Who will be dropped for the first test of the summer?

[Richard Jenkins]

I'd be surprised if Trescothic played any Test cricket this season (or even ever again? I hope he does, but perhaps he wont)

Bell will go for cook. Bell reminds me of hick or even ramprakash. bundles of talent but ....

Line up

Strauss
Cook
Some batsman (key/Solanki/Joyce/Butcher!!)
Vaughan
Peiterson
Flintoff
Nixon/read/jones/my dog
Hoggard
Panesar
Harmeson
mahmood/anderson/broad/

So 5 bowlers
5 batsmen.

I think flintoff is a bowling alrounder now, not a batting one.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Richard Jenkins

Bell will go for cook. Bell reminds me of hick or even ramprakash. bundles of talent but ....

Well there is a big difference between the three

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/engla...yer/14187.html
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/engla...ayer/9062.html
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/engla...yer/19323.html

Bell has an average of over 40, and has score 5 hundreds in just 23 Tests.

Hick averaged 31, and in his 65 Tests scored just 6 100's
Ramprakash averaged 27 and only scored 2 hundreds in 52 Tests...


Bell is already starting to deliver on his talent, and average of over 40 is not something to be dismissed as a talented failure - like Hick and Ramps. We have very short memories, against Pakistan last summer he was very difficult to get out, and he was not a total failure against the Australians


And he is just 25!! Right him off now and you are judging him to early!! I wouldn't mind but you can't even name a number three to replace him!!

[south beds mikey]

I'm in the 4 bowlers club with Flintoff at 7. A bit more of a work load for the seamers but Panesar should be able to bowl alot of overs with Collingwood filling in. Harmison's bowling was shambolic down under at times but if he4 can find some form he should play unless Jones is fit of course

[pie_chucker]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

Ramprakash averaged 27 and only scored 2 hundreds in 52 Tests...

More to the point how on earth did Ramprakash play in 52 tests with an average like that?

Whilst I agree that Bell has the talent he needs to convert his starts into centuries and at times be prepared to wrest the initiative away from the bowlers. For these two things he should look to Steve Waugh ,because these were two of the things he excelled at.

I would like to go with 4 bowlers but with our record of players breaking down and Flintoffs ankle constantly on the edge, 5 bowlers may be the safer option!

[cantplaycantalk]

To be honest I wouldn't bring Vaughan back, England probably will, but I wouldn't.

The 4 bowlers option has some merit if Jones is fully fit but I think England will go for 5.
My guess and my prefered teams below side by side

Cook Cook
Strauss Strauss
Vaughan Bell
Peiterson Peiterson
Collingwood Collingwood
Flintoff Flintoff
Nixon Nixon
Jones Plunkett
Harmison Jones
Hoggard Hoggard
Panesar Panesar
For me I think unless Vaughan is willing to become an alrounder and do plenty of spin bowling in a 4 man attack he does not rate his place. If we can't have Read as effectively a non batting keeper how can we justify Vaughan as a non batting captain.

[darksideofthemoon]

I don't like Nixon's keeping one little bit.

[cantplaycantalk]

Well as Fletcher has discarded Read and Jones and seems to have settled on Nixon as a temporary stop gap until one of the younger lads puts his hand up I think Nixon is the one who will start the season in possesion of the gloves. Any one of 4 or 5 could take them later, but Nixon will start with them I think.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Unless Simon Jones is fit, I'm with south beds mikey in the 4 bowler club. I'm yet to be convinced that plunket and mahmood can offer enough with the ball and to a certain extent bat, YET. Alot of this is on the proviso that harmy can at least pretend to be a high quality seam bowler rather than a lanky whingy git and if simon jones ever gets fit. If jones does I'd stick with the ashes 05 bowling attack but with monty instead of giles and, in effect, defend small totals with, on its day, a top class bowling outfit. But that isnt that likely.

So the reality leaves with hoggy, harmy AN other and fred. With our fragile batting and the fact vaughan wont really bowl AN other - who ever he is you might as well go with the 4 man system. Freddie continues to impress with the ball and continues to be a liability with the bat so I'd be looking at him as the 3rd seamer with monty putting in more overs, and maybe colly too.

[cantplaycantalk]

Jones is bowling in the warm up games for Glamorgan so it is looking good for him being fully fit for mid may.

[Verso]

We don't know what the new coach is gonna be like. He may want to do a "McClaren" and stamp his authority.

Why should any of the incumbents be an automatic pick?

Ramps was player of the year last year and, in my book, deserves another crack. Yes he may be the wrong side of 35 and only averaged 2.56 in 1,000 tests but he is England's premier batsman.

Tresco should play but is probably still "under the weather", Cook should start (even though I dislike ESSEX!!!)

It's a shame Collingwood isn't a better bowler but he should still get the nod...........

Vaughan may not last all season so I can see Strauss cement his place when he becomes full-time captain.

A pivotal year for Freddie. He may become a victim of our beloved press' TALL POPPY SYNDROME. A couple of bad games and they will slaughter him. He may not bounce back like BEEFY.....

As for the bowlers it's any four from eight. The only "dead cert" is Monty