The International Cricket Thread

[Jon Crofts]

Handed all the momentum to the man babies. Pathetic.

[hilts_coolerking]

The emphasis on short form has resulted in a team of batsmen who think 30 is a decent score and 50 is job done.

I'm not sure I agree, I don't think any of the wickets we've lost have come because the batsmen have been playing like their job was done. I just think we've picked too many people who are out of form. Going into the game I'd have said Burns, Denly, Bairstow and Ali were all out of form (and Buttler hasn't been himself this summer either) 1 or 2 of them turning that around during the game is possible but expecting 4 people to bat themselves into form in an ashes test is awful judgement and many of us had 2-3 of them as being dropped for this game for that very reason.

Anyway, all over and lost by 251. Given where things were on Thursday afternoon and Friday evening that's truly pathetic and a bunch of the players need to have a look at themselves.

I don't want to put words in his mouth but I think Monty's making a more general point about England's approach over the last 2 or 3 years, not specifically this match.  Just look at who we've packed the side with.

[paul_e]

The emphasis on short form has resulted in a team of batsmen who think 30 is a decent score and 50 is job done.

I'm not sure I agree, I don't think any of the wickets we've lost have come because the batsmen have been playing like their job was done. I just think we've picked too many people who are out of form. Going into the game I'd have said Burns, Denly, Bairstow and Ali were all out of form (and Buttler hasn't been himself this summer either) 1 or 2 of them turning that around during the game is possible but expecting 4 people to bat themselves into form in an ashes test is awful judgement and many of us had 2-3 of them as being dropped for this game for that very reason.

Anyway, all over and lost by 251. Given where things were on Thursday afternoon and Friday evening that's truly pathetic and a bunch of the players need to have a look at themselves.

I don't want to put words in his mouth but I think Monty's making a more general point about England's approach over the last 2 or 3 years, not specifically this match.  Just look at who we've packed the side with.

The problem is that we've picked (mostly) the best 4 day players from the county game. I think form and mentality are the problems with the England team, just as has been the case for years, certainly long before t20 became a big part of the game.

We can bring Sibley or Crawley in at the top, we can bring Foakes and Leach in further down but if we get a team to 122/8 and then back off and let them build a partnership we're going to struggle. Root, for me, has a massive question mark over his captaincy right now, how we bowled to Smith in the fist innings was pathetic. I'd like to know who made the decision on Anderson as well, he should've been bowling in the nets at full pace for a day or 2 before and proving he could handle it.

[Steve67]

The emphasis on short form has resulted in a team of batsmen who think 30 is a decent score and 50 is job done.

I'm not sure I agree, I don't think any of the wickets we've lost have come because the batsmen have been playing like their job was done. I just think we've picked too many people who are out of form. Going into the game I'd have said Burns, Denly, Bairstow and Ali were all out of form (and Buttler hasn't been himself this summer either) 1 or 2 of them turning that around during the game is possible but expecting 4 people to bat themselves into form in an ashes test is awful judgement and many of us had 2-3 of them as being dropped for this game for that very reason.

Anyway, all over and lost by 251. Given where things were on Thursday afternoon and Friday evening that's truly pathetic and a bunch of the players need to have a look at themselves.

I don't want to put words in his mouth but I think Monty's making a more general point about England's approach over the last 2 or 3 years, not specifically this match.  Just look at who we've packed the side with.

I don't disagree with any of you but I'd go further than that.  Root is no captain.  Great batsman but not positive enough as a captain.  What the fuck is the Australian still doing in charge?  He did his bit by winning the one day WC, but he has never prioritised the longer form of the game.  Offer the job to Andrew Strauss today.  Bairstow has had an absolute mare with the bat, and the gloves.  Ali has played his last test of the summer, get back to the Pears and put some performances together.  Denly isn't good enough either.  Broad and Anderson need replacing now.  Broad is playing on muscle memory and gets in the odd good half hour here and there and thinks that's a job done.  I agree with Monty about the out of form stuff, but who is there to replace them with? It's all a bit 'after the Lord Mayor's show' and they have to get it together.  Screw the Aussies up by bringing in Stone and Archer for Broad and Anderson, for starters.   122 for 8, to win by 251 runs?  This is right up there with one of the most incompetent performances I have ever seen from any England side.

