[Jaspersharpe]

Yeah it was interesting that all the commentators were in agreement about the field placement errors this morning contributing to a lack of pressure. Don't normally see that.

[SA Chris]

Arsebiscuits. That is all.

[rich d]

at least we got a centurion. I think it's time we blooded a new team, been a great era for English cricket one that I thought I would never see when  I was growing up, but I think this team has probably passed over the hill now. Be good to avoid a whitewash, although I'm not sure how that's going to happen - especially now that it looks like broad will be missing from the attack.

[butters]

It has not been much to celebrate really - thankfully Stokes went on to make his maiden century to give me one very small straw to clutch from the six innings played so far... 

Think there has to be some team rebuilding but given that the team is going through a run of form ranging from indifferent to bloody awful at the minute this year it is hard to see where to start. The top three as it is now seems to be something to build on, Cook has been OK, Carberry has been pretty solid but not built on good starts and Root looks to be a good replacement for Trott at 3. KP seems to exist just to wind me up 99% of the time and as much as he can play a great innings they are too few and far between. Bell has had an indifferent tour but has that class to turn it around and Stokes is a shoe in at 6 but then we get to the meat of the problem. If anyone sums up the bloody awful form that England are going through at the minute it is Prior - made next to no runs, missed a couple of stumpings in the second innings and is just short of confidence. Broad had a great first innings and nothing since and is one of those bowlers you would love as the option for the third seamer as regardless of his figures he doesn't take wickets consistently. Swann has been targeted very well by the Aussies with both bat and ball, Jimmy is at best a third seamer if there is no movement through the air or off the pitch and then you have the actual third seamer position in which Bresnan has been proving a capable if not very dangerous option.

The issue is who you replace with who - KP has to stay I think as Prior has to be dropped (think that Ballance is the "reserve" wicketkeeper for this tour) and then you have to pick four from the bowling options. Broad is at best a possible to play but would be a very risky pick with his injury, Jimmy as noted is getting no movement at all and therefore is somewhat innocuous at best, ditto Bresnan. Monty could come in for Swann but that runs the risk of further weakening the tail though that could be difficult at the minute and Tremlett, Finn and Rankin don't seem to be trusted\in form....

Who would be a selector?

[rich d]

I don't think there's any point starting rebuilding until after this tour. Bringing new blood into this situation is more than likely to ruin them forever. _{I'd like to be a selector - don't they get paid to watch cricket?}

[butters]

I don't think there's any point starting rebuilding until after this tour. Bringing new blood into this situation is more than likely to ruin them forever. _{I'd like to be a selector - don't they get paid to watch cricket?}

The options to "rebuild" on this tour are limited to say the least due to the squad that they have in place already and I think that you can only bring in another player on tour if one of the original squad are unable to play any further part. Also the only player in the squad that has not played Test cricket is Rankin so if we exclude him then that leaves Finn and Tremlett - from what I have read so far they might as well both go in and be told that they are playing for their Test careers - hard but fair.

[DaveC]

 

[Dolly]

Agree Butters.
Its Bairstow who is the reserve keeper though - I know so many good Yorkshire players in the offing

[butters]

Agree Butters.
Its Bairstow who is the reserve keeper though - I know so many good Yorkshire players in the offing

Well I got the first couple of letters right.... 

Interesting article on Cricinfo on why England lost the Ashes here. Some interesting facts in there especially with regard to the domestic system.

[DaveC]

Retiring halfway through the series? WTF? I mean Trott's departure I can understand but Swann's really just looks like somebody isn't really interested unless he knows he's going to win. A complete cop-out! They just don't make cricketers like they used to.

[Grubes]

Aye does not look good. Wonder if he got told he was going to be dropped and just thought fuck it

A poor way to end a fantastic career. Hopefully more details will come out.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[moose]

I suspect he just can't be arsed anymore, fed up and wants to be home for Christmas.  Can't imagine he'd be dropped, he's pretty far down the list of blameworthy players and it's not as though there's an outstanding candidate to replace him (chances are prospect of facing Monty hasn't got the Aussies cancelling Christmas for more practice in the nets).

[rich d]

Think you're being a bit harsh on Swanny. He's not looked like his old self this series, maybe his injuries have finally taken toll? I think quitting while you're just falling away from the top is quite a gutsy thing to do.

[GraemeA]

I know one swallow doesn't make a summer but day 2 at the MCG was better, much better. It showed that the Aussies aren't that good. I am so, so hoping that we can finish this one off so when I land in Sydney on NYE morning I at least have some ammo to meet the broadside of abuse that awaits me.

