England's Selection in a Spin

England have won their second warm up match, with the Pakistan Cricket Board XI crumbling to a 100 run defeat at the hands of the-best-team-in-the-world(TM). The big story from the game concerns Monty Panesar, who certainly put forward his case for test selection with 8 wickets in the match. Monty hasn't played tests since THAT game at Cardiff in 2009, but has he given himself a shot at getting into England's XI for the first test starting on Tuesday?

Common cricketing logic dictates that a team touring the subcontinent (yes, this isn't actually the subcontinent, but the pitches will be close enough) play two spinners, which England probably want to do. However, the selectors lives are made much harder with the lack of a genuine all-rounder. If there was a Flintoff style player who is good enough to bat in the top seven as well as being a test-class bowler, then Monty would happily slip into the team alongside Swann, Anderson and Broad, with Eoin Morgan the unlucky batsman to miss out. Sadly this is not the case. England's selection policy has been reserved to say the least over the past few years, with Andy Flower still bearing the mental scars of the horrific Ashes test at Headingley in 2009 where England played five bowlers, had no backbone to their batting, and collapsed miserably. Broad has developed as a batsman (the most recent game against Pakistan where he got 169 is testament to that) but doubts remain as to whether he's consistent enough as a test number seven. While he did score runs against India, that was the first time in a long while that he done anything with the bat, and moving him up the order (especially given Panesar's notorious inability with the blade) could be a recipe for disaster. Seeing as the closest thing England have to a proper all-rounder in Tim Bresnan will be watching the series from the comfort of The North, Flower will be very reticent in vastly altering the shape of the team to accommodate an extra spinner.

Another option would be to play only two seamers, with the dual spin of Panesar and Swann, as they did in the warm-up game (with Tremlett and Onions playing the roles of Anderson and Broad). While there would be a lot of testing spin, rotating the two fast bowlers would be tricky, especially in the new-ball period which seems to offer a lot out in the UAE. England no longer have the handy holding overs of Paul Collingwood to toss the ball to, which would make this option a no-goer as well.

The third way to get Monty back into the England team would be to play him instead of Graeme Swann. Dissenting voices of Swann have mentioned his lack of wickets over the last 12 months, but surely dropping the-best-spinner-in-the-world(TM) would be wrong? Yes, Swann hasn't taken many wickets recently, but that's mainly because the fast bowlers have done the majority of the damage on pretty green pitches. When Swann has needed to step up on a final day (Adelaide v Australia, The Oval v India), he's made match-winning performances to seal victories. Besides, dropping a key player would be very un-England, where the success has come from consistent selection, backing their players, and allowing those in poor trots to come good. Swann may not be in a bad trot, but he hasn't dominated a series in a while, but on the first tour with turning pitches since he decimated Bangladesh two years ago, Swann has the chance to tear them apart, again.

All in all, Monty Panesar won't play. As much as playing two spinners is important in these conditions, there isn't really any way (short of calling up Samit Patel, which they should have done in the first place) of getting two spinners into the team without sacrificing a batsman or a fast bowler. While Panesar took the wickets to win the game, the most important wicket of the match was that of Fawad Alam, who was caught Trott bowled Pietersen. If England go in with only one frontline spinner, Kevin Pietersen will have to turn his arm over a fair bit, and that wicket will give Flower, Strauss and the selectors confidence that he can do his bit. Whether or not they think that after the first test remains to be seen...

Day Two at Lord's

Before play started...: Sri Lanka started well after winning the toss and sticking England in, but the hosts fought back as honours were even after Day 1

Where did it all go wrong for Sri Lanka?: Bowled (and fielded) very poorly as England raced along to lunch, probably adding 50-70 more runs then they should have been allowed to.

Where did it all go right for Sri Lanka?: The big partnership keeping them well in this match

Where did it all go wrong for England?: The bowling was erratic and not particularly threatening.

Where did it all go right for England?: The late order runs (at a great pace) in the morning meant realistically England shouldn't lose.

