The Ashes

[DaveF]

Well, that didn't take long.

[weecounty hibby]

Useless. Root is a great player but not a great captain. Need a Brearley type, decent player but brilliant captain who didn't have to listen to half the team telling him what to do. Batsmen are so weak it's unbelievable. Bowling unit keep getting them back into games but sadly haven't got too many more tests in them.

[ronaldo7]

Television Sports presenter on
@AlJazeera
has just pointed out that the England cricket team has spent longer in quarantine than it has playing cricket.

[Tobias Funke]

For a country that puts so much importance on the test side performing well they don’t half shun the four day game domestically in favour of the shorter formats. Time for the ECB to put less importance on T20 cricket and also bin that Hundred drivel.

[oneone73]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

For a country that puts so much importance on the test side performing well they don’t half shun the four day game domestically in favour of the shorter formats. Time for the ECB to put less importance on T20 cricket and also bin that Hundred drivel.

Couldn't agree more.

[lord bunberry]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

For a country that puts so much importance on the test side performing well they don’t half shun the four day game domestically in favour of the shorter formats. Time for the ECB to put less importance on T20 cricket and also bin that Hundred drivel.

It won’t happen as that’s where the money is for the counties. The first class games are poorly attended.

[HH81]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

For a country that puts so much importance on the test side performing well they don’t half shun the four day game domestically in favour of the shorter formats. Time for the ECB to put less importance on T20 cricket and also bin that Hundred drivel.

T20 and hundred are good, I attended both last summer.

The people I go to cricket with wouldn't sit through a 4/5 day game.

I actually went to a Yorkshire 4 day game other year, there was 1000 to 1500 there, pretty much empty and they are best supported club.

[Tobias Funke]

If the ECB want a test side that can mix it with the top teams then they need to put more emphasis on red ball cricket and work out how to make it more appealing. Maybe more day/night county matches will bring the punters in.

They are a cracking one day outfit but the effort put in to have England compete at that level has come at a huge cost to the test side.

[Calvin]

I don't think I can say much more about that test that hasn't been said already. England abysmal with the bat and I really felt for Jimmy Anderson and the rest of the England fast bowlers - getting Labuschagne and Smith out for low totals is no mean feat. What a story Scott Boland is though... I'll never forget the atmosphere at the MCG yesterday.

I'm not sure I subscribe to all of the chat about toning down the amount of emphasis put on the short forms and getting back to the red ball game. The Big Bash League over here is on free to air TV every single night and all of the top players play it when they're not playing internationally (it was great when the tour of South Africa was cancelled in January to see world class red ball players participating in the BBL finals.) The short forms are vital to the sustained interest of the game; and both India and Australia show that the two can certainly coexist well, it's just that England need to do it better.

If it could be largely attributed to short form emphasis; then England should actually have as well as Australia. Buttler, Bairstow, Wood and Malan were at the T20 world cup. Hameed, Burns, Pope... all played the county game through the summer.
On the other hand, Australia had Warner and Smith, Cummins and Hazelwood all playing in Dubai. I struggle to find correlation here between short form emphasis making a test team better or worse.

It's true to say that the Sheffield Shield is definitely higher quality than the English County system; but there are only 6 teams that exist so the talent is less spread. They all have a defined remit that the point isn't to win the Sheffield Shield; but to prepare test players for the Australian team. Head coming in and hitting 156 at the Gabba was a great example of this. Maybe it needs to be emphasised that short form success is nice, but test is where the focus needs to be.

[lord bunberry]

The failure to find a proper opening partnership has really cost England dear at the highest level in red ball cricket. Guys like Root coming in so early in an innings might work occasionally but it’s not going to get them anywhere. You then have more explosive players like Butler coming in and having to play defensively.

[Calvin]

Travis Head out with Covid. Hope they put Mitch Marsh in instead of flogging the Usman Khawaja horse again.
Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers also seem to be decimated.
Will be interesting to see how the next couple of weeks go.

[Zazu62]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Travis Head out with Covid. Hope they put Mitch Marsh in instead of flogging the Usman Khawaja horse again.
Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers also seem to be decimated.
Will be interesting to see how the next couple of weeks go.

Khawaja would probably get some easy runs playing against England

[Mibbes Aye]

And so the Fourth Test dawns at the SCG, the Ashes already retained by Australia and a home series win guaranteed, and in quick fashion. There will be, and already have been a number of post-mortems of England's failure on Australian soil yet again. There is a lot to unpack there, but that shouldn't be to the detriment of what has been a very strong performance with bat and ball from the hosts.

All of Australia's batsmen have been involved in key partnerships at some stage over the previous three Tests and all have shown the wherewithal to produce some big individual scores. Behind the stumps, Carey has been good enough. The bowling unit has been sublime though, while disrupted. They have consistently bowled very accurate line and length at 140kph+, and any opponent will find that difficult. Add to that, the ever-reliable Nathan Lyon holding dowwn an end with the consistency that comes from over 100 Test matches and 400 Test wickets.

Put simply, England have been very poor but it would have taken a very, very strong touring team to win the series and reclaim the Ashes.

it will be easy to look at areas or aspects contributing to Englad's failings but for starters there have been tactical decisions made which are hard to excuse. Tngland's decision at the coin toss set the tone for the first Test but there were other inexplicable choices in that game, such as when to keep Leach in the attack. The fallout from the Gabba hinted at potential disharmony in the England camp, probably to some degree between Root, Broad and Anderson. A saving grace for England is that I get the impression Broad is seriously hacked off and may channel that in Sydney to good effect on the Aussies. I find Broad easy to dislike but he continues to have the capacity to be a real force, on his day.

