Summer Cricket 2019

[Matchworn Shirts]

I'd say at this rate, Australias' inability to polish off the lower order will cost them the series

[Samdy Gray]

If we hold on for a draw today and somehow dig out a win at The Oval, the Aussies will have been well and truly robbed.

England have been woeful.

[REDBUCK]

Nice brave bowling change, worked a treat.

[Nemo]

Aussies deserved to win that, sadly, but glad we put up a proper fight (and that Somerset players did most of the fighting!).

Yesterday was a bit of a microcosm of the whole series really, we looked to be doing well and coming back into it until Smith took it away from us, and after that it just seemed a bit flat. We did well to not fold entirely today, but a lot of question marks for the Oval - could easily make a case for dropping about six different players although they clearly won't.

[RedRag]

Some good points.  However, but for one of the greatest individual innings in English history by Stokes, we would be 3-0, and deservedly so.  At home.

Grudgingly, Smith has been outstanding, so perhaps the broader difference between the sides wouldn't be fairly reflected by 0-3 after 4 tests.  In general, Root aside, the batting has been weak though Burns and now possibly Denly have shown some promise.

[Reg Smeeton]

 I'm not sure where we go from here, in a good sense ie making things better.  This was pretty predictable, and made worse by the fact the Convicts aren't great.... essentially Smith and then the quicks. They could even carry Paine, thus effectively playing with 10.

 The red ball/white ball divide is going to get even more stark, over the coming years.

[Nemo]

Paine seems to be getting absolute pelters from all sides (especially the Aussies) and yet he's outscored Buttler, and not far off Bairstow, both of whom are clearly more talented, and is a better keeper than either too.

[Reg Smeeton]

Paine seems to be getting absolute pelters from all sides (especially the Aussies) and yet he's outscored Buttler, and not far off Bairstow, both of whom are clearly more talented, and is a better keeper than either too.

Both JB's have been poor.... Foakes is a better keeper, did well in Sri Lanka, and seems to bat properly, so won't get near the white ball side. Doesn't get picked.

With the benefit of hindsight both JB's should have been given a rest after the WC

[Pax Romana]

The loss at Headingley was pretty much down to him.  Stokes was phenomenal but Australia lost that test, E&W didn't win it.

It's strange that this series has featured just about as bad an England top 5 as we have ever fielded and yet we would  probably be winning if Smith hadn't played and would be at least 3-0 up if he was playing for us.  Can't think of the last time that one player had such a pivotal effect on a 5 match ashes series.

 

[Nemo]

Unchanged squad for the Oval. Obviously.

[Reg Smeeton]

The loss at Headingley was pretty much down to him.  Stokes was phenomenal but Australia lost that test, E&W didn't win it.

It's strange that this series has featured just about as bad an England top 5 as we have ever fielded and yet we would  probably be winning if Smith hadn't played and would be at least 3-0 up if he was playing for us.  Can't think of the last time that one player had such a pivotal effect on a 5 match ashes series.

 

Ian Bell 2013.

[RobertT]

Unchanged!  What are they serving from the Carafes these days!

Denly - getting the odd 50 is not good enough, he looks more likely to get out than score big
Burns - horrible to watch but he deserves time and has made some scratchy Jack Russel style innings
Bairstow - what is he offering this team?
Buttler - not a Test batsman, never will be, great one day option though
Roy - love him for one dayers, horrible for Test matches
Root  someone drag the captaincy away from him, it's ruining him
Stokes - great performance in the previous game, has it in him, but his Test average is still not stellar - he has games like the last one, probably over use him to be honest.

That's our top 7, the basis of our performances.  We haven't looked this ropey since the 90's.

Maybe we should send the tail in to face the new ball.  They at least try and avoid getting out, and we don't make it to 10 with less than  down very often anyway.  Then at least the "batsmen" can come in against the older ball.

[Pax Romana]

Ian Bell 2013.

Whichever team has Smith in it wins this series.  In our case it would have been overwhelmingly.

Bell in 2013 is not remotely equivalent.

[Nemo]

Whichever team has Smith in it wins this series.  In our case it would have been overwhelmingly.

Bell in 2013 is not remotely equivalent.

Cook 2010 probably is though.

[Reg Smeeton]

Whichever team has Smith in it wins this series.  In our case it would have been overwhelmingly.

Bell in 2013 is not remotely equivalent.

Little point in arguing with you... you asked a question and there's the answer Bell scored 562 runs, England won 3 Tests and he scored a hundred in each, he scored more or less 200 more than other England batsmen.... Cook, Trott, Pieterson, Root, Bairstow.