Ashes - Part 2...

[Aldo]

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288 is the record chase at the SCG. It's gonna be 5-0

Ha read that earlier. Absolutely no chance of them getting anywhere near that either.

[--------]

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155 all out. No follow. The convicts will smash this over 500+ to win.

Something has happened between this summer and this series. Both teams are similar, no drastic changes... Backroom problems.

I think you may well be right.

I really wonder how the England players will come back from this.

They have a bunch of ODI's and T20 games against The Windies, the Super 8 games against New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and South Africa and ODI's and 2 Tests against Sri Lanka. Then they have a five-match series against India, followed by more ODI's.

Maybe the ODI's and T20 games will give them a chance to sort themselves out, but TBH too many of the senior players simply haven't turned up for this series. But then, if there are serious backroom problems (and the arguments about whether Flower should or shouldn't continue suggest that there are) that's where recovery has to start, but who'd want to deal with what appears to be a monumentally noxious can of worms?

I honestly didn't expect England to collapse the way they have, and it has to be said that the Australian batting line-up has shown itself to be far from ironclad from time to time. It's not as if they had a line-up where all the top six were liable to score big centuries like when Border, Boon, the Waughs, Taylor, Healy, Gilchrist, Langer, Martyn, Hayden and Lehmann were playing - they've won mainly with the bowling, a couple of decent batting performances in each Test, and England's utter inadequacy at the crease.

I really don't foresee the dawn of a new era for Aussie cricket - yet.


It remains to be seen what effect Johnson's new-style mouser will have on the England team when he comes out to bat tomorrow (IF he comes out to bat, that is).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25604256

[3pm]

Destruction.

[jodjam]

Bowled out in the equivalent of one session of cricket. Johnson gets man of series but Haddin ran him close.

[marinello59]

Well that was a car wreck of a series. I expect to hear that a few more England players have retired in the coming weeks.

[3pm]

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Well that was a car wreck of a series. I expect to hear that a few more England players have retired in the coming weeks.

They already had by the look of it!!

[derekHFC]

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Well that was a car wreck of a series. I expect to hear that a few more England players have retired in the coming weeks.

Suspect Prior will be away and possibly Anderson and Bell. Can't see KP going, he'd need to be pushed.

[hibee62]

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Suspect Prior will be away and possibly Anderson and Bell. Can't see KP going, he'd need to be pushed.

I honestly can't see anyone retiring, except maybe kp. Everything he achieves from here on will eventually be surpassed by Cook anyway!

If Bell, Cook and KP can rediscover their form England could transition into a good future, but everyone needs to buy into teaching the youngsters who will fill out the top six, we can't have anymore comments like KP re Taylor v South Africa!

[derekHFC]

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I honestly can't see anyone retiring, except maybe kp. Everything he achieves from here on will eventually be surpassed by Cook anyway!

If Bell, Cook and KP can rediscover their form England could transition into a good future, but everyone needs to buy into teaching the youngsters who will fill out the top six, we can't have anymore comments like KP re Taylor v South Africa!

Cook, KP and Bell are all excellent batsmen, but they were awful in this series. I like the look of Root and Stokes as well and both should feature heavily in future.

Why they stuck with Carberry, I do not know and for me, Prior has never been good enough. Have they had a decent WK since Alex Stewart?

[--------]

Truth is, the experienced batsmen threw in the towel. Repeatedly shot themselves in the foot to get out of the firing line.

Not for the first time in an Ashes series, of course. Back to the days of Dennis, Jeff and Glenn, I think.

They didn't like the ball in their faces, and they crumbled in the face of the bowling. Pathetic.

(But SO entertaining to watch. )


For the first time for a long time the English batsmen had to cope with genuine hostile pace and the possibility of pain, and the truth is they didn't like it.

Bumble was right - that last England innings, like so many that had gone before, was disgraceful. A cowardly capitulation in the face of a superior opponent.

I haven't seen so many spineless dismissals in the upper order since Lillee and Thommo were terrorising Boycott, Amiss and Co.

