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Fantasy 'Pick Your Own 5th Test Ashes XI'


Crab Lungs
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Time for an overhaul!

 

If you had the opportunity to pick from any of the available (ahum, I did bend the rules a little bit here) of the eligible England players in the county game today, who would you pick?

 

As you know, I don't need to tell you, for England this is a **** or bust game - absolute **** or bust. We have to win... but gah, it's hard as an armchair selector to try and find a balanced side! Anyway, I'd be very interested to see what other people come up with out of this small pool of players...

 

 

 

Possibles Pool of players (feel free to add other suggestions)

 

 

Opening Batsmen

 

Strauss

Cook

Denly

Key

Moore

Newman

Horton

Carberry

Trescothick

 

Middle Order

 

Hildreth

Trott

Bell

Bopara

Sales

Morgan

Shah

Joyce

Cobb

Collingwood

Ramprakash

Troughton

Wagh

 

Wicketkeepers

 

Prior

Foster

Mustard

Ambrose

S Davies

Jones

Read

 

All Rounders

 

Flintoff

Napier

Patel

Clarke

Mascarehnas

Wright

Broad (put into this category as he actually appears more useful with the willow)

Rashid

Blackwell

Allenby

Bresnan

Yardy

Trego

Darymple

 

 

Bowlers

 

Swann

Panesar

Anderson

Harmison

Plunkett

Onions

Tremlett

Hoggard

Mahmood

Sidebottom

Davies

Woakes

 

 

On a personal level, the problem I am having is not so much the batting lineup or order, but our bowling team... We've really, really got to go out all guns blazing for this one and to be honest, I'd rather we **** up REALLY GOING FOR IT as opposed to defending and blocking our way to an embarassing draw or defeat.

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Strauss

Cook

Key

Prior

Collingwood

Bopara

Broad

Swann

Sidebottom

Anderson if fit

Onions

 

Trouble is putting newcomers in without experience, the choice of Shah Key Bell have mental issues Trott Carberry are untried at this level

 

Tough, but don't worry they'll screw it up

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Strauss

Cook (wish it could be Tresco though :()

Carberry (DESERVES A CHANCE)

Collingwood (or Trott, possibly)

Ramprakash (old score to settle, one last hurrah on his home ground)

Prior

Flintoff (Possibly Patel if Freds not fit, however, that would leave us with 2 spinners, though Napier or Mascarehnas explosivity is an option JUST FOR ONE GAME :-s)

Broad (Worryingly, I haven't selected him for his bowling :-o)

Swann

Onions

Sidebottom (He has fire in his belly... give him his long awaited, deserved chance)

Edited by Crab Lungs
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Hmm now there's an idea, just once, maybe a one off final goodbye (circinfo.com)

 

Marcus Trescothick

 

Yes I know about his problems but his coach is Justin Langer. I wonder if he'll get at least a call for a one off, big bag of worms but heck

 

which gives a more sensible lineup of

 

Trescothick

Strauss

Cook

Ramprakash

Collingwood

Prior

Flintoff (If unfit then would give Bopara a go down the order where he SHOULD have been batting from the start)

Broad

Swann

Anderson

Sidebottom

 

IF Anderson is unfit then Adil Rashid could get a game in a gamble. IF Flintoff AND Anderson are unfit then they have to put Onions in who is our most accurate bowler, but would play the extra batsman

 

Shame Dimi doesn't have an extra 8mph of regular pace

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Hmm now there's an idea, just once, maybe a one off final goodbye (circinfo.com)

 

Marcus Trescothick

 

Yes I know about his problems but his coach is Justin Langer. I wonder if he'll get at least a call for a one off, big bag of worms but heck

 

which gives a more sensible lineup of

 

Trescothick

Strauss

Cook

Ramprakash

Collingwood

Prior

Flintoff (If unfit then would give Bopara a go down the order where he SHOULD have been batting from the start)

Broad

Swann

Anderson

Sidebottom

 

IF Anderson is unfit then Adil Rashid could get a game in a gamble. IF Flintoff AND Anderson are unfit then they have to put Onions in who is our most accurate bowler, but would play the extra batsman

 

Shame Dimi doesn't have an extra 8mph of regular pace

 

Completely agree with you there mate, never happen though.