[hilts_coolerking]

What the fuck is the Australian still doing in charge?  He did his bit by winning the one day WC, but he has never prioritised the longer form of the game.  Offer the job to Andrew Strauss today.

Strauss himself appointed Bayliss though, because the ECB decided that one-day cricket was where they wanted the game to go.  Strauss was totally on board with that approach.  Giles will now be responsible for picking the next coach, he wants someone to tip things back in favour of red ball cricket and it won't be Strauss.  They're looking at Chris Silverwood to step up apparently with Andrew McDonald another contender.

[Steve67]

What the fuck is the Australian still doing in charge?  He did his bit by winning the one day WC, but he has never prioritised the longer form of the game.  Offer the job to Andrew Strauss today.

Strauss himself appointed Bayliss though, because the ECB decided that one-day cricket was where they wanted the game to go.  Strauss was totally on board with that approach.  Giles will now be responsible for picking the next coach, he wants someone to tip things back in favour of red ball cricket and it won't be Strauss.  They're looking at Chris Silverwood to step up apparently with Andrew McDonald another contender.

Yes mate, I know they are looking at Silverwood.  No real pedigree there though, I also know that Strauss chose Bayliss.  I just think that Strauss could go in and pick up the reins given they were fairly in sync when Bayliss was selected.  Bayliss goes at the end of this series come what may.  I just hope that Giles, who also did not impress me one bit, not sure why though, does the right thing and doesn't go with the easy option.  I want us to try to get the very best available.

[PaulWinch again]

I did worry slightly after the World Cup when Buttler said something along the lines of ‘if I do nothing else in my career it doesn’t matter’. Now I’m not saying he can’t refocus and get his mojo back, but bloody hell he looked well off it in this game. Maybe a break would do him good.

[PaulWinch again]

Yes Joe it’s technically true we played ok for the “majority” of the game, in terms of a ratio of hours. Unfortunately the two and a bit days that sit in the minority were some of the worst cricket I’ve seen. Dreadful bowling, awful captaincy, weak fielding, and atrocious batting.

[Villan For Life]

I think there’s always a tendency to overreact when we lose a home Ashes test. We had them on the ropes at 120 odd for 8 but because we were a bowler down we struggled to ram that advantage home.

Anderson should miss the Lords test to fully recover from the calf injury that he made worse when he tweaked it whilst batting on Saturday. If Archer comes through the 4 day game for Sussex stiffs then he should replace Jimmy. I’d keep Broad in the side as we need his knowledge and know how.

Bairstow and Ali are the biggest issue for me. Both should be sent back to their respective counties to find some form. Curran has to play in the next test and does Leach so I’d make Buttler keep wicket. I really like Foakes but I’m prepared to give Buttler time.

We have lost home Ashes tests heavily before now and have still worn the series, let’s not panic quite yet.

[taylorsworkrate]

It was the manner of the defeat. We had the golden opportunity twice to put the game to bed. Them at 122/8 and us when we were level with their score with 6 wickets in hand. We really should have had a 1st innings lead of at least 200.

I still think most teams would have survived relatively easily today on that pitch. We folded easily.

[olaftab]

Right I think time to replace Joe as skipper. He is resembling Botham and Gower when they were captains. My suggestion is Burns because he is a County captain failing that Livingstone from Lancs?

[Villan For Life]

Right I think time to replace Joe as skipper. He is resembling Botham and Gower when they were captains. My suggestion is Burns because he is a County captain failing that Livingstone from Lancs?

Buttler or Stokes

[tomd2103]

Don't want to make excuses for them, but I went yesterday and some of them looked tired (Stokes could hardly move after bowling).  Think the World Cup might have taken a lot out of some of them.
. 

[Steve67]

Don't want to make excuses for them, but I went yesterday and some of them looked tired (Stokes could hardly move after bowling).  Think the World Cup might have taken a lot out of some of them.
. 

One would expect the Coach to recognise that.  The guy doesn't even watch county games!.

[PaulWinch again]

I’d also like an explanation of the lack of Woakes bowling yesterday. If he’s injured that’s bad, but understandable. If he wasn’t then it casts further doubt on Root’s captaincy. Not least because he’s put extra miles in Broad and Stokes legs and we’ve got all sorts of injury concerns.

Root had a dreadful game as captain. Starting right from the Aussie first innings when he put every fielder on the boundary for Smith. Absolutely idiotic. It just got worse yesterday.