England team for the 5th test

[Pothas]

We all know it is a great tradition. Sadly the Lions have gone home which limits our options but there are some guys playing big bash so it is all good.

Crawley
Vince
Malan
Root
Abell
Lawrence
Bairstow
Bess
Overton
Mahmood
Anderson

Wood, Stokes and Robinson will all be injured.

Vince at 5 would actually not be the worst thing so he will open instead. (Have just seen this has already been proposed in the match thread.)

A real shame that Parkinson is not staying on because he would be nailed on otherwise.

Was tempted to go Topley but Overton just feels like an inevitability.

 

[Prince EWS]

The greatest tradition of picking a random leggie to play a solitary Test has been broken already. A real shame.

 

[Prince EWS]

Does Livingstone has a BBL contract? He could jag a game as a specialist leggie - doesn't make that much less sense than when Borthwick did.

 

[Teja.]

KP - 25/1

 

[TimAngas]

More random BBL batting options:
Alex Hales (haha)
Ben Duckett
Joe Clarke
Laurie Evans
Harry Brook!!

 

[Pothas]

Does Livingstone has a BBL contract? He could jag a game as a specialist leggie - doesn't make that much less sense than when Borthwick did.

Not that I can see.

Did think about Lawrence as a specialist spinner at 8.

 

[Prince EWS]

Did think about Lawrence as a specialist spinner at 8.

Only if he takes up leggies.

 

[cnerd123]

Only if he takes up leggies.

I'd quite like to see him still bowl offies to the left-handers

 

[ImpatientLime]

Parkinson doesn't fit the bill as the last minute leggie select as he has a strong FC record and looks an actual talent
mason crane was legit ****house. borthwick too

 

[andruid]

Phil Mustard is still active

 

[Pothas]

Leach may actually be back after Bess has played a couple.

 

[theegyptian]

Abell's probably look the worst of the English batsman in Australia which is saying a lot. 3 dismissals so far in Australia have been particularly bad, basically surprised at the bounce in each case - twice fluffing pull shots and once defending. Can't see him getting a go however bad. Shame he doesn't score runs because he's got a decent reputation as an individual and captain at Somerset.

It's funny. Even losing 5-0 I don't see there been a massive call for Root to give up the captaincy as normally happens in these circumstances because the replacement options are diminishing by the day and basically non existent. Burns and Buttler who have been the two guys mooted but look unlikely to finish this series in the team. Abell if he actually scored runs could have been outsider to come in and captain, but he doesn't score many runs which is an issue!

 

[Adders]

There comes a point where we just have to accept these players are the best we've got and this is the level where we are.

Id rather talk about how the state of the English test team can be fixed over the next 5 to 10 years rather than the proverbial rearranging deck chairs on the titanic right now.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Bracey getting 2 tests batting at 7 seems to be symptomatic of England's muddled thinking imo. I don't necessary think he's a gun player who could translate to tests, but the guy bats at 3 for his county and has done really well in the last 12 months. Horrible

 

[GoodAreasShane]

I don't know if Bracey has any international future or not, but if he does it certainly won't be with the gloves. Barely u12 standard in those tests

 

[Prince EWS]

I don't know if Bracey has any international future or not, but if he does it certainly won't be with the gloves. Barely u12 standard in those tests

Yeah I don't think he even really pretends to be a proper keeper. Does it sometimes for Gloucestershire for team balance but he's basically a top-3 bat who owns a pair of wicket keeping gloves. I think he still has zero First Class stumpings.

 

[Gob]

How far off is Vince from selection? Averages almost 40 in first class cricket with 10k runs and looks all class. He is surely better than Hameed/Burns etc

 

[morgieb]

How far off is Vince from selection? Averages almost 40 in first class cricket with 10k runs and looks all class. He is surely better than Hameed/Burns etc

Problem is that he's failed basically everytime he's played Tests. Just too much of a nicker.

 

[wpdavid]

How far off is Vince from selection? Averages almost 40 in first class cricket with 10k runs and looks all class. He is surely better than Hameed/Burns etc

Despite his moderate record at this level, it's hard to see how he could score fewer runs than Pope. But he's not an opener in the longer form of the game, so he shouldn't be replacing Hameed or Burns. One would think that Crawley will do that sooner or later.

 

[TheJediBrah]

The greatest tradition of picking a random leggie to play a solitary Test has been broken already. A real shame.

Maybe Peter Hatzoglou will reveal he has an English passport