Joe Root (capt),
Moeen Ali,
James Anderson,
Jofra Archer,
Jonny Bairstow (wk),
Stuart Broad,
Rory Burns,
Jos Buttler (wk),
Sam Curran,
Joe Denly,
Jason Roy,
Ben Stokes,
Olly Stone,
Chris Woakes.

No real surprises,although Rory Burns and Joe Denly can consider themselves fortunate that there's no viable alternatives currently.

Logic dictates that England will go with 4 seamers at Edgbaston,so fitness permitting i'd guess the starting XI as follows.

Rory Burns
Jason Roy
Joe Denly
Joe Root
Ben Stokes
Jos Buttler
Sam Curran
Chris Woakes
Stuart Broad
Jofra Archer
Jimmy Anderson

Moeen can't be included purely as a batsman,and i doubt he'd get many overs in the 1st test,hence why Leech and Rashid have been omitted.

That top 3 doesn't convince me,but who else is there,i hope England are assessing Jimmy and Jofra's injuries,as the last thing we need is a bowler pulling up midway through the test.

Bairstow needs a wake-up call,and Jos deserves his place,Bairstow hasn't performed well enough for far too long,and England's can't tolerate players not pulling their weight in an Ashes series.

I note Ben Stokes is back in his vice-captaincy role,you would hope his WC heroics will give him confidence to perform his duties responsibly.

The only encouraging aspect for England is the Aussies are weak in their top order also,if Warner and Smith don't score heavily,you wonder where their runs are coming from.

Their bowling is pretty handy though,which always gives them a chance.

I doubt they'll drop Bairstow ...

There’s six seamers in that team! No way will Bairstow be dropped.

Spin bowler other than Ali?
Rashid? (Think that's his name)

Is this just for the first test?

All explained, if it is.

2 or 3 nil to the Aussie's I think.

Moeen has got to be only there as a token now.

For as bad as Englands top 3 are the aussies middle order is appalling. 250 is going to be the new 400 in this series

Rare to see away sides win series now.

England 3-2.

Bairstow might have got a pair against Ireland but he had a good World Cup and has experience.
There’s going to be a very gutted (pair of) bowlers not making it. I wonder whether Archer might be held back, it would be extremely harsh on Woakes or Curran to miss out. Broad and Anderson pick themselves as long as Jimmy is declared fit. Might go seam only given Moeen’s struggle for form.

Bordeauxclaret wrote:Rare to see away sides win series now.

England 3-2.

Rare to see 5 clear results in the Ashes in England.

Bin Ont Turf wrote:Rare to see 5 clear results in the Ashes in England.

With the two batting lines up I’d be surprised to see many go to the 5th day unless there is a lot of rain.

TheFamilyCat wrote:There’s six seamers in that team! No way will Bairstow be dropped.

I suppose there is if you're including Stokes and Curran,i had them in as all-rounders,clearly you think they'll go with both Bairstow and Buttler,TBH if the top 5 can't score a decent number of runs,then England don't deserve the urn.

As it happens i don't believe they will drop Bairstow,and that's the problem,how many more chances does he get to find his form,same for Moeen he's strictly classed as an all-rounder,yet how many runs has he contributed in recent games,now if later in the series it looks like a spinning top,then he may come into the reckoning,but this 1st test is vital for England's Ashes hopes and we can't afford passengers.

Burns
Roy
Denly
Root
Stokes
Bairstow
Butler
Ali / Curran / broad
Woakes
Archer
Anderson

Moeen will play and Curran will be left out alongside Broad if Anderson is fit
That will leave us with 4 pace bowlers plus Moeen,Root and Denley for spin.
No way we will start with 6 pace bowlers

That batting line up just doesn't inspire me with any confidence and I envisage the Aussie pace bowlers going through us like a dose of salts.

Completely irrelevant but the first thing I noticed is how many of the players have surnames that are close to the beginning of the alphabet. 9 players under D or before

kentonclaret wrote:That batting line up just doesn't inspire me with any confidence and I envisage the Aussie pace bowlers going through us like a dose of salts.

After Denly at 3 we are strong down to 9 so should be able to scrape together some runs. Their batting order doesn’t look too inspiring either.

I still dont think Roy is an opener. I'd prefer him to come in at 3

Australia's batting will be strengthened by the inclusion and current form of Bancroft who scored 90 odd in midweek on a pitch likened to a spitting cobra.

These Australian batsmen will not be taken by surprise by English conditions since many of them have been making runs in county cricket. They have also been over here for a couple of months playing warm up matches.

Damo wrote:I still dont think Roy is an opener. I'd prefer him to come in at 3

He will enjoy the extra pace of Starc who will give him plenty to play off his legs.
He will get us off to a flyer or 10-3 again.

