English Lions in Australia.

[brockley]

After a training camp in Loughborough, England’s second string will arrive in Brisbane 10 days before the first Test at the Gabba on 23 November. Though they will play a three-day match against a Queensland XI, the trip has more of a training focus and accordingly the Lions bowlers will be expected to provide high-quality practice for the senior batsmen in the nets.

From there the Lions head to Western Australia, meaning they will be an internal flight away during the second Test in Adelaide, but on hand in Perth come the third. Coached by Andy Flower, they have five Twenty20 matches scheduled, the first two of which will be against the state’s second XI before taking on Perth Scorchers, the Big Bash League side, in the final three.

The Guardian.

 

[SeamUp]

So only one FC 3-day game ? Then 5 T20s

Pretty unexciting that is.

Do you take 4-day batsman then ? Guys like Browne, Robson, Hameed, Jennings, Davies, Westley, Ballance ? Or will it be all about Hales, Vince, Duckett, Gubbins, Livingstone, Clarke, Lawrence, Billings, Buttler ?

 

[brockley]

Not sure,but they are cover for the test players.
So maybe a bit of both.
Think Duckett and Hameed have injuries.

 

[brockley]

DUCKETT HEADED FOR AUSTRALIA WITH THE ENGLAND LIONS | Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
English Lions squad.

 

[Tom Flint]

So only one FC 3-day game ? Then 5 T20s

Pretty unexciting that is.

Do you take 4-day batsman then ? Guys like Browne, Robson, Hameed, Jennings, Davies, Westley, Ballance ? Or will it be all about Hales, Vince, Duckett, Gubbins, Livingstone, Clarke, Lawrence, Billings, Buttler ?

Gubbins is definately more of a 4 day player than t20

 

[SeamUp]

Gubbins is definately more of a 4 day player than t20

Yeah should have been with the first group. But he is a positive player in that format.

Otherwise :
BPL : Buttler, Dawson, Willey, Archer
GT20 : Roy, T.Curran, Rashid, Hales, Morgan, Finn, Jordan, Billings

Injured : JOverton, Topley
Young but need to do more : Hameed, S.Curran

Nothing for Plunkett ?

 

[SeamUp]

Nice summation.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...-young-promise-ashes-cricket?CMP=share_btn_tw

There are clearly those that are peeved off with players not selected on stats and in a way they are right. But there clearly are favourites for people involved with ECB so they live by the sword and die by their sword.

Picks like Virdi, Garton, Mahmood, Helm

 

[superkingdave]

Virdi? Really surprised that Parkinson has been snubbed, especially since they are playing 5 T20s and they picked Crane in the Ashes squad despite a pretty ****e season so they obviously like having a legspiner. Then again there wouldn't be any Surrey players if they didn't pick Virdi.

Think Parkinson is playing grade cricket in Sydney now, but he posted about it after the squad announcement so I guess he was waiting to see if he got a call up.

 

[fredfertang]

Virdi? Really surprised that Parkinson has been snubbed, especially since they are playing 5 T20s and they picked Crane in the Ashes squad despite a pretty ****e season so they obviously like having a legspiner. Then again there wouldn't be any Surrey players if they didn't pick Virdi.

Think Parkinson is playing grade cricket in Sydney now, but he posted about it after the squad announcement so I guess he was waiting to see if he got a call up.

Ridiculous decision to leave out Parky - I blame Livingstone for taking all those Surrey wickets

 

[Jarquis]

Thought they might take a look at Nick Browne

 

[theegyptian]

Slightly surprised no Scurran or Tongue. Counties tend to have discussions with ecb too so possibly just resting young fast bowlers. Curran has had a long couple of years, and Tongue first season in cc and had back problems previouslyy. Think SCurran will be back after Christmas for Windies lions tour.

Actually think there is probably too much lions cricket in recent times over the winter. Two tours over the winter (plus mcc, north/south games) is tough if players are coming off a full season. Gives very little time for bodies to heal for bowlers, minds for batsmen. Straight back into training almost as soon as season is over. England players are probably having more time off than a guy who plays lions cricket before and after christmas. Two different squads would be a better split for the players imo. Work with more players and keep everyone fresh.

Roland Jones had a massive workload over last couple of years with lions stuff and full county seasons. I've got no proof of causation, but the fact that England are resting Broad and Anderson as much as they do suggests that TRJ was probably playing more than was ideal.
Lots of the other lions bowlers are coming off these winters with niggles or long term injuries. Haven't exactly had a load of batsmen pushing on either after lions winters.

Gleeson is the one guy I'd have liked to have seen given a chance. Much older (29) but is probably the quickest regular bowler in county cricket and had some real good form at the back end of the season. With someone like him you need to act now. Even though he is fairly inexperienced having come into the county game late, he is much more developed than the Mahmood, Garton, Helm etc.