Just for fun, pick your first choice England bowling attack for the Ashes

scotch

Striker
Assuming everyone is fit.

Wood
Archer
Anderson
Robinson
Ahmed

Still leaves - Broad, Woakes, Potts, Mahmood, S Curran, Leach!
 


Assuming everyone is fit.

Wood
Archer
Anderson
Robinson
Ahmed

Still leaves - Broad, Woakes, Potts, Mahmood, S Curran, Leach!
There is also Olly Stone AND Ben Stokes.
Guess they will start with Anderson, Broad, Robinson, Stokes and Leach.
As long as one genuine quick is fit, they could slip in, when needed or pitch is suitable.
 
Assuming everyone is fit.

Wood
Archer
Anderson
Robinson
Ahmed

Still leaves - Broad, Woakes, Potts, Mahmood, S Curran, Leach!
Woakes has to play at Lord's mind. He averages about 14 there.

His average is better than anyone we have in England I believe also.

He averages 35 with the bat at home I think too.

Shame he's so shit away from home.
 
Assuming everyone is fit.

Wood
Archer
Anderson
Robinson
Ahmed

Still leaves - Broad, Woakes, Potts, Mahmood, S Curran, Leach!

That would mean Foakes at 6. Who you leaving out of the batsman?
I'd guess it'll be Robinson, Anderson, Leach and Archer or Wood. Unless they go Woakes in front of Robinson. Stokes seems to have a lot of confidence in Leach, which he's benefited from.
 
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Test team
Crawley
Duckett
Pope
Root
Brook
Stokes
Foakes


think there has to be at least one "quick"
Anderson/Robinson
Broad/Robinson
Wood/Archer/Woakes
(for the seaming pitches)
Leach/Ahmed
Stokes
(extra seamer)
 
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There is also Olly Stone AND Ben Stokes.
Guess they will start with Anderson, Broad, Robinson, Stokes and Leach.
As long as one genuine quick is fit, they could slip in, when needed or pitch is suitable.
Thought I'd put stone in there, my mistake.
Stokes is stokes, plus I really dont think his knee is letting him bowl anywhere like hed want to.

Dont think we will play any test without a quick given how Australias tailenders are decent and Wood has earned that first XI spot with his series in Australia, Pakistan etc...
Woakes has to play at Lord's mind. He averages about 14 there.

His average is better than anyone we have in England I believe also.

He averages 35 with the bat at home I think too.

Shame he's so shit away from home.
Easy arguement to make but how many tests has he played at home recently, not sure how his knee will stand up.

Could see Woakes for 1 test, Broad as 12th man (to see how many Left handers Australia are picking) to chuck in when needed, wood and Archer to rotate in and out 3/2 tests, maybe Stone to play.
Really think S Curran might get a test too
That would mean Foakes at 6. Who you leaving out of the batsman?
I'd guess it'll be Robinson, Anderson, Leach and Archer or Wood. Unless they go Woakes in front of Robinson. Stokes seems to have a lot of confidence in Leach, which he's benefited from.
Crawley gets binned but then trying to fit Bairstow in probably means Archer or Wood and not both :(
Looked up the stats since Stokes took over, I know they dont mean as much now but
Leach - 33 wickets at 41, 3.37 econ
Averaging 7.75 with the bat, just ahead of Jimmy
 
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Crawley gets binned but then trying to fit Bairstow in probably means Archer or Wood and not both :(
Looked up the stats since Stokes took over, I know they dont mean as much now but
Leach - 33 wickets at 41, 3.37 econ
Averaging 7.75 with the bat, just ahead of Jimmy
Long term Rehan Ahmed has to be spinner of choice if he continues developing
 
Anderson
Broad
Robinson
Leach

Fully expect this to be our attack in the first Test.
That just gives me 2013/14 vibes, getting the top order out with good balls whilst the ball is hard then watching Haddin and the tail double their score from 6 down.

New Zealand just did the same in this test, their pace isnt enough to avoid being hit out the attack.

If I was an Aussie I'd go after Anderson from the start, every chance he could get 3-10 but could also be 0-40 from 5 overs etc...jimmy is so good he could get 3-10 just by the batters trying to bat tight.
Test team
Crawley
Duckett
Pope
Root
Brook
Stokes
Foakes


think there has to be at least one "quick"
Anderson/Robinson
Broad/Robinson
Wood/Archer/Woakes
(for the seaming pitches)
Leach/Ahmed
Stokes
(extra seamer)
Bairstow to open if fit, dont often see him nicking off
 
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That just gives me 2013/14 vibes, getting the top order out with good balls whilst the ball is hard then watching Haddin and the tail double their score from 6 down.

New Zealand just did the same in this test, their pace isnt enough to avoid being hit out the attack.

If I was an Aussie I'd go after Anderson from the start, every chance he could get 3-10 but could also be 0-40 from 5 overs etc...jimmy is so good he could get 3-10 just by the batters trying to bat tight.

Bairstow to open if fit, dont often see him nicking off
Maybe, but I don't see their tail being as strong as then. Carey isn't anywhere near as dogged as Haddin, although probably better technically.

Broad and Anderson aren't Archer or Wood pace but they're still quick enough and in our conditions are an absolute handful. Their skills are as good as it gets and they are comfortably first choice by some distance, IMO.

Archer has a bit to do for me before he's worth a place, never mind called first choice. I expect he'll play a role as Stokes loves him, but he's too hit and miss for me at this stage. Wood deserves to be ahead of him but there's obviously question marks with fitness.

Stokes wants 8 seamers to choose from and I think that's right, with the way the series is scheduled we'll probably need most if not all of them. I don't think it'll be, nor should it be, the case where we'll have a first choice attack, it'll be rotation and horses for courses to an extent I think. Same with spin, I wouldn't be surprised to see Leach play 3 and Ahmed 2 or something like that.
 
I wouldn't pick Wood at home. He's way better on overseas wickets.

Anderson plus two from Broad, Robinson, Potts and Woakes, Leach spinner, Stokes as fourth seamer.
 
Anderson, Robinson, Broad, Leach + Stokes if all fit.

Woakes and Archer will get a test or two. Potts, Curran, Wood and Stone all options. Maybe even Mahmood too.

Ahmed and Jacks are probably backup to Leach. Ahmed could take Leach’s place before long though.
 
Anderson
Broad
Robinson
Leach

Fully expect this to be our attack in the first Test.
Probably but won’t be for all 5. I would go with that but wood will play on any flat deck and Woakes instead of either Broad or Jimmy if it’s back to back tests on seaming pitches?

I’m not factoring in Archer yet
 
Probably but won’t be for all 5. I would go with that but wood will play on any flat deck and Woakes instead of either Broad or Jimmy if it’s back to back tests on seaming pitches?

I’m not factoring in Archer yet
Jimmy and Broady want to play every game but there’s an acceptance from them now that they can’t and won’t so yeah agreed there will be changes. Can certainly see a case for Woakes at Lords in the 2nd Test, Potts too.

Think Wood and Archer could both feature, fitness and conditions dependent, but I expect Archer will be ahead of Wood by the summer given how highly Stokes rates him and what he did to Smith in 2019.
 

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