Voice of fair play
Striker
Problem is when they have performed badly which has to be accepted and no getting away from it.
It opens it up for the immature golf craic.
The only way it will stop is if they perform better.
-
The first stage of the forum upgrades has now been completed but they remain in a degraded state and are still being worked on.
Please read this thread for more details.
New user registrations are currently disabled.
Australia v England, 2nd Test, 4th December 0400
- Thread starter DonaldDownTheWing
- Start date
It opens it up for the immature golf craic.
The only way it will stop is if they perform better.
dangermows
Striker
Tbf there was some great batting today.
There we go then, batting and bowling units are shite
VenisonsMullet
Central Defender
and some utterly shite bowling, fielding and captaincy
Inside Forward
Winger
Sorry yeah, I thought you meant the next Ashes in Australia.
dangermows
Striker
I'm pleased you included the word 'and'. Usually the opposition never ever comes into it on here.
VenisonsMullet
Central Defender
I love Ben Stokes, I think he's an outstanding cricketer AND captain, but this "vibes captaincy" is pissing me off.
I would refer him to the quote by the late, great Richie Benaud....
"Captaincy is 90% luck and 10% skill. But don't try it without that 10%!"
hudson88
Striker
They’ll get a 120 run lead, and we’ll end up 4 down before we’re even level.
VenisonsMullet
Central Defender
Only 4? You been drinking....
This has all the hallmarks of a standard defeat down under:
Don't score enough runs in first innings
Let them score way too many in their innings
Collapse in 3rd innings
They win by 8 or 9 wickets
Been watching this shit unfold down under since 1990
hudson88
Striker
Only 4? You been drinking....
This has all the hallmarks of a standard defeat down under:
Don't score enough runs in first innings
Let them score way too many in their innings
Collapse in 3rd innings
They win by 8 or 9 wickets
Been watching this shit unfold down under since 1990
I didn’t want to come across as too pessimistic.
Tomorrow arguably defines the rest of the series. If we come out and get them out with ‘only’ a 70/80 run lead, then bat well, we stand a chance.
However, I’d be very surprised if we’re not still chasing the ball about at lunch, and then Starc runs riot under the lights.
Hopefully they prove the majority of us wrong.
GordonMuchallNo1Fan
Striker
Hold on a minute here, that "golf craic" is clearly aimed at me so I'll reply.
This team deserve criticism. The whole setup deserves criticism. Have this team really improved things, results aren't particularly great with the stand out NZ away as only the "big team series win".
We were embarrassed in the first test, we declined a pink ball warm up game and the batting and bowling have been absolutely shite. As I said earlier the bowling in the 2nd innings in the 1st test and the bowling today is about as bad as I have ever seen, the short bowling under the lights today especially was absolutely wild. The manner of some of the wickets we've gifted has been absolutely appalling and embarrassing at times, for example Brook yesterday it was school kid cricket, even the bowler looked embarrassed by it and Starc just keeps pissing himself as he doesn't even have to try, just lays the bait and we take it 95% of the time.
We have prepared for this series for around 4 years (correct me if I'm wrong). We've prepared a spinner who isn't county championship standard for several years and all of a sudden he's nowhere to be seen, what does that tell you? The fascination back home resting these players is questionable as it was in September, and the "warm up game" against the Lions was half arsed at best when you watch the highlights. It was an arrogant prep for such an important series against a side who for me aren't great and are missing two (3 this test) key bowlers who would absolutely destroy us.
As I said earlier Kookaburra test when a test series was on, meaning no test players benfited from it, a totally pointless exercise.
There is no defending this and I'm not just saying that about those on the field either, the whole setup is rotten, which is something I have been consistent about for many years.
The fascination with Crawley is mind blowing, he's saved himself this test as he seems to have a habit of doing, but he just isn't good enough.
The preparation has been abysmal, the application so far this series has been absymal, the game management has been school kid stuff and performances in general have been unacceptable.
Yes they're exciting for a neutral but that is in no way a compliment, buffet bowling today will be exciting for some as batters just smash it out the ground but that shouldn't be a positive endorsement of "bazball", because to any cricket fan, it's just rank bad cricket.
They deserve every ounce of criticism at the moment because it's absolutely shite what they are serving up and the setup comes across as a very very arrogant group/setup on and off the field.
Also worth noting the body language at times today was rotten.
They need to get their fingers out & start applying themselves maturely towards test cricket, this isn't T20/One Day Cricket.
Mr Redknapp
Striker
That's my feeling after watching the cricket I saw.
The lads couldn't bowl straight and I still think 330 was good enough to be competitive. But if you are giving decent players square cut practice
. This England team is obviously nowhere near as good as the one in 10/11 this would be just as big of an achievement imho. Australia look the far more savvy side on the evidence so far, it's up to the lads to work out a solution.
They also play up to the golf thing, they know exactly what they’re doing.
VenisonsMullet
Central Defender
I would counter by saying we have seen tours down under where we've played loads of state sides and STILL got thrashed so I don't necessarily agree that the performances thus far and solely down to a lack of cricket.
The optics aren't great though and they have messed too many players around (Bethell, Bashir) instead of letting them play and learn the game
It’s an excellent post btw
Mr Redknapp
Striker
You know how hard a test series away is (let alone The Ashes mate). Their preparation has consisted of a couple of white-ball series in New Zealand and a half-arsed pink ball friendly where most of them didn't play
.. that won't be helping their cause.. Hope they turn it around as if they don't a few careers might be ending and it would be a shame for such an exciting philosophy to go out on a whimper.
GordonMuchallNo1Fan
Striker
Totally agree about it not all down to lack of cricket, a lot of it is just "brain dead cricket" as I call it. The Starc bait every single time, he bowls wide and we just want to smash him out the ground 90% of the time, absolutely mind blowing stupidity. You then have the wild bowling today under the lights, just utterly stupid, that is just stupidity. We even made Doggett look good in the 1st test.
Bethell for example totally messed about. Bashir appears to be the next one however my view on him are clear on here, he's not even county standard however this lot rate him and now suddenly don't, very odd.
Hopefully they can turn it around but I am struggling to see many positives after a very very poor day today. A few players dug us out of a hole yesterday and I was ok with the score but the bowling today, my word so so bad.
Mr Redknapp
Striker
Tell them to imagine it's
, I also think English cricket is so obsessed with building towards the Ashes that it's counter-productive imho..Australia play to win their current game.
Last edited:
GordonMuchallNo1Fan
Striker
I hope it does. It just seems odd this fella has been backed by this regime for several years now and all of a sudden nowhere to be seen, and he was put ahead at the expense of Leach for example. It's just weird logic.
Nasser Butt-Head
Midfield
Like others have mentioned. I can take being shite and annihilated. But the body language from the players this early into a 5 match series is bordering on disgraceful.
