Your current English 1st & 2nd Test XI's ....

[Zinzan]

In contemplating England's current depth, particularly in the pace bowling dept got me thinking that even their current Test 2nd XI would probably compete well with most other Test sides going around atm.

Assuming everyone is fit, what would be your current 1st & 2nd Test XI's? (excluding a 12th man & assuming it was played on a typical English wicket).

I'm especially interested whether people would select a four-pronged pace attack of with a spinner & if not who out of Anderson, Broad, Bresnan & Tremlett would miss out in the best XI. I'm also curious about which batsman would make their 2nd XI, because I'm not so sure about their next best 5-6 batsmen in the country.

 

[superkingdave]

Our batting strenght isn't great to be honest. My effort

Strauss
Cook
Trott
KP
Bell
Morgan
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Anderson

Hales
Carberry
Bopara
Taylor
Patel
Bairstow
Stokes
Woakes
Tremlett
Onions
Panesar

Second XI batting is pretty gash

 

[Zinzan]

^ No Finn?

 

[marc71178]

I guess putting him in for Woakes means the tail is pretty average.

 

[Neil Pickup]

There's probably a case for Finn over Panesar with Stokes and Patel in the side.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Strauss
Cook
Trott
KP
Bell
Morgan
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Anderson


Hales
Carberry
Bopara
Taylor
Bairstow
Stokes
Davies
Tremlett
Finn
Onions
Panesar

 

[wpdavid]

Our batting strenght isn't great to be honest. My effort

Strauss
Cook
Trott
KP
Bell
Morgan
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Anderson

Hales
Carberry
Bopara
Taylor
Patel
Bairstow
Stokes
Woakes
Tremlett
Onions
Panesar

Second XI batting is pretty gash

It's certainly unproven at anything above county level for most of the top 7. For all the talk of strength in depth, I wouldn't like to see us against a proper attack with two or three of the regulars missing.

 

[Howe_zat]

If it were up to me:

Strauss
Cook
Trott
KP
Bell
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Tremlett
Anderson

Hales
Carberry
Bopara
Taylor
Morgan
Bairstow
Stokes
Woakes
Finn
Onions
Panesar

 

[BoyBrumby]

Might be a case for Fat Bob in the 2nd XI. Would add the batting some weight (or the fat pun of your choice).

 

[Prince EWS]

Might be a case for Fat Bob in the 2nd XI. Would add the batting some weight (or the fat pun of your choice).

Yeah a Second XI is a bit different to a team of players on the fringes of the First XI or an A side. Those sort of teams are usually filled with players who the selectors feel will have a future in the side when the current mob move on, while a true England Second XI team, selected in a bubble with winning the next series in mind and nothing else, would probably contain some "old hacks" for lack of a better term. Your Keys, Shahs and even Ramprakashes would be in the mix. I really don't think I'd pick Hales.

 

[Dan]

Assuming this as the first XI:
Strauss
Cook
Trott
KP
Bell
Morgan
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Anderson

You'd have a 2nd XI of:
Carberry
Hales/Another young opener that's performing.
Taylor
Hildreth
Bopara
Ramprakash
Bairstow
Woakes
Tremlett
Onions
Panesar

Sticking Ramprakash in at 6 to give the side some experience - specialist captain?
Harsh on Davies, Patel, Finn .etc

 

[Zinzan]

If it were up to me:

Strauss
Cook
Trott
KP
Bell
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Tremlett
Anderson

Yup, I'd probably lean this way as well. They can afford to play 5 bowlers with that top 6 & it's not like Bresnan, Broad & Swann would be the worst 7,8 & 9 going around.

 

[Zinzan]

Interesting to see most selecting Bresnan over Tremlett. I tend to agree, but didn't think it would be quite so resounding. Tremlett being the marginally the better bowler & Bresnan providing the benefit of being able to bat as high as 7.

 

[Howe_zat]

Yup, I'd probably lean this way as well. They can afford to play 5 bowlers with that top 6 & it's not like Bresnan, Broad & Swann would be the worst 7,8 & 9 going around.

It's not so much that as thinking Prior and Bresnan can do Morgan's job with the bat, which is to either rescue us from a collapse or hit out tired bowlers with the old ball. An ideal no.6 will do both those but can also be relied on against the second new ball, right now we don't really have that.

 

[JBMAC]

Don't get tosee alot of county cricket to select avirtual second eleven but 4 names spring to mind who have impressed. Murtagh, Roland-Jones, Bell-Drummond and Denly. Yjey would have to included

 

[Daemon]

Another interesting thing to do would be to mix the first and second teams and come up with two balanced English XIs of similar quality, and see whether they would both be able to compete at the international stage.

 

[Goughy]

Would have to have Bresnan in the 1st XI just because he is the incumbant and has played well.

I couldnt yet drop Finn to the 3rd XI. I get that Woakes batting helps him into the side but, on limited viewing, I have not been blown away by his bowling. If he has to play then Panesar has to miss out IMO and a batsman who bowls spin has to play.

I dont know enough about the young batsmen to pick a top 6.

 

[S Chanderpaul]

Don't get tosee alot of county cricket to select avirtual second eleven but 4 names spring to mind who have impressed. Murtagh, Roland-Jones, Bell-Drummond and Denly. Yjey would have to included

 

[fredfertang]

If I had a free hand in an ideal world I'd drop Morgan and bring in Tres and let him bat at 6

 

[grecian]

Well. I agree that if I was picking a first 11, I'd do without ravi or eoin, but I see no reason to change the balance of the team, I'd definitely put another bat in. Yet anyway, the second xi should surely be based on the one after the selectors guessed preferred one, which is:

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Kp
Bell
Morgan
Prior
Bres
Broad
Swann
Anderson

Carberry
Hales
Davies
Taylor
Hildreth
Bopara
Patel
Tremlett
Onions
Finn
Panesar

obviously the second side is more opinion-based, not sure of all the Ramps love has been ordinary recently, both Finn and Panesar look really improved recently, both seemed to have learnt lessons. Monty is tryiong more variation, and Finn seems more agressive and has more of a stock ball.