 

Plus, i think if flintoff is out stick mascerahnas in there

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Ramprakash? omg etc

 

the bloke couldnt cut it as a test player, whats is his average? 26? 27? in 50 odd games!! he's old, yep granted he's an extremely good county player but he's been found wanting on the international stage so many times, so why would heaping all the pressure of having to win the last match of the series in order to win the Ashes suddenly make him perform? lolzzz

 

fantasy? meh

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Ramprakash? omg etc

 

the bloke couldnt cut it as a test player, whats is his average? 26? 27? in 50 odd games!! he's old, yep granted he's an extremely good county player but he's been found wanting on the international stage so many times, so why would heaping all the pressure of having to win the last match of the series in order to win the Ashes suddenly make him perform? lolzzz

 

fantasy? meh

 

Yes, that's why its fantasy... a shame for you though, maybe, that it is being entertained as a reality.

 

Big Lolz right back at you, I am afraid - he may not have 'cut it' a few years ago but there is no possible way he can do any worse than dumb and dumber who amassed a total of 16runs between them at Headingley...

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Yes, that's why its fantasy... a shame for you though, maybe, that it is being entertained as a reality.

 

Big Lolz right back at you, I am afraid - he may not have 'cut it' a few years ago but there is no possible way he can do any worse than dumb and dumber who amassed a total of 16runs between them at Headingley...

 

indeed, i hear that. but (going back to reality) i dont see how going back to a failed batsman would in anyway be positive...anyhoo...

 

Strauss

Cook

Shah - if he promises not to hold the bat too tight

Collingwood

Bopara

Flintoff (as a batsman, if i can change the "rules")

Prior

Anderson

Swann

Broad

Sidebottom

 

Relieve Bopara the pressure of number 3. and keep him away from other "flimsy" batsmen. bopara 3 and bell 4 is as lightweight as it comes. Bell should never hold a bat for his country again, gutless and ginger.

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Both Bopara and Cook have been allowed to play this week for their counties as I think may be the case with a few others such as Collingwood. However, since Essex are playing Middx in a Div 2 game I don''t that is going to count for much. Ramprakash is certainly in contention to play.

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Strauss

Cook

Key

Trott

Collingwood

Prior

Flintoff

Broad

Swann

Sidebottom

Anderson

 

 

 

and it wouldn't surprise me if KP suddenly announced he was fit and was ready to ride into battle on his charging steed.

 

Well who knows! FF said he WAS ready to play in the 4th test but Strauss and Flower decided otherwise. Suggests he may well play in the final test as it really is all or nothing now.

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Well who knows! FF said he WAS ready to play in the 4th test but Strauss and Flower decided otherwise. Suggests he may well play in the final test as it really is all or nothing now.

 

i wonder if the thinking went like this...:-

 

"fred has declared himself fit. but if he crocks himself for good in this game he'll miss his standing ovation when he walks off an england test field for the last time...

aah we'll be alright. at worst we'll draw this game and only need a draw at the oval to regain the ashes. lets leave him out of this one..."

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i wonder if the thinking went like this...:-

 

"fred has declared himself fit. but if he crocks himself for good in this game he'll miss his standing ovation when he walks off an england test field for the last time...

aah we'll be alright. at worst we'll draw this game and only need a draw at the oval to regain the ashes. lets leave him out of this one..."

 

I'd imagine Freddie would declare himself fit on his deathbed. Anyone who saw him practice the day before will have seen that he clearly wasn't ready.

 

I honestly don't think too much needs changing, just a little tinkering. We collapsed badly because we had two short-on-confidence flair players at 3 and 4, so when wickets started tumbling they were always going to keep tumbling. I'll concede that the Bopara experiment has failed (at least in the short term). Rob Key is the man for no. 3, he's got the right attitude. Then a bit of grit with Collingwood, Prior and then Bell to put the roof on rather than to build the house.

 

If Freddie's genuinely fit, then he's straight back in. If not then Harmison out, he was another of those disasterous nostalgia picks that England selectors seem so prone to. Sidebottom seems the obvious choice, although I'd still prefer Hoggard.

 

Strauss

Cook

Key

Collingwood

Prior

Bell

Flintoff

Broad

Swann

Anderson

Onions

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Bell should not be anywhere near the team. He's never made runs when it's really mattered and has not got the bottle for test match cricket.

Struggling to think of replacements though but i'd go for this line up.

I've picked Harmison even though he was poor but he is still capable of taking wickets with his extra pace/bounce which the others apart from Freddie can't do if the ball is not swinging there's no chance of getting 20 wickets to win the test.

 

Strauss

Cook

Key

Collingwood

Trott

Prior

Flintoff

Broad

Swann

Andersen

Harmison

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Time for an overhaul!

 

If you had the opportunity to pick from any of the available (ahum, I did bend the rules a little bit here) of the eligible England players in the county game today, who would you pick?

 

As you know, I don't need to tell you, for England this is a **** or bust game - absolute **** or bust. We have to win... but gah, it's hard as an armchair selector to try and find a balanced side! Anyway, I'd be very interested to see what other people come up with out of this small pool of players...

