As much as I agree with Trott returning home, I ask the question that if this is a "long term" problem he has had,why was he picked in first place? Surely if you'r that bad and the selectors are aware of it,no way should you be selected. Trott has been good for us since he came into squad in 2009,and will be missed. Time for the others to get their fingers out (Bell and Pieterson especially)
It's a farce, could have had another batsman in the squad, Taylor say, and tried him out in the warm-ups.
How much did the England management team know about it? Trott is a world class player so the temptation would be to take him hoping he would be ok?
I think all the press hype about "sledging " is way off target. Sledging has always been a part of cricket and will remain so. The attack on Trott were not insensitive as the Aussies were no more aware of his mental condition than we were. Lehmann is correct to say that its all part of the game, so lets not turn into "whinging poms" and pick up our game to win on the field and not in the press. We have been giving plenty out in the last few years. My X! for next test Cook Carberry Root Pieterson Bell Bairstow or Stokes Prior Bresnan or Stokes Broad Swann Anderson
Bressy returns with a bang After making 57 with the bat on the opening day he took a wicket with his third ball and finished with 4-31.
I'd go with 1.Cook 2.Carberry 3.Bell 4.Pietersen 5.Ballance 6.Root 7.Prior 8.Bresnan 9.Broad 10.Swan 11.Anderson
Aussie announce the same team for tomorrow. Predictable really after putting it up us. Need to start positive.Win toss,bat and post 500 should do
As I said, Cook has not taken England forward since replacing Strauss ... this team getting hammered by such an ordinary Australia is disgraceful ... as for the sledging, well, this is simply a reaction to what Australia had to endure in England, lots of abuse from the stands, mercilessly hammered by the media, laughed at by England players, Anderson leading the chirps on the field and constantly badgering the Aussies, Broad blatantly CHEATING (yes, there is no other way to put it), and so on and so on ... I am amazed at how suddenly sledging is wrong, Cook has met the match referee to discuss "playing in the right spirit", press asking for Aussie bans, it's pathetic and shows a bully boy mentality ... we're okay when we're winning but when someone gets on top of us it's "MOMMY!!" ... no, Cook and Flower are done, they're weak, get new leadership in ... as I stated previously, SA taught us a fantastic lesson, they outplayed us, behaved like gentlemen, never complained about anything, just did what they do best and showed us how to play the game, but Flower and Cook seem incapable of learning anything at all.
Agree about sledging - see my post#44 If you hand it out you gotta take it. Not so sure about Flower and Cook though? I think they are just following MCC line in this. Flower was always regarded as hard player and I believe he is being dictated to by MCC. Cook's record proves he is a winner,and will prove it once again,
Australia win the toss and bat - advantage Australia England play 2 spinners - losing the toss a body blow
Our batsmen need to make some runs then our spinners to skittle Aus in their second innings. Got a horrible feeling that Bell will be walking out at 50/3 with just the newby Stokes, lost-it Prior and the tail to come.
Cook, who used to be the best thing since Tendulkar, flapping about and getting out, Root with an insane single almost running out Carberry on the second last ball and Carberry should have been out LBW on the final ball. Oh dear. Can Aus ask for a review of that last ball at the start of play tomorrow?
66/3, not far off. Bell has got to bat at 3 then we have a chance of having a few runs on the board which might have some sort of positive effect on the headless chickens to come. Aus 4/2, the fightback begins...
The problem is shown on this thread alone, people and the media changing their mind every five seconds. Root needs to stick to a position we can't keep changing his position, how can you get mentally ready for a match or innings not knowing where you are going to bat. I would bring Ballance and Bresnan in for Stokes and Panesar, stick to the four man bowling attack that lead us so well over the past five years. Lets be honest, the person who said Broad cheated can't watch much cricket as you will see one person every game not walk, the worst was Michael Clarke middling it to short leg in 2010, it happens, move on from it. The sledging has gone to far, it clearly has, there is a line and when Johnson is confronting players in the middle that is to far, we don't want that happening. We haven't become an awful team over night as the media and forums would lead you to believe, you just need to go back to basics, a four man bowling attack and try to bowl maidens. Then batting we need to do what we did yesterday with Root and KP, get yourself in before playing your shots.
Bell had a go at his colleagues for how they batted in the first innings - wonder if anyone has asked him about that awful one handed smear that got him out today?
Root did well in this innings and Bell played an awful shot but I feel Bell is wasted at five often just playing with the tail, we need to move him to three to be the backbone of our innings, let the youngster Root establish himself at five or six.
So it lasted about 1 hr today. We really are 2nd best in every department, batting,bowling,fielding and especially catching. Whats the answer ?? I don't think as a team we are switched on to this new resurgence of Aussie.We don't seem to have any leaders on the field.Anderson was the one to step up.but he seems weak,as are the other senior players. Are they playing under orders re "no confrontation" It seems that way to me,we are all to timid. Lets get in their faces and start kicking some arse.