JackPKDennison
School Cricketer
Basically vote on who you think get the drop. To avoid bias read my little article below before you make you decision (or don't) and discuss.
The end of one book. The continuation of another.
May 16th 2010 marked the end of a 35 year long road for English cricket as they finally broke their duck to win an ICC organized one-day tournament. After 4 lost finals they played like no England side since 2005 brushing Australia aside with ease. England's next challenge again will involve the Australian's but starts with Bangladesh in just 10 days.
England's next goal must be winning the Ashes on Australian soil; a feat not achieved since 1987. Paul Collingwood so impressive as captain of the Twenty20 side must find form with the bat along with Jonathan Trott who after 13 Test match innings has just a solitary century but both are safe bets for the Bangladesh series at least. Matches against Bangladesh have rarely been anything other than batting practice for England at home in any case with both matches of the 2005 series ending in innings victories.
England's XII for Lord's will almost certainly read Strauss (captain), Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, Prior (wicketkeeper), Bresnan, Broad, Swann, Sidebottom, and Anderson. This leaves the top order to pick itself but 1 bowler must drop out. Swann will defiantly play as Lord's pitches become flatter a spinner is increasingly important at St. Johns Wood these days. Which of the pace quartet will fall on his sword is interesting. As far as it seems Andy Flower will pick his strongest XI available with the exception of resting Strauss in Bangladesh he has done this.
Tim Bresnan would appear to be the first on the list to sit the game out but he was described by Flower after the recent tour of Bangladesh as England's ?stand out seamer? particularly for how he ?reverse swung the ball both ways, he was controlled and accurate, bowled a heavy bouncer and was strong enough to keep going for long periods of time ?. Consider only spin bowlers James Tredwell and Greame Swann had better figures for the series and you understand his value to the side. He's not the new Flintoff but certainly a hard grafter with bat and ball.
Stuart Broad would like to think he already had a place in the starting XI for the 1st Ashes Test in Brisbane but he was lacklustre in Bangladesh both in his Test match whites and ODI blue. His batting is out of touch and certainly isn't good enough for a number 7 slot at this moment. In Chittagong Bresnan took the responsibility of 7 scoring 91 while Broad could only muster 3 batting 9 below Swann.
Ryan Sidebottom a month ago would possibly have been behind Steve Finn of Middlesex but the Yorkshireman now of Nottinghamshire showed in the West Indies he still has the aggression, desire and fight to be an international bowler when his career looked to be coming to an end for England at least. His 10 wickets with the new ball in the last few weeks went a long way to propelling his side to the trophy. He would perhaps wonder what more he has to do if he failed to get in to the side.
James Anderson almost the opposite to Sidebottom would have been assured of a place in the XI a month ago. After proving his fitness for Lancashire he failed to get in to the Twenty20 side and has spent nearly a month as a spectator in the Caribbean with nothing better to do than play golf (see twitter). On form, or at least evidence of form, he looks set to be dropped but his England's most experienced bowler with over 150 international caps of some sort and premier strike bowler.
Ian Bell may even find himself the fall guy if Bresnan bats at 7 but I think Flower will be wary of doing the same against Australia after Headingly last year. Most likely the formula will be the same for Bangladesh as it is for Australia meaning it is a bowler who misses out. My choice Broad to bring him back down to earth after what appears to be a bad attitude developing further on the field rather than going away. The peoples choice is almost certainly Bresnan who would also be the ?easiest? to drop. Who Andy Flower chooses is a completely different matter.
The end of one book. The continuation of another.
May 16th 2010 marked the end of a 35 year long road for English cricket as they finally broke their duck to win an ICC organized one-day tournament. After 4 lost finals they played like no England side since 2005 brushing Australia aside with ease. England's next challenge again will involve the Australian's but starts with Bangladesh in just 10 days.
England's next goal must be winning the Ashes on Australian soil; a feat not achieved since 1987. Paul Collingwood so impressive as captain of the Twenty20 side must find form with the bat along with Jonathan Trott who after 13 Test match innings has just a solitary century but both are safe bets for the Bangladesh series at least. Matches against Bangladesh have rarely been anything other than batting practice for England at home in any case with both matches of the 2005 series ending in innings victories.
England's XII for Lord's will almost certainly read Strauss (captain), Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, Prior (wicketkeeper), Bresnan, Broad, Swann, Sidebottom, and Anderson. This leaves the top order to pick itself but 1 bowler must drop out. Swann will defiantly play as Lord's pitches become flatter a spinner is increasingly important at St. Johns Wood these days. Which of the pace quartet will fall on his sword is interesting. As far as it seems Andy Flower will pick his strongest XI available with the exception of resting Strauss in Bangladesh he has done this.
Tim Bresnan would appear to be the first on the list to sit the game out but he was described by Flower after the recent tour of Bangladesh as England's ?stand out seamer? particularly for how he ?reverse swung the ball both ways, he was controlled and accurate, bowled a heavy bouncer and was strong enough to keep going for long periods of time ?. Consider only spin bowlers James Tredwell and Greame Swann had better figures for the series and you understand his value to the side. He's not the new Flintoff but certainly a hard grafter with bat and ball.
Stuart Broad would like to think he already had a place in the starting XI for the 1st Ashes Test in Brisbane but he was lacklustre in Bangladesh both in his Test match whites and ODI blue. His batting is out of touch and certainly isn't good enough for a number 7 slot at this moment. In Chittagong Bresnan took the responsibility of 7 scoring 91 while Broad could only muster 3 batting 9 below Swann.
Ryan Sidebottom a month ago would possibly have been behind Steve Finn of Middlesex but the Yorkshireman now of Nottinghamshire showed in the West Indies he still has the aggression, desire and fight to be an international bowler when his career looked to be coming to an end for England at least. His 10 wickets with the new ball in the last few weeks went a long way to propelling his side to the trophy. He would perhaps wonder what more he has to do if he failed to get in to the side.
James Anderson almost the opposite to Sidebottom would have been assured of a place in the XI a month ago. After proving his fitness for Lancashire he failed to get in to the Twenty20 side and has spent nearly a month as a spectator in the Caribbean with nothing better to do than play golf (see twitter). On form, or at least evidence of form, he looks set to be dropped but his England's most experienced bowler with over 150 international caps of some sort and premier strike bowler.
Ian Bell may even find himself the fall guy if Bresnan bats at 7 but I think Flower will be wary of doing the same against Australia after Headingly last year. Most likely the formula will be the same for Bangladesh as it is for Australia meaning it is a bowler who misses out. My choice Broad to bring him back down to earth after what appears to be a bad attitude developing further on the field rather than going away. The peoples choice is almost certainly Bresnan who would also be the ?easiest? to drop. Who Andy Flower chooses is a completely different matter.
