The Cricket Thread

[Trips]

After a great series vs India, can't help but turn towards looking at the Ashes. I'm lucky enough to be going to all 5 tests in what will be a trip of a lifetime.

My current strongest XI would probably be:

Crawley
Duckett
Brook
Root
Smith
Stokes
Bethell
Atkinson
Archer
Wood
Bashir

Carse, Ahmed, Tongue, Pope in the travelling squad

If Overton is anywhere near then I may well cancel my trip.

Brook and Smith are too high for me in that line up, and I don't get it with Bethell. I just don't see a test player at all with him

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He's definitely not a spinning all rounder. I think he has a chance in the top six and I'd probably take a punt on him ahead of Pope (I've seen enough and that second innings record is a disgrace), but would agree it's far from a sure thing at this stage and how/when is he going to play enough red ball to develop.

 

[Trips]

He's definitely not a spinning all rounder. I think he has a chance in the top six and I'd probably take a punt on him ahead of Pope (I've seen enough and that second innings record is a disgrace), but would agree it's far from a sure thing at this stage and how/when is he going to play enough red ball to develop.

I think that's his decision to make though playing red ball cricket. You can't use test cricket (and an Ashes series at that) to develop your red ball game. You want to be a fixture in the test side, go and play some county cricket rather than T20 tournaments earlier in the year