Ashes XI's

Thanks. I hope Hameed can stay there...

Not too good for Westley but he'll have other chances.

Well he got out shortly after, mistiming a hook off a medium pacer which isn't a pretty dismissal against someone about 15 mph slower than the sort of pace he'd face against the Aussies if selected.

comment by The Candlestick Maker (U8959)
posted 2 hours, 42 minutes ago
Westley's gone for 28 but Woakes was the one who got him so a positive/negative outlook on that. Hameed is currently at his absolute best, 4 from 49 balls, strike rate of 8.
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imo we should give him a year or two. He could be the answer at 3 for England. He can come in and play to not get out. Reassuring presence at 3 like Trott once was, also a slow scorer.

Well Lancashire got bowled out pretty quickly so Gamers gets a second dig today. Looks like the title is all but done with Essex over 150 ahead of Warks and Lancashire some 200 behind Somerset.

Just noticed I referred to Hameed as Gamers. Better knock from him today as he reached 62 at his more usual speed and actually looked quite fluent against the spinners, which will be useful against the Aussie pace attack.

The CC looks all but done with Essex pretty much champions bar a miracle for Lancashire who need to win their game to keep the title alive. They're effectively 15/6 having conceded a 200 run lead in the first innings so are going to struggle to set Somerset a testing run chase.

Been a strange season. Happy lancs stayed up and done well to be 2nd. Never considered them for the title. Essex seem to have no competition at all.

Seems to have been a lot of draws with various teams struggling with the bat. Essex have managed consistency with the bat and have been destructive in the second half of the season with the ball. Porter, Harmer and Amir against Yorkshire just tore through line up after line up.

Any chance of disguising a left handed Sri Lankan as Tom Westley?

Roland-Jones and Hameed look like being ruled out of the tour due to injuries, according to reports. Wood must also be a fitness doubt. Ball and Finn could be part of the bowling contingent.

Reckon Anderson, broad, woakes, stokes, ball and Finn will be the seam bowlers in the squad. Finn's 8 for could be very timely.