[tomtom]

For those feeling a bit glum - enjoy this... After a twitter 'debate' between Piers Morgan and Bret Lee - Bret gets to send a few down Piers way in the nets at Melbourne. Couldnt happen to a nicer fella

[DaveC]

I know one swallow doesn't make a summer but day 2 at the MCG was better, much better. It showed that the Aussies aren't that good...

... when I land in Sydney on NYE morning I at least have some ammo to meet the broadside of abuse that awaits me.

Think your ammo went straight down the throat of mid-off! Still we should never underestimate an Australian teams ability to blow a low-ish run chase i suppose!

[rich d]

Got up for a drink in the night and the Aussies were 97 for 5 on a pitch that wasn't doing a right lot, and I got hopeful - because if we lost this 4-1 after the 3-0 at home we'd be the overall winners on away goals wouldn't we?. Got up in the morning for work and they'd made over 300 and we were already 1 wicket down, arse badgers!

 

[Jaspersharpe]

#prayforgraeme

[DaveC]

#prayforgraeme

 

Judging by some of the shots they're getting out to this afternoon they want to get this over and done with.  At least 90/5 is better than the 23/5 they started up with in the first innings.

PS When I started typing this post it was 87/4, two edits later and it's 91/6!!

PPS Sorry. third edit... 95/7....

[DaveC]

Well Stokes and Broad had a bit of a thrash but all out 166 in less than 32 overs  is pretty f'ing crap though. Harris finishing with a five-for was well-deserved though.

[GraemeA]

Well Stokes and Broad had a bit of a thrash but all out 166 in less than 32 overs  is pretty f'ing crap though. Harris finishing with a five-for was well-deserved though.

Totally fucking cuntingly wankingly crap might just begin to explain what I thought about it.

Broad and Stokes showed at the end how crap a bowler Lyons is, just like we remembered him from last summer. How the fuck did he get 19 wickets.

Disgruntled of Sheffield.

[remus]

Well Stokes and Broad had a bit of a thrash but all out 166 in less than 32 overs  is pretty f'ing crap though. Harris finishing with a five-for was well-deserved though.

Aye, all out in 30 overs isn't great. You can understand where they're coming from though, they needed to up their run rate to stand a chance of getting anywhere near Australia and they did that, though the price was too high for it to translate in to a win. A bit of a desperate strategy perhaps, but playing conservatively hasn't really worked well for them either.

[DaveC]

Broad and Stokes showed at the end how crap a bowler Lyons is, just like we remembered him from last summer. How the fuck did he get 19 wickets.

I'm sorry but chucking the bat when a game is gone does not really say anything about the bowlers ability. Still, I suppose you need some sort of straw to clutch at...  

I've been watching Ashes cricket since back in the mid-70s and this has been the worst performance I have seen from a team from either country in that time. Worse than the 1978-79 or 1985 Australians or any of the England teams in the 1989 - 2003 period (maybe the 1989 England side came closest to matching them.) Just complete  really.

Anyway, our lot will be off to South Africa soon and I suspect we'll find out how good or bad they really are then. Personally, I expect the Saffers will beat them, even without Kallis their batting looks seriously good and their quick bowlers are at least a match for Australia's, but I think they will make a good account of themselves.

PS. Graeme, just to be a bit patronising, I think you'll find Lyon might have gained quite few wickets from bowling in tandem with Johnson, Harris et al. There has been a fair bit of stuff about "bowling as a unit" in both our media and yours. I don't think even he thinks he's that great a bowler but he did as he was asked and collected his rewards accordingly.

[DaveC]

Graeme, forget to say you look good in pink...

https://twitter.com/roblebreton/status/419629251143278593

[GraemeA]

I'm sorry but chucking the bat when a game is gone does not really say anything about the bowlers ability. Still, I suppose you need some sort of straw to clutch at...  

Anyway, our lot will be off to South Africa soon and I suspect we'll find out how good or bad they really are then. Personally, I expect the Saffers will beat them, even without Kallis their batting looks seriously good and their quick bowlers are at least a match for Australia's, but I think they will make a good account of themselves.

I have to disagree, I think that taking 50ish off 3 overs of well played shots does show that Lyons isn't very good. Our problem was that for most of the series our batters were scared of him for no real reason.

I think that you over estimate your own bowlers and unless the Saffers totally implode like we did your bowling will suffer at the hands of the likes of Amla. I fully expect 3-0 to the Saffers