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Joe MacDougall

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Joined June 2017

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London based pom and part time cricket blogger/podcaster. Part of the Sticky Wicket Cricket Podcast team. Website: www.joemacdougallcricket.com Twitter: @MacDougallJoe. Podcast (soundcloud): https://soundcloud.com/sticky-wicket-cricket-podcast. Podcast (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/sticky-wicket-cricket-podcast/id1193076447?mt=2

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Here here Mr. Jadine!

However, were you aware they’ve changed the fielding laws since your days? Leg theory has been somewhat neutralised.

And even if it hadn’t, I fear the Australians may be better equipped to utilise said theory – Anderson and Broad are good, but Harold Larwood they ain’t.

How did England get to this point?

Errr, yes. Quite.

How did England get to this point?

He’s become the talisman and most inspirational player in the last 12 months. Ignore his careers stats, he had a really poor start to his career.
He’s scored some big hundreds at important times against top bowling attacks, and the way he does it can really change a test match.
His bowling has also improved, and being our 5th bowler takes a lot of pressure off Moeen Ali – without stokes in the side suddenly Mo has to be able to hold an end up as well as take wickets – something he’s not so good at.

Oh, and he’s our best fielder. By a mile.

So, all in all, leaves a massive hole!

How did England get to this point?

HI Paul,
My reference to Stokes being the ultimate team-man was referring to his actions ON the field (my bad, didn’t make it clear perhaps).
When he’s playing you can tell he’s a hugely positive influence on the rest of the team – loves supporting his bowlers, always bigging up good fielding by his team-mates, lots of noise in the field etc.
Clearly his behaviour off the pitch is not – he’s obviously let his team down massively.
So, my point is that because he actually loves being part of a team so much, perhaps if the playing staff were given control of their rules and regs, MAYBE it might work for him as it would feel more like letting your teammates down rather than just breaking a management rule.
It’s a psychological thing I guess, and one that should not have to be considered (he simply shouldn’t be out on the beers that late during an ODI series), but seeing as he clearly needs some sort of management, it might work.

How did England get to this point?

I think Foakes is certainly on a par with the other batsman included like ballance and vince. Plus Foakes’ inclusion would mean Bairstow would bat 4 and potentially score WAY more runs there than those ballance and vince, that’s why I’d do it.

Bairstow’s actually had a really good summer with the gloves, but Foakes is better – rated world class by everyone at Surrey (who are admittedly quite badly biased).

The case for Ben Foakes in England's Test side

I would be very wary of asking a 20-year-old leg spinner to make his test debut at the Gabba. It’s a tough environment no matter how courageous you are.

Adil Rashid would have been the safer bet as back-up spinner, but now they’ve gone with Crane, depending on how the series is shaping up it would be great to see him play perhaps in Sydney where he’ll get assistance on days 4/5 and might just do something special.

Definitely has potential, but you feel this tour is a little early for him.

The case for Ben Foakes in England's Test side

It’s a great idea, but what colour ball would they play with???

Day-night Test cricket is an obvious necessity

There’s no doubt Warner’s ‘Flat Track Bully’ label is well-deserved. Unfortunately in this day and age those flat track bullies are still able to score a huge amount of runs, particularly in Australia, because of the lack of world class seamers round the world these days.

To compare Warner and Cook is nigh on impossible, they are such different players, and it is pretty obvious who you would want walking out for you at the top of the order if the pitch had any hint of difficulty to it – Ali Cook every time.

However, give me a road to bat on, and I’d send Warner out there, and he’ll win you the game.

Is Alastair Cook really that reliable?

I agree completely. Durham is probably the most difficult place to bat in the County Championship (definitely in Div 1 which they were in before this season).

Stoneman scored 1234 runs last season up there at 45.70.

This year having moved to Surrey and playing on a flat Oval pitch he’s scored 795 runs at 61.15.

Only Cook and Ballance have a higher first class average this season over 10 innings (not counting Sanga and Chanderpaul).

The fact that he’s just turned 30 might not be a bad thing. If anyone is going to come in cold to an Ashes series and survive it’s more likely to be someone with ten years learning his trade at First Class level than a kid who hasn’t!

England's series victory can't hide batting problems

Can’t argue with that; either go for the old school cream or go all-out white, don’t try and do both!!

England’s new selection policy: Sensible or underwhelming?

Yep Mills is out, but Woakes has picked up a yard of pace in the last year so is quicker than Broad these days, so he’ll be in there I think. Root will be back to number 4 for the SA series coming up, and I suspect he’ll stay there for here on in.

For what it’s worth, I think the England team should be:

Cook
Hameed
Jennings
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Foakes (wk)
Broad
Wood
Anderson/Woakes (note; Woakes would bat 9 when he plays)

I’m not sure whether Anderson will realistically last a 5 match series these days, and Woakes has picked up a few niggles in recent years. I think Wood/Woakes/Anderson will probably get rotated throughout the series.

There’s still a number of question marks in the lineup; but a big series at home vs SA will help the selectors figure it out.

Three reasons why England will win the Ashes

Warner’s record in Australia is unbelievable, and whatever he does elsewhere won’t matter when it comes to a home series vs England, he’ll still be very dangerous.

Apologies for the Gabbatoir, one of those media nicknames that has stuck; certainly a lot of Aussies I know in London like the term!

Three reasons why England will win the Ashes

Cheers Ronan,
I’ll agree that the Wood prediction is perhaps based more on potential than his current stats. But if we can keep him fully fit, there’s no doubt he’ll be a massive weapon for England Down Under. He’s the only guy that can bowl over 90mph consistently (145 kmh in your money) , and although the Aussie batsmen do bat well in home conditions, I believe it’s rare in recent years that any bowler has come with such natural pace and variations – the ones that have done have generally succeeded there (the SA seamers spring to mind).

Broad is a brilliant bowler still, and he’s going to be key, but its having the back up that will make England dangerous, and it’s unlikely Anderson will pose a threat bowling around 130 kmh with a Kookaburra ball that barely swings, which again brings the focus into how well Wood will do. What Wood did vs SA last week and NZ on Tuesday (admittedly in ODI’s) is a good picture of what he can do – he takes those big wickets when the game goes flat, an important attribute. England will probably spend long, hot periods in the field in Oz so they’ll need wicket takers!

My colleague Marty Drummond has just put a piece up with 3 reasons why the Aussies will win – the spinning option being one of them – and I can’t really disagree with him unfortunately!

Three reasons why England will win the Ashes

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