Ashes to Ashes

[Satchmo Distel]

Good. I would like to see how he compares to the other three in these conditions. If he gets significant swing on a good length, it could be another series changer.

[ursus arctos]

The expectation is that he will, given his performance against Derbyshire.

[Satchmo Distel]

Any clues on whether Starc will get the nod over Siddle?

[ad hoc]

Yes, that was my thought. Why haven;t they picked Curran?

[diggedy derek]

I love Khawaja, but this looks a bold and decisive team selection by Australia – Marnus, Smith makes for a tough heart of the batting unit, and Starc will be a threat. Denley at the top of the order is best of a bad job right now, but I would have liked to see Roy dropped. A triumphant win would have been a good time to politely usher him out, without any blame games. Overton sounds uninspiring but if Woakes is not fit then it's a logical step. I'm surprised they haven't gone for Sam Curran though, I thought they might be gagging to get him in the team.

[Kevin S]

That's the expectation, yes, with Smith coming back at 4

Well they've got two of the three best batters in the series with Labuschagne and Smith, having them both available may well be decisive.

[Kevin S]

So, Denly to open with Roy coming in at four.

I suppose that whatever happens can't be any worse than what we've experienced so far.

Can it?

Roy and Buttler are averaging 9 runs each for the series, so there probably is very little chance of that part of the team getting worse.

[ursus arctos]

That's the expectation, yes, with Smith coming back at 4

[Ray de Galles]

The other lot have dropped Khawaja

Labuschagne batting at 3, I presume? Starc in the squad with Pattinson rested too.

[Kevin S]

I think he's not quite fully fit.

Weird to say it, but I hope that's the case as I'd rather he wasn't dropped!

Looking at the bowing figures altogether there - Archer really is exceptional, isn't he.

[Kevin S]

Here's the top 20 run-scorers so far. Cricbuzz the source for these, by the way.

POS	PLAYER	TEAM	INNS	RUNS	AVG	SR	Fours	Sixes
1	Steven Smith	Australia	3	378	126.0	64.40	44	2
2	Ben Stokes	England	6	327	81.8	60.22	35	11
3	Rory Burns	England	6	242	40.3	42.23	29	-
4	Marnus Labuschagne	Australia	3	213	71.0	51.20	26	-
5	Joe Root	England	6	176	29.3	43.56	19	-
6	Travis Head	Australia	6	160	32.0	45.71	24	-
7	Matthew Wade	Australia	6	151	25.2	58.08	24	-
8	Joe Denly	England	6	147	24.5	39.30	22	-
9	Jonny Bairstow	England	6	136	27.2	52.71	15	2
10	Usman Khawaja	Australia	6	122	20.3	64.89	17	-
11	Chris Woakes	England	5	112	28.0	49.12	12	2
12	David Warner	Australia	6	79	13.2	54.11	10	-
13	Tim Paine	Australia	6	78	13.0	45.09	6	1
14	James Pattinson	Australia	4	69	23.0	65.09	4	4
15	Pat Cummins	Australia	6	58	14.5	36.48	7	-
16	Jason Roy	England	6	57	9.5	44.19	9	-
17	Jos Buttler	England	6	55	9.2	28.80	6	-
18	Peter Siddle	Australia	2	53	26.5	45.69	5	-
19	Cameron Bancroft	Australia	4	44	11.0	27.16	6	-
20	Stuart Broad	England	5	44	11.0	48.89	5	-

[Etienne]

I think he's not quite fully fit.

[Kevin S]

Feels a bit harsh on Woakes, this, but I appreciate opinion is divided on him. To my eyes his strike and econ rates are not far behind Broad's this series:

POS	PLAYER	TEAM	MATCHES	BALLS	RUNS	WKTS	4-FERS	5-FERS	STRIKE	ECON
1	Pat Cummins	Australia	3	697	315	17	1	-	41.0	2.71
2	Nathan Lyon	Australia	3	894	447	14	-	1	63.9	3.00
3	Stuart Broad	England	3	655	355	14	1	1	46.8	3.25
4	Jofra Archer	England	2	451	176	13	-	1	34.7	2.34
5	Josh Hazlewood	Australia	2	473	216	12	1	1	39.4	2.74
6	Chris Woakes	England	3	468	261	9	-	-	52.0	3.35
7	Ben Stokes	England	3	506	297	8	-	-	63.3	3.52
8	James Pattinson	Australia	2	390	167	5	-	-	78.0	2.57
9	Jack Leach	England	2	231	102	5	-	-	46.2	2.65
10	Peter Siddle	Australia	2	402	182	5	-	-	80.4	2.72

[ursus arctos]

The other lot have dropped Khawaja

[ad hoc]

So, Denly to open with Roy coming in at four.

I suppose that whatever happens can't be any worse than what we've experienced so far.

Can it?

Sorry, just realised you;d already said much of what i just said. I think moving Roy to 4 makes sense. Though the main problem, that is to say having no trust in either opener, remains.

[ad hoc]

Overton in for Woakes, Denly to open with Burns, Roy shunted down to 4.

[Nocturnal Submission]

So, Denly to open with Roy coming in at four.

I suppose that whatever happens can't be any worse than what we've experienced so far.

Can it?

[Antepli Ejderha]

Anderson officially out of the series

Does this also mean the end of his test career?

[Nocturnal Submission]

Smith out for 23 against Derbyshire.

Get Matthew Critchley in the England squad right away!

[Nocturnal Submission]

Shame but if he's not fit I'd rather not risk him.

[ursus arctos]

Anderson officially out of the series

[Nocturnal Submission]

He's only 28. I thought that he was a veteran who had bowled under my radar for the last 15 years or so.

[Levin]

Well this made me smile more than I expected it to.

https://twitter.com/TheCricketerMag/status/1166358928076288002

[Satchmo Distel]

It would be a massive strain on the seamers if Anderson pulled up again and they had no Woakes. Australia ought to give Starc a go.

[Kevin S]

Actually Jennings' average in the Championship this year (28) is lower than his career FC average (33) so he's not even in good form by his own standards - notwithstanding his weakness against seam. I must have been blindsided by his good knock against Glamorgan the other week.