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SA v England Test Series

zyderman

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Obviously still three months away but our next series is away in South Africa. Only got the utter irrelevance of ODIs and the champions trophy between now and then so would be interested what everyone thinks regarding the squad and XI.

My initial thoughts are like this:
Cook
Strauss
Pietersen
Trott
Bopara
Prior +
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Harmison
Onions

Rashid, Mahmood, Denly, Carberry, Foster

for me, collingwoods test career has come to an end. No consistency and is never fluent at the crease and he's been shelling a few of late.

Think I've probably omitted a fast bowler from that list but can't recall whom off the top of my head.
 

zyderman

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Forgot to add that it is likely that harmy won't be going as he'll probably retire in which case the much improved mahmoodbwill probs come in.
 

zyderman

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Siders was the man i forgot, he'll be there
 

Jason H

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The "much improved" Mahmood? When was this then? :S

For me the squad will be:

Strauss
Cook
Bell (grrrr!)
KP (if fit - not very likely)
Trott
Colly
Bopara (grrrr!)
Prior
Ambrose
Broad
Swann
Rashid
Anderson
Onions
Sideuknow
Harmison / Bresnan

I personally wouldn't have Bell or Bopara (or Harmison if he is still carrying on), although Owais aside (his face transplant hasn't worked and he has recently lost form) there isn't that much else in the batting department - possibly Carberry.

As a wild card I may consider someone like Steven Finn of Middx, whose bowling would suit the SA pitches.
 

zyderman

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To be honest, I've not seen Mahmood this year, I've just heard that he is a lot better than he was. I was there in Australia when we lost 5-0 and he was so far out of his depth then it was embarrassing.
 

josh4ecfc64

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Anyone else think we are going to get trounced in SA?

They are a pretty decent team, I know we won the Ashes and that but the team, especially the batting line up is pretty weak. Can't see Bopara starting at 3 and Bell is more suited lower down the order.

I would go for something like this.

Strauss
Cook (Is there better out there? I'm not too knowledgable on county cricket but I would hope there is someone out there that can get mroe runs than Cook can)
Bell- (Again; who else?)
KP
Trott
Prior
Broad
Swann
Onions
Anderson
 

zyderman

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I think even winning one test out there will be very tough. They have top batting and bowling lineups and deserve to be#1.

Cooky is a tad infuriating. He is a top player with one glaring flaw that he has not fixed in three years, and is still nearly always dismissed tickling tamely on off stump to the slips. Maybe he will go his whole career like this, many great batsmen are still flawed technically in one way or another. It will take a lot more than one below par series for him to be dropped and rightly so in my opinion.
 

Gozzer

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A series away against the best in the world? England with Pieterson performing well may make a contest of it. Otherwise, for whoever gets picked, it will be back to to earth time.
 

RHINO

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Got to take Monty surely
 

Jason H

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Nah, on form it's Rashid above Monty, and the chances of a match needing two spinners in SA are very slim.

Zyderman - Nah, Mahmood is still very much the same "I'll bowl it up the other end and hope for the best" type of bowler. Hasn't got a clue what he's doing.

I actually think we'll do OK in SA. Call it some kind of mad feeling if you will but I suspect they might be vulnerable. EDIT: We won there last time...
 
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