The Cricket Thread 2016

[PaulWinch again]

That's a hell of a delivery from Lyon and a bit of a worry.

[Proposition Joe]

There goes our best chance of getting close to the Aussie score. Hopefully root can step up and make proper big runs this time.

[taylorsworkrate]

I see Hales is in the middle of making another massive century for Notts.

He really should have been picked ahead of Lyth at the start of the summer

[Chris Jameson]

Hopefully root can step up and make proper big runs this time.

Yeah, it's about time Root scored some runs. This team has been carrying him for far too long.

[paul_e]

I see Hales is in the middle of making another massive century for Notts.

He really should have been picked ahead of Lyth at the start of the summer

I agree, they have him pegged as a T20 specialist but like Buttler I think there's much more to his game and he deserves a chance, he's as good as Warner who is a capable opener and one of the 3 aussie batsmen who come out of this series with any credit.

Lyth goes to a really poor shot, just scooping it to the catcher.

[Proposition Joe]

Hopefully root can step up and make proper big runs this time.

Yeah, it's about time Root scored some runs. This team has been carrying him for far too long.

Big runs I said, by which I mean well over 150. Rahul Dravid type scores. Apart from Cook, he's the only one I trust anywhere near enough to stay in and score.

[Chris Jameson]

Surely then it's the others who need to 'step up'.

[Proposition Joe]

Surely then it's the others who need to 'step up'.

In theory yes, in practice they don't have it in them.

Speaking of which, Mr Backbone has just gone.

[Proposition Joe]

All of this has happened before.

All of this will happen again.

[PaulWinch again]

This is utterly dismal. It's a bit of a worry that as soon as any pressure comes on we fold. There are serious questions about our top order.

[PaulWinch again]

This is dismal. Buttler has had a despicable series with the bat. It's a major concern that we have been skittled like this twice on flat wickets.

[PaulWinch again]

What's ridiculous is that Australia have shown that you need to apply yourself on this pitch, we just don't appear to have paid attention.

[taylorsworkrate]

It's quite funny really. We are going to be presented with the ashes at the end of this match having been comprehensively humiliated. A very odd series where each match has seen one of the teams utterly dominant.

I thought this might happen. You could tell on the 1st day that with the ashes already won the intensity and concentration had drained from our side. It doesn't excuse yet another woeful batting display on a flat pitch though.

It will be interesting to see the squad that goes up against Pakistan. Obviously Lyth can't be in it, but apart from that it's all up in the air really.

[PaulWinch again]

I think the microscope should really be on Buttler now. This has been woeful.

[Proposition Joe]

As a veteran of watching England, I actually congratulated an Aussie friend of mine on winning the dead rubber after we failed to take a wicket in the first hour yesterday. Miserablist, yes, and only partially in the hope of jinxing a wicket or two.

They can't play the moving ball on seaming wickets. We can't play straight balls on flat wickets when there's runs on the board for the other team.

The only surprise is that people act surprised when this happens.

Same as it ever was.