Ashes 2013

 

The Sam Robson Mystery

 

August 15^th

 

[09:00 CEST] On a day when people are just trying to absorb what has gone before the biggest news is a missing name. On Friday the England Lions start a two day game against Australia. Originally intended to be a game with Northants, they are involved in T20 Finals Day and have thus had to withdraw from the fixture. Long gone are the days of the 1953 tourists who played two three-day games against each county except Glamorgan (who only got a single match), plus a host of festival games and a game in Holland. The 2013 tourists have had a single 3-day county game and now this one as their only matches after the start of the Tests. Such is the current level of hysteria that people are even asking whether or not Australia could lose this game too.

Not too much publicity has been given to the England Lions side, but there are a couple of interesting selections and a couple of even more interesting omissions. Northants, Essex, Hampshire and Surrey are involved in Finals Day, so their players cannot be considered. Middlesex though are not and James Harris, coming back from injury, is included but, despite recently being ruled eligible for Lions duty, Sam Robson is not. If England are (a) serious about Sam Robson and (b) worried that Australia might snatch him for the return Ashes series, this was a perfect opportunity to tie him down. Adil Rashid, whose early season for was so sparkling and Nick Compton are also missing. In contrast, Eoin Morgan, not long ago a Test regular and now seemingly unlikely to play again bar a spate of injuries, captains the side and Liam Plunkett, an Ashes veteran of 2006/07 who lost his way, is in the side. Plunkett seems to be getting closer and closer to a possible England re-call and would be my dark horse for the spare paceman slot this winter that went to Chris Woakes last winter. Simon Kerrigan who, surely, will be in the England side soon, is also picked, as is Gary Balance another very bright prospect and Moeen Ali, a batsman who is developing into a fine off-spinner.

From the Australian camp there is very little apart from a spate of comments about how painful defeat has been. Their side for the Lions game may be more eloquent about the direction of their plans.