*****Official Ashes thread*****

[LOAM]

Have that Lyon!

 

[Pighardia]

Still think the side needs a shake up in the batting department. And no that doesn't mean you Ravi, you stay from tests you hear me.

I don't know, I still think we have five of the best batsmen in the world atm, they just all seem to be out of form at the same time, bar Bell.

Cook, Trott, KP, Bell and Prior would all be there or there abouts in a world eleven imo.....Then you have youngsters like Root, Bairstow, Taylor and Compton to name a few coming through.

The only reason a shake-up might be needed in a few years time imo, is so that we don't fall in to the trap that Australia did and lose too many players at the same time

 

[elmuzzy66.]

Bell has been fantastic and agree that the batting side is low on form. If they are out of form send them to play domestic cricket and use one of those young players.

 

[mmj_uk]

Spitfire!!

 

[Pighardia]

Umpires have been phenomenal this series!

...off for bad light

 

[Doohickey]

Waaaaaaahhhhh it's too dark

 

[manic111]

What a stupid waste of time. Bet we lose a wicket now.

 

[Doohickey]

Ahahahaha. Back on. Further embarrassment for the umpires. Just laughable.

 

[Pighardia]

Bairstow is looking quite good actually.

 

[manic111]

Absolutely love this sort of battle, it's what test cricket is all about.

 

[Pighardia]

Definitely!

 

[Pighardia]

Bairstow gone for 28. Was looking good as well.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

Well played Ian Bell superb inning

 

[Pighardia]

Another great innings from Bell

 

[Stewy]

What a player he's become.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

He's always had the skill , just seems he's now got mental skill as well.

I remember him in 2005 and onwards in ashes tests he was pretty bad

 

[Stewy]

Yeah he didn't have the head for it back then. Now he just seems to have the whole package, it's not just the runs he's scored in this series but the situations that he's scored them in, unbelievably good. If we get 280 this is game over.

 

[LOAM]

Cracking knock so far from Bell, man of the series (England) by far.

 

[Gilly]

Man of the series altogether. Who else is there?

 

[Gilly]

I'd quite like to see us bring back Compton for Root, and drop Bairstow and bring in another bowler. Broad, Swann, Bresnan and Prior all do jobs with the bat. We don't need the extra batsman.

Edit: Not that our batsmen are exactly performing wonders. But given the number of good bowlers we have and the dearth of batting quality, we may as well play an additional bowler.

You think that because we have quality bowlers we should play more of them, and because the batting is low quality (bar Bell) that we should play less batters?

Really?