4th. Ashes Test. Manchester.

Donny · Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:18 pm

September 4-8.

Australia v. England.

An Aussie win will retain the Ashes.

Cummins needs a rest. Starc in.

Who will miss out to include Smith - Wade, Khawaja or Harris ?

Donny · Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:20 pm

If Harris, Khawaja would open with Labu at first drop. Or Smith, with Labu at 4.

Donny · Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 6:24 pm

Tour match: Australia v Derbyshire, August 29-31.

K · Joined: 09 Sep 2011

This is purely hypothetical now, but who else bats in the top three in Sheffield Shield cricket? Harris & Khawaja both disgraced themselves. I'm not sure Khawaja should have made the squad at all. Can Burns really be any worse?

K · Joined: 09 Sep 2011

On the other side, playing a specialist batsman at 7 is odd --- and, like Wade, if you can keep but aren't keeping then you are picked as a specialist batsman.

Here's ECB slo-mo from the nets of Buttler in 2014, before what must have been an ODI (because the ball is white):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afbiXBFnwAg

Look at how little footwork there is. He's always on that crease. He never gets back towards the stumps, even for the back-foot defence and the cut.

Donny · Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 5:27 am

Cameron Bancroft
Marcus Harris
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith
Marnus Labuschagne
Matthew Wade
Alex Carey
Mitchell Marsh
Michael Neser
Peter Siddle
Mitchell Starc

Wade will bat at 6.

Donny · Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:01 pm

Derby won the toss. Elected to bat first.

Donny · Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:08 pm

Interesting that Khawaja will open the batting - considering Harris and Bancroft are in the XI.

"Khawaja's Test record in the UK, where he has scored 236 runs from 12 innings at an average of 19.67 and with a top score of 54, might indicate he is susceptible to the swinging Dukes ball that's even tougher to combat when new.

However, in his seven Test innings to date as opener, Khawaja averages an extraordinary 96.80 with two centuries and a top score of 145 – the second-best average of any male player to have opened in five or more innings (behind India's Cheteshwar Pujara – 116.0 from six innings)" - CA website.

Donny · Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:14 pm

Early wicket for Neser. Caught by Wade.

Derby 1/0.

Donny · Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:15 pm

Another duck. Neser has both.

Donny · Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:18 pm

Neser missed the hatty.

Some fun ahead if he outbowls Starc, significantly. Smile

Donny · Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:51 pm

2/35. Leus du Plooy 17*, Luis Reece 14*.

Donny · Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 11:45 pm

3/71. Neser has 3/20 from 8 overs.

Starc 0/15 from 7.

Sids 0/3 from 5.

Donny · Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:09 am

Wicket for Labu. 7 overs 1/28.

4/96.

Donny · Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:22 am

Starc roars back into the limelight, with 3 quick wickets.

Derby 8/154.