Who won each session?: Morning - England. Afternoon and Evening - Sri Lanka.

Who's winning the game?: Always favour runs on the board, but with Dilshan in and Sri Lanka only 200-odd behind, they could get a handy first innings lead.

Shot of the day: Paranavitana creaming Finn through the covers for an exquisite four. Punishing.

Ball of the day: One of the ones from Broad's first over, or Tremlett's to Dilshan which lifted sharply and hit the thumb. But not a great day for the bowlers otherwise...

Man of the day: Tillakaratne Dilshan - a glorious hundred which was just what his team needed after a collapse at Cardiff and conceding plenty in the first innings. (Props too to Matt Prior for completing the hundred)

Mug(s) of the day: The bowlers. It wasn't a great day to turn your arm over.

Short Midwicket Name Drops of the Day: Monty Panesar. Weirdly, not at the cricket, but outside Lush at Victoria Station. He looked surprised to be recognised on a day out in London with wifey.

Ashes Build Up Bingo

We have now entered November - the month the Ashes starts. Unofficially Ashes build-up (such as the "war of words" and "gaining of momentum") has been going on since last August (when Ashes 2009 finished), but now we're into overdrive.

So here's your handy cut out and keep Ashes bingo game. You get one point every time someone comes out and says something here, and when you get enough points, you win a prize. Or something.


Ricky Ponting saying "aw mate" before every answer
An ex Aussie captain claiming England aren't good enough
An ex English captain claiming Australia aren't good enough
KP claiming he's ready and back in form
Shane Watson saying something stupid
An Aussie player writing off an English player
An English player refusing to write off an Aussie player
An English player slagging off John Buchanan
An Aussie player slagging off John Buchanan
John Buchanan slagging off an English or Aussie player
Talk of Michael Clarke taking over as Aussie captain
Talk of Cameron White taking over as Aussie captain
Talk of how well Monty Panesar is bowling in the nets
A stupid injury caused to a key English player talked down by Flower / Strauss
A stupid injury caused to a key English player talked up by associated press
Single figure scores in state cricket being just cause for someone being dropped
Somebody in form touted from nowhere to start in Brisbane
Calls from everywhere for Marcus North to be dropped
Support from Ricky Ponting for Marcus North
Michael Clarke writing something uninteresting on Twitter
Tim Bresnan insulting someone on Twitter
Monty Panesar coming out and saying how well he's "hitting his areas"
Doug Bollinger to feature in an Advanced Hair Studio advert with Shane Warne and Michael Vaughan
English media calling England under prepared
Aussie media calling England over prepared
Steve Finn touted as new Glenn McGrath
Calls for Steve Finn to be dropped for Chris Tremlett
Eoin Morgan getting sunburn
Ex-players / pundits / bloggers / current players calling for Nathan Hauritz to be dropped
Ex-players / pundits / bloggers / current players calling for Marcus North to be dropped
Talk of how a meaningless T20 game v Sri Lanka can affect the outcome of the Ashes
Glenn McGrath to predict a 5-0 Aussie win


To keep up to date with who has the all-important Ashes Momenutum, check out the very handy Ashes Momentum Tracker


Update: 3rd November - Meant to be a facetious list (with the final prediction being the most ridiculous of all), Glenn McGrath predicting a 5-0 whitewash actually happened. Weird.

Boot-Camp

So our England Ashes team have returned from their trip away. Some have called it boot-camp, others team-building, and worryingly, the ECB Website calls it a bonding exercise.

The camp, which was held in Bavaria close to Nuremburg, involved players undertaking mental and physical challenges designed to better prepare them for the challenges of playing international cricket.

As well as overcoming a series of physical challenges, the team also learned more about leadership, how to make difficult decisions under pressure and the factors that make teams successful.

Their visit concluded earlier today with a trip to the memorial site at Dachau, the first of Hitler’s concentration camps where more than 40,000 people died during the 12 years of its existence from 1933-1945

By all accounts the players got to know each other better, had a bit of team-building, a bit of a laugh, and basically had a week away from cricket which will help the squad bond.

