Off Topic The Ashes

Rain might save them

 

Today was absolutely the pits for England. ****e batting, get 4 early wickets, and Smith once again was just too good.

Undoubtedly the guy is an autistic genius, but I felt the bowlers fell apart at the sight of him...

And then Burns and Root, the only 2 guys who batted decently in the first innings, got out.

The other batsmen lasted a combined total of about 20 minutes, so unless the heavens open England are well ****ed.

 

Im going to enjoy today

 

Tbf but for some terrible umpiring they wouldve lost already .

 

Someome tell dorty i miss him

 

whos laughing now dorty

 

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Christ it's the hope that kills you. Into the final hour, just hoping we'll hold out.

And then Labuschagne makes the breakthrough - the guy who wouldn't even be bloody playing if we hadn't concussed Smith. ****s sake.

 

Combination of things really.

1. Obviously we have rightly put a lot of focus on the WC. You're not at home for one very often so it makes sense to give it a massive push. The downside is you are concentrating on white ball cricket too much and test match batting is very very different (ask Jason Roy). Aussies played in the same world cup though so they had their focus taken elsewhere too.
2. Steve Smith - both sides batting has been very very poor. However Smith has been stellar throughout and has obviously had a massive influence on the outcome of the series.
3. Jimmy Anderson - obviously a gargantuan blow to lose your best bowler, the best bowler in the world in English conditions and one of the best full stop.
4. A lack of quality batting options - nuff said really
5. Joe Root's captaincy - I know he is well liked but I still think he makes really critical mistakes. Its like Saturday when we came out. Everyone knew we had to go at them hard and get them out cheap. Its not about setting a target to win, its about confidence and mentality. We came out and started with Leach and Overton. I was bewildered. It wasn't difficult, you bowl Leach at one end, and rotate Broad and Archer for the critical 10 overs at the other end. Then Stokes. Then Overton if nothing is happening. I wouldn't sack him but simply acknowledge there is work needed their as I don't think he is a natural captain.
6. Lack of discipline - the modern cricketer seems to lack it and also patience.
7. Bowling - I think they outbowled us too. Certainly once they put Hazelwood and Cummins together. Broad was obviously outstanding throughout but Archer was up an down.

 

8. Australia are better at cricket

 

Cricket has three formats. On this occasion they have been better at test cricket and over the course of history they have the edge. I think they have only series more than ourselves though. Clearly we have been a better T20 and 50 over side than them in recent times. So its very difficult to make such a sweeping statement and be correct. Shot yourself in the foot with this one.

 

nope it was very easy Australia are better than England and the rest of the world they play now

 

Not at T20 and 50 over cricket. They have been getting pumped by us for quite some time

 

that's not even cricket

like americans if you cant win invent another sport the opposition doesn't give a shot about and master it


just to be clear

England lost

 

It is. I should know.

 

no its a spin off game from cricket

 

Neither Australia or England are near the top of the test rankings and this Ashes series has been of decidedly poor quality, although producing some exciting results. With the exception of Smith, neither team has a batsman who is prepared and capable of building a match-winning innings and except for Stokes in that last but one game, England's batsmen just don't seem to be able to handle pressure. Our bowlers generally let us down when conditions were in their favour as well.

There is no doubt that the amount of 50 over and T20 cricket being played is having an effect on the performance at test level, not just on England, but on all teams. You could probably now shorten most test matches to 4 days, and as long as the weather doesn't intervene, get a result in most of them. I don't think there is an easy solution to this. Its hard to expect batsmen to go from changing on a weekly basis from trying to score off every ball to patiently building a score off bad balls and bowlers to go from bowling to minimise runs to aggressively taking wickets. There is no doubt that the support and money is there globally for the shorter version of the game so the emphasis on this is only going to increase.

 

Austraila won so theyre better

 

Quality observation - I don't think I said otherwise.