Final spot

[flanflinger]

Looks clear to me that the batting line up is fixed, the wicket keeper has been decided and five bowlers will be used.

Flintoff, Hoggard and Harmison are shoe-in's but which two will fill the gap? Mahmood and Plunkett seem to have lost the race (Plunkett not selected at all, and Mahmood selected but didn't bowl)

So that leaves Anderson, Panesar and Giles...

Who will you go for?

[greg]

I want us to go for Anderson and Panesar but my gut feeling says Anderson and Giles will play.

[Rachael]

I think it would be crazy to confirm Harmison at this stage: sure, he should get to play in the next warm up game.... and he should be told he's in the provisional XI for the first Test... but if he carries on bowling atrociously (and let's face it, he has been dreadful) then there's no way he should retain his spot for the Brisbane game.

As to balance... Panesar looks worth a punt on the off-chance that England are defending a reasonable score on day 5... and I think the choice will then come down to Harmison or Giles.... with Harmison favourite to play but with Giles ready to step in if the seamer continues to look a waste of space.

ps. I know Fletcher will want to put out his 1st choice Test XI for the warm-up game... but given that Giles is likely to figure in the second game even if he doesn't play at Brisbane (and given that he's been out so long) I'd rest a batsman and play an extra bowler.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Rachael

I think it would be crazy to confirm Harmison at this stage: sure, he should get to play in the next warm up game....

It may seem crazy to you, but I severly doubt that Harmison will not get the nod. Also Fletcher has made it clear that the team for the warm up gaim is the Test team, so if Harmison is in that, he wll play in Brisbane..

[outswing]

i think Giles and Panesar will play, but i like Jimmy Andersen, hes one of the most underrated bowlers in the world imo.

I would go for him and Panesar.

[first change]

It's all rather unanimous at the minute. Perhaps we should take on the duties of the selectors?! Harmison should be a sho-in for the first Test - yes he's not bowling great but we can pretty much guarantee that the Aussies would much rather face Mahmood (for that would be the replacement, in all likelihood) than Harmison. He's hardly Mr consistent is he? Is Plunkett fully match fit now? If so, seems strange that he's slipped to the bottom of the pile, without an opportunity to prove himself.

England absolutely need variety in this series: with Harmison, Hoggard, Anderson, Flintoff and Monty we have it (sort of). What we wouldn't give for a decent left-arm quick though ...

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

It may seem crazy to you, but I severly doubt that Harmison will not get the nod. Also Fletcher has made it clear that the team for the warm up gaim is the Test team, so if Harmison is in that, he wll play in Brisbane..

Yes I agree over Harmison, but saying that the warm up side is the Test team is as silly as picking Joyce before key.
Also playing two spinners would be IMO so so silly, Giles up to now has looked the better bet.

It should IMO read Mahmood + (Giles or Panesar) - I dread to think what the final 1X will look like for the First Test.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by first change

Harmison should be a sho-in for the first Test - yes he's not bowling great but we can pretty much guarantee that the Aussies would much rather face Mahmood (for that would be the replacement, in all likelihood) than Harmison.

We're all in agreement (I trust it's all: I think even the Aussies can be included) that we would like to see an in-form Harmison getting the ball in the right areas and being a right handful.... but let's be realistic... this is the Harmison that is worth seeing...

Series         Win   Mat    O       R   W   BBI    BBM     Ave  Econ    SR 5w 10
England in Bangladesh, 2003/04 [Series]
               Eng     1   46.5    79   9  5/35   9/79    8.77  1.68  31.2  1  0
The Wisden Trophy (Eng/WI) in West Indies, 2003/04 [Series]
               Eng     4  139.5   342  23  7/12   9/73   14.86  2.44  36.4  2  0
New Zealand in England, 2004 [Series]
               Eng     3  169.2   464  21  4/74   8/202  22.09  2.74  48.3  0  0

... but right now He's not even matching the following form....

Series         Win   Mat    O       R   W   BBI    BBM     Ave  Econ    SR 5w 10
Basil D'Oliveira Trophy (Eng/SA) in South Africa, 2004/05 [Series]
               Eng     5  190.5   659   9  3/91   5/153  73.22  3.45 127.2  0  0

If Harmison is going to be even more wayward than he was on that tour of SA (when he bowled dreadfully without actually getting quite the punishment his dross deserved) then England would be better off replacing him with Giles... not least because the likes of Ponting and Martyn are likely to just smash him out of the attack - Harmison went at almost 5 an over in the warm up game against NSW

Originally Posted by first change

England absolutely need variety in this series: with Harmison, Hoggard, Anderson, Flintoff and Monty we have it (sort of). What we wouldn't give for a decent left-arm quick though ...

The next best option might be the quickish SLA of Giles: use Hoggard, Flintoff and Anderson with the new ball, get Panesar on early, but then batten down the hatches with the spinners (with just the occasional burst from Anderson in search of reverse swing).

ps. Recall Brisbane 2002? The match where Jones did his knee in? Giles first-innings figures were 29.2 - 3 - 101 - 4. If Giles could reproduce those figures no-one would have serious cause for complaint - though he might say the 2.73 / over he conceded against the WI in 2004 (to say nothing of the 50.7 strike rate and 23.13) would be preferable :-)

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Ernest

It should IMO read Mahmood + (Giles or Panesar) - I dread to think what the final 1X will look like for the First Test.

It should be Read, but it won't be, and Mahmood is firmly down the list, so it won't be him either.

If we go with what the majority has voted for the team will look like this

Strauss
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
Jones
Hoggard
Harmison
Anderson
Panesar

That will be "what the team" would look like, but actually I feel it would be our strongest XI, and apart from Jones, it would be the XI that I would have gone for when the squad was selected...

I am not sure what you have against Joyce (other than his name is not Key) but I feel he has done nothing wrong, and for me his call up is perfectly logical..

[Occasional Fan]

That looks pretty good to me, FF. I'd be happy enough to see that turn out next Thursday.

When are you off to Oz, by the way? Any chance of you turning up in Adelaide or Perth?