Ashes 2015 - Retain or Regain

[Zidane]

End of day 4.....England with a sniff of victory ?

England 399 and 333-7 dec (Ballance 122,Root 59,Buttler 59*)
West Indies 295 and 98-2 (Smith 59*)

[GT93]

Some batting practice for the Windies?

[Zidane]

The match ended in a draw,with it interestingly poised,with the West Indies on 350-7.
At one stage the West Indies were reduced to 189-6 but an unbeaten 103 by Holder ensured they easily reached safety.
One bright spot for England.....James Anderson became England leading wicket taker with 384 when he dismissed Ramdin,surpassing Sir Ian Bothams record.....and in his 100th Test,too. =D> =D> =D>
At 32 Anderson is coming to the end of an illustrious Test career that has lasted over 10 years.Sadly for England,there doesnt appear to be any real replacement waiting in the wings,as yet.

[wazza]

Aussie Headlines.

No 1 Sledger goes to No 1 for wickets.

Lol. Well done to Anderson. Didnt know it was Botham who held the record previously. Just shows how good an allrounder he was.

Will his last Ashes series see him and his gong go out on a winning side. He is going to bowl a few overs i imagine. Poms need a 100 wickets this series

[BobHelm]

Ah, maybe England's chances have just improved if we can fast track Liam Livingstone into the side...

Liam Livingstone: All-rounder smashes world-record 350

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cricket/32376031

The fact that he can also trundle down some leg breaks might be an added bonus...

[wazza]

The last Leggie England had was married to Paul

[BobHelm]

Interesting piece on the history of leg spinners in England. Written in 2010 & says a great deal how rules & pitches can influence what sort of cricketers a country produces.

English Leg Spin – The rise, the fall and, perhaps, the recovery

http://www.cricketweb.net/english-leg-s ... -recovery/

I found his prediction for the upcoming series most interesting...

perhaps by the time 2014/15 Ashes come along we might see Borthwick and Rashid both pushing for Swann’s place, and maybe there is a chance we will see two leg spinners playing for England for the first time in almost 70 years.

Swann now an ancient (& not especially happy) memory. Scott Borthwick has had just 1 Test & a couple of ODIs but has only bowled 1 over. Adil Rashid has bowled a few more overs for England & is currently playing with the side in the West Indies, although was not in the side for the first test..

[wazza]

The Passing of Richie saw a massive reminder of how he was picked as batsman then turned to Leggies. Until Warnie nobody standing out. Some reasonable leggies.

So when Richie described THAT BALL it changed leg spin for the next decade. Lovely to watch. Being an old leggie myself.

Will the wickets turn for this Ashes ? Doubt as it might turn the series around. No pun intended.

Smith can bowl a few thats all.

Marjamlew will provide a detailed update on the Oz spinners picked for the Ashes Tour.

[pomps]

England need to pop into the town of Leicester and find a Bishen Bedi left arm spinner

[Zidane]

First day of the 2nd Test in St.Georges,Grenada.....West Indies 188-5 (Samuels 94*)
England had their opponents at 74-4 at one stage but let them off the hook.
Disappointing team selection by England.....Tredwell,one of the few plusses in the last Test,dropped for Moeen Ali and no place for the leg spinner,Rashid.
Do we really need either Buttler or Moeen batting as low as number 8 against a team like the West Indies ?

[wazza]

Ashes to Ashes
Dust to Dust
If Johnson doesnt get you
Then Siddle must

I would have thought this was the series to sacrifice the tour to get The Ashes sorted. Not dropped and dumped tactics. Surely 8-9 positions of the First X1 are known ?

[stattointhailand]

"Do we really need either Buttler or Moeen batting as low as number 8 against a team like the West Indies ? "

Probably not Zid, as there are six others ALL capable of playing at No 8 and a number 9 , 10 and 11 already there

[wazza]

Do i hear Mr Statt playing Dido's " White Flag "

Im assuming the press will run with the old line that the selectors are in a transformation period with management and coaches etc.

[BobHelm]

West Indies 299 all out

Eng 74-0: Cook 37*, Trott 32*

I despair at the selectors. Play 4 seamers who are almost identical in action (if not in ability) & play a part time bowler as the spinner on a wicket that everyone says will take spin.
If Moeen can't get in the side on the back of his batting then he should not be included. He took 1 wicket & Trott was even given an over.
Meanwhile, Adil Rashid sits on the sidelines as England don't play him but refuse a request by his county, Yorkshire, for him to return home & play for them.
Does he make great tea or something??
That is to say nothing for poor Tredwell not being included.

In the field England eased out the day without loss on a wicket making a score of 300 looked very below par.
Broad was undoubtedly the star of the England bowling line up by it was frustrating, again, that when the last wicket pair looked comfortable facing the seam attack England had little in the way of options to shake them up..

[wazza]

Bob

Are we looking at an Ashes series decided by bowlers who can take 20 wickets followed by a batting line up that can get 300 tops.

Applies to both sides BTW

[wazza]

Bob /Zid and others

Here is a challenge for all of us.

You need to name your top 5 players that will win the Ashes for your side.

Mine.

Starc
Siddel
Johnson ( i know i know )
Warner
Smith

[BobHelm]

Well (In part answer to your question Waz) Trott & Cook returned to something like form, howbeit against a mediocre side. Still neither could make a ton (Cook coming nearest with 76.
An opening stand of over 100 is always a good starter but most of the middle order then managed to turn a relatively strong position into a worrying one.
I say 'most' as Ballance had a fine knock of 77 & Root (1 who could certainly put the screws on the Aussies ) was unbeaten on 118 at close of play.
The other 3 managed 9 between them..
373 for 6 is a reasonable first innings lead but it is on a wicket that could play up as time goes on...

I think my 5 would have to be...
Cook (But needs to be the Cook of 4 years ago)
Root (But will probably have all the pressure of taking on the Australians with the bat on his own)
Broad (But needs both conditions & his personal mental approach to be 100% in his favour)
Anderson (Still the meanest run giver in the world. But with his age & England's' lack of bowlers to back him up, sides will just wait him out).
ANO (Currently playing in the Counties & will appear from nowhere onto the World stage to do a Botham in July 1977.

So, as you can see if you compare our lists... England need a miracle, Australia need the team to turn up...

[Zidane]

Sorry I missed my report yesterday but I was suffering from acute bladderedness with it being St.Georges Day !
At the end of day 3 England are in a strong position on 373-6 with Root unbeaten on 118.Useful knocks also by Ballance 77,Cook 76 and Trott 59.
Earlier,on day 2,Samuels completed his century making 103 for the West Indies,with Broad being the pick of the bowlers with 4-65.

wazza,my top 5 English players who will win the Ashes are listed below.....
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

[wazza]

Looking at the UK polls its probably better to have the next PM as Chairperson of Selectors as they only have to pick a random 12 perhaps not a random cabinet.

[GT93]

Sorry I missed my report yesterday but I was suffering from acute bladderedness with it being St.Georges Day !
At the end of day 3 England are in a strong position on 373-6 with Root unbeaten on 118.Useful knocks also by Ballance 77,Cook 76 and Trott 59.
Earlier,on day 2,Samuels completed his century making 103 for the West Indies,with Broad being the pick of the bowlers with 4-65.

wazza,my top 5 English players who will win the Ashes are listed below.....
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Very good Zids. Number 6 might be great luck with the English weather.