Looking at the front pages tomorrow, we could well be without Stokes. Don't know if he was provoked etc. but it's not looking good at all.

Have you seen the footage?

Doesn't look like he was provoked

comment by palmers_spur - you have a woman's hand my lord (U8896)
posted 22 minutes ago
Have you seen the footage?

Doesn't look like he was provoked
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Yeah just seen it. Looks like someone swings a bottle at him/someone he's with and hes defending himself to start with, but then goes a bit mental.

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I reckon Stokes will go. I doubt if he'll be convicted of anything serious. Maybe he'll be stripped of the vice-captaincy.

Can't see both Bairstow and Foakes starting the first Test. Maybe later. The plan seems to be for Vince to bat at 3, probably Malan at 5. Vince wouldn't have been most people's choice but the alternatives aren't that great.

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Seems Root won't bat at 3. He's new to captaincy and it may be he wants to try to get a gap between captaining in the field and coming in to bat.

The footage of Stokes doesn't look good for him but hopefully he's still able to play. If he does, I think the line up we'll see for the first test is:

Stoneman
Cook
Vince
Root
Malan
Stokes
Bairstow
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

I think it would be strange to take Malan if he's not going to be first choice. If Stokes doesn't play then I think we'll bring in Overton at 9 and move Bairstow, Ali and Woakes up a place in the order. I guess we'd then bring in another reserve seamer to replace Stokes in the squad if this does happen, possibly Wood?

As far as I know, Wood was left out due to fitness concerns. Finn could come in though Plunkett is a bit closer to an all-rounder.

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Stoneman
Cook
Vince
Root
Malan
Stokes
Bairstow
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson


i would go with this team too either Malan/Ballance at 5. I don't get the Vince inclusion? surely we are better off staying with Westley?

As for Stokes i think he'll get away with it

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I know there's issues around Wood but I sense he is a player who is on the cusp of selection so if he can get some overs under his belt for the lions then maybe he'll come in. Plunkett like Rashid seems to be way down the pecking order and unlikely to feature again for England at test level.

comment by Greatteamswinit4times- a terrible enemy (U6008)
posted 1 hour, 58 minutes ago
Root needs to take it upon himself to bat 3. If he's coming in at 30-2 most games, it makes little difference. Vince and Ballance are both number 5's and it's unfair to ask either to bat 3.
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this. Root bats 3 at both ODI and T20 level. And yes even at 4 he comes in to bat early. Malan was getting better at the end of the Windes series, i'm glad they stuck with him and looking at the squad he should be in the XI. Whereas number 3/4 is probably going to go to Ballance

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"i would go with this team too either Malan/Ballance at 5. I don't get the Vince inclusion? surely we are better off staying with Westley?"

I agree completely. Westley hasn't covered himself in any sort of glory but he was having a very good season prior to being called up to England and if he'd been left alone for the season, we'd probably want him batting at 3 for the Ashes.

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Well if stokes is out, there is no hope at all.

Cook, Stoneman, Root, Ballance, Malan, Bairstow, Moeen, Woakes, Broad, Ball, Anderson.

I think that team could just about avoid a whitewash and that's about it

On one hand, you'd hope is absence could galvanise the team to all raise it, on the other hand, he's the one who often galvanises the team in some way.

Agree about Crane being a waste of a squad place, an Ashes series is no place to blood a rookie. Potential he may have but how many young debutantes go to Australia and perform, I can`t help feeling that Shane Warne helped to talk the selectors into this selection. The experience may do him good but he will be carrying drinks for the most part.

I would much rather taken Rashid, who took wickets in India and has 38 wickets in 10 tests, has done well in white ball cricket and has experience as well as being a handy lower order batsman.

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Listening to bits on the radio. Crane did well in Australia last year and is more suited to their conditions and the kookaburra ball. Rashid like butler, hales, morgan now pigeon holed as odi players only. Leech the best spinner but not picked because he can't bat, is bald, wears glasses. Good long term bet as a leggy is parkinson who will probably be with the lions.

Both batting line ups are flakey, comes down to how well we bowl, we don't have pace in the side and only Jake Ball bowls at some pace. think Nathan Lyon will have a good test, fear for Crane, young lad who hasn't bowled an awful lot at this level

Cook, bairstow, stoneman, root, malan, Ali, faulkes, woakes, overton, broad, Anderson.

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