Ashes 2019...

[Geoff Parkstone]

Feel a bit for him Adi. Fifth highest run scorer in the series and he might as well have been opening given the repeated failures of one or two of the genuine openers.

Can’t help feeling, Smith apart, it’s in the bowling department that we’ve lost it. Think Broad especially, but also Archer, have been excellent but them apart we’ve been short of a threat.

Both teams are reliant on two or three reliable batsmen but the Aussies always seem to have had three or four decent paceman compared to our two and a better spinner too.

Full marks to Leach and Overton for guts with the bat but I fear their bowling isn’t Test class. Sam Curran for the Oval please...really don’t know what he’s done wrong. Such a pity that Wood and Anderson were injured.

Are you sure Sam Curran isn't your lovechild? Personally don't think he is a test level first change seamer. He could come in for Stokes as 4th seamer, but, unless he is strategically rested, that's not gonna happen.

The lack of Wood in particular has been keenly felt, maybe less so Anderson who is in the evening of his career and we may decide to look beyond for the winter tour (he's always been better in home conditions). Woakes has disappointed, but is worth persevering with.

The spin slot is difficult as Leach hasn't made much of a case for himself, and the door seems to be always kept half open for a resurgent Moeen, should he ever re-surge. Perhaps time to find the attacking legs pinner for the slot - perhaps a Parkinson.

Still the series is still at stake, so I'm not sure there will be much change at Oval unless the selectors give up on it.

[ramAnag]

Are you sure Sam Curran isn't your lovechild? Personally don't think he is a test level first change seamer. He could come in for Stokes as 4th seamer, but, unless he is strategically rested, that's not gonna happen.

The lack of Wood in particular has been keenly felt, maybe less so Anderson who is in the evening of his career and we may decide to look beyond for the winter tour (he's always been better in home conditions). Woakes has disappointed, but is worth persevering with.

The spin slot is difficult as Leach hasn't made much of a case for himself, and the door seems to be always kept half open for a resurgent Moeen, should he ever re-surge. Perhaps time to find the attacking legs pinner for the slot - perhaps a Parkinson.

Still the series is still at stake, so I'm not sure there will be much change at Oval unless the selectors give up on it.

Sadly quite certain, Parky.

Not so sure why he’s not been seen though.
Great success last year, good left arm option, better batsman than many of the specialist batsmen, young enough to be gaining valuable experience for the foreseeable future and with the final Test being at his home ground I’ll be mystified if he’s not selected.
Even though there’s less than we all hoped at stake my side would be...

Burns, Denly, Root, Stokes, Bairstow, Buttler/Roy, Curran, Woakes, Archer, Broad, Leach.

Though in all honesty, unless the Aussies are hungover, I suspect the result will be much the same...fact is...they have the two best batsmen, the two best pacemen and the best spinner...it helps!

[Geoff Parkstone]

Are you sure Sam Curran isn't your lovechild? Personally don't think he is a test level first change seamer. He could come in for Stokes as 4th seamer, but, unless he is strategically rested, that's not gonna happen.

The lack of Wood in particular has been keenly felt, maybe less so Anderson who is in the evening of his career and we may decide to look beyond for the winter tour (he's always been better in home conditions). Woakes has disappointed, but is worth persevering with.

The spin slot is difficult as Leach hasn't made much of a case for himself, and the door seems to be always kept half open for a resurgent Moeen, should he ever re-surge. Perhaps time to find the attacking legs pinner for the slot - perhaps a Parkinson.

Still the series is still at stake, so I'm not sure there will be much change at Oval unless the selectors give up on it.

Well now, how about that for prescience