The Winter Cricket Thread 2013/14 - The Ashes Down Under

[TheMajorSTFC]

Class

... at 3 o'clock in the morning?

That's correct RedRag, get some shrimp on the barbie so to speak at a ridiculous hour followed by a fry up during the last session! I'll probably still do it - daft idea, but could be fun to do - just a shame it'll probably be 3-0 to the Aussies by then and the series will be over!

[kerry red]

Oi Oi Ben Stokes!

Oh, for a couple of the other batsmen to have some bollocks and we'd win this.

328-6 - 176 more!

[RedRag]

That's correct RedRag, get some shrimp on the barbie so to speak at a ridiculous hour followed by a fry up during the last session! I'll probably still do it - daft idea, but could be fun to do - just a shame it'll probably be 3-0 to the Aussies by then and the series will be over!

It is 3-0 now and Stokes has shown the others way

I guess lunchtime at after the first session at about say 2am would be ideal in fact.

Daft idea?  You're right!

[Nemo]

At last a silver lining emerges in the shape of Stokes. Unfortunately there's quite a lot of cloud.

Two games left, not truly dead rubbers as avoiding 5-0 is very important but experimentation likely- Broad may not play because of his foot, Rankin or Finn deserve a game, and is Ballance for Pietersen out of the question? Probably but an interesting decision to make.

[TheMajorSTFC]

It is 3-0 now and Stokes has shown the others way

I guess lunchtime at after the first session at about say 2am would be ideal in fact.

Daft idea?  You're right!

I've decided despite the humiliating scoreline that it will still be going ahead! Stokes extremely well played in that, and a shame we didn't have 2 more senior players stand up, score runs and we'd have been in with a shout at firstly, drawing the test match and secondly, having a chance to win it! 2 big tests still to play - avoiding a 5-0 thrashing - but I imagine we'll see some changes. Who knows, fresh blood may do England the world of good, it can hardly get much worse except the scoreline front! I'd really like to see Steve Finn play in one of these last two tests!

[fittons_coaching_badge]

The most disappointing thing about that debacle was this Aussie team are bang average!

They will return in 18 months to defend the Ashes here and England should get them back. When they do return there will probably be no Rogers, Harris, Haddin and to an extent both teams will have gone through re modelling.

England need to look into playing a more aggressive brand of cricket.  This one dimensional dry cricket has been taken apart and some.  The thing is England will go into a home series with SL and India which they will win both easily and I worry that batsmen will fill there boots and in more helpful conditions Broad/Anderson/Bresnan will revert to type helped by more helpful conditions and effectively just paper over cracks!

The Aussies go to South Africa for a 3 test series in Feb/Mar and they will get turned over and some. In many ways it underlines how poor test cricket is at the moment.  After South Africa there are some right bang average sides out there.

[janaage]

Bit bored of the way the media over react to off the cuff comments on fb. Not Graham Swann's biggest fan but what he said (comparing losing the ashes to be done up the chuffer) is hardly crime of the century. Move on, nothing to see here.

[chalkies_shorts]

They were dumb comments to make and he should know better but he's apologised so time to move on.

[Nemo]

Yeah the media is so appalled by the offensive comments that they all reprinted them, taking the viewership from 300 to 5 million.

[@mwooly63]

Greame Swann retires with immediate effect so not available for last 2 tests.
Planned to retire at end of series apparently

[Nomoreheroes]

Greame Swann retires with immediate effect so not available for last 2 tests.
Planned to retire at end of series apparently

I guess that it had been decided that he would be left out for the Boxing Day test and has therefore been given the opportunity to leave on his own terms.

Must admit that I didn't see that one coming.

[@mwooly63]

I guess that it had been decided that he would be left out for the Boxing Day test and has therefore been given the opportunity to leave on his own terms.

Must admit that I didn't see that one coming.

From what just saw on SSN the ECB were last to know and were expecting it end of the tour. Swann himself said if there had been a chance of saving or winning the ashes in the last test he would have played.
Guess that starts the hunt early for a new spinner as cant see monty as the long term replacement

[Reg Smeeton]

Great bowler...and we've nothing around as good as him. Nevertheless, it took him some years to work it out, so we had Richard Dawson and Martin Ball kicking about.

Think we have to go withn Monty...of the young guns Ravi Patel at Middlesex shows promise.

We're in for one of those periods when loads get a game, because they deserve a chance rather than they're any good.

[DMR]

I'm stunned.

Pick Scott Borthwick.

[Nemo]

Shit. Don't think any of the young guys are ready, Panesar for 18 months or so I think.

We're really going to miss Swann.