As for the broader team selection, I have said a number of times on here that England should have identified a handful, a core group of promising young opening batsmen/top three and stuck with them. The difference in quality between bowling attacks at first-class and Test level is pronouncedly marked, so let the younger guys build up their confidence nd experience on home pitches ad cut them some slack on tour, in their early Test careers. I probably would have stuck with Sibley and Hameed, with Crawley at three, given Root refuses to take that mantle. Moving down the order, Stokes, Buttler and Bairstow could have been formidable as a middle trio but the latter two aren't really red-ball players that willl elevate England to the very top tier. I can't see either of them being on the next Ashes tour. It also smacks of square pegs and round holes, to accommodate them when the best glovesman in England, Ben Foakes, doesn't get a shout.

The English bowling unit is stronger though, and it has probably been a good tour for Ollie Robinson. It is also salutary to think that under different sircumstances England could have been selecting from Olly Stone and Jofra Archer to complement Robinson, Wood, Broad, Anderson and Stokes in the seam attack.

So, it is nearly time for the Test and Australia don't really look that much weaker and England, well, who knows? I'm disappointed that the Aistralians appear to be bringing in Khawaja for Head. On the plus side, it is a left-hander for a left-hander and he definitely plays better for Australia on home soil. On the negative side he just doesn't really convince at Test level and he is definitely not a vote for youth.

I had heard some chatter about Nic Maddinson being in the frame to stand in for Head, which would be bold, but I had hoped Kurtis Patterson might get a shout. Left-hander, familiar with the SCG and still relatively young for a Test batsman. Anyways, looking forward to another late-night vigil, with the help of BT Sport and TMS, for later on.

[Calvin]

That was very nicely put.

Kurtis Patterson is a really interesting shout. Up and down for NSW this year but definitely capable; he's unlucky not to have more test caps.
I actually saw him playing for the Perth Scorchers last night down on the Gold Coast and he put in another solid knock in Marsh's absence.

Decided not to head down to Sydney (seemed like just asking to catch COVID) and I'm extra glad now, given what a stop start day it's been. Don't think either side will be too disappointed so far.

[Mibbes Aye]

If only England had been able to dismiss Khawaja as easily as I did .

Great innings from him. When he bats well he reminds me of a good snooker player. No discernible foot movement, it is all in the wrists and stance. Will wait to see how the rest of the match goes before considering what happens team-wise in the fifth Test. Khawaja very much described himself as a one-off replacement for Head, but that does leave other options, should Australia wish to keep him in the team.

The Australians will play ten Tests in the sub-continent next year, and Khawaja is considered as reasonably comfortable with spin, although his away form is lacklustre. There may be a consideration in him stepping into opening the batting in plae of Marcus Harris. That feels unlikely to me - Australia are almost at the opposite end of the spectrum from England in regard to team selection and player pathways, and I think Harris will be seen to be a long-term bet. Plus, he made a devent fist of things on a Melbourne pitch that was very far from harmless.

The other route to retention is in plae of Cameron Green. Again, Green is seen as a long-term investment and if he can get amongst the wickets in Sydney then he will surely play in the fifth Test. Going to the subcontinent is maybe another discussion.

Anyway, no room for romance in Australian selection. Richardson was excluded despite a five-for and Boland was only retained at the SCG because Hazlewood wasn't fully ready, despite Boland's 6-7 magic!

As for the rest of this Test, it is fantastically poised. Australia have three days, England have twenty wickets. Days four and five at the SCG should see pitch deterioration, so while England should find the capacity to get runs up, Lyon will surely be relishing having a good go.

[HH81]

Australia 12-3. One dropped too.

Great start to the 5th test.

[HH81]

Attack is on now 65-3.

[HH81]

Burns run out. Awful call from Crawley.

Our openers have been a joke on this tour. 0/10.

[weecounty hibby]

Another huge loss on the cards and another test that could easily be done in 4 days again. England are so soft.

[HH81]

66-0 to 115-8.

Soft is an understatement. I'd call them utterly crap.

[Mibbes Aye]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Burns run out. Awful call from Crawley.

Our openers have been a joke on this tour. 0/10.

England's openers have been particularly abysmal this series and there has been precious little in the way of highlights post-Strauss and post-Cook.

Chopping and changing the selection doesn't help, but neither does a simple lack of decent, let alone good, technique.

It's hard to think it could have been worse but then I remember that Josh Hazlewood was out for almost all the matches. Saying that, Richardson and then Boland hardly let anyone down.......

It is also fair to say there has been a marked decline in opening across Test cricket, especially over the last ten years.

But England's opening picks have been particularly abysmal.

[theonlywayisup]

England get battered, everywhere they go. England get battered, everywhere they go, everywhere they go.

[Mibbes Aye]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

England get battered, everywhere they go. England get battered, everywhere they go, everywhere they go.

It certainly might feel that way for them just now but they have won five away series in the last ten years (lost eight and drawn three). I’m far from certain that’s horrendous for a team who could still probably consider themselves in the top four in the world, albeit still very much fourth IMO. I think South Africa and Pakistan will be pushing them hard in the rankings over the coming while, I suspect.

England’s home form over the last period is a lot stronger, as one would expect. I think they have won series against India and Australia twice each in the last ten years. In fact I don’t think Australia have won a series in England since 2001.