Some people (mainly "old school" ex-cricketers) have been bad-mouthing the boot-camp, but I honestly see no disadvantages to the trip. The players will have become closer both as people and as team-mates, and that can only be good. While abseiling or hiking may not help while facing Bollinger or Johnson, it will help team-spirit on a trip where famously English sides have fallen out. It's all about being totally prepared, an element which was clearly lacking in England's terrible 2006/7 defence of the urn. The fact that Tredwell, Kieswetter and Shahzad went out also shows that England see them as part of the "squad at large" even if they didn't make it into the Ashes 16. But that's by the by.

Here's the real reason for this post - some pictures of boot-camp.


















Steve Finn v Monty Panesar? Hardly seems a fair fight...

The Ashes Build-Up Starts Here

So it's official. And because it's on BBC Sport, it's very official. The build-up to the Ashes has officially started. (Well, I started my Ashes build-up on March 4th, when the tag Ashes 2010/11 Build-Up was born).

Oliver Brett (you know... him. You probably follow him on Twitter) has got a few of his TMS mates around, and they've all picked their Ashes squads. The rules are that the squads must comprise 16 players.

For what they're worth (to stop you leaving this site, as you might never return...), here are the squads.

Jonathan Agnew and Alec Stewart

Andrew Strauss
Alastair Cook
Jonathan Trott
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Eoin Morgan
Matt Prior
Stuart Broad
Graeme Swann
James Anderson
Steven Finn

Ian Bell
Steven Davies
Tim Bresnan
Ajmal Shahzad
Monty Panesar

Interesting selections from Aggers and Stu - the first choice eleven was no surprise but having Monty in there is somewhat of a surprise given that... well it's Monty! Jimmy Tredwell appeared to have the second-spinner's berth nailed down - but not in the eyes of these two who want the experience of Panesar as a potential replacement for an injured Swann.


Phil Tufnell

Andrew Strauss
Alastair Cook
Jonathan Trott
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Eoin Morgan
Matt Prior
Stuart Broad
Graeme Swann
James Anderson
Steven Finn

Ian Bell
Craig Kieswetter
Tim Bresnan
Michael Carberry
Monty Panesar

Tuffers also would pick Monty, as well as Kieswetter ahead of Davies, and Carberry in there as a replacement bat. He'd also have Bresnan as the replacement bowler.


Oliver Brett

Andrew Strauss
Alastair Cook
Jonathan Trott
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Eoin Morgan
Matt Prior
Stuart Broad
Graeme Swann
James Anderson
Steven Finn

Ian Bell
Steven Davies
Ryan Sidebottom
Ajmal Shahzad
Adil Rashid

Case of one Yorkie out, and one in as Adil Rashid is picked by BBC's Brett, and Tim Bresnan dropped for Ryan Sidebottom. Davies is retained as well.


Interesting stuff, I'm sure you'll agree. So for my two-pennies worth.

My picks

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Prior
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Finn

Morgan
Davies
Bresnan
Rashid
Woakes

So my first eleven has Bell in it ahead of Morgan (I know, sorry. But Morgs isn't really a test player yet), and has three uncapped players in the five man replacements. I see Davies both as my replacement wicket-keeper and as my reserve opener - a job he's performed well in for Surrey. Bresnan's in as my all-rounder, Rashid as an all-round spinner who can offer something different. And Chris Woakes. Who is a really promising player who will no doubt play many times for England, and can use the experience of an Ashes tour (even if he's only carrying drinks) as a massive step in his development.

Anyway, that's what I think. And yes, I may be going early (in that England have a T20/ODI series yet to play against Pakistan) but whatever. I'm excited for the Ashes.


Agree? Disagree? Tell me your thoughts in the comments, and I'll tell you why you're wrong. *Unless you agree with me, in which case, you're right.

People Are Stupid

I like going to Lord's. I like it even more when I don't have to pay to go. And I like it better when I get paid to go.

