The Cricket Thread 2016

[adrenachrome]

Well done chaps. A clinical demolition.

[PGW]

41 minutes.....that's one hell of a beating.

[Chris Smith]

Brilliant stuff. The outlook for English cricket is really bright and to think a few months ago all the talk was about Pietersen. That one can now be put to bed once and for all.

[Chris Jameson]

Stick that in your whatever Piers Moron, Pietersen and all you naysayers and doom merchants!

[OzVilla]

Michael Clarke has just resigned on Australian tv.

He'll Captain at The Oval and retire afterwards.

[aj2k77]

3 very good tests from England. New Zealand batsmen unsurprisingly coped better than the Aussies with the moving ball.

Pros
------

Cook being more positive
Roots batting
Stokes becoming a genuine quality all rounder, capable of brutal batting and real pacey swing bowling
Moeen's batting, he needs to go on and score more though
Wood looks a decent change bowler
Broad, his batting is coming back little by little and his bowling is still up there
Finn, still lacks a bit of control but is getting back to his best
Anderson, king of swing
When we've got on top of the Aussies we've ground them down and finished them off, no more big stands from the lower middle and tail, which has cost us in the past

Cons
----------

Lyth's decision making outside off stump. I'd give him another series
Moeen's bowling has been targeted and he's bowling a bad ball an over
Buttler went in to his shell a bit, not the Buttler we were expecting
Bell, aside from his catching, which has been pretty poor his batting is still not up to scratch

All in all it's a good series especially with the late coaching changes, we've won 5 of the last 7, Australia haven't won a series in England for 14 years.

[PaulWinch again]

A good series is a bit harsh. We've been fantastic and hammered what was seen as an excellent side. But harsh to ask Moeen to go on and score more. He's batting 8.

[OzVilla]

I'll be honest, I didn't give us hat much of a chance before the series but once Ryan Harris announced his retirement the bowling dynamic changed for Australia.

I'm really going to enjoy this after the mercilous stick we got 18 months ago.

[PaulWinch again]

I actually don't mind Clarke and he's been a hell of a player.

[richard moore]

I actually don't mind Clarke and he's been a hell of a player.

He gave a lovely speech, brought a tear to my eye.

[aj2k77]

A good series is a bit harsh. We've been fantastic and hammered what was seen as an excellent side. But harsh to ask Moeen to go on and score more. He's batting 8.

Haha maybe I underplayed it a bit, we have played very very well. As for Moeen, when I see some of the shots he plays.. I think he's capable of getting more than 40's.

[manic-road]

Well done England, always superb to win the Ashes. I have to say that the bowlers excelled with some stand out performances.

[PaulWinch again]

A good series is a bit harsh. We've been fantastic and hammered what was seen as an excellent side. But harsh to ask Moeen to go on and score more. He's batting 8.

Haha maybe I underplayed it a bit, we have played very very well. As for Moeen, when I see some of the shots he plays.. I think he's capable of getting more than 40's.

Yes but he's playing those shots because he's at 8 batting with the tail.

[DB]

Great way to start Saturday. I feared the worst after Lords but what a way to come back, the last 2 test matches have been superb from England.

[aj2k77]

It's been a while since the whole unit has backed each other up so well. Every bowler, including Moeen in the first test has chipped in with some devastating spells.

Broad 21 wkts at 18
Anderson 10 wkts at 27
Finn 9 wkts at 20
Wood 9 wkts at 36
Ali 9 wkts at 49
Stokes 8 wkts at 29

6 bowlers all chipping in, really good unit that.