Story England Domination - 2015 Onwards

[Dipak]

Total PWNAGE!!!
Yeah. That was quite an awesome series for the Poms there. Morgan was too good and James Taylor also put in a solid contribution throughout

 

[Twiggy_87]

Yeah man, they were both awesome bats during the series....but I'm excited about this Mercer kid...superstar with the ball...might be pushing for test selection. Has kept Wodehouse out of the side who has a very good test and ODI record as well.

Mark Footitt and Robbie Williams will have some pressure to perform...will see how there first class form rates going into the Pakistan series.

Kevin Pietersen is the big concern for me right now. He has been really out of touch, and another bad performance with the bat may see him axed. 2015 may just be a year where he is cut.

Strauss and Swann, super performers 2010-2012/13 but had bad form as they hit older age saw there contracts gone. Pietersen has some work to do.

 

[Dipak]

Strauss and Swann, super performers 2010-2012/13 but had bad form as they hit older age saw there contracts gone

Nah, I thought Swanny would be kicking ass as he's the world's best spinner ATM and can only get better.

 

[Twiggy_87]

England and Pakistan dominate ratings ahead of sizzling series
28 June 2015, London

The test rankings were announced at a London function tonight, seeing England and Pakistan take most of the honours ahead of their must anticipated series starting next month.

England continued their top spot as the No.1 test nation while Pakistan have surged ahead of both India and Sri Lanka. They can do that thanks to their bowling attack.

Pakistan have 6 of the top 9 bowlers in the long version of the game, with Ruan Pietersen and Shaun de Kock, both of South Africa stealing the no.1 and no.2 spots. A strong bowling attack, which sees players like Asif, Umar Gul and Aamer shuffled out of the side, the depth is amazing.

James Taylor featured as the no.5 bowler as well as the no.6 batsman...where England have five of the top 6. Charles Weir claimed the no.1 spot just ahead of Mike Morgan, while Kevin Pietersen has dropped to no.11 as his form deteriates.

It will be Englands batting versus Pakistans bowling in the five-test series, which starts at Lords on the 8th of July.

 

[RPHKR]

Neat presentation.
Awesome story to read. Good creativity.

 

[Till Valhalla]

man love your story and glad to see umesh yadav there

 

[Twiggy_87]

Pietersen's spot safe despite county pressure
6th July 2015

He may be the leading run scorer in the history of English test cricket, but 35 year old Kevin Pietersen has been told his fate in the side is on shaky grounds.

Scoring only 33 runs, including a first-ball duck, in his three innings against minnow Bangladesh earlier this summer, 'KP' will play the first test match against Pakistan, but under a watchful eye from selectors.

Coach Alec Stewart loves the fact he is in the side as one of few senior men, and can mentor the younger likes of Weir, Morgan and even skipper Taylor, but it may not be enough thanks to form of fellow fringe international batsman.

Not only has his test form been out of the ordinary, he has failed in his last three championship games with Hampshire, failing to make a half-century in four innings.

On the other hand, Greg Ramshaw, who lost his ECB contract a couple months ago. 24 years old, and having played 12 tests (his last in 2013) at a batting average of 49.60, it is his superb form to date making him the likely replacement.

Ramshaw has hit four hundreds and four fifties in eight championship matches for Lancashire, averaging more than 110 runs in 2015. ECB contracted all-rounder Anthony Howarth is also performing admirably with the bat with a summer average of 86.33.

Then there is 22 year old Essex batsman Christopher York, who is making great inroads towards a test cap which will eventually come his way. 840 runs, 4 hundreds, and an average of 70.00 this summer to go with his debut county season average of 91.14 last year has the cricket world talking.

Player Snapshot

 

[Dipak]

KP spot does seem under thread. Boy he has to do something this series or he's gonna get axed

 

[Twiggy_87]

Pakistan strong as ever to knock off worlds best
6th July 2015

They have the best bowling attack in the world, and to help their cause, they have claimed some form in the batting stakes before the first test against England, starting at Lords at the end of the week.

Umar Akmal will lead the Pakistanis on their tour, hoping an all-round team effort approach will help get the points. His batting sees him one of the worlds best, but a hundred against Essex by Naved Yasin should see him a partner in crime.

It is the pace end bowling attack of Mohammad Asif, Riaz Afridi, Mohammad Aamer, Faisal Rasheed and Umar Gul that sees their strength, adding to that the consistency of spinner Danish Kaneria and all-rounder Nayyer Abbas.

The bowling depth so good, that some will have to miss out. "It's a shame some of us will miss out and that is where conditions of the weather and the pitch may determine the best XI on that given test match" said skipper Umar.

Pakistan Touring Squad
Dahar Jamil, Azeem Ghumman, *Umar Akmal, Naved Yasin, Rana Naz, Dazar Toor, ?Sarfraz Ahmed, Fawad Alam, Nayyer Abbas, Riaz Afridi, Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Faisal Rasheed, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Asif

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Lords ready for all-pace Pom attack
7th July 2015

The summer is ready to get hot, and it will burn from the first test as England have named a prominate pace attack in their first test squads, while Pakistan have played the Kaneria, Abbas spin card, leaving Aamer, Gul and Rasheed absent

As suggested, Aaron Mercer has forced his way into the squad, while youngster Christian Wodehouse (12th man in the tests vs Bangladesh) has also been named in the squad. Skipper James Taylor will be the lone spinner on a green pitch along overcast skies predicted over the five days.

Mercer and Wodehouse will be fighting along with Stuart Broad, Robbie Williams and Mark Footitt. It is expected Wodehouse will once again miss, but Footitt is the next man in line after an inconsistent start.

England first test XII
Charles Weir, Alistair Cook, Mike Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, *James Taylor, Steve Moriarty, Ian Steele, Stuart Broad, Christan Wodehouse, Mark Footitt, Aaron Mercer, Robbie Williams (12th man to be named)

Pakistan first test XII
Dahar Jamil, Azeem Ghumman, *Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam Naved Yasin, Rana Naz, ?Sarfraz Ahmed, Nayyer Abbas, Riaz Afridi, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer (12th man)

 

[Papa_Smurf]

Exciting build-up there Can't wait!

Lol at Aamir being 12th man

 

[Twiggy_87]

1st Test: England vs Pakistan

Fawad double hundreds halt England taking points in opener
12th July 2015

WRITING WILL BE UP LATER (I accidently clicked on next page and lost what I wrote...arghh!

Kevin Pietersen in fine form with the bat, before bringing up his hundred, while Stuart Broad cracks a shot during his maiden century

 

[Papa_Smurf]

Well, that was an anti-climax.