England Lions squad to play West Indies domestic season

No real surprises-

James Hildreth (Somerset, captain)
Jimmy Adams (Hampshire)
Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Ravi Bopara (Essex)
Danny Briggs (Hampshire)
Maurice Chambers (Essex)
Jade Dernbach (Surrey)
Steve Finn (Middlesex - first half of tour only)
Andrew Gale (Yorkshire)
James Harris (Glamorgan)
Craig Kieswetter (Somerset)
Adam Lyth (Yorkshire)
Liam Plunkett (Durham)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Ben Stokes (Durham)
James Taylor (Leicestershire)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire - second half of tour only)

Hildreth being made captain must mean he's made a good impression in Aus. Bopara, Rashid, and Smerk's Wank Bank Manager the extra players added from the performance squad currently in Australia. Jimmy Adams the only FFS selection, really.

Bairstow is an interesting one. I've only seen him play a couple of T20 knock. Huge talent from what i've heard. Just needs to start scoring hundreds.

Yeah, F*** you Alex Hales you're no Johnny Bairstow

I'm pretty chuffed about this, I reckon having that squad touring will improve the overall standard of our FC competition. In terms of quality, they are a good shout to reach the semis at least and would beat everyone apart from Jamaica and Barbados, with T & T being about equal depending on absentees.

Plus the England players will get to witness first hand just how hard it can be to bat well in our FC competition. If a spinner hit's your pads, you are out basically. The umpiring is shocking. Thats why if a young player like Bravo or Barath averages fourty or more you pretty much know they are ready.

I wonder just how many runs Ravi will score though. No matter what the circumstance for him, Windies bowling = runs galore.

Aside from the omission of Hales (FFS) the only selection I query is that of Plunkett. WTF can England possibly learn by sending the guy on another lions tour?

Oh, and Jimmy Adams - not against him having a go in A team ODI's but 4 days stuff?

No Moeen Ali? Not taking any batsmen then!

Henry wrote:Bairstow is an interesting one. I've only seen him play a couple of T20 knock. Huge talent from what i've heard. Just needs to start scoring hundreds.

Good player. I don't know what his wicket-keeping's like and whether he'll end up doing that full-time.

JKLever wrote:Aside from the omission of Hales (FFS) the only selection I query is that of Plunkett. WTF can England possibly learn by sending the guy on another lions tour?

Oh, and Jimmy Adams - not against him having a go in A team ODI's but 4 days stuff?

Guess they needed another opener, and couldn't pick his Hants team-mate Carbs.

Also, no idea why Finn is touring. Surely he's an established first XI player? On the back of a long domestic season and a tough Ashes battle, he'll be due a few weeks with his feet up.

Jade Dernbach.

That's all.

Filth

I don't see the point in these nowhere cricketers like Adams and Gale getting a go. They shouldn't have an England future and shouldn't, therefore, be involved in an England tour of any kind. Jos Buttler and Alex Hales should have gone instead.

I think Buttler's part of some ECB programme for the winter (spin clinic, as one of the batsmen trying to improve their game against the turning ball, of the top of my head), so he's in the "system". Only his first season as a FC cricketer too.

Not sure what Hales has done wrong to miss out.