Ashes 2013/14

[Monty]

I think we'd contrive a way to lose if the Aussies forfeited.

[taylorsworkrate]

I think Vaughan would be an excellent addition to the set up. He was an excellent captain and played with an aggressive mindset.

I also think Nasser would benefit the backroom staff immensely if they could get him involved in some way. When he became captain in 99 the team was at it's lowest ebb . He put fire and passion back into the side, something which seems sadly lacking at the moment.

[adrenachrome]

A dismal display of astonishing ineptitude.

[Monty]

Nass would be good as well, though obviously you don't want that pudding to get too eggy. But yes, what those two captains had in common was a slightly manic drive and spark, and a determination to attack from Vaughan especially. Cook's passivity doesn't do him or his perception any favours, and it loses crucial momentum.

[taylorsworkrate]

A dismal display of astonishing ineptitude.

Beautifully put. It's hardly surprising though, it's pretty much the culmination of 2 years of poor batting being saved by either one individual innings or good bowling.

Neither of them things look remotely like happening now, so plenty of chickens have come home to roost.

[taylorsworkrate]

Nass would be good as well, though obviously you don't want that pudding to get too eggy. But yes, what those two captains had in common was a slightly manic drive and spark, and a determination to attack from Vaughan especially. Cook's passivity doesn't do him or his perception any favours, and it loses crucial momentum.

I suppose Vaughan did have the advantage of a genuinely excellent pace attack in all conditions, but his mindset was to look for victory from the outset, rather than the Strauss/Cook mantra of making sure a game was safe then trying to put pressure on the opposition.

Oh for the days of Harmison, Flintoff, Hoggard and Jones at their peak. I don't think this Aussie batting lineup would be taking the piss quite as much against them.

[Monty]

To be honest, oh for the days of Swann and Jimmy at their peak, as good as any of those four. But for all the bowlers do, it's the batsmen who are having the piss taken, and deservedly so.

I thought Vaughan would be a good idea when I heard him on TMS wondering why the England players were tweeting ten minutes after the close. He seems very serious about this sport.

[taylorsworkrate]

The tweeting thing seems ridiculous to me. Swann showed himself in a pretty bad light after the first test in my opinion.

[Monty]

There's been a lack of what might be called Englishness about this team: not enough courage, not enough stoicism, upper  lip wobbling like jelly. Add the tweeting to that and it has been rather undignified as well as poor.

[taylorsworkrate]

I fear for our bowlers here. As ordinary as they have been all tour, they've had absolutely nothing to play with from our batsmen on every occasion.

I can see Warner taking the mickey a bit.

[Monty]

Stokes showing that he does have plenty of value as a bowler with some good deliveries there.

[taylorsworkrate]

Stokes showing that he does have plenty of value as a bowler with some good deliveries there.

I think Stokes does have a lot of potential as a cricketer. I just think he's 18 months to 2 years away from being good enough.

[Monty]

Quite possibly, but it's what you were saying - sometimes you have to throw the youngsters in, give them the taste for it and keep the faith that they'll get there. If only I could think of an example in football where some team was trying that...

[taylorsworkrate]

Oh yeah, I do think we should stick with Stokes, which will hopefully speed up his progression.

To be honest, I'd rather see us blood these younger players and struggle for a couple of years than see the current lot continually underperform

[Monty]

This is really something. It's got the catastrophic splendor of a supernova with the dreariness of cold porridge. Only England bugger up quite this remarkably.