2nd Test Lords 28 July

A mouth watering prospect: Bairstow keeping to a leg spinner!

or not

Tongue has been picked instead of Moeen, instead of Ahmed, Woakes and Wood

not sure that is the right choice tbh

England are copying Surrey's spinless wonders approach. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

I mean, Lords is dogshit for spinners

The last two words are superfluous (sorry, Adelaide!).

I personally would have gone for 4 seamers in the 1st test, Root can fill in with 10 odd overs.

Stokes playing as a specialist captain/slogger makes the balance of the team a little awkward.

The tail is pretty long with Broad at 8 also.

Massive Tail would’ve played a spinner.

In theory it is a long tail, but had Leech been fit (and played) Broad would have been at 8 anyway

The problem with playing a spinner is that the only decent one we have (Leech) is unfit

Personally I would have played Woakes, who I believe has a good record at Lords and can bat

Robinson will probably come in ahead of Broad after his performance at Edgbaston. Slightly surprised Anderson wasn’t dropped.

The selectors seem to have made a sequence of choices that have led to an XI with several major flaws. No proven front line spinner, a keeper picked primarily for his batting, a captain who doesn't appear fit enough to bat or bowl at his best and possibly never will be again.

Liam Dawson has just scored a century and taken 12 wickets for Hampshire in an innings victory against Middlesex. I've never rated his bowling but I wonder whether he may have played himself into contention for the Third Test if things don't go well this week?

Rehan Ahmed is the next cab off the rank, he and Ali would have to fail first.

This "cab on the rank" principle is nonsense. Pick people on their record and form, regardless of whether they have been in the set-up before. How someone like Tongue (Div 2) is selected ahead of Sam Cook who has taken large numbers of Div One wickets over several years beggars belief.

RB wrote:Rehan Ahmed is the next cab off the rank, he and Ali would have to fail first.

*Coughs*

England have won the toss, elected to bat and declared....

Really disgraceful scenes with Just Go Away.

Well done Tongue. Even if your figures did get lashed, pierced, etc…

RB wrote:Really disgraceful scenes with Just Go Away.

Yes, it's not like cricket's just had its levels of ignorance shown up or anything.

RB wrote:Really disgraceful scenes with Just Go Away.

I thought it was only us old fogies who didn't like them!

Has Ollie Pope done his shoulder again ???

Jedrich wrote:Has Ollie Pope done his shoulder again ???

Apparently it was his other shoulder on the two previous occasions. Fingers crossed it's not as serious this time.

8 no balls so far,disgraceful from international professional bowlers!! Must work harder to eliminate free runs!

I don't know how they came about but there's also 12 byes!!!

Awful England bowling, can see us losing this series 4/0 !!

England really are developing into a Surrey tribute act.
Don't pick a proper spinner - tick
Put the opposition in regardless - tick
Underperforming captain - tick.

dougieginn wrote:Awful England bowling, can see us losing this series 4/0 !!

Aren't there 5 tests ?