 

 

 

Possibles Pool of players (feel free to add other suggestions)

 

 

Opening Batsmen

 

Strauss

Cook

Denly

Key

Moore

Newman

Horton

Carberry

Trescothick

 

Middle Order

 

Hildreth

Trott

Bell

Bopara

Sales

Morgan

Shah

Joyce

Cobb

Collingwood

Ramprakash

Troughton

Wagh

 

Wicketkeepers

 

Prior

Foster

Mustard

Ambrose

S Davies

Jones

Read

 

All Rounders

 

Flintoff

Napier

Patel

Clarke

Mascarehnas

Wright

Broad (put into this category as he actually appears more useful with the willow)

Rashid

Blackwell

Allenby

Bresnan

Yardy

Trego

Darymple

 

 

Bowlers

 

Swann

Panesar

Anderson

Harmison

Plunkett

Onions

Tremlett

Hoggard

Mahmood

Sidebottom

Davies

Woakes

 

 

On a personal level, the problem I am having is not so much the batting lineup or order, but our bowling team... We've really, really got to go out all guns blazing for this one and to be honest, I'd rather we **** up REALLY GOING FOR IT as opposed to defending and blocking our way to an embarassing draw or defeat.

 

I'd play the whole fecking lot, the only chance we have of winning then.

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True, but we're in the **** at the moment and his last game form could be described as competent unlike most and even a slight chance of a big score could give us a fighting chance.

 

My team would be:

 

Strauss

Cook

Key

Collingwood

Prior

Freddy

Bopara

Broad

Swan

Anderson

Onions

Edited by Gully
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Headline on the BBC is a strong contender for the "No Sh1t, Sherlock Award 2009"

 

Bopara and Bell struggle for form

 

The good news is Trott made 121 today, the bad news is that Bell made 126 ! Oh and Cook is currently 35* off 30 balls, Bopara due in next but will not have much time though Essex are on a run chase v Middx. 55/0 off 10 overs chasing 241 after Middx set a sporting target by declaring.

Edited by chrisobee
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Andrew Symonds?

 

OK so anyone actually know what the rules are regarding playing & qualifying for different countries?

 

Stuart Law is eligible to play for England, the Aussies have made it clear that Brum born Simmo won't get another game and we will be Freddie less going forwards in SA.

 

His ego would fit right in with KP and boy it would p8ss the Aussies off to have him in at 8 at the Oval

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Andrew Symonds?

 

OK so anyone actually know what the rules are regarding playing & qualifying for different countries?

 

Stuart Law is eligible to play for England, the Aussies have made it clear that Brum born Simmo won't get another game and we will be Freddie less going forwards in SA.

 

His ego would fit right in with KP and boy it would p8ss the Aussies off to have him in at 8 at the Oval

 

Pretty sure the rules are mighty complicated! However, I do have an idea that a player can play after 4/5 years of residence though I also believe if they have played for another country during that period that rules them out for the length of the residency period. ie if they are resident here 2000 onwards but played for another country say until 2009 ( as per Symonds) then it will be 2113/14 before they become eligible for another country. I'm not sure even I totally understand what I've written but I get the gist of it !

Am trying to think back to Keppler Wessels who was the 1st player to play at test level for 2 countries, played his last game for Australia I think in 1985 but then went on to play and captain SA. I think that was around 89/90 though there were unofficial tours during this time including one by England led by Mike Gatting to SA in which Wessels played for SA.

However, to answer the question I'm 99.999% sure Symonds could not play for us !!

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Pretty sure the rules are mighty complicated! However, I do have an idea that a player can play after 4/5 years of residence though I also believe if they have played for another country during that period that rules them out for the length of the residency period. ie if they are resident here 2000 onwards but played for another country say until 2009 ( as per Symonds) then it will be 2113/14 before they become eligible for another country. I'm not sure even I totally understand what I've written but I get the gist of it !

Am trying to think back to Keppler Wessels who was the 1st player to play at test level for 2 countries, played his last game for Australia I think in 1985 but then went on to play and captain SA. I think that was around 89/90 though there were unofficial tours during this time including one by England led by Mike Gatting to SA in which Wessels played for SA.

However, to answer the question I'm 99.999% sure Symonds could not play for us !!

 

Hmm dual nationality vs Passport holder...

 

Would freak the Aussies though!

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The more I think about this the more I think that Tresco coming back for a one off and being the hero may actually help his problem.

 

 

 

 

OK should have used the word HOPE a lot more there

 

he came out the other day and said "no, its in the past, move on and forget it", :-(

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