Cricket

This explains a lot, if you are connected to the England Cricket Team, no wonder their morale is so low

 

As soon as they saw you describe them as ‘pathetic’ and ‘humiliating’, there was crying in the dressing room. You should watch your words in case some of them look at his forum.

 

So often the attitude of a team determines whether it will be successful or fail.
Look at that ashes team in 2010/11. It had the determination of Cook but the "balls" of Pietersen, Broad, Swann, Prior, Anderson. Those were guys who were loud, bullish and relished the challenge and wanted to dominate the opposition.
Today most of the XI, certainly the top 4 batsmen and Buttler, exude timidity, politeness, fear and respect. We need more with the fight of Stokes, Bairstow, Robinson, and perhaps Broad/Anderson while their performances still warrant a place. Broad was inspired in the Aussie innings.

 

I don't think Buttler is timid or polite at all. Look at the World Cup Final, which he effectively won for England. Or his record in IPL, the most highly scrutiinised form of cricket on the globe.

I just think (a) he is badly out of form and (b) he has never quite clicked as a Test cricketer - but not for those reasons.

 

He's a destructive batsman in limited overs cricket but doesn't seem to be at home in test cricket. He has a good spell with the bat i recall a couple of years ago but he doesn't seem to be the type to inspire and fire up those around him in test cricket in the way that others can. If his form was better he wouldn't be a bad shout for captain as he can deal with media and lead by example like a Strauss but we need more players with "balls". Maybe a call up for Troy would be in order ?

 

At least we showed some fight and when we actually attacked with Stokes, Bairstow and latterly Wood we showed up the Aussie attack to what it actually is which is average. Cummins is quality and Lyon is decent but the rest are not great. We have been too timid in our approach throughout the whole tour especially at the top of the order. I would be half tempted to open with Bairstow just to give some impetus at the top of the order. Too late for this series now but Crawley, Hameed and Burns should be binned and look at some of the younger talent. I know Liam Livingstone doesn't play much red ball cricket but I would look to get him in the side. Decent spin option (turns it both ways) and a destructive batsmen.
Well played YJB, that's a top innings

 

Not convinced there is much out there, frankly.

 

There can't be any worse than Hameed, Burns and Crawley

 

No, I agree it is worth a try but I don't think we should expect miracles. After all, Hameed was himself only recently drafted in to replace Sibley, another failure.

 

Who's forum is "HIS" Or was it just a "typo"

 

Great, brave innings from Stokes. Clearly in pain, but fought on. If only we had more with his mentality, let alone his talent, coming through.

 

And that’s why he should be captain. Absolute leader. Not a lost little boy worried about a camera seeing down his trousers after being hit on the box.

 

Agree shame as he was starting to look good last year.

I went to bed when Root was out. Fully expected to wake up to hear it was all over. When i saw score thought we were in second innings

As UEA said earlier we are still no where near in the game but should get a draw if we all do a rain dance or 2

 

I think there's a good chance of some rain over the next couple of days, esp tomorrow.

 

45 minutes to bat this evening. 2, 3 or 4 down by close?

 

I reckon zero.

 

Prayers for rain....

 

Great tense finish

 

Excellent tense finish, crawled over the line thanks to a bit of rain and Aussie in field errors. Glad Jimmy remained not out after the final over. GOAT

 

At last we have stopped the rot, but only just Phew!!!

Here's a shout out for Jack Leach as I have been slating him of late, but thank god he was playing today as it was probably his knock that went a long way to saving our bacon, and he even got some long awaited wickets in this test too, WELL DONE JACK

 

Times are bad when a flimsy draw stops a possible 5-0 defeat.
However any port...

 

Wonder who will play in the next test starting Friday. Presumably not Stokes, Bairstow or Hameed ? Will they bring back Woakes, Burns and Pope ? Will they play Anderson again ?

 

Baby steps.

 

Woakes is one of those players who are in and out of the side for no good reason that I can see. As just like Bairstow & Broad he is a battler and rarely lets the team down when selected, I can only put it down to the purists again who still think cricket is a game for officers and so called gentlemen.

It's time the powers that be in cricket got into the 21st century and just picked players on their true merit instead of their misguided ideas on how they think cricket should be played, instead of how it ACTUALLY should be played with fire and passion

 

Sticking with Hameed would be foolish and quite frankly cruel. His nerve has gone and he’s forgotten how to bat, as happened before when he was dropped from county cricket. He’s made one decent score in the whole period since his return to the team. They have done a fair bit of rotating this tour and I don’t think it would look odd to bring Burns back in to open after “resting him”. Hameed has had 6 successive scores of less than 10 I believe. You cannot continue to select an opener with stats like that surely ?

 

Ah some fight, at long last! That almost felt as good as a win!

I couldn’t understand his inclusion but what a knock by Crawley last night, he was great to watch. Poise, confidence, discipline and aggression at the right time. Was a great 77. Time for him to show this consistently now, starting at Hobart. Bring Burns back in for Hameed because that guy is so out of his depth it’s embarrassing.

Leach, as mentioned above, much better in the second innings with the ball, he forced Root’s hand to bowl more due to the Stokes injury and bowled well taking wickets and actually looking like a test match spinner. He also contributed with the bat massively last night with his match saving 26.

I’m a huge Bairstow fan, so not shocked to see him do well, it’s been criminal how he’s been cast into the wilderness and must bat at 5 (would move Stokes down to 6 if he’s fit) moving forwards.

Ollie Pope kept wicket really well in that 2nd innings and I would be tempted to give him the gloves and put him in at 7. He’s a better red ball batsman than Butler anyway!

 

Aus now 152-4 having been 12-3 !
Wood going at 7 an over.

 

Thought you were “relentlessly positive” these days?

 

I am. That 4th wicket was vital and now a 5th. We've got this. After Burn's 100 we won't need to bat a second time.

 

There's a difference between being positive and being a fantasist, you know.