Just to clarify my thoughts about the Bairstow incident. It wasn’t cheating any more than Chappel bowling underarm to prevent the batsman hitting a six was cheating. You were allowed to bowl underarm. However both incidents rode roughshod over the ethos of the game of cricket and lowered the standards expected from players. It’s significant that both culprits were Australians whose “ win at all costs “ methods cross the line of sportsmanship. If the roles had have been reversed and Bairstow had have run out Carey I would have been deeply embarrassed.
It happened to me once. The opposing captain, was fielding in the slips, said to the wicket keeper - “ Don’t be a dick, go and put the bails back on !”
As you say play every ball on its merits. I get the feeling that our guys have decided on the shot before the bowler has let go of the ball. That’s fatal.
Good teams don’t beat themselves, they find a way to win. Unfortunately at the moment both the England cricket team and Rovers seem to be able to find a way to beat themselves.