The Ashes

[Talk Talk]

Sir Geoffrey said it like it is yesterday.

What is the point of batting in a test match like you need to score off every ball? That's where we went tits up in this test. Leave the ball alone unless it is either a loose delivery or you need to defend. Strauss and Cook briefly seemed to understand that yesterday and only played when they needed to.

Perhaps it is too much one day cricket that taints the test match batsman's mind. Play to stay in you fuckers.

On the subject of changes I would give Bopara a long hard look but who the hell else do you bring in instead? I think the team is actually the best we have. Flintoff is sorely missed - but we need an all rounder like him (or Botham in previous Ashes) to inspire, perform and deliver against the Aussies. Perhaps Stuart Broad will be that man in two year's time...

[alanmayes]

I thought Boycs summed it up perfectly on the Channel5 Highlights programme,when discussing team changes
for The Oval.Robert Key to come in at No.3 with Bopara making way.They should have picked Sidebottom at
Headingley for his control,rather than Harmison.With the bowling attack for the final test,it's a case of seeing
who's fit (especially Freddie) and taking things from there.We need a lot more discipline with the bowling and
to bowl as a unit.

[Nomoreheroes]

Key reminds me of Brearley. A good captain but not quite good enough with the bat. But who else do you go for? How about Mark Ramprakash? I know he's had a million chances and ideally you wouldnt call upon a 39 year old, but....

[DMR]

obvious choice at 3 is ed joyce, he is in the form of his life.

Not with Hilfy getting lefties out for fun.

Think some of you are getting a bit caught up in this leaving the ball hype, you have to hit the thing to score runs see. Maybe swap Bell and Ravi, or drop Ravi for Key if you really have to. Harmy out for Fred/Sidey.

[Nomoreheroes]

I think the point is that there is noone in the England side who can drop anchor for a day or two if necessary. For every other test playing nation they have at least one or two batsmen who can do this.

[JTomlinson]

How about Mark Ramprakash? I know he's had a million chances and ideally you wouldnt call upon a 39 year old, but....

With you on that, he has already notched up his 5th century this season...

[alanmayes]

Langer's Ashes Dossier makes for some interesting observations.Written before the Cardiff Test.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/theashes/5996840/In-full-Justin-Langers-Ashes-dossier.html

Scroll through the rest of the pages,top right.

[Boeta]

agree with mex - ed joyce for me

[ghanimah]

Langer's Ashes Dossier makes for some interesting observations.Written before the Cardiff Test.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/theashes/5996840/In-full-Justin-Langers-Ashes-dossier.html

Scroll through the rest of the pages,top right.

Hmm I wonder how we got to know of the dossier - who leaked it and why? - I'm not sure who would benefit from the leak, though apparently Michael Vaughan agrees with many of Langer’s assertions, according to the Telegraph

[Talk Talk]

I think the point is that there is no one in the England side who can drop anchor for a day or two if necessary. For every other test playing nation they have at least one or two batsmen who can do this.

Indeed. That was what I was aiming at.

DMR - yes you have to score runs to win, but you can approach it with a mindset that doesn't mean you have to attack every ball. Staying in is important!

Granted, Boycott was one extreme of this and wouldn't change his tactics when the match or series demanded it and it drove his contemporaries bonkers. At the other end of the spectrum I give you the current England Ashes side.

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

I think the problem is that we get carried away in the spur of the moment. We took the game to them in 2005 and scored runs fast but the difference was we did it sensibly and in most cases we did it well. Here in this series we seem to be doing the same but rather than trying to play our natural game we end up trying to force the issue and fail. There needs to be a sense of perspective at The Oval. We need to try and bat for 2 days if batting first and bat them out of the game. That way it makes an Aussie win unlikely and gives the bowlers the ultimatum of taking 20 wickets or watching the Aussies get their dirty hands on that urn yet again.

[Reg Smeeton]

 Apparently this is the first time in an England test team that nos 3,4,and 5 have failed to get at least double figures in both completed innings.

 It was pretty obvious when KP dropped out that bringing in Bell after Boparda was an accident waiting to happen if Strauss failed...and so it proved.

[Talk Talk]

Apparently this is the first time in an England test team that nos 3,4,and 5 have failed to get at least double figures in both completed innings.

 It was pretty obvious when KP dropped out that bringing in Bell after Boparda was an accident waiting to happen if Strauss failed...and so it proved.

Agreed Reg. The middle order have to be resilient and without Flintoff we don't seem to have any other answers. Apart from Broad in two year's time that is 

[Nemo]

A worrying stat- runs scored by Englands Batsman/Bowlers

In the series to date:

England’s top 5 wickets – 937 runs (Strauss, Cook, Bopara, Bell/Pietersen, Collingwood)
England’s bottom 5 wickets – 910 runs (Flintoff, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Monty/Onions/Harmison)

I think the bottom stand might be missing Broad and Swann's little dash on the final day as well so they could even be ahead.

Edit: Re-looking at this, I think it's the last 5 wickets to go down, so a lot of Priors runs are probably included in the bottom figure.

[Ardiles]

I see Freddie's going to be ready for the Oval test.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/8192589.stm

The stage is set.