4th Test side confirmed

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fcblackpool

Well-known member
Anderson in for Robinson in the only change. Anderson was always going to play in this one.

Moeen to bat a 3 again and no doubt should be good for 50+ replies on him alone for the lucky person who starts a match thread.
 
Moeen isn’t a 3. We all know it, he knows it too.

Apparently if you are last to be picked, everyone else can pick their batting position and you just have to fit in somewhere…..
 
Moeen likely to struggle against the new ball if the conditions for batting aren’t good at the time I imagine.
Anderson needs to take wickets this match or it could be his last. I hope he has a big game!
 
glasshalffull said:
Moeen likely to struggle against the new ball if the conditions for batting aren’t good at the time I imagine.
Anderson needs to take wickets this match or it could be his last. I hope he has a big game!
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Absolutely no way it'll be his last, He'll retire when he's ready and on his terms, it's fair to say he's earned it
 
Marton Monorail said:
Yeah that's a possibility, I think the next two games may have an impact, if we pull off the miracle then he might see it as the perfect time to retire (at the top etc)
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I think the miracle could be on. The loss of Nathan Lyon is a big blow to the Aussies I think. It changes what they are capable of achieving to me and Cummins loses some control especially if there is a long England innings.
Probably a drawn series is the most likely outcome though, especially as the weather looks likely to play a significant part at Old Trafford.
 
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Chunkylad said:
No offence at all to Jimmy but with Broad and Wokes being excellent seam / swing bowlers I’d have been tempted to bring in Tongue to support Wood in aggression.
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Totally agree.
Hope to be proved wrong but Anderson seems a sentimental choice with it being OT.
That said wonder how many times he's played county cricket there for Lancs. Can't be many?
 
Anderson might very well nip in with a few wickets on this ground, but I feel the pivotal decision was sticking with Bairstow. We can’t afford those dropped catches and crazy ass batting like the last Test. He owes us a response here. I know he’s capable.
 
Well they are nothing if not loyal. I really hope Bairstow has worked on his sharpness because he is an average wicketkeeper at his very best. With time certain to be lost to the weather we have to hold everything and stop the byes as well.
 
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Mark_GT said:
Well they are nothing if not loyal. I really hope Bairstow has worked on his sharpness because he is an average wicketkeeper at his very best. With time certain to be lost to the weather we have to hold everything and stop the byes as well.
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That's the problem isn't it. Not enough byes. Bye Bairstow, Bye Moeen.....
 
Willie Mcgrotty said:
Totally agree.
Hope to be proved wrong but Anderson seems a sentimental choice with it being OT.
That said wonder how many times he's played county cricket there for Lancs. Can't be many?
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He's played 290 first class games, of which 181 have been tests. So 109 for Lancs.

On Moeen at 3, we all know he's not a 3, but neither is Brook and we need him at 5. England clearly has no back up for Pope and the spinner has to bat somewhere. Could Foakes bat at 3 and we drop Bairstow?
 
Picking Barstow over Foakes could well have cost us the Ashes and a lot wiser cricket buffs then me said that before a ball was bowled and it has definitely been the case with a host of missed stumpings, catches and a poor return with the bat as he recovered from his injury. Nobody doubts JB’s batting ability but when you have so much time out of the game recovering from injury, you’re bound to be undercooked, especially considering it’s an Ashes series. Foakes has been and always will be a superior keeper, not playing him was a killer. Right now we should be 2-1 up not 2-1 down.
 
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To be fair Stokes and McCullum seem very loyal to players who fit their template. Moeen and Bairstow don't deserve a place on current form.

Personally I would have brought in Foakes and played Tongue, but hope I'm proven wrong, and moreover hope the weather doesn't intervene to prevent a positive result.
 
Chunkylad said:
No offence at all to Jimmy but with Broad and Wokes being excellent seam / swing bowlers I’d have been tempted to bring in Tongue to support Wood in aggression.
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I’m with you there Chunky
I posted at the end of the last match that I hoped they didn’t pick Jimmy for nostalgic reasons which wasn’t a slur on Jimmy whatsoever The lad has served his country exceptionally well but it is blatantly obvious for all to see that he is nowhere near his best and the time has come for his international career to come to an end.
He cannot be selected on recent form so it must be nostalgia because it’s at Old Trafford but to pick someone for that reason in the hope that they MAY come good shows a sign of weakness (and stupidity to a degree) in the selectors, especially for such a crucial match.
I really do hope I am proved wrong but somehow I don’t think I am.
 
glasshalffull said:
I think the miracle could be on. The loss of Nathan Lyon is a big blow to the Aussies I think. It changes what they are capable of achieving to me and Cummins loses some control especially if there is a long England innings.
Probably a drawn series is the most likely outcome though, especially as the weather looks likely to play a significant part at Old Trafford.
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Not sure I'd call it a miracle?

We are very equally matched in most departments . . . they have the edge on the bowling . . we do on the batting . . .

