Maybe four or five in a five match series would be par. I've said since the end of the first test that the missed chances are the reason we're behind. It'll cost us here too.
Hopeless. They said 13 plus a stumping earlier. Probably eight or nine were genuine chances, but it is not test level or even County level fielding. We need to take twenty five wickets to win a match, and we won't do that.
Robinson burst onto the scene a couple of years ago looking brilliant. He's being made to look very average against the Aussies. especially bowling 79mph pies
Warnie always said add 2 wickets and 20 runs to the score to judge the real state of the game. It's still even, but if we don't get these two out soon we will be behind the game
I'd say the game is gone now. I thought three one to them, but five nil looks certain without rain. They're gone. The amount of dropped catches seems to suggest they don't take fielding that seriously, " we've all done it before, it'll be okay". It won't. It absolutely saps the will from a team. When it happens repeatedly, its not even professional level really, and the ground fielding is not that hot either. They've got quite a lot right this last year, but the fielding is the worst I've seen in an England team. You wouldn't even see it at Durham, there'd be hell on. Some work not getting done IMO.
IMO the preparation has been all wrong from the start. Smith came over here to get used to the conditions and got games with Sussex. The England players went golfing in Scotland. Anderson hasn't looked like consistently taking wickets, Robinson bowls hot and cold at times even though he's the leading wicket taker. Yes they've been unlucky with injuries to Archer, Wood and Stone but the lack of preparation in catching had cost England this series as has forcing Bairstow into the team. Yes he can be destructive in his batting but Foakes is the better wicketkeeper and a decent batsman himself.
Aye! Hope it's an overreaction to the sloppy fielding. That wicket might help, but it's a hundred given away. The shoulders were down and everything, so maybe we can get going. But some of the bowling was brain dead too, wasting the seam movement on a full length by too much short stuff. A bit fair enough, but when they were 100 for 4, under pressure, and had no slips in, (AT HEADINGLEY!!!) shows some bad thinking.
Those calling for Foakes this test after Pope's injury were bang on. Especially as Ali is now no more a test player than is my dog. And I don't even have a dog.
I thought Foakes was extremely unfortunate to be dropped especially when he's contributed to the winning run England went on. And let's not forget that Bairstow was dropped from being wicketkeeper previously as it was thought he wasn't good enough there and should concentrate purely on batting
Looks like Robinson is struggling now! It was mentioned that Robinson should've have been the one to be tested and keep Tongue in!
Could it be that there is an in-team competition to see who can drop the most catches! It's getting ridiculous...
