A likely Ashes squad

[Bornadog]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

Anyone think Bancroft may come into the squad? Besides the inttra match, I believe he has been in form playing in the UK. I like him better than Harris.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

Anyone think Bancroft may come into the squad? Besides the inttra match, I believe he has been in form playing in the UK. I like him better than Harris.

I think if he bats well today (ie reaches 50), then he will get the nod ahead of Harris. For me the game has done nothing for those guys looking at getting a spot in the batting order - Harris, Patterson, Head, Wade all failed. With Khawaja now likely to come in I think that there are 2 spots - the 2nd opener and number 6. I would value proven run getters in English conditions above anything else. This gives the nod to Bamcroft and probably Lambushagne.

The bowling is even more of a lottery......they have to find room for Pattison at either the expense of Starc or Hazelwood. They can't overlook Siddle though in English conditions. He has been taking wickets for fun for Essex. I don't think Hazelwood takes enough wickets and I think Starc is deadly with a new ball, but leaks runs with the old.

[Axe Man]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

Looks like you guys might be right on Bancroft. Interesting that Bancroft and Harris have almost identical Test and First Class records and are only months apart in age.

Talk that Starc will be left out for the first test with Pattinson, Cummins, Hazlewood and Siddle all performing better at the moment.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

Looks like you guys might be right on Bancroft. Interesting that Bancroft and Harris have almost identical Test and First Class records and are only months apart in age.

Talk that Starc will be left out for the first test with Pattinson, Cummins, Hazlewood and Siddle all performing better at the moment.

Its a hard one. Personally, I would leave out Hazelwood rather than Starc, but then the guys know what lengths he is bowling and how he is probing batsman and the noise suggests that where the other guys were causing problems Starc was not. I would trust the selectors to get this right.

Dark horse for the number 6 spot is Mitchell Marsh. He bowled really well from all acccounts. The question is whether they will sacrifice a batting spot for a bowling all rounder. Personally, I would prefer Lambuchagne, offers more with the bat but is a handy bowler for when things aren't going right. Picking Marsh would mean that we are not that confident that our bowlers can take 20 wickets which seems counterintuitve to me.

[GVGjr]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

Looks like you guys might be right on Bancroft. Interesting that Bancroft and Harris have almost identical Test and First Class records and are only months apart in age.

Talk that Starc will be left out for the first test with Pattinson, Cummins, Hazlewood and Siddle all performing better at the moment.

We basically have Bancroft, Wade, Handscomb and Carey all as candidates for the 2nd keeps spot. Bancroft can bat anywhere in the order and this probably rules a line through Burns who might have been seen as an option to cover the openers or Khawaja at 3.
Bancroft is also a great fieldsman but mind you so are Wade and Handscomb

It's going to be an interesting squad

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

The 17 man squad announced

Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

[lemmon]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

Wow, Patterson and Burns are extremely stiff.

Is Neser in as a potential bowling all-rounder? He'd have to be considering you already have five other quicks in the squad. If so, it's interesting that they felt the need to pick both he and Marsh.

[GVGjr]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

Wow, Patterson and Burns are extremely stiff.

Is Neser in as a potential bowling all-rounder? He'd have to be considering you already have five other quicks in the squad. If so, it's interesting that they felt the need to pick both he and Marsh.

I quite like Neser as a bowler and a potential handy batsman but I have to suspect that we decided having a 6th quick bowler was preferential to having 2 genuine spinners and with that in mind why not select select someone who can also bat

We have a number of all rounders in the 17 man squad. Marsh, Neser and Labuschagne then Wade, Smith and Head
We also have two additional glovemen if needed

It's a flexible squad but with a number of questions on the batting in my opinion. We look one quality batsman short and will be relying on Labuschagne to have a good series as he is no likely to be batting at 6.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

England's 14 man squad for 1st Test.
This is shaping up as a bowlers Ashes series. Will be interesting to see how influential Woakes and Archer are.

England Test squad for first Ashes Test: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes (vc), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

Wow, Patterson and Burns are extremely stiff.

Is Neser in as a potential bowling all-rounder? He'd have to be considering you already have five other quicks in the squad. If so, it's interesting that they felt the need to pick both he and Marsh.

Yes and no. With Patterson, it was a case of not getting runs in England in the time he has been here. In the case of Burns is 5 openers into 2 spots just doesn't go. Warner coming back was always going to mean he was line ball. Bancroft's form for Durham has been pretty good in English conditions. Harris has been annointed as the next in line so he was a lock.

Neser is an interesting choice. Can't see them playing him though.

[The Doctor]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

On what basis was Khawaja picked?

[lemmon]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

Yes and no. With Patterson, it was a case of not getting runs in England in the time he has been here. In the case of Burns is 5 openers into 2 spots just doesn't go. Warner coming back was always going to mean he was line ball. Bancroft's form for Durham has been pretty good in English conditions. Harris has been annointed as the next in line so he was a lock.

Neser is an interesting choice. Can't see them playing him though.

The one that's snuck through without a heap of scrutiny is Head. Hasn't made runs in the UK and that technique makes him a knicker. I think he could be a target for the Poms at 5.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

The one that's snuck through without a heap of scrutiny is Head. Hasn't made runs in the UK and that technique makes him a knicker. I think he could be a target for the Poms at 5.

I agree. He hasn't looked in great nick. I think Head and Harris are there because of their form during the Australian Summer, though Head did make runs vs the English Lions. The Australian batting is still going to rely heavily on Smith and Warner for the bulk of our runs. Hopefully guys like Khawaja, Head, Harris/Bancroft, Wade/Lambushagne can chip in with a string of decent scores and the odd century.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

On what basis was Khawaja picked?

On the basis that behind Warner and Smith he is our next best batsman. He had a pretty good World Cup and whilst his domestic Summer was disappointing, he is quality. The concern for me with Khawaja is where he bats. He makes most of his runs opening. Can he bat at 3?

[Axe Man]

Re: A likely Ashes squad

Head is our leading test run scorer over the last 12 months, averaging over 50. Would be tough to leave him out.

Khawaja has batted at 3 in 60 out 71 test innings, I hope we know if he can bat at 3 by now! He does average more opening but it's a small sample size, having only done so on 7 occasions.