Cricket

[Gav]

Excellent knock from Crawley, a player that has been picked over the past few years with eyes firmly on this ashes series. His technical ability and shots at times are sublime, but he needs to improve to called world class right.

All that said, he’s scored plenty of runs in Australia, certainly been a success on the batting side, where as Pope and Ducket, who have been scoring bags full before arriving in Australia, have been found out big time, very disappointing.

[chaddyrovers]

Crawley needs to play that way, no loose stupid driving on the up outside off stump. That was the key to his batting. I think he would benefit from a Langer type coach who would drill that into him. 

Duckett and Pope dismissal are poor ones. Think we need a new opener next to either Crawley or Duckett. A new number 3 and I hope we get Jacob Bethall his chance for the last 2 tests, Not seen much of him as a test player but lets see what he can do. 

[chaddyrovers]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[chaddyrovers]

 

 

[47er]

6 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

England have as many talented players as them

No Jim--we don't. Especially in the bowling ranks. 

[Gav]

39 minutes ago, 47er said:

Especially in the bowling ranks. 

Been really disappointing with only Archer close to the level required. 

[jim mk2]

Well that’s that. A bit of fight this time but the damage was done in the pathetic showing in the first 2 Tests

Jamie Smith must be the epitome of the  Bazball philosophy. Bashes the ball around like he’s playing in a one dayer then inevitably gives his wicket away. Does he realise it’s ok in test  cricket to be circumspect for a while and not every ball has to be lashed to the boundary?

McCullum,s a busted flush. Look forward to his resignation 

[47er]

4 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

Well that’s that. A bit of fight this time but the damage was done in the pathetic showing in the first 2 Tests

Jamie Smith must be the epitome of the  Bazball philosophy. Bashes the ball around like he’s playing in a one dayer then inevitably gives his wicket away. Does he realise it’s ok in test  cricket to be circumspect for a while and not every ball has to be lashed to the boundary?

McCullum,s a busted flush. Look forward to his resignation 

We showed in this test that we could play Test cricket. All we have to do now is to do it for 5 days.

Oh and learn to catch.

[K-Hod]

Obviously things are a bit raw just now, but this comment from Test Match Special was incredibly damning:

This is the fourth successive Ashes tour in which England have lost the first three Tests. By the time Australia visit the UK in 2027, it will be 12 years since England's most recent Ashes series win.

[Gav]

I think I heard recently that England had only won the Ashes back once, since the 1980's, in Australia, which shows how tough and frankly how dominant the Aussies have been over the past 40yrs!

Listening to TMS team, the coverage in my opinion has been really poor this time around, they all thought we were nailed on winners and when reality struck, they all spent the rest of the time telling us how bad ‘bazball’ is, as they’d been duped by positive press and media too!

I’m unsure what will happen next with the current setup, I hope they keep the same people in post, as the past 4yrs has been tremendous for English cricket, but they have failed at the final hurdle and that may well see a change of the guard.

All that said, I’m still looking forward to Melbourne test and more sleepless nights.

[wilsdenrover]

1 hour ago, Gav said:

I think I heard recently that England had only won the Ashes back once, since the 1980's, in Australia, which shows how tough and frankly how dominant the Aussies have been over the past 40yrs!

Listening to TMS team, the coverage in my opinion has been really poor this time around, they all thought we were nailed on winners and when reality struck, they all spent the rest of the time telling us how bad ‘bazball’ is, as they’d been duped by positive press and media too!

I’m unsure what will happen next with the current setup, I hope they keep the same people in post, as the past 4yrs has been tremendous for English cricket, but they have failed at the final hurdle and that may well see a change of the guard.

All that said, I’m still looking forward to Melbourne test and more sleepless nights.

Australia have only won the Ashes back in England once since the 1930s.

Of course this is because the buggars usually already have them when they come over.

 

Edited 6 hours ago by wilsdenrover

[K-Hod]

I do think that Australia absolutely have a much better side than us and the gulf in class between both bowling attacks is massive.

But I don’t think we’re 3-0 before Santa comes down the chimney bad.

[wilsdenrover]

4 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

I do think that Australia absolutely have a much better side than us and the gulf in class between both bowling attacks is massive.

But I don’t think we’re 3-0 before Santa comes down the chimney bad.

Do you think that’s in terms of skills or consistency (or both)?

[K-Hod]

11 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

Do you think that’s in terms of skills or consistency (or both)?

I think in terms of skill tbh.

For me, Archer’s form has been a plus in this series and I’m glad he’s back.

He, Stokes and Root are the ones who emerge with any credit this Ashes, for me.

[jim mk2]

It was imperative England got off to a good start by at least drawing the first Test but they started  badly as always - and from then on it was always going to be difficult

To me that is down purely to poor preparation. Playing a few one dayers as warm up is not the way to prepare for a tough 5-Test series. Why the management thought it would work only they know. Boycott said it was stupidity - and he was right.

The opposition have one exceptional bowler on top form but overall there wasn't much between the bowling attacks. England's bowlers have generally pitched the ball too short - even against the tail enders. That's poor cricket and comes down to the bowling coaches.

England's batmen have seriously underperformed. There's little a batsman can do when he gets a very good ball but so many of our dismissals were down to poor shots and muddled thinking, wickets given away time and again. I blame the Bazball mentality for much of that.

The least England can do is battle hard in the last 2 Tests and show some pride. Now it doesn't matter and the Ashes are gone I wouldn't put it past them to see them win both 

 

 

 

[chaddyrovers]

meaning Baz ball is just wrong. The players need to take some bloody responsible for their shot selections and dismissals. McCullum should take the blame for poor preparations and no proper warm up games. 

Crawley played well in the last inning and that's his platform for continuing that well. Root is our class player. Brook needs to calm down 

I think McCullum will go after this test series but remain white ball coach. Someone like Langer would be choice, speaks with such sense on tv appearances on cricket and the techniques of our players and foot movement