Tres coming home

[Rachael]

The winners here are Fletcher and Flintoff: they are spared the task of choosing to ditch Tresco / picking the guy despite Cook looking the better bet.

[Pete]

Aggers thinks it's Ed Joyce coming into the team in place of Trescothick.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Pete

Aggers thinks it's Ed Joyce coming into the team in place of Trescothick.

That would be my assumption. He's the class prospect of those based in Perth and passed fit... though Vaughan's odds on playing in the series have just gone through the roof: should England be trailing and looking incapable of turning it around after two-three matches he'll surely now be getting his berth back sooner than the ODI series!

[greg]

Originally Posted by Pete

Aggers thinks it's Ed Joyce coming into the team in place of Trescothick.

I suppose he can open and has been unlucky with injuries so far so neither side will know if he is up to it.Could be a risk worth taking,i thought we would play safe with Key who has experience.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by greg

I suppose he can open

Should one of Cook and Strauss go down ill ahead of the first Test someone's going to have to make a tough call between Bell and Joyce as opener: I'd go with Bell... partly on the basis of his performances opening in the ODI format, partly because he did it so well at U-19 level but mostly because he's so compact, technically correct and temperamentally suited.

He was always (as an U-19 and in his initial period as a senior) earmarked as a successor to Atherton at the top of the order...

[Oliver]

Originally Posted by Pete

i'm not sure who'd open if Cook or Strauss got injured,

I'd like to see Shah too. However I'm sure we all know who would be opening if one of Cook or Strauss got injured.

One almost wonders whether Marcus fell, or was he pushed; for waiting in the wings for a startling return to the Test side is none other than Michael (I haven't played any cricket at all for an absolute age - but at least my mate Dunc has picked my team for the Ashes) Vaughan.

Game, set and match to the tall lanky boring one I think.

[SixandOut]

This is a blow. At least it's happened (somewhat) sooner rather than later. It would have been disastrous for him to leave in the middle of the test series. Joyce seems like the best bet to me, I just hope it's not Key, he's much too fat.

And maybe it will ease some pressure on the selectors as now Cook, Bell and Collingwood will all get a (deserved) place. Hurrah.

The series is going to be most odd: the old fogies versus the young guns.

[greg]

If it is Key can the Aussies pick Cosgrove and let them have a pie eating contest during an interval.

[Ernest]

What's wrong with Rob Key - I had forgot about him.

The Aussie pitches are SUPPOSED to have lost some of there pace, so Key who people say is a flat track bully should be ideal.

[adamberry]

To be fair though, at the tail of the season at Kent GoJo was actually batting better than Key, who has not been in any form for quite some time. I'd personally go for Joyce, on the basis that if either opener were to be injured, I'd rather see Joyce opening than Shah/Bell.