Dom Sibley is one of Warwickshire's openers. Scored nearly 1,000 runs for the summer already. 3 tons and 4 50s, I think.

He and Sam Northeast (Hants) should be the next cabs off the rank for England, though Northeast bats at 4 and we've got hundreds of those.

comment by Amanda Hugginkiss (U11574)
posted 2 minutes ago
I repeat my earlier comments about Bairstow. Caught in front. AGAIN.
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As his white ball game has improved his red ball has got worse. He could have no complaints if he is dropped. He is an average keeper too.

comment by Tablighi Jamaat (U15973)
posted 24 minutes ago
Root doesn't like coming in at 3, does he?

Who is this Sibley guy you speak of?
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Opener for Warwickshire and has over 1000 first class runs this year so the most in form opener in the country. But then so was Burns before him, and Jennings before him and so on.

says it all about our batsmen when a number 11 is keeping englands fingers dangling on the end of the cliff

Would be difficult throwing any of the guys you mentioned straight into an Ashes test match...

I feel you will stick with Roy as an opener, he wouldn't have been given a trial run this match otherwise.

I always think your best batsman should come at 3 (Root) but don't know why he wants to hide at 4 which makes it doubly difficult for the new or less experienced guy, i.e. Denly in this game.

I reckon Stokes will end up at 3, he seems like he thrives on extra responsibility.

comment by Amanda Hugginkiss (U11574)
posted 1 minute ago
Dom Sibley is one of Warwickshire's openers. Scored nearly 1,000 runs for the summer already. 3 tons and 4 50s, I think.

He and Sam Northeast (Hants) should be the next cabs off the rank for England, though Northeast bats at 4 and we've got hundreds of those.
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Hildreth too and I think he's batting at 3 for Somerset now although probably too old for England to consider. Northeast should be seriously considered but Root and Stokes at 4 and 5 aren't going to be dropped.

Since the start of 2018 Jonny Bairstow has faced 68 balls from pace bowlers that would have gone onto hit his stumps - from those deliveries he has scored 36 runs and been dismissed eight times - that's an average of 4.50 runs per dismissal. #ENGvIRE

___

Absolute waaank. Needs dropping but it won't happen.

comment by Tablighi Jamaat (U15973)
posted 5 minutes ago
Would be difficult throwing any of the guys you mentioned straight into an Ashes test match...

I feel you will stick with Roy as an opener, he wouldn't have been given a trial run this match otherwise.

I always think your best batsman should come at 3 (Root) but don't know why he wants to hide at 4 which makes it doubly difficult for the new or less experienced guy, i.e. Denly in this game.

I reckon Stokes will end up at 3, he seems like he thrives on extra responsibility.
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I wouldn't be against Stokes at 3. I was calling for that last summer. He repeatedly shows the sort of grit, application and - more to the point - ability to play the match conditions, that players like Root and Bairstow never do, yet he's constantly overlooked in favour of stroppy knobheads like Bairstow.

comment by TCM (U8959)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Amanda Hugginkiss (U11574)
posted 1 minute ago
Dom Sibley is one of Warwickshire's openers. Scored nearly 1,000 runs for the summer already. 3 tons and 4 50s, I think.

He and Sam Northeast (Hants) should be the next cabs off the rank for England, though Northeast bats at 4 and we've got hundreds of those.
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Hildreth too and I think he's batting at 3 for Somerset now although probably too old for England to consider. Northeast should be seriously considered but Root and Stokes at 4 and 5 aren't going to be dropped.
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Hildreth should've been considered long ago but that ship has sailed now.

comment by Amanda Hugginkiss (U11574)
posted 25 seconds ago
comment by TCM (U8959)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Amanda Hugginkiss (U11574)
posted 1 minute ago
Dom Sibley is one of Warwickshire's openers. Scored nearly 1,000 runs for the summer already. 3 tons and 4 50s, I think.

