De Villiers maybe showing South Africa what they missed in the World Cup with 88 off 43 balls for Middlesex in their first T20 game. Different standard I know but still pretty impressive.
So should the test 11 vs Aus (when all fit) look something like; Roy Burns Bairstow Root Buttler Stokes Ali Woakes Stone/Archer/Wood/Broad Stone/Archer/Wood/Broad Anderson Is Foakes out of the picture now ?
Pretty much. They may swap Roy and Bairstow over, so Roy doesnt have to face the new ball. Such a shame that two of Archer/Wood/Broad has to be dropped.
I think whoever we play at the top of the order has the ingrained English ability to collapse in spectacular style against Starc.
No way will YJB want to bat at 3. No way will YJR bat at 3. Expect Ed Smith to fiddle his mate Denly into the mix, at least at the start of the series. Foakes & Pope have not done anything this season to demand their places back. Don’t rule out Gregory. A better bet than the recently returned Stone.
No-one wants to bat at 3 and no-one seems able to bat at 3. Could we just have two numbers 4s ? Bairstow batting at 1,2 or 3 seems a risk if he's keeping wicket too. No chance to rest between innings. Presume he'd prefer to be at #5 or 6 ? Who drops out if Denley comes in ?
Like no floor 13 in hotels. I think Smith brings in Denly for a seamer. That’s dangerous as Moeen could struggle as a containing spinner. Anyway, a steward is asking me to go into flight safe mode.
Maybe Leach in for Ali then ? I guess the steward has a point and TBF "flight safe mode" is a generous option for the Vue in Nth watford.
Leach for Ali is possible. Batting looking a little thin, though. Btw, flight safe mode refers to my phone rather than me.
Top 3 out for a grand total of 34 runs against mighty Ireland ! Roy survived a plumb LBW off a no ball and other dicey moments in his 11 ball 5 runs.
Can we blame Boris yet? We won the World Cup under the last PM. Not too late for Queenie to tell him to bugger orff.
ern...players must have sunstroke/been out partying too long! Or think we are playing the Aussies down under... Haven't even got Stokes/Buttler to bail us out in this. Can we get Cook out of retirement?
I am going to Lords tomorrow for day 2. At this rate Ireland will wrap it up early on and I can get home before being a) drunk, b) sunburnt and c) the rush hour
Moral victory, we made it to lunch. Perhaps we should declare over lunch ? EDIT - Eh ? they're still playing ? It's past 1pm ? I guess they play on as the end of an innings is near ??
Oh, I think we have to count 1pm as lunch. Any small crumbs of comfort... Playing times have been adjusted for this match - lunch is scheduled at 1:15.
