Frigging hell, normally I'm the man for looking on the bright side of any situation but honestly, I've stopped even watching the highlights of this series because I'd seriously want to break something. Bastards.
Before the first test you could get any price on Australia. On paper England looked formidable. The team did not settle in for this series and were a mere shadow of what was expected of them. Maybe the tension got to them but we'll find out in the last two tests where there is no pressure on them with the "Ashes" gone. Well played Australia though with very convincing wins in the first three tests. I wish everyone would cut the sledging out. Does nothing for the game imo.
Your optimism was admirable but the ending inevitable. I think we should play our Southern Stars team for the Melbourne Test to give you a chance of winning one!
It is just the cycle of sport. But you know you are bad when your top batting order is making Mitchell Johnson look like a decent bowler.
and Steve Smith look like a cricketer! basically the Aussies have done their homework, identified where we are vulnerable and executed their plans. they worked out that our main bowling threats - Anderson and Swann - would be less effective in Australia and targeted them. they worked out that for whatever reason - be it nerves, hubris, lack of technique - that our top order could be lured into rash shots and get out when they didn't need to. All the top 7 have done this at various points (Sir Geoffrey reckons that 60%+ of the wickets were avoidable). anyway, well done Aussies. time for some re-evaluation in the England setup. All coaches and managers have a finite shelf life. Perhaps time for a shake up on that front.
Thank christ thats over. As it seems easy enough to dish out Britishness, and some people just throw it away anyhow, can't we remove it off the top 4 batsmen and keep them out of the country?
I see the overwhelming desire to win the Ashes by the players was shared by the general public in Australia. Official attendance for day 5( according to Sky Sports) was a massive 7201. Could you imagine what the attendance would be like if boot was on t'other foot and we were about to win the Ashes after losing 3 series in a row? There'd be queues 3 mile long to get into the ground. Surely that's a mis print? Just over 7000? That is truly shocking, in fact I refuse to believe that's right. It can't be.
Nothing wrong with a bit of banter and mind games, its probably the only thing England beat them at this series. It was quite funny to see Clarke respond to Anderson and get fined, even funnier to see Warner make a complete tit of himself when Bell wound him up.
I've just watched some highlights and there's no bastard in the ground. That's nearly as shameful as our performances. Well not quite but that has really surprised me, it's also a bit worrying.
Carmine, you not remember when England won there a few years a go? On the 4th & 5th days of the Melbourne Test the ground was empty except for the England contingent. Anyway, congrats Pup & to the Aussies. Best team won by far. England were just shocking apart from day 1 at the Gabba & Stokes' 120 at the WACA. A long two years to ponder what to do in the next Ashes Series.
This battering has been coming for a long long time, the negative attritional approach to cricket combined with an over reliance on individuals (Bell / Anderson) has been going on too long, we were lucky in the summer to win 3-0, were consistantly poor in the 2 series against New Zealand, got comprehensivley beaten by Pakistan and South Africa too, India aside, we've not looked very good since the last ashes series in Australia. The big problem is there doesn't seem to be any strength in depth to the England batting or bowling. People talk about Finn, Tremlett and Rankin as options, but Ranking and Tremlett are CCC players, no more no less and Finn's had his run up fu*ked about with too much and is bowling sh1te. In the batting department, Bairstow and Ballance are good CCC players, but anyone who follows Yorkshire closely would prob agree that they aren't test players just yet. Outside of that, Compton and Onions must have farted on someone's cornflakes to be omitted from the squad entirely, both are deserving of place in this squad. Sadly I think the players will take nearly all the flak from this, when questions need to be asked about the hierachy and support staff just as much. Now hoping for a full on 5-0 spanking as I got 5-1 on it during the second test.......
Including the last two tests in this series. There are 14 tests to the next Ashes series. Some rebuilding needing to be done 1-6. I think the bowlers should get another chance. Because they've been put in impossible situations. Defending low totals and not getting enough any rest between innings. I know Australia have won this season pretty comfortably. But they may have to rebuild too. Rogers, Watson, Clarke, Bailey, Haddin, Johnson, Harris and Siddle are 30+
Just watching the 'highlights' and the crowd is all English. Shocking support from the Australian public, The Barmy Army put them to shame.
I think it's fair to say we deserved to win in England & the Aussies deserved it Down Under. I haven't got much hope for the ODIs or the 20/20, let's move on to the Sri Lanka series.
You are right. When we arrived here in 1968 our intention was to stay here for 2-3 years before travelling on to Rio staying 2-3 years and then travelling on! Probably the biggest mistake I made was to continue to work until I was 60- should have followed my husbands example and retired when he did, aged 47!
The way things are going in this country I won't be retiring until I'm 83. Mind you at least I can go to bed and not have to worry about waking up with a lizard on my forehead. It's Baltic outside tonight, it's frosting over. I'm sat by a roaring fire with a large brandy, slippers and dressing gown on and the pooch at my feet. Just as it should be at Christmas, beats being sat on beach in 40 degree heat. IMO.
Never been into the Christmas at the beach stuff. My husband's Sydney cousin is from Hull and for 40 years put on a UK style family Xmas meal with the Air Con. adjusted as required. Up here in the Mountains we now have a seafood Christmas meal and in our Winter there is a tradition to celebrate Christmas in July when the the meal is served at some venues in front of a log fire. So in effect we have 2 Christmas celebrations. One of our cats does bring in live lizards but none have been on the bed yet. She also brings huge rats into the bedroom but thankfully she dispatches them first.
