: Mon May 18, 2009 12:11 pm  

PAUL M wrote:

Nearly there now, Bresnan has taken two wickets but I can't see it saving his place in the Test team.

Nah, Flintoff will come back in half-fit, score a couple of runs and knock over a couple of tail enders only for Sir Ian to orgasm over every contribution he makes.

Personally I think Bresnan's bowled well in this game without picking up the rewards he's deserved. He's had one bat in the series and got a poor decision.

To drop him in favour of the money grabbing fat Lanky show pony would be a poor decision, but I've come to expect it where England's cosy club of team selection is concerned.

: Mon May 18, 2009 12:18 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Nah, Flintoff will come back in half-fit, score a couple of runs and knock over a couple of tail enders only for Sir Ian to orgasm over every contribution he makes.

Personally I think Bresnan's bowled well in this game without picking up the rewards he's deserved. He's had one bat in the series and got a poor decision.

To drop him in favour of the money grabbing fat Lanky show pony would be a poor decision, but I've come to expect it where England's cosy club of team selection is concerned.

I wish you would speak your mind Andy.

I don't think Flintoff will be fir for the first test tbh but I still don't think Bresnan will get a shot, unfortunately he has not quite done enough although he was unlucky with the bat.

The option for the first test could well be to play an extra spinner as the wicket the other week was turning massively.

Flinotff won;t be playing the 20/20 so he will have two county matches to prove his fitness, I also wonder about Onions, he does take wickets but seems to be very expensive too. Still the wickets is the important part and as long as he is taking them he should keep his spot.

: Mon May 18, 2009 12:37 pm  

PAUL M wrote:

Flinotff won;t be playing the 20/20 so he will have two county matches to prove his fitness.

He'll have to do something pretty spectacular in those two games to get his place back IMO.

Ian Bell opened the season with a bucketload of runs for Warwickshire but it wasn't enough to get his place in the side back. If an exception gets made for Flintoff then the Aussies will be licking their lips.

: Mon May 18, 2009 12:58 pm  

176 all out, Anderson 4-38 Bresnan 3-45.

: Mon May 18, 2009 1:01 pm  

Great bowling from Anderson and Bresnan to finish it off. I'd like to see Bresnan get a shot in the Ashes, but it's not likely.

: Mon May 18, 2009 1:04 pm  

GT wrote:

Great bowling from Anderson and Bresnan to finish it off. I'd like to see Bresnan get a shot in the Ashes, but it's not likely.

Aye.

It can't harm to let him have one Test to have a shot at the Aussies. If it doesn't work it can always be changed for the next one. It's certainly better IMO than chucking old and failed players like Harmison back in.

: Mon May 18, 2009 7:21 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Nah, Flintoff will come back in half-fit, score a couple of runs and knock over a couple of tail enders only for Sir Ian to orgasm over every contribution he makes.

Personally I think Bresnan's bowled well in this game without picking up the rewards he's deserved. He's had one bat in the series and got a poor decision.

To drop him in favour of the money grabbing fat Lanky show pony would be a poor decision, but I've come to expect it where England's cosy club of team selection is concerned.

No Yorkshire bias coming in there
No Flintoff,no ashes.

: Mon May 18, 2009 9:02 pm  

Bresnan bowled well throughout the day from what I have seen, listened to and read and, providing he performs for Yorkshire between now and the Ashes, is probably first in line for the job when Flintoff's fitness lets him down.

In a way it is a shame for him that it is now an Ashes series, he might have been kept in against a lesser light as Flintoff might not have been rushed back in like he will be.

: Tue May 19, 2009 9:35 am  

DAR130 wrote:

No Yorkshire bias coming in there
No Flintoff,no ashes.

You are kidding, aren't you?

Flintoff is a pale shadow of the player he was in 2005 - he can barely get through a couple of months without breaking down again, his batting has disappeared down the sh*tter to the point he probably wouldn't bat any higher than 7 if he got back in the team.

About the only part of the England side he would enhance at the minute would be the close catching.

A fully fit Flintoff is a different beast altogether I'll grant you, but when was the last time England saw one of those?

: Tue May 19, 2009 12:57 pm  

GT wrote:

Great bowling from Anderson and Bresnan to finish it off. I'd like to see Bresnan get a shot in the Ashes, but it's not likely.

agreed, mainly because we could play 2 spinners later on in the series if pitches wear a bit

he deserves another chance though at some point - and there is the other school of thought that he is a bit of an unknown quantity to the aussies

i think one of the key men could be broad - he seems to get better almost every game both bat and ball