After my work (in which I heard England collapse from an office), I get to pick a seat and watch. Today I picked the Mound Stand. Yesterday it was the Edrich. I also like this.

However, the drawback of sitting in the stands is that I have to listen to people nearby. The commoners. The plebs.

Stuart Broad has been hampered his whole career by being called Chris. For those who watched his dad, calling StuBro Chris happens every now-and-again; a slip of the tongue. Fair enough. What isn't fair enough is continually calling him Chris. Broady Jr has been playing internationally for four years now. How hard is it to learn the name of a World Cup and Ashes winning staple in the side.

Misinformed opinions often grace the stands. A group of five lads who clearly know their cricket were sitting next to me discussing spinners. (Not Shane Warne's pants, actual tweakers). 4 of the 5 would pick Monty Panesar over Graeme Swann. Really? One opined that Swann's (who made a duck) batting wasn't as good as Monty's, who batted well at Cardiff. Seriously?

And don't even get me started on "Tony" who texted into the big screen saying that Anderson could "swing the Effiel Tower"...

What England owe Ravi

Kevin Pietersen, star of England's World T20 win over South Africa has flown home. In his place comes the black sheep of English cricket Ravi Bopara. Bopara, scapegoated and slaughtered for four indifferent tests on the back of three successive hundreds, has been dropped out of the one day side, and become an unloved, unwanted pariah.

But it wasn't too long ago when Ravi Bopara was the great hope of English cricket. A mainstay of the one-day team (having been part of some fantastic innings - Sri Lanka and India in 2007 to name two), Bopara made English cricket history by scoring three successive test hundreds against the West Indies last year. Bopara was fast-tracked into the test team as a specialist number three (a position he is unfamiliar with) for last summer, but after a few failures he was bombed out for the final Ashes test for the untried Jonathan Trott. Bopara didn't even make the squad for the tour of South Africa, in either the test or one day squad, but was surprisingly named in the World T20 squad. Some would say to simply justify his central contract. But who would be that controversial?

England owe Ravi Bopara. Big time. Ravi is one of our most talented batsmen, and there is no way there isn't a place for him in one of the codes. After those three hundreds (albeit against a West Indies team who had no idea why they were there), Bopara should have nailed on a place in the team for the next five years. Ian Bell has carved out a career from making a score every 10 tests, and he keeps his place. Yes, Bopara had a poor Ashes, but there's no way that Bell deserved to play in that final test ahead of Ravi. Bopara had a poor four tests, Bell had a poor four years. Bell's England career seems to be based on the principle that "he's due runs". What's to say Bopara isn't due runs? Players go in and out of form, and as any cliché-enthusiast will tell you, form is temporary but class is permanent. (Copyright every blog about Dimitar Berbatov ever). Can the selectors really justify Bell over Bopara, when Ravi is clearly the better batsman?

Ravi is definately owed one by the ECB. For the final day at the Oval, where the Ashes was clinched, every England player who played in the series got a medal, lap of honour, and a mention in Andrew Strauss' speech. Monty Panesar, who played in one test, got a special mention. Bopara's imput into England winning was slight, but at least he was part of a test winning team at Lord's. Panesar played out a draw. Bopara's cumulative score of 1-1 was the same as Steve Harmison and Graham Onions, and was equal to Panesar's 0-0. But Onions and Panesar (along with Kevin Pietersen) were all out for the lap of honour, basking in the reflective glory of an Ashes win. Bopara was playing for Essex at Chelmsford.

Bopara didn't make the squads for the tours to South Africa and Bangladesh, or the squad for the T20 tour of Dubai against Pakistan. He made a solid fifty in the T20 warm-up game before this tournament, before he was again dropped. England do owe Ravi Bopara, but ultimately, Ravi Bopara owes England a few scores. If he can make a few match-winning contributions as England win the World T20, Bopara can force himself back into the selectors reckoning for further test and ODI honours. Bopara owes it to himself to make runs. Hopefully starting tonight against New Zealand.