RugbyRebels

Galfon wrote:Sh!t or bust now for Stokes..shouldn't be long now either way
(new ball or nay). Oops.
Wonder if JR can still see his team getting on top.

abysmal really.

A Starc reminder of how bereft we are of art of Test batting.
(JR excepted).The leader-ship question has long sailed, but there doesn't seem much grit in there.

Galfon wrote:A Starc reminder of how bereft we are of art of Test batting.
(JR excepted).The leader-ship question has long sailed, but there doesn't seem much grit in there.

Broad and Anderson had the joint third highest partnership.

Surprised not to be following on under lights.

I'm not even remotely surprised by England's batting collapses any more. I expect at least one in every test and my expectations are usually exceeded by another one.

I've given up trying to work out if it's a psychological failing or down to ability, but it sometimes looks like we play every game with a bunch of average cricketers. We've been saved a few times by heroic individual efforts and some outstanding bowling and fielding and that looks like it will be our only chance of nicking a draw to avoid another whitewash. That said, our bowling and fielding haven't looked too great in recent weeks.

The Aussies look like they have been practising for the series. I've no idea why our players couldn't do the same.

I don't get the outrage from the pundits. Agnew reckons this collapse is unacceptable. Why would he expect anything different?

It doesn't seem to matter if we're playing against seem, swing or spin bowling at times. Even playing at home (aware this Ashes series is in Oz) seems to be a disadvantage to us at times.

The spin-twins get to work..just may push Smith to declare and have a pop at the Eng top-order.

Over 460 to win, 1 day(+) left, down to last 4 'batsmen' already...beeb indicate win is 'improbable' and they are not wrong there.

FFS. we lose every single critical moment.

Banquo wrote:FFS. we lose every single critical moment.

You could change 'single moment' to 'test match in australia'..
Another real thumping, hopefully there can be some more fight
at the MCG next week. (crackers or puddings ?..)

Expect more changes to the bowling attack as our batsmen again fail to post a decent 1st innings total.

fivepointer wrote:Expect more changes to the bowling attack as our batsmen again fail to post a decent 1st innings total.

What would be the point in changing the batting though? It's either sticking with this lineup, who are mostly not good enough for top level Test cricket, or we bring in these other people who are slightly worse. Root and Stokes aside, we don't have good enough players; that's just what the situation is at the moment. At least with the bowlers we've got options and can replace quality with quality to change how we want to defend our tiny totals.

Puja

fivepointer wrote:Expect more changes to the bowling attack as our batsmen again fail to post a decent 1st innings total.

lol. Quite. Poor bowlers- well, Robinson, Broad, Anderson and Wood- even when they create chances they are shelled. Can't try much harder than Jimmy- even if not as threatening, utterly miserly and 100%.

Puja wrote:

fivepointer wrote:Expect more changes to the bowling attack as our batsmen again fail to post a decent 1st innings total.

What would be the point in changing the batting though? It's either sticking with this lineup, who are mostly not good enough for top level Test cricket, or we bring in these other people who are slightly worse. Root and Stokes aside, we don't have good enough players; that's just what the situation is at the moment. At least with the bowlers we've got options and can replace quality with quality to change how we want to defend our tiny totals.

Puja

well yes, but I think the point is well aimed as a rueful grimace, given they've actually picked the same batsmen but picked the wrong attack twice.

Even the best attack in world cricket would struggle if the batsmen dont score enough runs.

You cant be competitive when you cant even make 300 on a perfectly good batting wicket in your 1st innings.

We're not really giving the Aussies much of a game and frankly i dont seeing us doing much better in the remaining 3 tests.

Lol. Pick leach on a green top, get put in and throw away wickets.

Groundhog day - always a good pick for festive season watch.

Dunno why we don't just select one-day batting specialists and tell them to go after every ball. The innings would be over a bit quicker but we could have double or triple the score.

Good to see that the forthright and brutal meetings forcing the batsmen to watch every dismissal have really made a difference! Truth be told, there's no amount of man management that's going to help here - we just don't have good enough Test batsmen right now and there's nothing we can do to fix that in the short term.

Puja

A glimmer of a chance after Anderson stalwart efforts, gets
extinguished by top order failings..Oz sniff blood; may not be too long this.

'World Test' final less than 6 months ago...if horses for courses applies, we may need a vet.
Avoiding an innings defeat will be a victory of sorts here.
Leach enters the fray..but just passing through, and it's 4 gone before stumps. It's the Alamo brothers already to try and salvage some pride and get a third day out of this match.

Anderson remains amazing

This has got to be up there with the fastest an Ashes series has ever been decided?

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5 for 5 in 3.1 overs ? ..
The Ashes should be burnt to a cinder and handed to Aus. in a tiny urn.
( 6 for 7 now !..)

All over.
2 innings and still 24 short of 267, on a reasonable wicket.
Well bowled Australia.
(Are Eng. getting paid for this ?)

That's (predictably) truly awful, and as good as Oz have been (and without the Smith run machine in full working order), we have been pretty spineless. Only Root can be said to have batted ok. God knows where you go from here- Anderson is probably in his last series, though still our most effective bowler, and Broad likely running on empty. Leaves you with Root, Stokes (? and he's broken imo), and Robinson, and Wood every other game (and he's been good without taking wickets). Cupboard a tad bare.