Ashes -2019

[Bath Hammer]

I believe our world class batsman is playing for Essex at Canterbury tomorrow.

I fear he is world class no longer but he would have lasted longer than most of the inept batsmen representing England at present who rarely get criticised. Root would do well to study & replicate Smith’s technique for all his moral failings.

[Slogger]

Sun out and lovely to see some cricket after a lengthy break

[nat]

Get rid of Woakes and bring in either Sanderson (Northants) or Robinson (Sussex). Both are proven performers currently tearing up county batting line ups. Woakes is a plastic cricketer, over coached.

[IlfordEagle]

Get rid of Woakes and bring in either Sanderson (Northants) or Robinson (Sussex). Both are proven performers currently tearing up county batting line ups. Woakes is a plastic cricketer, over coached.

Cannot agree re Woakes, the other 2 are in Div 2 which is a good deal lower standard than Test cricket or even Div 1.

[Perov]

Get rid of Woakes and bring in either Sanderson (Northants) or Robinson (Sussex). Both are proven performers currently tearing up county batting line ups. Woakes is a plastic cricketer, over coached.

Surprised you think either are better than your lad.

[Slogger]

I just hope that England don't call up Nat's lad to play at The Oval (perhaps after we've lost the Ashes). That would stuff us. Not having anyone involved with Team England is paying off for us.

[Andy]

Get rid of Woakes and bring in either Sanderson (Northants) or Robinson (Sussex). Both are proven performers currently tearing up county batting line ups. Woakes is a plastic cricketer, over coached.

Surprised you think either are better than your lad.

Perhaps Nat's been more prolific than he's let on...?

[nat]

Nope I've strictly cultivated locally. My lad is coming along nicely but Sanderson and/or Robinson are ready to go now. Miles better than Woakes.

[Oldhasbeen]

I'm surprised Nat's not advocating dropping Archer as well to make space for a couple of D2 medium fast guys.

Woakes home Test record speaks for itself.

No doubt Robbo & Sanderson are decent bowlers, making hay in bowler friendly conditions, not if anyone is going to edge Woakes out it'll be Curran. Lefty, done well at Test level and at 20, likely to improve.

[Bath Hammer]

Nope I've strictly cultivated locally. My lad is coming along nicely but Sanderson and/or Robinson are ready to go now. Miles better than Woakes.

As is often the case I’m relieved we have knowledgable professional selectors!

[nat]

Nope I've strictly cultivated locally. My lad is coming along nicely but Sanderson and/or Robinson are ready to go now. Miles better than Woakes.

As is often the case I’m relieved we have knowledgable professional selectors!

You can't have seen Woakes bowl yesterday. Better bowlers in the Dog and Duck 3XI.

[Bath Hammer]

Okay but you can’t judge someone on one performance. He has been outstanding in certain matches whilst Broad has been ineffective.

[Bath Hammer]

This is an utterly hopeless England batting line up with not one player who is of test standard. I don’t care that they won the World Cup, for me that isn’t real cricket. I get the impression that most of them can’t be bothered to adapt to the longer form of the game because it doesn’t matter to them. Root has been forced to go in at no.3 which I thought was daft as it effectively makes him an opener with what’s ahead of him. Nevertheless he is showing his limitations as a test batsman. Difficult to see anything other than a 3-1 series win to Australia.

[nat]

This is an utterly hopeless England batting line up with not one player who is of test standard. I don’t care that they won the World Cup, for me that isn’t real cricket. I get the impression that most of them can’t be bothered to adapt to the longer form of the game because it doesn’t matter to them. Root has been forced to go in at no.3 which I thought was daft as it effectively makes him an opener with what’s ahead of him. Nevertheless he is showing his limitations as a test batsman. Difficult to see anything other than a 3-1 series win to Australia.

You think we'll win a Test?! Only Root and Stokes should be retained of the batsmen. Bring in Curran, Pope, Dent, Foakes....and Cook.

[Andy]

Certainly the issues surrounding the openers has now turned into the middle order as well. I suspect that Root will drop the captaincy (no bad thing for him to save his career) the question is who takes over?  Might be an issue of JR not having the forceful personality to deal with some apparently 'strong personalities' in the team. 

With Bayliss on the way out, it would be good for Spoons to be a part of an Ashes winning set-up...unless the ECB repeat what happened to Andy Flower who got the job on the basis that no one else would do it!

The likes of Pope will get their chance I daresay although they don't fill me with much confidence.  It is a rebuild job like the post 2015 World Cup debacle. These rebuilds take time and require a lot of faith to be put into players who don't necessarily look world class at the start of their careers - would Steve Smith have been retained after the 2010/11 Ashes series had he been British?