4th Test England V Australia - Old Trafford

Really? We won the game Smith missed, shame he didn’t get worse concussion, another couple of weeks would of been perfect. Smith was the biggest difference between the two sides.
Not denying that. My point though is that Labuschagne wasn’t anywhere near the team before that moment but will end the series as one of Australia’s top performers. Smith is an absolute one off though.
 
England has won just 1 of the last 10 ashes test matches, that was the Ben Stokes show that we could of easily lost as well.

Unfortunately they are all over us at the moment, and as with the concerted effort to win the WC there has to be a lot of rebuilding to compete against the Aussies in an ashes series, the next series is away..
 
Not denying that. My point though is that Labuschagne wasn’t anywhere near the team before that moment but will end the series as one of Australia’s top performers. Smith is an absolute one off though.
Agree. Luck out of adversity in a way.
 
Not denying that. My point though is that Labuschagne wasn’t anywhere near the team before that moment but will end the series as one of Australia’s top performers. Smith is an absolute one off though.
Smith is a talented batsman...but I think he, along with his fellow sandpaper cheats, should be still serving a 5 year ban (minimum)
 
Sibley approaching 1000 runs for the season averaging 50+ opening the batting? Criminal how he has been overlooked for Roy
Dominic Cork was suggesting that nobody was putting their hand up really in CC.
I guess with the younger players, starting against Cummins, Hazelwood and Starc maybe seen as too hard a start?
 
Same squad named for Thursday..
Yes. Knew it would be but for me they've bottled it.
Roy Buttler and Bairstow are very lucky to still be in there. Its clear Root wants them and has had his way. Jobs for the boys. Bayliss won"t give a monkeys.
This batting line up is not capeable of building a big score. The mentality is not there for the 3 I've mentioned to do it against a top class attack in test cricket.
 
Keeping the same squad is idiotic. It's just condemning us to the same mistakes and fragile batting. What a time to blood a younger player in a meaningless test, but nope, put the same flawed team out there and hope for the best. It's not sustainable to just hope Stokes will pull a blinder.

The Australians certainly rode their luck and Smith's form, but they took their catches in the big moments. England did not. If there was not a paucity of others, I'd take the captaincy off of Root as he looks lost out there at the moment and England are crying out for leadership. Friday was a prime example when the team just disappeared and that was the day it lost the Ashes.
 
Northeast
Sibley
Ballance
Are all near 1000 runs and averaging mid 50's.
And the one I'm keeping an eye on is Higgins of Gloucs. Nearing a 1000 runs averages 72 with the bat and bowls seam at an average of 25. 40 wkts this season. So a decent all rounder. To compare, Labushagne was averaging 65 and over a 1000 when called up.
All deserve their chance soon in a re-build very soon IMHO.
 
Northeast
Sibley
Ballance
Are all near 1000 runs and averaging mid 50's.
And the one I'm keeping an eye on is Higgins of Gloucs. Nearing a 1000 runs averages 72 with the bat and bowls seam at an average of 25. 40 wkts this season. So a decent all rounder. To compare, Labushagne was averaging 65 and over a 1000 when called up.
All deserve their chance soon in a re-build very soon IMHO.

Ballance has already been found wanting on a number of occasions.
 
I’m not surprised we’re going with an unchanged squad for the last test. I’m HOPING it’s because the selectors are saying to the players ‘you got us into this mess, you’ve got one last chance to get us - and yourselves - out of it. I also hope those players saw the Aussies less than dignified celebrations yesterday evening and are chomping at the bit to get one over on them. It could also be argued that it would be unfair to chuck new players in at this time, although I’d hope anyone picked would back their own talent. As I say, that’s what I’m hoping, but I fear it’s more a case of the selectors being dull, unimaginative and spineless.
 
Ballance has already been found wanting on a number of occasions.
And the current lot haven't?
Ballance has a test average of 37.5 from 23 matches. Only Root out of our whole side has a higher average. No more of a risk than Roy Buttler Bairstow and the rest!!
 
Northeast
Sibley
Ballance
Are all near 1000 runs and averaging mid 50's.
And the one I'm keeping an eye on is Higgins of Gloucs. Nearing a 1000 runs averages 72 with the bat and bowls seam at an average of 25. 40 wkts this season. So a decent all rounder. To compare, Labushagne was averaging 65 and over a 1000 when called up.
All deserve their chance soon in a re-build very soon IMHO.
Not Ballance. He has proved to be not good enough.
 
