What I feared. One set of batsmen with no batting for about four months, another in the middle of their season. One or two of them were probably going to get going. Could be a very long series this. Crawley just doesn't make bowlers work hard enough for his wicket. His feet are cemented in place. But none of the batsmen are in any real nick at all. And with the calender being what it is, I can't see how they could be.
Yes it was. The first innings was mostly just very good bowling, but some appalling shots in the second, even allowing for the absence of any match practice. Personally, I would question the stomach some have for the fight. When Duckett got out, we were in control of that match and should have won it. Pope, Root and Brook , the engine room of the batting line up, had to dig in through a hard patch , not play those kind of shots. It was as if they'd rather be walking off than walking in. They can't leave everything to Stokes, who takes time to find his batting rhythm, (though God help him, he might have to open the batting, as Crawley looks like a frightened statue).That attitude will see a very heavy and well deserved 5-0 hammering.
Looks like those "has beens" of Botham and Vaughan were right. Expecting to be ready for the first test after only 1 warm up game against your mates wasn't enough.
I nodded of for a few minutes and had to do a double take when I seen we had lost 3 batsmen in that time.
Crawley seems like a great lad and a talented player. Just not the type of character you need standing next to you when the going gets really tough. Lacks that steel that Stokes has in abundance.
Well they weren't right really in one sense. There is virtually no time now. And if they'd asked a state, they knew they would just get a second eleven to play against. This is now a big problem . The last time we won down there we played a lot of tough cricket before the first test. Now it's off the plane, a quick game and into it. It belittles the Ashes. But match practice or not, in such a position to have players wafting at a moving ball eighteen inches or so outside off is inexcusable. It really is.
He just seems not to want to learn. Almost every dismissal is down to extremely bad footwork. He gets a bit better, then reverts to feet stuck in sand mode. He is a very lucky lad to be in that team. I would honestly say Lees at Durham would do a better job .
who ever made the the decision not to have a proper practice game before the ashes needs a right bollocking
It’s the way this Head coach and captain choose to operate . The next test is a Pink Ball game ( Day / Night ) . Cricket Australia have set up a 2 day PB game purely for Englands benefit . Stokes has said no .
lmagine if you were an English fan and had saved hard for tickets….. I’m sure they get money back , but not the same IMHO . I would probably feel the same way if we had won .
Some players might feature. But it might not help much as the pitch in Canberra is always a low bounce trundler. In Brisbane the bounce will be chest high. If Australia were serious about helping prep for pink ball test cricket, they would set up a game on a pitch similar to Brisbane. No one else plays pink ball test cricket under lights. They know what they are doing and have always done this. It's one of the reasons why they have only lost one pink ball test. Thirteen so far I think.
Good article on how we squandered a position of strength at 59 for 1 in the second innings https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cgjnv00e72vo
