[1st Test] England v Pakistan (Old Trafford)

[chunkyshanhawk53]

Starts at 11am

Weather: looks a bit iffy today, may get showers. After that should warm up on Friday

Teams: god only knows. Will Stokes be fit to bowl and allow Crawley to play? Will Curran allow Woakes a rest? Wood for Archer? Rest Anderson? No spinner? buggered if I know

 

[brandon]

One of the iconic series’ this. We owe the bassas one aswell given how we’ve fucked up the last twice we’ve hosted them.

Real shame it’s being played under these circumstances though, atmosphere would’ve been electric.

 

[Scotty 1978]

Are these test matches played back to back again?

 

[chunkyshanhawk53]

Are these test matches played back to back again?

August

5-9 1st Test, Old Trafford (11:00 BST)

13-17 2nd Test, Southampton (11:00 BST)

21-25 3rd Test, Southampton (11:00 BST)

28 1st Twenty20 international, Old Trafford (d/n) (18:00 BST)

30 2nd Twenty20 international, Old Trafford (14:30 BST)

September

1 3rd Twenty20 international, Old Trafford (d/n) (18:00 BST)

shamelessly stolen from the @Ghfd thread

 

[Steak Pie]

Damp and quite humid out today, but supposed to be scorching by the weekend.

So the eternal question. Bowl first and hope it's a swinging day, bat and hope it cracks up for the spinner.

Good toss to lose I reckon.

 

[mikemanc]

Starts at 11am

Weather: looks a bit iffy today, may get showers. After that should warm up on Friday

Teams: god only knows. Will Stokes be fit to bowl and allow Crawley to play? Will Curran allow Woakes a rest? Wood for Archer? Rest Anderson? No spinner? buggered if I know

If Stoke is fit I think they'll go Burns, Sibley, Crawley, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Archer, Bess, Broad, Anderson. Anderson will play the 2nd test and Broad the 3rd. They'll maybe bring Wood in for Archer to see if they can get Wood into the 3rd test (no way he'll play two consecutive).

 

[TheRey]

Looking forward to this, always a great series against Pakistan

 

[mikemanc]

Damp and quite humid out today, but supposed to be scorching by the weekend.

So the eternal question. Bowl first and hope it's a swinging day, bat and hope it cracks up for the spinner.

Good toss to lose I reckon.

Didn't realise it was at Old Trafford, glad nobody has asked me for the weather

Looking forward to this, always a great series against Pakistan

Were you a good shoulder to cry on last night?

 

[Liverpool Beachball]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290937318312947712

 

[Brett]

Pakistan win the toss and bat

 

[Scotty 1978]

Pakistan win the toss and choose to bat first

 

[Brett]

Good to see Shane Warne back on the sky team

 

[GuestServices]

I've got a bad feeling about this, batsman short for me, as Warney has said.

 

[mikemanc]

Unchanged team, I guess that means Stokes isn't bowling (or being relied on from the first innings)

 

[Liverpool Beachball]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290943621986951171

 

[mikemanc]

I've got a bad feeling about this, batsman short for me, as Warney has said.

I agree, I think we've gotten too used to the luxury of Stokes being able to bowl quite a few overs.

 

[Liverpool Beachball]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290945698599448578

Pakistan look a batsman short too

 

[Jack Torrance]

Were the players allowed to get a haircut when they were allowed to go home for a couple of days?

 

[cooky]

Should be a cracking series this, certainly makes working at home a bit more interesting. Concerned about the balance of the side the way it is but suppose we are limited without the overs of stokes.

 

[Boo]

I agree, I think we've gotten too used to the luxury of Stokes being able to bowl quite a few overs.

Buttler. Number 6? It's never going to look right.