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1st TEST :: New Zealand v England


Be interesting to see if they call up a reserve batsman. Already chat that Cox may not be able to keep in all 3 games.

Wouldn't be surprised if they get Pope keeping in that event and Cox promoted to 3.
 
Be interesting to see if they call up a reserve batsman. Already chat that Cox may not be able to keep in all 3 games.

Wouldn't be surprised if they get Pope keeping in that event and Cox promoted to 3.

Given his form, Pope shouldn’t be playing in it. I really hope they take a proper keeper though, I’ve not seen Cox keep (not many have by all accounts :o) but I do feel uneasy about his lack of experience.
 
Thanks for starting the thread @brandon

Cox feels a random one given he has barely kept, hasn’t he had a back injury?

Have to feel for Robinson, this was surely his best chance…

Does seem very strange that Robinson has missed out again - even if his season with the bat wasn’t the greatest.

I wonder if they’ll look at Tom Pepper on the ODI tour and judge his ability whilst under the spotlight.
 
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Thanks for starting the thread @brandon

Cox feels a random one given he has barely kept, hasn’t he had a back injury?

Have to feel for Robinson, this was surely his best chance…
Yeah I was surprised that they named Cox as the backup batsman over Robinson in the summer.

But once they call up the backup batsman he seems to stay on. Like they did with Lawrence until he got harshly made to open and now discarded.

Why it will be interesting to see who the next 12th man backup batsman is. Hope it is Robinson.
 
Yeah I was surprised that they named Cox as the backup batsman over Robinson in the summer.

But once they call up the backup batsman he seems to stay on. Like they did with Lawrence until he got harshly made to open and now discarded.
Not surprised as the backup batsman particularly, more surprised as a keeper. Unless they think Cox is ready to keep all the tests (they can’t go the Pope route. Surely not)
 
Seen we have the pleasure of Gower dulcet tones again for this series.

Just play every series away so we can have Gower. Leaving Sky and the greedy ECB to get fucked.
 
Seen we have the pleasure of Gower dulcet tones again for this series.

Just play every series away so we can have Gower.

Seems that I am in a minority here as I was really pleased when Sky dumped Gower and Botham as I couldn't stand either of them
 
If Smith can’t play, I’d go with this for the 1st test:

Crawley
Duckett
Stokes
Root
Brook
Cox
Robinson (wk)
Woakes
Atkinson
Potts/Carse
Bashir/Rehan

Hopefully Cox, Smith or someone else can step up to 3 long-term.
 
If Smith can’t play, I’d go with this for the 1st test:

Crawley
Duckett
Stokes
Root
Brook
Cox
Robinson (wk)
Woakes
Atkinson
Potts/Carse
Bashir/Rehan

Hopefully Cox, Smith or someone else can step up to 3 long-term.
Not really sure the form Stokes is in suggests he will be the solution for 3.

Root bats there for me, we can’t keep putting people at 3 especially new people there as it won’t work.

Stokes has to too much other stuff going on fitness, captaining the side, possibly bowling etc etc and any new person coming into side needs time to adapt lower down the order.

Of all the options ( none of them perfect) Root the best one for me to bat there
 
TNT can get fucked too mind. Extortionate now since they took over from BT
IPTV. Flipped to the end of NZ v India once the dust settled in Pindi.
Watched some of WI v SA.

Oh, and just about every PL, EFL etc.

For roughly £50pa.
 
If Smith can’t play, I’d go with this for the 1st test:

Crawley
Duckett
Stokes
Root
Brook
Cox
Robinson (wk)
Woakes
Atkinson
Potts/Carse
Bashir/Rehan

Hopefully Cox, Smith or someone else can step up to 3 long-term.
Would rather play both Potts and Carse and then drop Woakes
 
Not really sure the form Stokes is in suggests he will be the solution for 3.

Root bats there for me, we can’t keep putting people at 3 especially new people there as it won’t work.

Stokes has to too much other stuff going on fitness, captaining the side, possibly bowling etc etc and any new person coming into side needs time to adapt lower down the order.

Of all the options ( none of them perfect) Root the best one for me to bat there
Agree with Root at three. Would move Brook up one to four and then Pope at five. If the lad can’t score runs there then he’s out of the team.
 
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