On managing Broad and Anderson...

I guess it really depends on what the physio says - bit surprised we didn't go with one of the two at least on the first day of the ashes for their experience. You'd have thought that Broad could play three and Anderson two - horses for courses and everything.

Main difficulty is that without Stokes being fit to take even a medium bowling load, and now that Moeen;s gone you really need to be playing Woakes as the all-rounder (and he's been consistently good) Robinson has earned his place and Wood does give you at least an extra bit of nip... So, without Leach, the bowling attack while all decent, and by no means our main problem, is all too similar and one-paced.

If you could rely on the top order then you could argue the need for Woakes drops off a bit, but I'd be more inclined to drop Malan than Woakes...

All a bit academic as the way the coaches and management have failed to settle/develop Sibley, Crawley, Lawrence is the core of our problems.

Interesting too that the batsmen who fired in the first innings for us (Hameed, Pope) were the ones who've had less time with the england coaches...

Posted By: Cardiff Canary, Dec 9, 08:15:19