I know he's not in the squad but I would of picked Foakes to keep and open the batting. He has a decent defence and is capable of getting 20.
Anyone can take that slot at the moment but it would improve us behind the sticks and not weaken us top.

Mo Ali has had too many chances now, Joe Root can throw a few overs down instead and we can strengthen the batting or pick Sam Curran in his place for the different option of left arm bowling.

The extra seamer could help with not over bowling the others with a hectic schedule.

I agree about Foakes he did nothing wrong and is by far our best keeper and no slouch with the bat. For me Buttler and Bairstow are batsmen who can keep a bit. That said I think Foakes is injured so talking about him is a mute point.

Iloveyoubrady wrote:After Denly at 3 we are strong down to 9 so should be able to scrape together some runs. Their batting order doesn’t look too inspiring either.

On paper no it doesn't,but Smith always makes runs in England,and if he gets in 50+,he normally goes big,that's the major difference between him and Root,Root gets to 50-70 and then throws his wicket away,to win test matches usually one of your top 4 has to make a ton or more,now it's possible that this series will differ from the usual patterns and scores of 300 will be considered decent,but if England are to have any chance of winning the series,we have to find a way of dismissing Steven Peter Devereux Smith cheaply more often than not.

Roy
Burns
Root
Buttler
Stokes
Bairstow
Woakes
Ali
Broad
Archer
Anderson

That is what I would go for based on what we have. But Root won't bat himself at 3. Argument could be made for Curran in for Broad which would extend the batting line up and add some variation to the seam attack.

Cubanclaret wrote:Bairstow might have got a pair against Ireland but he had a good World Cup and has experience.

And therein lies the problem. Thinking a “good World Cup” where you get to smash it every ball is the answer to Test Match batting.

tiger76 wrote:Joe Root (capt),
Moeen Ali,
James Anderson,
Jofra Archer,
Jonny Bairstow (wk),
Stuart Broad,
Rory Burns,
Jos Buttler (wk),
Sam Curran,
Joe Denly,
Jason Roy,
Ben Stokes,
Olly Stone,
Chris Woakes.

No real surprises,although Rory Burns and Joe Denly can consider themselves fortunate that there's no viable alternatives currently.

Logic dictates that England will go with 4 seamers at Edgbaston,so fitness permitting i'd guess the starting XI as follows.

Rory Burns
Jason Roy
Joe Denly
Joe Root
Ben Stokes
Jos Buttler
Sam Curran
Chris Woakes
Stuart Broad
Jofra Archer
Jimmy Anderson

Moeen can't be included purely as a batsman,and i doubt he'd get many overs in the 1st test,hence why Leech and Rashid have been omitted.

That top 3 doesn't convince me,but who else is there,i hope England are assessing Jimmy and Jofra's injuries,as the last thing we need is a bowler pulling up midway through the test.

Bairstow needs a wake-up call,and Jos deserves his place,Bairstow hasn't performed well enough for far too long,and England's can't tolerate players not pulling their weight in an Ashes series.

I note Ben Stokes is back in his vice-captaincy role,you would hope his WC heroics will give him confidence to perform his duties responsibly.

The only encouraging aspect for England is the Aussies are weak in their top order also,if Warner and Smith don't score heavily,you wonder where their runs are coming from.

Their bowling is pretty handy though,which always gives them a chance.

Agree with this although I do think Moeen will get the nod at 7 instead of Curran.

box_of_frogs wrote:And therein lies the problem. Thinking a “good World Cup” where you get to smash it every ball is the answer to Test Match batting.

Take the Lanky specs of BoF m8 and look at Bairstows test match batting average.....

http://m.espncricinfo.com/england/conte ... 97433.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nobody came out of that Ireland Test with anything to shout about apart from Leach saving us with his 90+ and Broad and Woakes skittling them out in the 2nd innings.....

1. Typical England. Their top batsman in the last test is dropped after scoring at an average of 93 in the series.

2. There's only one Glamorgan player in the squad named, and he's playing for Australia.

3. The sooner there is some sort of league system in place for test match cricket, the better. I'm bored ####less of this fixture.

timshorts wrote:1. Typical England. Their top batsman in the last test is dropped after scoring at an average of 93 in the series.

2. There's only one Glamorgan player in the squad named, and he's playing for Australia.

3. The sooner there is some sort of league system in place for test match cricket, the better. I'm bored ####less of this fixture.

There is going to be a league system starting with the Ashes it officially launched today,and the first final will be in 2021.

