Ashes 2013/14

[PaulWinch again]

I'm getting a bit bored of Cook repeating that the dressing room is a tough place to be.

[PaulWinch again]

Looking at the bowling options left available to Cook I find it very odd he didn't bowl either Jordan or Rankin at the end. I appreciate Bresnan is experienced, but he didn't bowl particularly well today and I think we needed to bowl them out.

[OzVilla]

That is a really hard one to take.

It kept me interested right up to the end and then BAM!.

And now the texts have started, wankers.

God I want to punch Michael Clarke.

[OzVilla]

Looking at the bowling options left available to Cook I find it very odd he didn't bowl either Jordan or Rankin at the end. I appreciate Bresnan is experienced, but he didn't bowl particularly well today and I think we needed to bowl them out.

Had to go with Bres, slower balls and yorkers were the go, he just didn't bowl well enough. Also Stokes bowling right in the slot for Faulkner set it up for them.

I bet they're absolutely devastated to lose that.

God I want to punch Michael Clarke.

[PGW]

Looking at the bowling options left available to Cook I find it very odd he didn't bowl either Jordan or Rankin at the end. I appreciate Bresnan is experienced, but he didn't bowl particularly well today and I think we needed to bowl them out.

He couldn't bowl Rankin at the end due to him being off field injured with 'Hamstring' trouble again!!

[eastie]

Well Bresnan bowled one of the poorest final overs I've seen if you consider his experience level.

Not for the first time either .

[paul_e]

I haven't seen the last few overs so I'm making assumptions here but I guess we did the normal thing of bowling a 'good' line and length, trying to get the batsman driving, but with only 1 slip (if any).  generally we make the same mistakes every time in this situation, if the batsmen are trying to score from everything you either bowl at their toes or their chin (depending on how they handle the bouncer), make them play uncomfortable shots, bowling a standard where it's going to pass the stumps 3-4 inches wide of off and about knee high is the worst place to bowl because they're going to swing hard at those, yes you'll get edges but unless you go crazy and have 3 slips in a lot of those edges are going to flash down to 3rd man anyway.  Shift to a 6-3 legside field and bowl in line with the stumps (but not between shoulder and waist high), Mckay really isn't good enough to deserve any other treatment.

[PaulWinch again]

Fantastic innings by Morgan and he definitely should be in the Test reckoning for me, we need that some of impetus. I also really like Jordan as a bowler.

I like Morgan, his unorthodox style makes him a joy to watch. I think he's been found wanting at test level which is a shame.

I'm not sure on that, he was going through a form slump when he started to struggle he's addressed those issues and deserves another shot.

[eastie]

@BumbleCricket: Cook...28 year old chap who has done fantastically well...just had a reversal .....FFS ...leave him alone ...will be better for experience

[OzVilla]

I agree. You don't become he youngest player to pass 8000 Test runs if your not a very strong minded individual.

Cook will be fine, he's just been pretty badly let down for a few of the seniors on this tour. Swann, Anderson, Pietersen, Prior and (it has to be said) Trott.

Last night still hurts though so Lord knows how he players feel. So glad today wasn't a work day.

[Chris Smith]

Bit harsh on Trott, Oz, the bloke is ill. Agree that the others haven't lived up to reputations but he can be given a pass under the circumstances.

[OzVilla]

Well I think questions need to be asked about his being on he tour in the first place. He didn't last the 1st Test so it's not like he arrived fine and it progressively came through the tour.

He has my sympathies of course but either Trott, the management or both made a major mistake which buggered things up pretty much from day 2 of the series.

My guess is Trott gave them assurances he'd be able to deal with it, then went after the 1st Test. If he had been carrying a physical injury and then broke down they'd be serious questions asked, same should apply here.

[eastie]

Well I think questions need to be asked about his being on he tour in the first place. He didn't last the 1st Test so it's not like he arrived fine and it progressively came through the tour.

He has my sympathies of course but either Trott, the management or both made a major mistake which buggered things up pretty much from day 2 of the series.

My guess is Trott gave them assurances he'd be able to deal with it, then went after the 1st Test. If he had been carrying a physical injury and then broke down they'd be serious questions asked, same should apply here.

Fair comment,

[PaulWinch again]

Sounds like Cook is going to quit as one day captain

[olaftab]

If he is in the quitting mood than he should quit altogether. I don't understand why he feels he is not capable of captaining the one day team?
The better question he should ask himself is if he has the desire to succeed as an international class batsman.