Off Topic The Ashes Series 2017-18

Ah, we'll win the next series back in Blighty. Aussies haven't won here since 2001. There will be a lot of hard work needed though. We can start by firing Bayliss.

Oh, and I still haven't seen one delivery in this series. Just as well, I guess.

 

That's that then. **** them all. Except for probably Malan, Bairstow, Overton and Anderson.

Cook, Root and Ali pure piss.

 

England all out. A very sorry tour indeed.

 

easy, I will say Malan and Overton look ok, Bairstow would be our WK if he was an Aiussie. Big decisions to be made for the boxing day test at the MCG

 

Enjoy the win mate

 

Enjoy the win and get back to sorting out the Prediction League - you're only up to Oct.

Sheesh - are you Nev in disguise...........................






Actually, no - great job - cheers

 

Was going to "like" this until I read the sycophantic post script. Musty's far too clever, intelligent and good looking to fall for that sort of flattery.

 

Apparently Alistair Cook said the same thing.

 

We got relegated and sold all of our best players.

 

Utterly hopeless. Sadly I think we all knew that Cook and Root had to have a big series to have any hope. Both have looked horribly out of nick. It could be they are or it could be that the Aussies have had very good plans. Personally I think its the former looking at the dismissals. The disappointing thing is they haven't really had to work very hard for those two's wickets. A lot of poor shots. A bit of misfortune. But mainly just poor shots. Its our batting that has cost us most.

Broad has looked a bit toothless in Australia again. He struggles to get those magic spells out of these wickets. He gets very disheartened by flat wickets and doesn't have the variety of Anderson. Anderson has bowled average for him and he has still got wickets. Woakes worries me in these conditions. If the ball doesn't swing he doesn't offer much. I hope they give young Crane a roll now.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I think Bayliss picked the right batsmen. If Cook and Root had got the runs you need from your two best then the likes of Malan, Stoneman, Vince, Bairstow probably did enough.

I think we probably need to look at the bowling situation closer. Wood if fit would be a must. Simply put we 90mph on these type of wickets. The other big blow is Tymal Mills. If we could have somehow kept him fit he'd have been ideal as a left armer. Stokes clearly would have been a big boost. Put it this way if the world was perfect and we could have picked:

Cook (in form)
Stoneman
Vince
Root (in form)
Malan
Stokes
Bairstow
Wood
Crane
Mills
Anderson

I think its a different contest all of a sudden for all that's a long tail. Coulda woulda shoulda. They turned up for every session and got their gun players fit (or out of jail). We didn't.

 

Fourth Test, MCG, Australia win toss and bat. David Warner hits a ton and are currently 244-3. Smith is 65 not, we've made him look like Bradman in this series. This already looks like it has an innings victory written all over it.

 

Smiths out. Game on...well ‘ish

 

Cook with a century

 

We will lose.

 

Well day 2 and 3 have gone well. Cook currently on 226 not out and Broad having a magnificent innings on 56 not out. England 473-8 and leading by 146.

 

We will lose.

 

Well that started well.

 

Fifth Test Sydney, England batted first and closed on 233-5.
Do any of us care anymore? (England fans that is).