Ashes 2013/14

[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

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.

Rain is still a possible saviour too - don't think we will have the full 2 days to bat .

[john e]

Australia underestimate this England side,
 they think they only have to up it a notch and they will be on level footing,
 which they wont as the England side are similar to the Aussies of a few years ago, in that they have been around a long time playing well and are experienced in winning test matches

 Vaughan, Strauss and now Cook its a very strong line of leadership
over here in the summer our top order batsmen did not perform and we still won 3 nill, I cant see that happening again down under and expect them to get plenty of runs,
 which will mean Australia will have to find something I don't think they have, they just think they have
of course I might be wrong and like a few others already have with their predictions might be eating a bit of humble pie come tomorow morning

heres another bloke talking bollocks

[bertlambshank]

Yet again England start a series with bowlers having to get the batters out of the shit.Some if the shot selection last last terrible.

[PaulWinch again]

Yes the averages are too low, but I don't think it's helped by the fact there isn't any suggestion that continued poor form will result in a player being dropped. Trott for example has been consistently poor and there isn't even a hint he's under pressure. We keep getting appalling first innings scores in first Tests and nothing is done to address it. It's a wider issue than just that too, 8 innings in 40 matches where we've scored over 400 is not good enough.

[eastie]

Yes the averages are too low, but I don't think it's helped by the fact there isn't any suggestion that continued poor form will result in a player being dropped. Trott for example has been consistently poor and there isn't even a hint he's under pressure. We keep getting appalling first innings scores in first Tests and nothing is done to address it. It's a wider issue than just that too, 8 innings in 40 matches where we've scored over 400 is not good enough.

So negative - so slow scoring - look how the Aussies looked for runs whereas we just seemed to plod along - if they win at last this test then they will be rampant and stick to the short fast bowling - our batsmen need to show some balls and deliver .

[Villan For Life]

Yes the averages are too low, but I don't think it's helped by the fact there isn't any suggestion that continued poor form will result in a player being dropped. Trott for example has been consistently poor and there isn't even a hint he's under pressure. We keep getting appalling first innings scores in first Tests and nothing is done to address it. It's a wider issue than just that too, 8 innings in 40 matches where we've scored over 400 is not good enough.

This England side is harder to get out of than get into.

[PaulWinch again]

I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, in that players need to feel secure in their places in order to perform. However there comes a point where that becomes detrimental and players become too comfortable. I think we're at that stage now, the players need to know that they have to perform or their place is under threat.

[Villan For Life]

I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, in that players need to feel secure in their places in order to perform. However there comes a point where that becomes detrimental and players become too comfortable. I think we're at that stage now, the players need to know that they have to perform or their place is under threat.

Balance has to come in and I'd throw Rankin at them as well, Tremlett has lost a yard of pace and is ineffective. They have no previous experience of Rankin and on a fast bouncy pitch in Perth he can do to them what Johnson did to us.

[eastie]

I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, in that players need to feel secure in their places in order to perform. However there comes a point where that becomes detrimental and players become too comfortable. I think we're at that stage now, the players need to know that they have to perform or their place is under threat.

Balance has to come in and I'd throw Rankin at them as well, Tremlett has lost a yard of pace and is ineffective. They have no previous experience of Rankin and on a fast bouncy pitch in Perth he can do to them what Johnson did to us.

Bresnan will be fit for Perth - tremlett was fine 1st innings - it's the batsmen who are the problem not the bowling attack.

Balance would be a no for me in the heat of an ashes battle - these players should be given a rollicking and a chance to get us out of this mess next test - stand and deliver time.

[PaulWinch again]

Problem is the bowling unit was fine, but if we're going to bat like that we're going to need to alter our bowling approach to blow Australia away. So we'll need Finn if we're going to do that.

[Kingthing]

Without reading the whole thread, are there no highlights on terrestrial tv?

Sky have announced that they will make highlights of this winter’s Ashes series available on free-to-air television for the first time.
 

The broadcaster's coverage this winter will include a free-to-air highlight's package on Pick

Action from the day will be available throughout the winter on the channel Pick, accessible on Sky channel 152, Freeview, Virgin Media and Freesat

Thanks very much.

[paul_e]

I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, in that players need to feel secure in their places in order to perform. However there comes a point where that becomes detrimental and players become too comfortable. I think we're at that stage now, the players need to know that they have to perform or their place is under threat.

The key is that there need to be viable alternatives and I'm not sure there are many of those.  I also withhold some criticism from Trott and KP because the problem starts before them, you're openers need to be regularly seeing off 30+ overs, the ball should be getting a bit bashed by the time Trott and KP get in but too often they're in with the first 10 overs against bowlers who have a wicket or 2 and are 'pumped'.

[eastie]

Problem is the bowling unit was fine, but if we're going to bat like that we're going to need to alter our bowling approach to blow Australia away. So we'll need Finn if we're going to do that.

Quite simply we cannot afford to bat like that - it's the batting approach that needs to be addressed and some players need to be aware they are approaching the last chance saloon - last time we looked down and out but recovered to get a Draw here - there will be some rain so lets not write ourselves off yet .

Time for the famous graham Taylor approach at crew -

' you got yourselves into this mess now go and get yourselves out of it '

[PaulWinch again]

I'll allow KP that excuse, but at number 3 there's got to be a degree of expectation that you've got a decent chance of facing the new ball. What's incredibly frustrating is that we struggled to deal with the short ball, and it's not like the Aussies didn't make clear that they would be bowling short balls. We should have been prepared for that.

[eastie]

I'll allow KP that excuse, but at number 3 there's got to be a degree of expectation that you've got a decent chance of facing the new ball. What's incredibly frustrating is that we struggled to deal with the short ball, and it's not like the Aussies didn't make clear that they would be bowling short balls. We should have been prepared for that.

We were ridiculously negative and slow scoring - you need to attack bowlers and put them on the backfoot - staying at the crease not scoring invites pressure on ourselves and the loss of wickets will follow- we have some hugely attacking batsmen - why are they being stifled ?