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Post by Panda on Nov 25, 2013 2:40:24 GMT 1
Gary Ballance is the next in line for a place if Trott is dropped, I would think, though Bairstow is the only replacement for Prior as he's the second choice wicketkeeper. Ballance looks like a quality batsman though - only 24, first class average over 50 and another possible addition to England's "foreign" contingent.
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Post by Panda on Nov 25, 2013 3:03:01 GMT 1
Meanwhile, away from the Ashes, Ireland and Afghanistan have qualified for next year's World T20 by topping their groups at the 16-team qualifying tournament in the UAE. 4 more qualifiers will emerge after a series of playoffs involving the teams that finished behind them. Winners qualify for World T20 and semi-finals of qualifying tournament: Netherlands v UAE Hong Kong v Nepal 5th place series (5th and 6th place in tournament qualify for World T20): Namibia v Papua New Guinea Scotland v Italy Winner of Namibia/PNG v Loser of Hong Kong/Nepal Winner of Scotland/Italy v Loser of Holland/UAE So we're guaranteed to have Hong Kong or Nepal in the World T20 next year! Next year's T20 will have a preliminary group stage with 2 groups of 4 featuring Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and the 6 qualifiers. The 2 group winners will join the top 8 test sides in the main group stage, where they'll be in 2 groups of 5.
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Post by rubcale on Nov 25, 2013 9:15:03 GMT 1
Johnathan Trott has left the Ashes Tour and returned home suffering from a "stress related illness".
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Post by wonderwall on Nov 25, 2013 17:03:57 GMT 1
Would consider that a major loss under normal circumstances early signs so far this is a disaster of a tour.
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Post by Earl Purple on Nov 29, 2013 11:10:28 GMT 1
Can anyone explain to me why there is an Ashes series now when we've only just had one? Wouldn't it normally be next year?
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Post by o on Nov 29, 2013 15:20:08 GMT 1
Maybe that clashes with a world cup or something, so we are having two, back to back?
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Post by rubcale on Nov 29, 2013 15:33:37 GMT 1
Definitely should have been at least most part of year between two series.
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Post by Panda on Nov 29, 2013 22:19:02 GMT 1
The Cricket World Cup takes place in Australia in early 2015, which would've been very soon after the Ashes if they'd stuck to the regular schedule. That would've meant players, officials, journalists and anyone else connected with both events having to spend 6 continuous months in Australia, so the decision was taken to bring this series forward a year. In addition, the ECB were unhappy that Ashes series down under were regularly affecting England's preparations for World Cups. After this, the next Ashes series will be in the summer of 2015, in order to avoid an unusually large gap after the current series, after which it will return to the usual time periods. The 2-year shift means future World Cups will no longer come straight after an Ashes series (when England next hosts the World Cup in 2019, it will probably be staged at the start of the summer, before the Ashes).
Meanwhile, Ben Stokes has emerged as the favourite to replace Jonathan Trott in the England team for the 2nd test. It's believed he'll be preferred over Gary Ballance as he offers an extra bowling option. He would almost certainly bat at 6, with Bell moving up to 3 and Root at 5.
In the World T20 qualifiers, the UAE, Nepal, Holland and Hong Kong all came through to join Ireland and Afghanistan in next year's tournament. It will be the first time in a global tournament for Nepal and Hong Kong.
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Post by Panda on Dec 5, 2013 1:37:49 GMT 1
2nd test underway in Adelaide.
Ben Stokes is chosen over Gary Ballance to replace Trott. Monty Panesar comes into the side in place of Tremlett. It's believed Joe Root will bat at 3.
Australia are unchanged.
Australia won the toss and are batting on a flat, dry pitch.
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Post by Panda on Dec 5, 2013 1:45:28 GMT 1
Warner gone! Poor and weak.
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Post by Panda on Dec 5, 2013 1:47:07 GMT 1
Boycott in good form this morning...
Simon Mann: "And you can listen to us if you download the BBC Sport app." Boycott: "Warner can listen to that in the pavilion!"
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Post by o on Dec 5, 2013 11:02:09 GMT 1
Can we make any runs on a flat dry pitch though?
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Elmer
Member
Posts: 7,318
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Post by Elmer on Dec 5, 2013 12:03:56 GMT 1
I'm worried for this test match too. I've a feeling they'll still push for 400 and we'll struggle after that. We seem petrified of Mitchell Johnson although they've faced him before.
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Post by rubcale on Dec 6, 2013 12:14:25 GMT 1
Looks as if the best England can hope for is a draw. If they get beaten the Series is as good as over.
If it's not a batting collapse it's dropped catches.
I still don't think this Series should have been taking place for another year.
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Elmer
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Post by Elmer on Dec 6, 2013 12:29:24 GMT 1
We'll lose at Perth anyway so I'm pretty pessimistic about the whole thing. Admire the Aussies from coming back from the summer thrashing like this.
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Post by o on Dec 6, 2013 13:32:15 GMT 1
The thing is the 3-0 scoreline massively flattered us, as is now being proven just 6 months later. You never know, they might bat with determination and grind out a draw, we shall see.
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Post by raliverpool on Dec 6, 2013 19:23:02 GMT 1
Personally I think there is more chance of the national football team getting out of a group where Italy & Uruguay should comfortably qualify from, than England avoiding the follow on and scoring 371+ runs....
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Post by rubcale on Dec 7, 2013 10:06:13 GMT 1
Is anyone actually surprised by what has happened?
The English Media made a big thing out of England winning the Series earlier this year but as many have noted there was a lot of luck involved with things going England's way and Australia were actually probably the better team in the last three matches.
I'm now sorry I didn't put my money where my mouth was and back Australia to win this Series 3 or 4-0.
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Post by o on Dec 7, 2013 10:54:41 GMT 1
Carberry and Bell can hold their heads up, they at least bloody tried,rest of the team, gutless. Odd that the Aussies then decided to bat, I assume that was so the cricket board didn't have to pay back so many refunds on day 5, as we all know we will crumble on day 4. I would laugh though if a couple of key aussie batsmen got enjoyed. Also, it is probably the aussies being cocky and grinding us into the dirt, because even if we bowled them out cheaply, then would still have a massive lead!
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Post by raliverpool on Dec 7, 2013 12:09:36 GMT 1
Carberry and Bell can hold their heads up, they at least bloody tried,rest of the team, gutless. That's pretty harsh on Monty Panesar who batted for nearly an hour and took a number of blows to the body steadfastly defending his wicket to enable Bell to score from the other end to move on from 135-9 to 172 all out. Let's forget about getting a draw and surviving the remaining two days, because there is more chance of England winning the World Cup in Brazil in the summer ... The England XI to play in the 3rd Test should be: Cook Carberry Bell Pietersen Root Bairstow (W) Bresnan Broad Anderson Finn Panesar Move Bell up to three ... obvious why. Prior is as shot with the bat as Trott was having scored 12 less runs than Johnson has wickets so far this series; and Monty has comprehensively out-bowled Swann in this test and deserves the one spinner spot in the next Test. As for Pietersen if he fails in the next innings and the two innings in the third Test then ditch him for Ballance.
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