The International Cricket Thread

[PaulWinch again]

Also I’ve had concerns about a few specific decisions, but there’s no doubt our approach to Test cricket is spot on. In 18 months we’ve gone from hopeless to matching/arguably bettering the best side in the world.

Agreed, this is why I was getting frustrated at people moaning about bazball at the start of the series, it was application not intent that caused the problems in the first 2, and largely because we had an attack that was a mess and looked undercooked in the field. If we'd had Woakes and Wood available and selected for all 5 I think we'd be celebrating a 4-0 and mourning the loss of a whitewash to the Manchester weather.

To go back I moaned about Robinson a lot in the first 2 matches and the reason is because of the difference between what he was doing and what Woakes did. Robinson took a few wickets but also bowled a lot of poor spells where he allowed them to coast at 3-4 an over with little risk. Woakes on the other hand only bowled like that for a few brief periods where the pitch was offering nothing, and even then he helped slow the scoring rate and build pressure in another way. As it turns out Anderson out for Woakes would've been the right call.

Yeah I still think Robinson is a quality bowler. Had he played instead of Jimmy he would have contributed more I think.

[PaulWinch again]

Woakes should be first pick in home tests, especially with Broad now gone.

He will be I suspect. The curiosity is his poor form away from home. I get that moving it is important, but he’s skilful enough and gets enough bounce that you’d think he’d be more effective.

[Jon Crofts]

Australian press going into a meltdown over the ball change is just beautiful.

[olaftab]

It’s so disheartening that we’ve got a Test summer against Sri Lanka and West Indies. Not a reflection of either team, they’ve both got amazing legacies, but it reflects on how badly cricket has been managed that it’s two 3 test series against two underfunded and under supported sides.

Here is  something I heard earlier that is disheartening even more. In the next 12 months England will play 11 Test matches which is good however Australia play nearly the same number (12) in the next 3 years against just 3 countries and that is bad for Test cricket when one of the major rich cricket countries isolate themselves like that.

[Villan For Life]

Australian press going into a meltdown over the ball change is just beautiful.

Oh the irony

[Villan For Life]

It’s so disheartening that we’ve got a Test summer against Sri Lanka and West Indies. Not a reflection of either team, they’ve both got amazing legacies, but it reflects on how badly cricket has been managed that it’s two 3 test series against two underfunded and under supported sides.

Here is  something I heard earlier that is disheartening even more. In the next 12 months England will play 11 Test matches which is good however Australia play nearly the same number (12) in the next 3 years against just 3 countries and that is bad for Test cricket when one of the major rich cricket countries isolate themselves like that.

I think it was Glen McGrath on TMS who said he was worried about the next generation of batsmen coming through, that they aren’t top quality players. He thought they were being hampered by too much T20 cricket. Playing so few tests over the next three years won’t help them fix that issue.

[PaulWinch again]

It’s so disheartening that we’ve got a Test summer against Sri Lanka and West Indies. Not a reflection of either team, they’ve both got amazing legacies, but it reflects on how badly cricket has been managed that it’s two 3 test series against two underfunded and under supported sides.

Here is  something I heard earlier that is disheartening even more. In the next 12 months England will play 11 Test matches which is good however Australia play nearly the same number (12) in the next 3 years against just 3 countries and that is bad for Test cricket when one of the major rich cricket countries isolate themselves like that.

Yep agreed it’s ridiculous. I’m not a short-form hater, I enjoy it. But quality Test cricket is the best form - they need to work how that can be delivered.

[Jon Crofts]

Australian press going into a meltdown over the ball change is just beautiful.

Oh the irony

Completely lost on them.

[PaulWinch again]

Which publications?

[Gareth]

So happy with that win, think 2-2 is fair - funny how there was no truly dominant player on either side, no batsman who was head and shoulders above the rest.  Smith and co playing championship cricket before series didn’t come home to roost.

For me it all turned on Lyon getting injured, for 100 consecutive tests to come to an end at just the right time was a definite stroke of luck.

Woakes and Wood coming good was awesome, hopefully Woakes will get the appreciation he deserves now.

Mo answering the SOS was big too, getting 3000/200 double is reward for his career…his calm nature was
also massive, saw it today when everyone was getting excited about a lbw shout and as the bowler to see him calmly dismiss it was good to see.  When you think back on his career, he has rescued England spin dept twice, when Swann retired he stepped up as ‘part-timer’ when no one else was up to it & this summer when no one would have been better with leach injured.

Was so fitting that Broad took the winning wicket, that Bairstow caught it and it was Carey :-)

Some big shoes to fill!!!

[Risso]

There's been no attempt to make Test Cricket more competitive or watchable, and it's really happened almost by chance that England have changed the way it's played and upped the excitement stakes. I'm not talking about playing it in silly pyjamas or other gimmicks, but they need to buck their ideas up.

[PaulWinch again]

There's been no attempt to make Test Cricket more competitive or watchable, and it's really happened almost by chance that England have changed the way it's played and upped the excitement stakes. I'm not talking about playing it in silly pyjamas or other gimmicks, but they need to buck their ideas up.

Yeah I mean not chronically underfunding it would be a start.

[Risso]

Such a pity we couldn't win the Ashes back. You'd think that quite a few of Stokes, Wood, Woakes, Bairstow and Leach might not be in the squad for the next series, and of course Broad, Ali and Anderson won't be.

[Pete3206]

Missed everything today due to work, but heard a bit in the car and the Talksport reporter was getting really excited as the wickets tumbled. He handed back to the studio and Danny Murphy with no emotion whatsoever said "you do know we've lost the ashes?". I'm pleased to report that the reporter took the ignorant prick to task at length.

Anyway, up the fucking England!

[Steve67]

Also I’ve had concerns about a few specific decisions, but there’s no doubt our approach to Test cricket is spot on. In 18 months we’ve gone from hopeless to matching/arguably bettering the best side in the world.

Agreed, this is why I was getting frustrated at people moaning about bazball at the start of the series, it was application not intent that caused the problems in the first 2, and largely because we had an attack that was a mess and looked undercooked in the field. If we'd had Woakes and Wood available and selected for all 5 I think we'd be celebrating a 4-0 and mourning the loss of a whitewash to the Manchester weather.

To go back I moaned about Robinson a lot in the first 2 matches and the reason is because of the difference between what he was doing and what Woakes did. Robinson took a few wickets but also bowled a lot of poor spells where he allowed them to coast at 3-4 an over with little risk. Woakes on the other hand only bowled like that for a few brief periods where the pitch was offering nothing, and even then he helped slow the scoring rate and build pressure in another way. As it turns out Anderson out for Woakes would've been the right call.

Yeah I still think Robinson is a quality bowler. Had he played instead of Jimmy he would have contributed more I think.

Sorry for quoting you bother here chaps.  Paul-e, you're still thinking the reckless declaration didn't cost us?  I think it did but having said that, what followed was excellent from Stokes and I genuinely think that, looking back, deep down, he wouldn't do it again if he had the choice, not against Australia.  Hindsight is a wonderful thing but against the so called best in the world, experimenting is not a time for experimenting.  I guess we will never know.  I think England played much more sensibly after the first test and had it not been for the rain in Manchester, we would be holding the urn and not those scabby, cheats.