Just where in English cricket is there a bowler with the accuracy and pace of Harris or Johnson?

And how does one prepare batsmen for a Test series by playing limited overs and T20 cricket (which of course is so much better paid than three- or four-day county cricket?

And who exactly was running the England horror show over the past few weeks?

Cook - who as captain SHOULD have been the man?

Or Flower - who I suspect has been pulling the strings all series?

Or whichever bowler just happened to fancy a field change regardless of captain's instructions?

But Alistair 'n Andy have vowed to stay on - so all is well?

[lord bunberry]

Cook out 3rd ball. I bet he can't wait to get out of Australia.

[jodjam]

Aussies killing them here. England's total was quite competitive but this could end up a 10 wicket doing.

[marinello59]

Cook looks like a man who doesn't have the answer to a question he doesn't really understand.

[jodjam]

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Cook looks like a man who doesn't have the answer to a question he doesn't really understand.

Aye he looks lost. His press interview yesterday was painful to watch.

Finch gets a great 100. Wonder if it means more than his 100 at the grange in August :)

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

First Victorian to score an ODI ton at The MCG, what a tremendous one day player he is.

[--------]

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Starts tonight.

Guess : Australia 2, England 2!

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3-1 England. Just don't think the Aussie batting is good enough.

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Canny wait. Think its gonna be close. Both batting lineups prone to the odd collapse. I'm going for 2-2 and England / South Africa select to retain the urn.

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Yeah.

Had there chances a few months ago though!

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Think it will be close but England might just shade it if Anderson, Swann and Broad stay fit.

Both batting line-ups prone to collapse and big question mark over England's 3rd seamer. Should have taken Onions I think.

First mornings play often v important in Ashes series - can't wait.

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Rest of The World to lose 2-1 to Australia!

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Genuinely think the Aussies will win easily

2-0 or 3-0

Just thought I'd air these gems from th start of the thread again ...

Take a bow, Broxburn - the only one who got anywhere near it.

[BroxburnHibee]

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Just thought I'd air these gems from th start of the thread again ...

Take a bow, Broxburn - the only one who got anywhere near it.

[--------]

I see they've lost the second ODI as well now.

If I've got it right, Faulkner scored two sixes off Stokes in the last over but one - after the crowd booed him for refusing a single, which seems strange - and then dispatched the first thee balls from Bresnan's final over for four apiece.

So that's what? Twenty-four runs in what? 5 or 6 balls?

You have to admire England's versatility - just when you think they've used up all available options in throwing away cricket matches, they come up with a new one.

"Guys are learning out here and sometimes it's a steep learning curve. We had them 240-9 so I think we got the position pretty right today. Nine-and-a-half times out of 10, you would win from that position. These guys never lack the ambition or the attitude when they go out, they're playing for their country but we need to make sure our execution is right and maybe we didn't quite get it right," said England coach Ashley Giles.

Yeah, right, Ashley. You got them down and out, so you did it right, then you let them off the hook, so you didn't do it right; the players have all the right attitude and ambition but they can't quite manage to do it right after all, so maybe they DON'T have ALL the right ambition and attitude after all?

From 9 for 240 to a winning score of 9 for 301 - oh dear oh dear oh dear.

[Stonewall]

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Just thought I'd air these gems from th start of the thread again ...

Take a bow, Broxburn - the only one who got anywhere near it.

Ouch...I was hoping no-one was going to dig this up.

What was your prediction as a matter of interest?

[Haymaker]

Starting to think Cook and co have money on this tour!

[--------]

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Ouch...I was hoping no-one was going to dig this up.

What was your prediction as a matter of interest?

I stated candidly and frankly that I hadn't a clue. I think my gut feeling was that England would either draw or shade it, so I'm really no better at predicting results than any of you guys. I'm just too cowardly to open my mouth.

I REALLY didn't expect the sort of meltdown we saw in the Tests.

And now, just when Englishmen thought it might be safe to go back in the water - DOOdooDOOdooDOOdooDOOdoo - along come the ODIs and they still haven't found their backbones, some of them.