Hopefully this link will explain in more detail.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/1296025

Burns
Roy
Ballance/Vince
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler (WK)
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

tiger76 wrote:There is going to be a league system starting with the Ashes it officially launched today,and the first final will be in 2021.

Hopefully this link will explain in more detail.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/1296025

And to think we all thought the Uefa Nations League was confusing

Bosscat wrote:Take the Lanky specs of BoF m8 and look at Bairstows test match batting average.....

http://m.espncricinfo.com/england/conte ... 97433.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nobody came out of that Ireland Test with anything to shout about apart from Leach saving us with his 90+ and Broad and Woakes skittling them out in the 2nd innings.....

No Lanky specs here. Bairstow has had a sicker for a long time. Our batting is weak throughout.

JaLL193 wrote:Burns
Roy
Ballance/Vince
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler (WK)
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

Ballance/Vince will be lucky to play,they're not even in the 14.

Looks like Root will be batting at number 3 after all. The line up I posted above could be the one then...

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/ ... -edgbaston" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I would be tempted to go without a spinner in Birmingham and without Burns who the Aussies will have already have worked out as the Irish did.

The pitch is bound to be movement for the bowlers and if we can get into their middle order relatively cheap we mave cracked it as they have been poor recently. So I would go:

Roy
Denly
Root
Stokes
Buttler (WK)
Woakes
Curran
Broad
Archer
Stone
Anderson

It won't happen as Root won't have the bottle to drop his mate Bairstow who looks completely out of touch and I think Burns will beat Denly to and opening spot.

tybfc wrote:I would be tempted to go without a spinner in Birmingham and without Burns who the Aussies will have already have worked out as the Irish did.

The pitch is bound to be movement for the bowlers and if we can get into their middle order relatively cheap we mave cracked it as they have been poor recently. So I would go:

Roy
Denly
Root
Stokes
Buttler (WK)
Woakes
Curran
Broad
Archer
Stone
Anderson

It won't happen as Root won't have the bottle to drop his mate Bairstow who looks completely out of touch and I think Burns will beat Denly to and opening spot.

7 seamers...

Iloveyoubrady wrote:7 seamers...

Possibly looks OTT but you would class that middle order of Stokes, Buttler, Woakes and Curran in English conditions as probably the best in the world.

It would be no great surprise if the Australians choose to select those players proven to be successful thus far in English conditions this summer including batsmen Bancroft and Labuschagne, and further strengthen their middle order by selecting Matthew Wade ahead of Marsh and by bringing in Travis Head,

tybfc wrote:I would be tempted to go without a spinner in Birmingham and without Burns who the Aussies will have already have worked out as the Irish did.

The pitch is bound to be movement for the bowlers and if we can get into their middle order relatively cheap we mave cracked it as they have been poor recently. So I would go:

Roy
Denly
Root
Stokes
Buttler (WK)
Woakes
Curran
Broad
Archer
Stone
Anderson

It won't happen as Root won't have the bottle to drop his mate Bairstow who looks completely out of touch and I think Burns will beat Denly to and opening spot.

I'd definitely consider ditching the spinner in this test,i can't see it lasting much into day 4 weather permitting,and from memory spinners rarely have much success at Edgbaston,Burns is only opening because there's no obvious replacement,i'll be surprised if he makes double figures in either innings.

England's strength is in the bowling department,so packing the team with all-rounders isn't a bad shout,it's not like the specialist batsman have been racking up the runs is it.

Denly deserves another go at the top of the order,after all he top-scored in the 1st innings of the Ireland game,and then was run-out by his captain 2nd innings.

Whichever side wins the toss will bat first i assume,and whoever does,if they can post 300-350,they are well placed to go on and win the match.

tiger76 wrote:Ballance/Vince will be lucky to play,they're not even in the 14.

Team before selection was announced.

Archer left out of the team:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/49179856" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Burns
Roy
Root
Denly
Stokes
Buttler
Bairstow
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

Bairstow and Mooen Ali owe the Test team some kind of performance. They've contributed very little the last 12-18 months.

Not the team I would of picked but let's hope fortress Edgbaston comes good.

Quickenthetempo wrote:Not the team I would of picked but let's hope fortress Edgbaston comes good.

Are you leaning towards the Aussies Qtt?

Local cricketer wrote:Are you leaning towards the Aussies Qtt?

No, but only on home advantage.

I think Roy might like the pace of Starc which would be a massive plus for us. He went searching too much for the medium pacers of Ireland.

Home advantage is huge in an Ashes series,England have too make it count,Edgbaston is our favourite haunt and we have to maintain that stranglehold over the Aussies here,the 2nd test at Lord's will favour the tourists,i'm sure the sandpaper trio will receive a warm welcome courtesy of the Hollies stand.