Ian Bell IS NOT A TEST OPENER
moving on.

Ian Bell started his career as an opener

He is a top order player

There is no reason why he can't open

I;m not saying pick keiswetter to open here, I'm saying pick top order batsman and former first class opener Ian Bell

Ian Bell is a middle order player. That's where hes always been played for England.. Trott would do a better job..

Englandwhoelse -

Can you expand on your claims that Root is like Thorpe, and that KP has shown his best batting at 5 for England ?

Root as done well at 4.. He should stay there. Kevin Pieterson is good number 5.. I like the idea of KP between Root and Bairstow..
Kevin Pieterson Bairsow Prior.. Looks better than 2 inexperienced players at 5 and 6..
Theres not much in difference in kp's record at 4 or 5..
Ian Bell needs a mental boost to preform. He was excellent at 3 in the absence of Trott.
Just move everyone one up a place and put Kp back in his position at 5.

Cook
Trott
Bell
Pietersen
Root
Bairstow
Prior

would be fine I think. I would personally rather move Bell than Trott, and would personally rather see Belll open than Trott, but I don't think that that decision would settle the series.

I agree on the last sentence. The difference will be our bowlers against Australias batting.. They will collapse more often than we will. In a 5 match test series the batting is the key.

In a 5 match test series the batting is the key.

--------------------------------------------

eh ????

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Because in some of the test matches we will hopefully get 5 days full days.. England should out score Australia.. over 5 games the team that bats better will win.. Take SA last year England didn't bat that badly.. The scores they made would have beaten most teams. South Africa just batted better and scored higher..

In my experience, the team which scores the most runs in any cricket match wins, unless it's a draw, and that applies regardless of the length of the match and regardless of how many matches there are in the series.

Hey jpb

----------------------------

Someone called me that yesterday. I think there has been a case of mistaken identity

Is this something to do with PJ and Duncan ?

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Are you a friend of this Galvnando character ?

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

I'm sorry, but you have got me mixed up with somebody else.

I hope that you find your friend.

I would try our hardest not to mess with the order as everyone is fairly settled it their role.

I would give compton the first two tests and if he shows no sign of improvement bring root up the order to open and put Bairstow in 6.

Bairstow isn't good enough to warrant messing with Bell and Trott's position

You want to keep Compton who hasn't got in to double figures in his last 6 innings, and who is scoring at a rate of about 30 runs a day, but you want to drop Bairstow, who kept us in the series against south Africa in his 3rd and 4th test matches and who scored an eye catching 50 in his last test ?

That makes no sense at all to me.

Cook
Root
Trott
KP
Bell
Bairstow
Prior

....BEST side and everyone wins. Bairstow will be the next England keeper after Prior and is clearly a far greater talent than Compton. Your right Geezer

Compton got back to back tons in NZ and held his own in India. He is no mug.

For Bairstow to come in you have to move others around. Although Root is an opener by nature he has slotted in nicely in the middle order and lasted all of one ball against the new ball the other day.

The team is settled as it is. Compton deserves a couple of matches. If he fails then shuffle with Root up top and Bairstow at 6.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Hi JPB.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Galvnanda -

I appreciate your comments which confirm that I am not a square.

Now, do any of you weirdos actually have any views on the cricket, or are you just here to try to find your friend/'the JPB character' ?

If it's the latter, then I suggest that you take the sensible advice of your leader