We don't have enough experienced batsmen. We don't have a quality spinner. Those for me are the biggest 2 problems. This is not a great Aussie side by any stretch but it's better than us especially with Lyon.
England seem to struggle against quality spinners. Remember England's dismal performance in Dubai on wickets that were not bunsen burners, And now Lyon. I think we all love a watching a good spinner no matter who he plays for.
It’s amazing how much losing Stokes has unbalanced and weakened this England side. In September there was a lot of talk about our powerful lower order - Stokes at 6 followed by Bairstow and Moeen, with Woakes at 9 and even Broad at 10 capable of making 50s. Now we’re regularly losing our last 5 or 6 wickets for 50 runs or fewer.
Supporting England in cricket and Saints in football is a recipe for depression. Discuss What joy it is to wake up during an Ashes series down under.
This (again) is where they miss Stokes. The whole side looks flat and this is when you need a Stokes/Flintoff type to gee the side up - maybe get some reverse swing or even just run in and bowl some bouncers for a while.
Of course not, Fran. Saints have asked if only their scores against teams below them in the table can be recorded in future. Losing to Man City et al shoudn't count
"We think we've done pretty well today" England coach Paul Farbrace on BT Sport: "I wouldn't say we have been batted out of it but that is a tough day. When you get in you have to go big and that's a tough lesson for our batsmen to learn. We had the opportunity to do this and Australia have taken theirs. "They have played exceptionally well. You can look at how your bowlers bowled, we think we worked really hard today. We don't have the pace they have and we don't have magical spin. We have what we have. "Watching from side on our body language was good. We stuck at it, we just weren't quite good enough. "We think we've done pretty well today."
And I suggested that the men in white coats should come and get FLT and me for being optimistic about today. Could someone get them on a plane to Oz rapido instead
I'd suggest there's every reason not to play Crane again. Kerrigan got his debut in a meaningless Ashes test match; had his full tosses flogged around the park and has never been seen since. Even at county level his career has spiralled downwards since. The lad has so much potential, but I really don't think he's ready yet. Coming into a side with no confidence, against opposition with a taste for blood and a 5-0 whitewash, could ruin him. (Yes, it could make him too, but why take the risk in a meaningless game when he's got his whole career ahead of him.)
Sorry can't agree with that either, No point taking him if he's not going to play. All test matches especially against the Aussies are meaningful and I bet he would jump at the chance, might not get another one.
Pretty much agree. So I'd never have taken him. Although I can understand an argument, to an extent, of wanting to get him exposed to the international arena - and an Ashes tour, at that - in the hope that it serves him well in the future.
