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England's Ashes Test Team

Alistair20000

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That is what it said in the Torygraph, Sydney Morning Herald, on the wireless and even more reliably in the May edition of The Tedburn Feudal Times and Reactionary Herald.

:)
 

Anonymous

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I think taking more than one spinner on English pitches is a bit of a luxury. Judging by how spin fared in the world cup I would say you want as many pace men in the attack as possible. I know it's a different game but I still fancy Moeen and Adil will get tonked around the park at will. I'd take Rashid over Ali, think there's much more threat from leg spinners in these conditions.
 

IndoMike

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That is what it said in the Torygraph, Sydney Morning Herald, on the wireless and even more reliably in the May edition of The Tedburn Feudal Times and Reactionary Herald.

:)
If it's in the Tebbern press I confess it must be true. Say hi to old cider farmer Bromwell when you see him.
 

Greyhound

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It seems that Al has two distinct images on here. Indo sees him as a smock-wearing, cider-gargling, straw-in-the-hair country yokel. To everyone else, he's a Bentley-owning, chauffeur-employing Lord of the Manor.
 

IndoMike

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It seems that Al has two distinct images on here. Indo sees him as a smock-wearing, cider-gargling, straw-in-the-hair country yokel. To everyone else, he's a Bentley-owning, chauffeur-employing Lord of the Manor.
Interesting point, Greyhound. I guess we do form a vague image of posters based on whatever we know about them, and I'm sure we'd be incredibly surprised to meet our fellow Exewebbers. I must confess I don't personally know one single poster on Exeweb. My image of Ali if I have one does not fit either of the two you mentioned :)
I have some loose ties with Tebbern. When I was 19 a group of friends and I from Newc Uni came down in a van to Exeter with the aim of purchasing a large quantity of scrumpy to sell to a pub in Ponteland, nr. Newcastle. We bought the cider at Brom(w)ell's Cider Farm in Tedburn. My old dear was also born at a farm in Tebbern and her birth (or is it baptism?) is registered in the Tebbern church records. So Ali gets extra brownie points.

Indo
 

Pobbop

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I think taking more than one spinner on English pitches is a bit of a luxury. Judging by how spin fared in the world cup I would say you want as many pace men in the attack as possible. I know it's a different game but I still fancy Moeen and Adil will get tonked around the park at will. I'd take Rashid over Ali, think there's much more threat from leg spinners in these conditions.
On what basis does Ali get dropped really. Averaging 23 in the last year with the ball, and has a consummate home record.

Myth of leg-spinners is an odd thing, Rashid, apart from the semi, did not even have a good World Cup. Apart from Shane Warne, what leg-spinner has done well in England, since maybe Benaud, even Kumble struggled. We really are still in shock and awe over that ball from '93 and the decade or so after.

If you want someone to keep the runs down, then Leach is your option, Moeen and Adil, bowl similar amount of wicket-taking and bad balls, but Moeen is better at it, and a better bat, even if his form is wretched at that ATM.

Edit, just looked and Benaud averaged close to 40 in england too, so just Shane in living memory.
 
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Anonymous

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Leg spin has far more options in terms of the variety of balls - you bring spin to unsettle stubborn batsmen who are in a groove against pace. If you've got someone like Rashid who constantly mixes up googlys and top spinners it is more unsettling than leg breaks. That's my take on it anyway. And yes I probably am still scarred by Warne but lets face it, nobody in Britain has sleepless nights thinking about off spinners...
 

Pobbop

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Leg spin has far more options in terms of the variety of balls - you bring spin to unsettle stubborn batsmen who are in a groove against pace. If you've got someone like Rashid who constantly mixes up googlys and top spinners it is more unsettling than leg breaks. That's my take on it anyway. And yes I probably am still scarred by Warne but lets face it, nobody in Britain has sleepless nights thinking about off spinners...
It's also harder to bowl, particularly in English conditions, where you do not have the pace of the pitch which helps a leg-spinner more, and unless you are Warne you give up much more 4-balls. As I say myth of leggies abound.

I think we had a few sleepless nights about Murali, and Swann was not bad.

This English conditions thing doesn't make that much sense either, Moeen has taken wickets in England at a decent whack, including match-winning performances on many occasions, I really do not see what he has done to be dropped. Took 9 wickets as MOTM against India at Southampton this time last year (Rashid 0-40 in that match BTW), then had great series against Sri Lanka and Windies.

We live in an age where off-spinners have become much more dangerous, simply because DRS gives them more LBW's, which means bats have to play shots, bringing close catchers. into it, pitches are not the seam paradises they were once in England
 

Anonymous

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I really do not see what he has done to be dropped.
He's just had a baby hasn't he? Probably a bit of a distraction, plus he hasnt been in particularly blistering form at the world cup. Also why give up a strong batting slot for another spinner or a seamer? I would be incredibly disappointed if England run with 2 spinners unless the pitch is guaranteed 100% dead as a dodo
 

Rosencrantz

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Would Jason Roy be better coming in at No 3? That is also a trouble spot in the batting line up and a bit of the new ball could be used up. It would still mean finding another opener (Dom Sibley maybe, having a good season although I haven't seen much of him) but would keep Root in his favoured no 4 slot.
 
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