He and Sam Northeast (Hants) should be the next cabs off the rank for England, though Northeast bats at 4 and we've got hundreds of those.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hildreth too and I think he's batting at 3 for Somerset now although probably too old for England to consider. Northeast should be seriously considered but Root and Stokes at 4 and 5 aren't going to be dropped.
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Hildreth should've been considered long ago but that ship has sailed now.
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If you play for Glamorgan, Somerset or Gloucestershire forget it!

Bairstow test scores in the past 2 years (37 innings batted)

10, 18, 2, 18, 21, 9, 42, 21, 36, 119, 14, 22, 5, 38, 26, 101, 36, 27, 0, 21, 70, 28, 93, 15, 0, 6, 0, 0, 18, 110, 15, 12, 30, 52, 14, 2, 0, 0



That's seriously poor. Averaging 28.4 with very few "par" scores in there. No consistency. Average massively buffered by 3 random tons in there. That's 31 scores in the 10-30s, buffered by just 6 scores of 50+.

I take it Root has a big say in the side as there's plenty of Yorkshire guys involved...

Moeen against short balls... ughhh

Roy
?
Stokes
Root
Denly
Buttler
Foakes
Woakes
Archer
Anderson
Leach

We could still get a year or two out of Hildreth like what Aussies did with Voges but agree it's not going to happen.

Shame really as a competent number 3 averaging 40 odd for a year is exactly what we need just to steady things and take less pressure off the other batters.

Jeez, just looking at those Bairstow scores again

20 of his last 37 innings have seen him out for a score under 20

How is he not being scrutinised. That's bloody awful.

7 ducks too

Yep, find it crazy that ECB won't consider Hildreth. Our two best test players of recent times were Younis Khan and Misbah and both were nearing 40.

comment by Tablighi Jamaat (U15973)
posted 2 minutes ago
Roy
?
Stokes
Root
Denly
Buttler
Foakes
Woakes
Archer
Anderson
Leach
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At the minute, it should be Burns opening still. He's got ability, he's just not in good nick this summer. It might click... The only other option is Dom Sibley and we can't chuck him in against the Aussies for his first test. That would be a quick route to ruining yet another opener.

Broad has to play next week, still our second best bowler.

If Archer comes in it should be for woakes, but he is Mr consistent and that would considerably weaken our batting.

Plenty of tough decisions to be made.

Remember when it was Cook, Strauss, Trott?

Archer should definitely come in for Woakes. He's always flattered to deceive as a Test bowler. I'd have Stone ahead of Woakes, to be honest, even if Archer isn't picked. Just for the sake of having a bit of variety in our pace attack. Anderson/Woakes/Broad/Curran/Stokes is incredibly one-paced.

They said yesterday on TMS that it was the 7 year anniversary of Strauss' last test so you could say we haven't had a settled top 3 since then.

Pretty ridiculous we still haven't solved in and its affecting our best players too. Cook got worse and now Root is as they had to handle more and more responsibility.

Probably a fair point to leave Woakes out, guy must be pretty knackered too. If i'm correct, I'm sure he played every World Cup game...

everywhere.. it was
Cook
Strauss
Trott
Bell
Kp
Mat prior
all in the top 6 and all averaging over 40 and some under 50.

Even Rory Burns defends away from his body.. There is no way hes gonna score runs on the off side..So teams bowl at 4/5 th stump at him.

1. Burns (hoping he improves)
2. Roy
3. Denly
4. Root
5. Stokes
6. Buttler
7. Foakes (wk)
8. Curran
9. Leach
10. Stone
11. Anderson

That would be my current pick for the 1st Ashes test. It's not my personal pick for our current best available side, but I'm trying to retain a bit of continuity rather than changing half the team and bringing in 3/4 new guys all at once.

1. Burns (hoping he improves)
2. Sibley
3. Roy
4. Root
5. Stokes
6. Buttler
7. Foakes (wk)
8. Woakes/Curran
9. Leach
10. Archer/Stone/Wood
11. Anderson


That would be my team going forwards, potentially phasing it in gradually over the course of the Ashes depending on performances. The 3-6 bats in the second lineup are completely interchangeable based on match conditions.

I gotta say Irelands over rate is utterly ridiculous.
I know its warm but they are wayyyy down on where they should be