Ashes 2013/14

[aj2k77]

And why does our run rate always seem to stagnate around 2 runs an over now. We have Cook, Pietersen, Bell, Prior, Broad all attacking players but we don't seem to have gotten out of a slow scoring rut that started during the New Zealand tour.

[aj2k77]

There are wider issues with our batsmen. We collapse like dominoes far too easily. Time to look at the batting coach, is he doing his job?

You have to give credit to Mitchell Johnson for a hostile spell of fast bowling.

This series will now come down to bowling attack versus bowling attack and whichever creaking batting line up manages to come out on top. We struggled as a batting unit last summer and only Bell emerged with any credit. We need him or hopefully a couple of others to step up.

Is this 3/4 times in the last 6 tests that we've had the aussies struggling around 100 runs and then let them put together a stupidly large partnership down in the lower order?

[Villan For Life]

There are wider issues with our batsmen. We collapse like dominoes far too easily. Time to look at the batting coach, is he doing his job?

You have to give credit to Mitchell Johnson for a hostile spell of fast bowling.

This series will now come down to bowling attack versus bowling attack and whichever creaking batting line up manages to come out on top. We struggled as a batting unit last summer and only Bell emerged with any credit. We need him or hopefully a couple of others to step up.

Is this 3/4 times in the last 6 tests that we've had the aussies struggling around 100 runs and then let them put together a stupidly large partnership down in the lower order?

There are a few instances that's for sure.

I'm not too concerned with our attack; clearly we lack an ability to finish sides off like the Aussies did to us today. They scent blood and go for the throat. We can and do bowl sides out at will. The batsmen deserve the criticism not the bowlers.

The difference between the sides is no-one in our innings played a Haddin-type innings with support from elsewhere a la Johnson. Stick 150 runs on to our total and game on.

[Dr Butler]

went to bed at 32/1....what the fuck happened ?

looks like we will be batting for two days trying to draw a test we should be in control of.

[Villan For Life]

went to bed at 32/1....what the fuck happened ?

looks like we will be batting for two days trying to draw a test we should be in control of.

I've got no faith in the ability of our batsmen to stick around, build an innings and bat out for a draw.

[PaulWinch again]

Trott is seriously on borrowed time now, he keeps making the same mistakes and also Root needs to start being producing. I was no great fan of his but Compton was dropped for less.

[eastie]

Trott is seriously on borrowed time now, he keeps making the same mistakes and also Root needs to start being producing. I was no great fan of his but Compton was dropped for less.

Sadly it pains me as a bears fan but I agree, trott has been poor for too long , root looked promising but has gone backwards , cook has also been hit and miss in the last year and kp although a match winner has lacked consistency in the last year .

Bell has been the outstanding player but he can't always save our skin - too many players in this team are living on past reputation - they are good enough to come back and win the series but need to rediscover their form fast .

As for gooch - get rid!

[PaulWinch again]

Our batsmen have failed to perform as a unit for 2 years now and there needs to be accountability. It's been covered up by one batsmen or two batsmen carrying the team and the bowlers knocking other teams over for very little. However this has got to stop, Gooch's record since he took over as full time batting coach is awful and like I said Trott in particular is running out of time.

There's a 90% chance that this Test is gone now, then in the third Test we play in Perth where our problems against pace will be highlighted again. We're in massive trouble.

[Dr Butler]

as a batting coach Gooch has probably passed his sell by date, what's Tendulkar and Lara up to these days ?

[Damo70]

Watching wickets 3,4,5 and 6 fall was right up there with the worst car crash spell of sport I can remember.

[eastie]

Fuck it - I'm knackered, tonight I'm going to go to bed - expect to wake up to see the Aussies around 500 ahead

[Dr Butler]

Fuck it - I'm knackered, tonight I'm going to go to bed - expect to wake up to see the Aussies around 500 ahead

same here Eastie, was going to not go to the pub tonight so I could actually grab more than a couple of hours play....but fuck it I may as well get down the pub..have a gut full and have a good nights kip....

[PaulWinch again]

Fuck it - I'm knackered, tonight I'm going to go to bed - expect to wake up to see the Aussies around 500 ahead

Yep our bowlers are tired as well so we won't knock them over, they're going to put a massive score on and have two days to bowl us out.

[peter w]

All this 'they scent blood and went for the throat' is bollocks. We batted poorly. Yes, Johnson bowled well but that's no excuse for 80 odd for 2 to beome 80 odd for 9. That's just rank bad batting. And something we've seen a lot of in England's first innings since the India hom eries about, what 2-3 years ago now?  We bowled them out for a very under par score. We didn't get on the radar. Simply not good enough by the batsmen, again. We will bat batter in the 2 nd innings, as we usually have to, but mainly because we have become a one innings batting team, and hope our bowlers can sort it out.

[aj2k77]

Batsmen in 2013, 1 averaging over 40.

Trott
1 100's
5 50's
39 ave

Cook
2 100's
3 50's
34 ave

Pietersen
1 100's
4 50's
35 ave

Bell
3 100's
3 50's
49 ave


Compton
2 100's
0 50's
30 ave


Root
2 100's
2 50's
33 ave


Prior
1 100's
2 50's
36 ave


Bairstow
0 100's
2 50's
29 ave