Ok, enough poring over the entrails of Adelaide. On to the big one athte Melbourne Cricket Ground, the M.C.G. or as we locals call it the G.
Even though it is dead rubber 100,000 or thereabouts on day one is the usual attendance. Mild weather 19 celsius forecast for Day One. Melbournians will be hoping that local hero Scotty Boland has another stellar effort at his home and favourite ground.
Cummins and Lyon are scratchings- 2 pretty huge outs and you’d assume Smith comes back in. OK that’s 2 bowlers out and a batter in. Hmm.
Surely time for some changes in the English team and maybe don’t announce locked in changes so far in advance this time.
There aren’t really that many changes they can make given the squad. Duckett could do with some time away but there’s no spare opener. Maybe Jacks, but asking him to open would be as unfair as asking him to be our main spinner… Oh. Bethell in for Pope is locked in, surely.
And probably makes sense to rest Archer – he’s played 3 and him getting injured again with the series already lost would be the cherry on top of this mess. So Atkinson or Potts for him. Not the world’s most terrifying pace attack, but here we are.
And why not give Bashir a go, he could no doubt do with some cricket and he couldn’t be worse as our main spinner than Jacks surely…
I’m not terribly hopeful basically.
Rest Archer , gosh. I thought he was starting to get a bit of match fitness that he should have had at the start.
History of breaking down, not exactly what you want in your best/fastest bowler
Cricket really is another language. Do they all speak it, down-under?
Becoming less so.
Back here, in the Daily Torygraph Sir Geoffrey of Boycott has waded in regarding Bazball saying No-one wants to see dour cricket but…” which is a tiny bit rich coming from him. Michael Vaughan has been sticking the knives in too.
How are you Junior since your accident? I hope all’s well
Cricket? Couldn’t care less, that’s unless we’re winning! 🤣