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England name Ashes squad.

Timbo

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England name Stokes in Ashes squad
Stokes remains vice-captain as England reveal their 16-player touring party for the Magellan Ashes
England have named Ben Stokes in their 16-player squad for the Magellan Ashes, with discarded batsman Gary Ballance and James Vince recalled for the five-Test series in Australia.

England have also called up seamer Jake Ball alongside three uncapped players in paceman Craig Overton, leg-spinner Mason Crane and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, with incumbent No.3 Tom Westley axed.

The ECB also confirmed Stokes will remain England's vice-captain despite the shock news of his arrest on suspicion of assault in Bristol in the early hours of Monday morning.

England Ashes squad: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

The 26-year-old was arrested after his team’s third one-day international against West Indies, before being released under investigation without charge.

On Tuesday, England director of cricket Andrew Strauss confirmed Stokes would be considered for the Ashes on cricketing grounds alone.

Mark Stoneman, who opened alongside Alastair Cook against West Indies, has retained his place in the squad, as has No.5 Dawid Malan.

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subjectStokes arrested in Bristol, out of ODI
But No.3 Westley has been dropped, having struggled after scoring an encouraging debut half-century against South Africa at The Oval, reaching double figures just twice in the seven innings that followed.

Coming in are Vince, who was dropped at the end of the 2016 northern summer following an underwhelming run of seven Tests that saw him post a top score of 42 in 11 innings and average just 19.27.

He has been recalled despite underwhelming domestic form for Hampshire where he averaged 34.82.

Moeen blasts incredible ton in Bristol

Ballance has also been recalled, having scored 85 runs at 21.25 in the two Tests he played against South Africa earlier this year before he was ruled out by a fractured finger.

He was replaced by Westley, who England persisted with against the Windies.

It means England’s tour games in Perth, Adelaide and Townsville could develop into a shootout between Ballance and Vince for the No3 spot at the Gabba.

Ballance and Vince might also be competing with Malan for a place at No.5.

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Foakes has been included as back-up gloveman to Jonny Bairstow, while Jake Ball and Craig Overton round out the pace stocks after Toby Roland-Jones was ruled out of the Ashes due to a stress fracture in his lower back.

Mark Wood, who will return from a heel injury for Durham this week, has not been included, while Crane – who played a Sheffield Shield match for NSW last summer – is included as a potential second spin option alongside Moeen Ali.

“A tour of Australia is the ultimate test for our squad. We have provided Joe Root and Trevor Bayliss with a well-balanced squad with options in all areas," ECB National Selector James Whitaker said.

“After a successful summer, having won the Test series against South Africa and West Indies, there is real competition for places and we have selected a squad that will work hard and compete against Australia, aiming to win the Ashes.

Bairstow ton nets England win in Manchester

“Surrey’s Ben Foakes deserves his selection for the first time at this level. His glovework has been exemplary and he is regarded as a wicketkeeper of the highest quality. He has the ability to contribute with the bat scoring over 680 runs in the Championship this summer at an average of 45.33.

“Craig Overton, who like Foakes has come through the International Pathway, has been involved in the England set-up this summer with the Lions and the IT20 squad. He will now get his chance at Test level. We have been impressed with the way he has led Somerset’s attack over a long period of time. He has taken 43 Championship wickets this summer and will relish playing in Australian conditions.

“The selectors are backing James Vince to make an impact on his recall to the Test squad. He is a quality strokeplayer and we believe his game will suit the Australian pitches. His understanding of the England set-up will help him settle into the environment quickly and hit the ground running when we arrive in Perth next month.”

England have also hired former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond as fast bowling consultant for the first two Ashes Tests, while former ODI captain Paul Collingwood will take a coaching role during the Test series and the ODIs against Australia.

http://www.cricket.com.au/news/engl...-bristol-hales-vince-wood-ballance/2017-09-27

Vince? Malan? Ball? Balance???

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Iafeta

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This years Ashes looks like a battle of the plodders. Balance and Vince in particular scream of England losing the will to live.
 

Bazal

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Lol. Ben Stokes (ASTERISK!!!!!!!!!)

How on earth does Ballance keep getting a run? He's their Marsh.

That's a pretty poor squad, really. We've got some plodders ourselves but that looks even ploddier....no matter what the combination is it'll be a weak middle order, unless Bairstow or Ali finally get moved up.

Even the attack looks light on. I'd have thought Mark Wood was worth a spot, he's quick and he hits the deck and that's the kind of bowler who normally has success out here. Broad and Anderson can turn it on occasionally but they often don't travel that well and Ball and Woakes are hardly terrifying.
 

mozza91

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Just seeing that squad gives me insane confidence. We might need to pick both the Marshes and Wade just to make it competitive.
 

TheParraboy

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If our wickets have bounce, our batsman will collect

Starc, Haze and Cummins will have a party
 

KeepingTheFaith

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5-0 Australia. 4-1 if some shenanigans happen in the day-night test.

Aside from the plod England are sending, Australia are a much different team at home.
 
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Iafeta

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Judging by how much of a dearth of quality there is in that middle order, I assume before getting as desperate as they eventually have that they put out an SOS to Aftab Habib, Ronnie Irani and Mark Ealham who turned them down. So this is essentially their plan B.
 

Fufu Andronez

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Stokes should be in jail not on a cricket pitch. The video of his "brawl" is out.. Pretty bloody damning
 

AlwaysGreen

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Holy shit, just saw the footage.

I'm all for innocent until proven otherwise but he was like a rabid dog. He could have killed that bloke he knocked out.
 

hineyrulz

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The Pommy line up looks about as strong as the Western Suburb Magpies of 1999.


If we don’t we 5 nil Boof, and the selectors and team should be flogged with Bamboo rods and loaded into a cannon and fired into the sun.
 

Tommy Smith

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Judging by how much of a dearth of quality there is in that middle order, I assume before getting as desperate as they eventually have that they put out an SOS to Aftab Habib, Ronnie Irani and Mark Ealham who turned them down. So this is essentially their plan B.
Hahaha Ronnie Irani.

What a name drop... haven't heard that name for about 15 years!

Our "all rounders" back in the halycon days of the mid 90s to early 2000s made the Kiwi 'bit part' cricketers like Chris Harris look like Keith Miller.
 

Tommy Smith

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And after seeing the footage no way can Stokes go.

Which makes this upcoming Ashes tour look even more one sided than it already was set to be.

Only weather can stop Australia winning 5 nil.
 

JJ

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You can take the boy out of South Island rugby league, but you can't take South Island rugby league out of the boy...
 

Bazal

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Someone did say Stokes was threatened with a bottle so maybe there's a little more to it...still shouldn't be coming out here

Rob Key is doing some commentary for Sky at the moment, maybe send him an SOS
 

Bazal

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Actually Paul Collingwood has just ticked over a thousand county runs for the season and will be out here as a coach anyway.

Get into it Paulie!
 

TheParraboy

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Someone did say Stokes was threatened with a bottle so maybe there's a little more to it...still shouldn't be coming out here

Rob Key is doing some commentary for Sky at the moment, maybe send him an SOS


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Das Gupta

Juniors
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That squad sucks.
Ballance? Batting depth can't be that bad. Move Moeen to 5 and pick another bowler. The bowler will probably score move than the plodders Ballance, Vince & Malan anyway.

Unless the conditions somehow turn English or Australia has a massive cluster f**k in their batting. I can't see the Poms taking 20 wickets in a match too many times.
Anderson & Broad are fine bowlers at home but their averages in Australia are well over 30 and they have no front line spinner.
England must want to forfeit the Ashes 5- 0.
 
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