Cricket Thread

[waspish]

We have had a lot of bad days in Australia and for me that was one of the worse I’ve watched! If we get beat I’d rather the other team work hard for it they haven’t we have been utter shite in all fielding departments today!

We could be 2-0 down come this them tomorrow!

 

[Citizen52]

This team completely lacks any killer instinct.

More evidence in that last couple of hours to go with what we've seen at the start of the last Ashes series, the start of this one in Perth and the final day against India earlier this year. They always find a way to balls it up whether it's brain-dead batting, catching, bowling the wrong lengths or just a complete lack of situational awareness.

Never mind, I'm sure they'll have a nice holiday in Noosa post test. Well earned...

 

[Dr Jacoby]

We are one bad session away from going 2 nil down against what’s effectively been Australia’s second string bowling attack.

 

[peter.evans]

Or better batting.

Or better bowling.

Take your pick really.

There's always some excuse !

 

[jimharri]

In all probability, we'll be looking at a deficit of 100+. And with Starc on fire in the series, we could be 3 or 4 down before we've cleared said deficit.

 

[domalino]

The thing that really pisses me off about how England are playing here is that this Australia side are bang average.

They have 1 decent bowler, 3 good batsmen, only 1 of which has really punished England so far.

And England have the talent to win this series convincingly, but they've become so dogmatically attached to McCullum's idea of cricket that they can't see the wood for the trees and realise Australia are so vulnerable. If Pope/Brook/Smith/Atkinson didn't throw away their wickets yesterday, they'd get away with poor bowling. If the bowling was as good as it can be, they could get away with careless batting.

 

[jaiguruKun]

In all probability, we'll be looking at a deficit of 100+. And with Starc on fire in the series, we could be 3 or 4 down before we've cleared said deficit.

That's being optimistic, more likely to be an innings defeat

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Jacks bowling 1 over really feels like they're taking the piss too. The 4 seamers are dead on their feet and the allrounder you brought in gets 1 over?!

Good thing they didn't have to bowl 80 or (heaven forbid) 90 overs!

It's truly madness to not use the spin options

 

[Earlyriser]

This all stems from plain arrogance. It's the attitude we don't need warm up games as we are in top form and in the peak of physical condition. We can acclimatise on the golf course.

 

[supercity88]

It's the hope that kills you.

From throwing several wickets away to then bowling absolutely horrifically at times. When bowling at the stumps we consistently took wickets, so we decided not to bowl at the stumps for over 90% of our deliveries. Then when the chances came we dropped most of them.

A disaster.

The one shred of light is that England have shown you can quite easily put 2-3 good sessions together but lose a test with a very bad one.

It looks very much as if we'll be batting against a hard ball at the worst possible time now. The way we bat that means they'll be chasing less than 100 and will see it off quite comfortably. Barring a miracle, which this England side aren't capable of, that's the series over.

This series is going to see the end of Stokes. The captain can't accept so many poor shots from his batters. He can't have his bowlers and field producing the dross we saw today either.

 

[robbieh]

Whilst this is a very average Australian side you have say we have quite a few players who would never get a game for Australia.

It is easier to mention those that would and I make it 4.

Root, Brook, Stokes and Archer.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Think the difference may well be stamina, both physical and mental.

Dropped catches late in a day are often down to fatigue and switching off.

We bowled shite, when tired, in the second innings in Perth.

We looked cooked at the end of the day today.

 

[domalino]

Whilst this is a very average Australian side you have say we have quite a few players who would never get a game for Australia.

It is easier to mention those that would and I make it 4.

Root, Brook, Stokes and Archer.

Duckett would walk into this Australia side, an opener who has averaged 50 this year with 2 centuries and 3 fifties. Av 46 since coming back into the side 3 years ago with 6 centuries and 15 fifties.

A fortnight ago they were playing Khawaja.

 

[ancoats]

This all stems from plain arrogance. It's the attitude we don't need warm up games as we are in top form and in the peak of physical condition. We can acclimatise on the golf course.

This is spot on

What sort of planning has England used before the Ashes No warm-up games, No games with a pink ball under lights, No cricket of sort using a Kookaburra ball, No games in the conditions, its a total joke.

It's like they don't care and just want 8 weeks on holiday and sun and nobody is to blame or dare to question it
Something is so wrong with the England team and coaches, the ECB will just paper over the cracks and let it all happen again and again every 4 years.

When was the last time England sent a squad over to play in the Ashes and want results ?
It's not good enough and the fans are being let down again

 

[robbieh]

Duckett would walk into this Australia side, an opener who has averaged 50 this year with 2 centuries and 3 fifties. Av 46 since coming back into the side 3 years ago with 6 centuries and 15 fifties.

A fortnight ago they were playing Khawaja.

OK he'd get into this Australia side who have one of their poorest batting lineups for years, and he's not a bad player I grant you.
But if their current batting line up is under par and they are missing 3 quality bowlers why are England struggling.

 

[jimharri]

Can't bowl, can't field (five dropped catches, Jacks aside), can't bat (half the team failing to reach double figures); hard to win tests in that scenario.

 

[jimharri]

That's being optimistic, more likely to be an innings defeat

I was trying to be nice. Because I'm a bloody nice chap, see?

 

[Dr Jacoby]

Jamie Smith is another who’s had a shocking start to this tour.

 

[Winchester]

Like the mythical European nights at Anfield or not that unbelievable?

Not a bad fightback bit too many dropped catches

 

[bluemoon32]

5-0 unless it pisses down