******Cricket Thread******

[Neville Kneville]

So you finally got your e-tickets then? ;)

Hopefully you see some decent resistance tomorrow - and if we escape with a draw, it’ll feel like a win.

Nope, I logged into the account I created when I paid for them & they were in there, as downloadable files. They didn't bother emailing me, to let me know. (And all fucking named the same, they couldn't even be arsed with 1,2, 3 so I was getting a message re if I wanted to download the same file again) Swales lives

It was a better effort, albeit without particular skill from most of the batsmen.

If they had shown more concentration & determination in the first innings, they would have saved the game with time to spare. But, had they done so, would then be going into the next test with 3 batsmen for whom scoring 30, is like scoring 100, whilst they have Smith, to paper over their shit.

Surely they have to change at least a couple of positions, just give some a try out ?

 

[Gray]

Root banging on about how he is the man for the job of captaincy.

If that is the best we can do then heaven help the England test team going forward.

 

[wattle]

Unchanged squad for the oval. Staggering decision

 

[Gabriel]

Unchanged squad for the oval. Staggering decision

Probably see Woakes back in for Overton, though they arguably got that the wrong way round, and Curran in for Stokes.

 

[waspish]

Fcuking pissing it down in manchester where was this yesterday!?

Same squad and Root speech is everything I expected after this loss.

 

[ancoats]

Root banging on about how he is the man for the job of captaincy.

If that is the best we can do then heaven help the England test team going forward.

the thing is he can not defend results and has nothing to back it up with, the right man for the job quote ?? he will say all the right things in a interview but plain old facts say other wise and he is not good enough, look its not just him but the head coach bowling coaches batting coaches the whole setup is wrong, we have had 3 games at trying to get smith out early and think he is at 600 runs or more in 3 test ??? that can not be right ok he is a great batter, but root and england are just adding the fuel to the fire by the bowling and field settings, and i truly think they have given up and roots only plan was to hoped to get the rest out leaving him not out

there will be a new head coach come next week and hopefully its micky arther who i like and lets hope he gets full control with his own backroom staff and coaches and pick of captain ?? i doubt he will get any of the above and root will be still captain and most of the setup from the ashes will still be in the squad

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Unchanged squad for the oval. Staggering decision

3-1 it is then.

 

[BLUEMATT23]

Unchanged squad for the oval. Staggering decision

Not really when you think about it.
Due to the domestic scheduling it's been all t20 blast last few weeks, bar 1 round of championship games.
It's not really fair to throw in an unknown or a youngster for 1 game when chances are they haven't been able to play domestic games.
I personally also blame the international schedule and the world cup win for our poor Ashes showing.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Not really when you think about it.
Due to the domestic scheduling it's been all t20 blast last few weeks, bar 1 round of championship games.
It's not really fair to throw in an unknown or a youngster for 1 game when chances are they haven't been able to play domestic games.
I personally also blame the international schedule and the world cup win for our poor Ashes showing.

Sibley and Crawley both made ducks in their only 4 day game in months. I agree it doesn’t make sense to pick them.

Pope and Foulkes could have come in though. Burns is never going to be a test batsman, so I’d have given Pope the nod.

Harder to pick another player to drop. Buttler maybe, but if we were doing that, I’d pick Sam Curran to bat at 7 and give us a left arm option.

Denly will open again, so can’t drop him.

 

[M18CTID]

Had a great day on Friday despite the late start. I know it’s the Ashes so it’s always going to be well attended but in terms of test cricket in general, England is bucking the trend and it seems to be every bit as popular with the fans. Many fans buy into the full day out and the atmosphere tends to be fantastic, regardless of whether the team are doing well or not.

As for the cricket itself, I’m still pretty gutted about the defeat. Unlike football where you can usually put it right pretty quickly, home Ashes series only come round once every 4 years. The daft thing is though, for all the talk of Australia retaining the Ashes we can still draw the series so there’s plenty to play for.