his delivery stride while Middx wanted him to bowl outswingers. Two sets of coaches telling and trying to get him to do different things combined with the absolute disaster that was the 2013/14 Australia tour screwed up his bowling action and shot his confidence to pieces.
 

stonecolddeanaustin

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2011
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I think there is definitely a case for pushing Bairstow up the order to 3, or even playing him as a specialist batsmen as going in 3 after a stint behind the stumps is not easy, and he would likely be at the crease very quickly!.
To be honest I think both sides are fielding their weakest ashes teams for a while, but I think you are right that Australia should be in the box seat.
I wonder what has happened to Finn - when he first hit the scene he looked like he was going to be a fast bowling mainstay for years to come.

He (no doubt down to poor coaching) changed his action and never got it back. Seemingly he's now just a bit of a county plodder. Big shame.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/story/759927.html
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,886
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Having seen the footage I'd say Stokes' place in the team is going to come under serious scrutiny from a PR perspective. There is a guy waving a bottle about on the scene, but he's just laid someone out in the street.
 
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talkshowhost86

Mod-Moose
Staff
Oct 2, 2004
48,100
47,055
Having seen the footage I'd say Stokes' place in the team is going to come under serious scrutiny from a PR perspective.

If (let’s face it there’s not much need for the if) that’s him then he seems to be a complete cock-womble.

Doesn’t stop him playing cricket. But it makes it harder to support him.
 

LSUY

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2005
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66,826
Unless the police come out and say it was self-defence I can't see how Stokes can stay in the squad. KP got kicked out for less.
 

evoid

Well-Known Member
Jun 2, 2005
322
576
I've mentioned in this thread before, but I'm good friends with Alex Hales, and to be fair the story he told me is exactly the same as what Piers has tweeted...They're hoping the 2 guys will come forward to corroborate.
 

talkshowhost86

Mod-Moose
Staff
Oct 2, 2004
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Interesting if true. Doesn’t necessarily excuse him going quite so postal but certainly casts him in a better light.
 

Spurs_Bear

Well-Known Member
Jan 7, 2009
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22,286
Yeah I don't blame you @stonecolddeanaustin, I promise I only saw it as Michael Vaughan and Sir Ian Botham retweeted them:

1 - I'm hearing that Ben Stokes intervened to help two gay guys who were being abused by yobs, one of whom was armed with a bottle.

2 - Stokes has told friends he was incensed by the homophobic taunts, then saw the bottle being raised & decided to defend himself.

3 - Stokes obviously regrets what happened but apparently his view is: "The started it, I finished it. I was protecting those guys."

4 - Police are aware of Stokes' version of events & are now trying to find the two gay men, to corroborate what he's said.

5 - Stokes has told friends: "The guy had a bottle in his hand and was threatening us, was I supposed to wait until he smashed it in my face?"
 

alfie103

Well-Known Member
Jun 4, 2005
3,967
4,441
Yeah I don't blame you @stonecolddeanaustin, I promise I only saw it as Michael Vaughan and Sir Ian Botham retweeted them:

1 - I'm hearing that Ben Stokes intervened to help two gay guys who were being abused by yobs, one of whom was armed with a bottle.

2 - Stokes has told friends he was incensed by the homophobic taunts, then saw the bottle being raised & decided to defend himself.

3 - Stokes obviously regrets what happened but apparently his view is: "The started it, I finished it. I was protecting those guys."

4 - Police are aware of Stokes' version of events & are now trying to find the two gay men, to corroborate what he's said.

5 - Stokes has told friends: "The guy had a bottle in his hand and was threatening us, was I supposed to wait until he smashed it in my face?"

If this is true, then he should be fine.
 
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