Most liked posts in thread: The Ashes

Lost toss, batting and one down with 4 runs on the board. Same old same old......

 

Just saying on the countdown thread that no foundations are being built.
Burns gets stick(rightly so) but Hameed looks so much out of his depth sometimes.
3 and 4 are virtually openers in this team.
Poor.

 

Root & Malan are carrying this batting line up. Lets hope they can bat for most if not all of today.

 

Some absolutely woeful batting yet again.
Buttler should be dropped just for todays shot alone.
Senior player at 128-5 on the first day of a test match and he decides to run down the wicket like a T20 game.
I presume they are going to use him as a secret bowler today as he’s not in the team for his batting or keeping.
Embarrassing.

 

Just to emphasise the weakness in this England batting lineup
That’s the 13th time in 15 tests that England haven’t got to 200.
You ain’t winning many games with numbers like that.

 

Yes England have been poor with the bat, ball and in the field, but I honestly think Australia have made them look poor. This Australian team has potential and depth. I would say it's the best test team we've produced in the last 15 years (without a specialist spinner imo). I think on the sub continent we would have more issues with Lyon and a lack of a bowler who can mix it up and turn the ball eg.a MacGill or Warne.

 

50 ducks in a calendar year. That’s a shocking statistic

 

The record is 54.
With another innings in this test match the record is definitely within touching distance.

 

Yes England have been poor with the bat, ball and in the field, but I honestly think Australia have made them look poor. This Australian team has potential and depth. I would say it's the best test team we've produced in the last 15 years (without a specialist spinner imo). I think on the sub continent we would have more issues with Lyon and a lack of a bowler who can mix it up and turn the ball eg.a MacGill or Warne.

I think you are being a bit hard on the Poms. I honestly don't think England are that bad. Just outclassed as usual by the Aussies.

 

In an earlier post it was mentioned that only 2-3 England players would probably get into a combined side. So in that regard it is playing out as per the quality of player going onto the pitch.

I believe the frustration from here is that a tour that was always going to be a challenge is being made harder by some of the decisons made both on and off the field. The level of application by manager and players on central contracts, for a tour that, we are told, has been central to planning and selection for the past 2 years is quite frankly appalling.

Covid has clearly been a signifant factor but the whole concept of test cricket and how series are now being conducted is diminishing the basic premise of it being the ultimate test of all the facets which seperates club/county players from the elite.

Back to the present, it is difficult to see us getting back into this one unless we can produce a stunning performance in the field on day 2 and to date there have been no signs they are capable of it on this tour.......hope i'm proved wrong !

 

Exactly.
Senior players(Root,Stokes and especially Buttler today ) have made basic club cricket errors.This sets such a bad example to the more inexperienced players.
No foundation from the openers to take a little pressure of 3,4 and 5 who then feel the pressure to step up.

 

1st task successfully completed to get rid of Lyon.
Now the serious stuff begins.

 

Great first session for England.
Time to hammer it home and give themselves a great chance in this test match.

 

At least they threw my “only getting to 5” statistic right back in my face.
Managed to get to 7 this innings before a wicket.
They should be very proud of themselves for righting these wrongs.

 

A reasonably accurate description of where this one is heading.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-10347803/PAUL-NEWMAN-English-Test-crickets-mess-problems-run-far-deeper-ECB.html

 

England test cricket recently summed up in one tweet

 

These figures for England batting in 2021 are staggering.Look past Root and the numbers show how poor the rest have been.