It's fine to have a Roy or Bairstow or Buttler coming in at six in your Test team. An aggressive shot-maker who can potentially build upon a platform that your top order have built, and demoralize and put away the opposition.

It's just about defensible to have two, if one of them can don the gloves and bat seven.

To have three - especially when you've got massive questions about the capability of the rest of your top four - is just suicidal.

I can see why they tried Roy. His one-day batting showed that he has the temperament and the shot-making talent for international cricket. But this series has clearly shown that he lacks the technique and the patience for Test match cricket - unless he's going to play as the solo slogger at #6. We simply can't afford the luxury of playing him and Buttler in the same side against a competent attack (as New Zealand and South Africa, even without Steyn, will be this winter).

Denly - as hard as he's battled this summer - just isn't good enough either. His two fifties showed plenty of character - but even they required absolute bags of luck to last even as long as he did. Just not enough talent.

So we need to find two new batsmen to join the top five alongside Burns, Root & Stokes. And if they're going to be ready for the next Ashes, we should be starting by blooding new faces now.
 
It's fine to have a Roy or Bairstow or Buttler coming in at six in your Test team. An aggressive shot-maker who can potentially build upon a platform that your top order have built, and demoralize and put away the opposition.

It's just about defensible to have two, if one of them can don the gloves and bat seven.

To have three - especially when you've got massive questions about the capability of the rest of your top four - is just suicidal.

I can see why they tried Roy. His one-day batting showed that he has the temperament and the shot-making talent for international cricket. But this series has clearly shown that he lacks the technique and the patience for Test match cricket - unless he's going to play as the solo slogger at #6. We simply can't afford the luxury of playing him and Buttler in the same side against a competent attack (as New Zealand and South Africa, even without Steyn, will be this winter).

Denly - as hard as he's battled this summer - just isn't good enough either. His two fifties showed plenty of character - but even they required absolute bags of luck to last even as long as he did. Just not enough talent.

So we need to find two new batsmen to join the top five alongside Burns, Root & Stokes. And if they're going to be ready for the next Ashes, we should be starting by blooding new faces now.
I sort of agree Tony but....
Is the cupboard bare?
How many openers have we tried since Strauss/ Cook retired?
Stoneman, Robson, Denley, Lyth andba whole host more ( tha Lancashire opener was one who looked pretty good before breaking his finger)
By all means try others but whether we will find the 3 or so batsmen we need)
 
It's fine to have a Roy or Bairstow or Buttler coming in at six in your Test team. An aggressive shot-maker who can potentially build upon a platform that your top order have built, and demoralize and put away the opposition.

It's just about defensible to have two, if one of them can don the gloves and bat seven.

To have three - especially when you've got massive questions about the capability of the rest of your top four - is just suicidal.

I can see why they tried Roy. His one-day batting showed that he has the temperament and the shot-making talent for international cricket. But this series has clearly shown that he lacks the technique and the patience for Test match cricket - unless he's going to play as the solo slogger at #6. We simply can't afford the luxury of playing him and Buttler in the same side against a competent attack (as New Zealand and South Africa, even without Steyn, will be this winter).

Denly - as hard as he's battled this summer - just isn't good enough either. His two fifties showed plenty of character - but even they required absolute bags of luck to last even as long as he did. Just not enough talent.

So we need to find two new batsmen to join the top five alongside Burns, Root & Stokes. And if they're going to be ready for the next Ashes, we should be starting by blooding new faces now.
I think it’s time Foakes was given a chance with the gloves, I’m not convinced that Bairstow is good enough. I think it was his batting that originally got him into the team. I agree with what you say though, the current batting line up is a recipe for disaster. With such fragility at the top of the order, someone with sound technique at 3 or 4 is essential to steady the ship and support the middle to lower order. Someone in the mould of Trott. I suppose that role should be carried out by Root but the captaincy has affected his batting in my opinion. At the moment when the top of the order fails the lack of sound technique coming in leads to the inevitable collapse. Too many sloggers and not enough batters which I suppose is all down to bloody white ball cricket.
 
And the current lot haven't?
Ballance has a test average of 37.5 from 23 matches. Only Root out of our whole side has a higher average. No more of a risk than Roy Buttler Bairstow and the rest!!

I haven't defended the current lot and I'd rather the other 2 mentioned in that post were given a chance over Ballance..
 
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