****ing good job we've already won the series. Aussies getting much more from the pitch than our bowlers, plus some insane shots from England. I hope Clarke gets to bat 2nd innings and goes out on a big one. Though the Aussie selectors should be shot for not picking Siddle until now. Not impressed with the crowd compared to Edgbaston and Trent Bridge.
Thing is, whenever a side have already won the series, they always seem to lose the "dead rubber". No matter how much they talk themselves up, they simply can't raise their game. Whereas the side who have lost the series tend to have something to prove, even if they're only playing for pride. The crowd will also know this and are suitably subdued. There's nothing to play for and the best day to be at The Oval is the day when this test ends and the little urn is presented to Cookie!!
I was pleased to see the England players give Clarke a guard of honour as he went out to bat in the 1st innings. He deserved that. When Don Bradman went out to bat for his last innings he was given a similar accolade from players and crowd and got out second ball. He had needed to score just 4 runs to retire with an average of 100. He later said that he couldn't see the ball for the tears in his eyes
That maybe so with England but the Aussie's, when playing well, have different mindset as they love to rub the other teams noses in it and because several 5-0 test series wins spring to mind.
Hindsight is a marvelous thing, Siddle should of been playing in the previous test match. England played well when they had to, we didn't. It's amazing when you take the pressure off, how things change. I think there was more pressure on England to win this match then us. Hope Clarke goes out a winner on the score sheet.
England obviously have an unassailable lead in the series and fizzling out in an embarrassing thrashing will be forgotten in the long run but it's important to put up a fight and important for Adam Lyth to seize his last chance. More than likely we'll be seeing that unfold some time on Saturday. Fair play to the Aussies though, at least they had the dignity to apply themselves.
Well done the Baggy Greens, good to fight though all is lost. Shame England folded so easily, strange series every game a thrashing.
Well done ENGLAND on regaining the ashes against a side that absolutely everyone said would murder them before the series began. In 3 tests England completely out-played the Aussies. Beating them is always an absolute pleasure!!
It's strange how one side or the other has been so dominant in these Tests. Some common factors I think: 1. The Aussies can't play the swinging or seaming ball. 2. The Aussies can bat on truer batting pitches, but England can't handle the extra pace and bounce. 3. Where England might have suffered a batting collapse in the past, Joe Root stepped in and scored big runs quickly and without fear. 4. Both sides are very flawed, but England crucially made less mistakes overall.
Just trying to restore some balance to your lopsided comments. As it happens I have huge respect for Clarke and I was hoping that he'd go out with a ton.
It was a comment on the Test which finished yesterday Col, in keeping with the thread title. I have praised England on the relevant threads i.e the Tests which we won. In all the 20 plus Ashes Tests that I have actually been to, including 6 in Australia, I have always cheered on England, despite the regular humiliations we have suffered, and enjoyed the sublime highs (MCG 1986 still my favourite). As I get older the more I want to see great performances and great games regardless of who wins. We've seen a few of the former in this Series, but none of the latter. Both teams have players who are match winners on their day but fragile cores.
The innings beating is good in a way, as it drives home the fact that England aren't the finished article by a long way - and there's plenty of work to be done. If we cant scores runs or survive on those featherbeds at Lords and Kennington you dread how they will fare in South Africa. I think Bayliss and the new management know this. Actually looking forward to the ODIs, given how low a priority it has been for England in the past. Bayliss was brought in to remedy the shorter game, and we might actually be competetive for a change.
Glad we won the ashes back but the two thrashings has left me a tad cold, not convinced about England cricket yet, two hard winter series could leave us back where we were
I think the bottom line from this series is that Australia are the better team overall, as the averages suggest. England made the most of conditions to win their games but folded dramatically when they were under pressure from a big Aussie first innings. England have serious weaknesses at 2 and 3 which put the rest of the team under pressure too early, but for Root and to a lesser extent Cook and we'd have lost the series. I think it's fair to say the South Africans are looking forward to our series and will be very tough on their own pitches...
We have too many players out of sorts with the bat. Lythe, Bell and Butler, certainly need to sort that before the next series.