A great come back is definitely on the cards. 👍
 
Raging_Bull said:
Picking Barstow over Foakes could well have cost us the Ashes and a lot wiser cricket buffs then me said that before a ball was bowled and it has definitely been the case with a host of missed stumpings, catches and a poor return with the bat as he recovered from his injury. Nobody doubts JB’s batting ability but when you have so much to out of the game recovering from injury, you’re bound to be undercooked, especially considering it’s an Ashes series. Foakes has been and always will be a superior keeper, not playing him was a killer. Right new we should be 2-1 up not 2-1 down.
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Spot on 👍
 
Eternaloptimist said:
I’m with you there Chunky
I posted at the end of the last match that I hoped they didn’t pick Jimmy for nostalgic reasons which wasn’t a slur on Jimmy whatsoever The lad has served his country exceptionally well but it is blatantly obvious for all to see that he is nowhere near his best and the time has come for his international career to come to an end.
He cannot be selected on recent form so it must be nostalgia because it’s at Old Trafford but to pick someone for that reason in the hope that they MAY come good shows a sign of weakness (and stupidity to a degree) in the selectors, especially for such a crucial match.
I really do hope I am proved wrong but somehow I don’t think I am.
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Not at his best no, but has bowled well without much luck at times in the first two tests despite not getting the preferential treatment he is used to from an England captain.
His preparation for the series was disrupted, so I am hoping with those two tests and a rest under his belt he might be ready to hit form at OT 🤞.
 
Meliora said:
He's played 290 first class games, of which 181 have been tests. So 109 for Lancs.

On Moeen at 3, we all know he's not a 3, but neither is Brook and we need him at 5. England clearly has no back up for Pope and the spinner has to bat somewhere. Could Foakes bat at 3 and we drop Bairstow?
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Not all those are at OT. I've seen him bowl at Southport a couple of times for starters
 
Raging_Bull said:
Picking Barstow over Foakes could well have cost us the Ashes and a lot wiser cricket buffs then me said that before a ball was bowled and it has definitely been the case with a host of missed stumpings, catches and a poor return with the bat as he recovered from his injury. Nobody doubts JB’s batting ability but when you have so much to out of the game recovering from injury, you’re bound to be undercooked, especially considering it’s an Ashes series. Foakes has been and always will be a superior keeper, not playing him was a killer. Right new we should be 2-1 up not 2-1 down.
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See, I do doubt his batting ability, or rather the ability to judge an innings and the time to attack and defend.

He's a great bish, bash, bosh batter, but needing 500 last day and 40-4 would he try to bat it out for long, or rather could he? No. One trick pony in that respect.

Shame, I used to like him, but now I think he's well up his own arse, or perhaps.....
 
Wizaard said:
Not all those are at OT. I've seen him bowl at Southport a couple of times for starters
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True, but he's played plenty of games at OT outside of test matches - let's say 40 or so - which is no doubt far more than anyone else playing in the next test.
 
fcblackpool said:
See, I do doubt his batting ability, or rather the ability to judge an innings and the time to attack and defend.

He's a great bish, bash, bosh batter, but needing 500 last day and 40-4 would he try to bat it out for long, or rather could he? No. One trick pony in that respect.

Shame, I used to like him, but now I think he's well up his own arse, or perhaps.....
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No FCBlackpool you cannot argue with Bairstow's Test record last summer, he was different class and it wasn't all bish, bash, bosh as you call it.

He scored over a 1,000 Test runs including six centuries averaging 66, that's no mean feat pal.

However the injury he suffered and the subsequent recovery period badly affected his form, for an Ashes series you have to pick players in form and not on reputation or blind loyalty and you also have to pick your best keeper, we did neither and that's why we found ourselves 2-0 down.

However all is not lost, if we can win at OT it sets it all up for a classic end of the series Test match at the Oval and a historic comeback Ashes win for England.
 
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Allmodcons said:
To be fair Stokes and McCullum seem very loyal to players who fit their template. Moeen and Bairstow don't deserve a place on current form.

Personally I would have brought in Foakes and played Tongue, but hope I'm proven wrong, and moreover hope the weather doesn't intervene to prevent a positive result.
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Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Head, Green
They are Ali's wickets in this series so far and all are important wickets. Ali getting Labuschagne and Smith in the 2nd innings of the last test was a big factor in England winning the game.
He has also added 63 runs in the two tests, and is excellent in the field.

Anderson has also played two tests and has taken Labuschagne, Starc and Carey, Anderson has scored 15 runs in total

If you were looking at that I would say that Anderson doesn't deserve a place on current form but somehow you didn't mention him. Tongue is probably feeling put out ATM.
Ali is a good test match spinner (better than Leach IMO) who can bat a bit - I'm not sure about him batting at 3 either but that is the way that England roll. No way should he be dropped. You need variation in the attack.

I agree on Bairstow - if you want a batter / keeper, Duckett can keep but it would be better to play Foukes IMO
 
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