They REALLY shouldn't let them out alone until they've learned to bowl a line and length.

[twiceinathens]

CRICKET AT ITS BEST!

Q. What do you get if you cross the English cricket team with an OXO cube?
A. A laughing stock



Q. What’s the height of optimism?
A. English batsman putting on sunscreen.

Q. What’s the difference between an English batsman and a Formula 1 car?
A. Nothing! If you blink you’ll miss them both.

Q. What do English batsmen and drug addicts have in common?
A. Both spend most of their time wondering where their next score will come from.

Q. What does an English batsman who’s playing in The Ashes have in common with Michael Jackson?
A. They both wore gloves for no apparent reason.

Q. What is the difference between Cinderella and the Pommies?
A. Cinderella knew when to leave the ball.

Q. What's the difference between the Pommies and a funeral director?
A. A funeral director isn't going to lose the ashes.

Best wishes,

[Stonewall]

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I stated candidly and frankly that I hadn't a clue. I think my gut feeling was that England would either draw or shade it, so I'm really no better at predicting results than any of you guys. I'm just too cowardly to open my mouth.

I REALLY didn't expect the sort of meltdown we saw in the Tests.

And now, just when Englishmen thought it might be safe to go back in the water - DOOdooDOOdooDOOdooDOOdoo - along come the ODIs and they still haven't found their backbones, some of them.

They REALLY shouldn't let them out alone until they've learned to bowl a line and length.

I was so surprised how England caved in. There must have been so much that went wrong on the tour that we don't know about. For a team which had been together for a decent length of time and shown the resilience to win and fight back from early reverses against good sides (home and away) to roll over and die like this is a real surprise.

A bit like the thread on G O'Cs and DRs interview with Radio Scotland on the main board I would have loved to be a fly on the wall in what happened.

PS - if you'd said you knew England would get humped I would have believed you - honest!

[jodjam]

I'm guessing Flower is delighted to be out of dodge and left it to the king of Spain to sort out

[jodjam]

That's cook hinting he's gonna chuck the captaincy of the odi side.

The oz team are slowly dismantling this England squad player by player.

[--------]

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That's cook hinting he's gonna chuck the captaincy of the odi side.

The oz team are slowly dismantling this England squad player by player.

I think he needs to resign from all captaincy. he looks absolutely shattered. I'd make Morgan captain of the ODI and T20 sides (no need for three captains IMO - just gives Broad delusions of grandeur and his head's big enough at the best of times). But who takes over the Test side? Beats me - they're a complete shambles right now.

[hibee62]

For those interested in competitive cricket, Scotland have made the super six of the world cup qualifier in New Zealand despite a shocker of a first game against Hong Kong. Superb performance today hammering Canada.

Although as yet unconfirmed it appears those not in the final 6 will not gain/retain ODI status, and so it looks like Scotland have cost Canada a lot of money today. This was expected as their form has dropped recently. What wasn't expected is the demise of Netherlands, they have failed to reach the super six and as such will probably lose ODI status. As one of the leading associates for a good few years this is a major shock and will be gutting for the Dutch.

[jodjam]

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For those interested in competitive cricket, Scotland have made the super six of the world cup qualifier in New Zealand despite a shocker of a first game against Hong Kong. Superb performance today hammering Canada.

Although as yet unconfirmed it appears those not in the final 6 will not gain/retain ODI status, and so it looks like Scotland have cost Canada a lot of money today. This was expected as their form has dropped recently. What wasn't expected is the demise of Netherlands, they have failed to reach the super six and as such will probably lose ODI status. As one of the leading associates for a good few years this is a major shock and will be gutting for the Dutch.

Tremendous scoring in the last match. I liked the tweet about "highest score by a Gaelic speaker" when commenting on Macleod's 175 runs

[--------]

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Tremendous scoring in the last match. I liked the tweet about "highest score by a Gaelic speaker" when commenting on Macleod's 175 runs

He practices with a shinty stick and a golfball. Bradman style.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

England won this morning for a change, thought it was worth a mention.