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

[rentaghost]

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.

Lords is unpredictable in that sometimes it’s as flat as a pancake. It was when Smith got that massive 100 against us. It might have been last time also Laba debut? Woody to play if so.

 

[Salem Street South]

Lords is unpredictable in that sometimes it’s as flat as a pancake. It was when Smith got that massive 100 against us. It might have been last time also Laba debut? Woody to play if so.

Yeah you're right. Jimmy is so effective in all conditions for me he plays when fit and available. I'd have Woody ahead of Archer but not sure Stokes will. Most important thing imo is to have the 8 or 9 options that Stokes wants then it'll be a case of choosing the right ones for the conditions. Do that and I'm confident we'll have too much for them

 

[NorthCountryBoy]

Woakes (rotate with Broad, Potts and Wood)
Anderson (all)
Robinson (all)
Leach (unless he’s taken down a la Moeen)

 

[rentaghost]

Woakes (rotate with Broad, Potts and Wood)
Anderson (all)
Robinson (all)
Leach (unless he’s taken down a la Moeen)

Jimmy might miss one of the 5. All tests in 7 weeks?

 

[NorthCountryBoy]

Jimmy might miss one of the 5. All tests in 7 weeks?

Maybe if he has a heavy load in day 5 of one I guess. Most tests are four days or less now though, and there’s a 50% chance that our bowlers will have their feet up on the last of those days.

So if you’re getting 4/5 days’ rest in between games I don’t see the issue.

 

[Jack Torrance]

I’d want Archer or Wood playing in every test, rotate between the pair of them

 

[NorthCountryBoy]

There are some extremely shaky number eights/ long tails in these XIs. That’ll play massively into Woakes’ hands if he has a good start with Warrwickshire.

 

[scotch]

I’d want Archer or Wood playing in every test, rotate between the pair of them

This, need a quick for something different just to disrupt a settled batter.

In shock how many people are leaving Wood out of their best lineup after what he did in pakistan and Australia (I take on board the away to home conditions but he must play for me if fully fit).

Think Jimmy will manage 4 tests personally depending on if things are going well and not over bowled etc...

Now personally I pick Ahmed and a quick every test but think they will go something like

Edgbaston -
Wood
Anderson
Robinson
Leach

Lords -
Woakes
Robinson
Broad
Anderson

Headingley
Archer
Anderson
Robinson
Broad
Leach

Old trafford
Anderson
Wood
Potts
Robinson
Ahmed

The oval
Wood
Archer
Broad
Robinson
Ahmed