On a serious note, we may need to try some different bowlers. Mahmood is in Australia isn't he.
English cricket thread
- Thread starter Samid
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Yes, let's get a splash of racism in the changing room.
Always worked for the Aussies.
Finn is actually here commentating for radio.
Spin, new bowlers, spare batsmen.. nothing's going to work
England have a couple of years of building to do to get a decent side. They're a bit rubbish now unfortunately
England need a new opener, wicket keeper and need to show more faith in their spinner. Can't believe they're not playing an off spinner against Aussies who have majority lefties in their top order.
With Stokes they don't need to play four pacers.
With Stokes they don't need to play four pacers.
May as well. This serie is over, better to give the next iteration some experience for the next one.
But Mahmood and Wood into the attack would give England the option for pace at both ends.
It's likely going to be longer than that. There simply aren't enough good players to plug the holes needing plugging. And it seems all the real talent can't stay fit for more than 5 minutes.
In the end they had to give us a wicket
He is, but I read that one of the bowlers need to be injured before he can come in for selectio.
We had this exact conversation as a country after the last Australia tour.
Harris knew if he turned back there that was his last game
This is the biggest issue.
When Strauss left, England tried so many openers and nothing worked. It feels like you're now going through that but for nearly every position in the 11
I’m still confused as to why they didn’t enforce the follow on? Perhaps tiredness in the heat?
Not sure tbh. We've got plenty of good players - no reason why Pope and Crawley can't crack it at test level. And bowling attack will be a lot stronger if we can get Archer back (think Stone might be knackered sadly).
Spinner is the biggest issue. I'd just pick Bess and stick with him. He can bat, so he'll contribute even if he's bowling poorly.
The only three players guaranteed to play the first test of our summer are Root, Stokes and Robinson (whose fitness/lack of pace is an issue for me despite doing nothing wrong so far).
There's no reason why a guy his size is only bowling 80mph. How has he got this far without fixing that (or a coach fixing it for him)? He'll become innocuous very quickly if he doesn't gain a couple of extra mph, like Hazelwood did a few years ago.
He's 28, it won't change now.
We breed players like that in county cricket as you don't need pace on green tops with cloud cover.
Australia has been shy about using the follow on for quite a long time now
With Hazlewood injured, I imagine they want to look after him. He’s also a strike bowler so will only bowel few overs at a time.
Batsmen failed again, Aus top order was so disciplined. Root and malan got out chasing balls they could of left, Hameed and pope made poor shot choices and butter got out throwing the kitchen sink at a drive when we were well under the pump. Too many failures again, and its not as if they all got good balls.
Another catastrophic day's play presided over by genius coach Silverwood, who just seems a non entity with no clue about test cricket at all. Great first session from Root and Malan, but you always sensed that Australia just needed one wicket to get England going into another tailspin.
The contrast between a patched up Aussie attack bowling under lights to our own was alarming. The first test team had been manipulated so that Anderson and Broad could bowl those spells, in which they both went wicketless and looked sadly like spent forces. Jack Leach, who probably should have played here, was effectively sacrificed at the gabba so that Broad and Anderson could bowl those spells fresh.
Bar Root's batting and some decent displays from Malan and Wood, we are outgunned in every department. We are farther off than we were last time round, and we were dismal then, too.
I would very much consider ringing the changes for the third test. Not likely to make a difference in terms of results but it gives others a chance to stake a claim.
The contrast between a patched up Aussie attack bowling under lights to our own was alarming. The first test team had been manipulated so that Anderson and Broad could bowl those spells, in which they both went wicketless and looked sadly like spent forces. Jack Leach, who probably should have played here, was effectively sacrificed at the gabba so that Broad and Anderson could bowl those spells fresh.
Bar Root's batting and some decent displays from Malan and Wood, we are outgunned in every department. We are farther off than we were last time round, and we were dismal then, too.
I would very much consider ringing the changes for the third test. Not likely to make a difference in terms of results but it gives others a chance to stake a claim.
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Not sure how Silverwood can keep his place after this series,the team is worse in every possible way even though he has had absolute power for a while now. There is no fight in this team and they are completely inept skills wise. Match after match this year Root & Silverwood have picked wrong lineups and it’s getting worse now. It’s like a bad football team who has given up on their manager.
Admittedly I don't follow cricket the way I used to but what is it with England having coaches etc that are failed test match cricketers?
I'm thinking likes of Ramprakash and even Hick and now Silverwood etc
Yeah and trying to see the positives of which there are next to none
Because ECB love a yes man who won't kick up a fuss about the state of test cricket
45!Yep, 40 year old Darren Stevens is still taking wickets at county level.
feck Bess, average bowler, average batsman. Just get Livingstone in there ASAP and give him a go. Between him and Root you'd expect one of them to be bowling ok in any given game and our batting lineup might be able to instil a bit of fear with Woakes down at no.9.
I'd put Buttler 6, Pope 7, Livingstone 8 and take all the pressure off Pope as he'd always be batting with someone positive in almost any situation. Or you know, sack Pope off and let him play county cricket for a couple of years and try Bohannon or somebody out. We can't keep wheeling out the same failures and average nice guys year after year and just hope something clicks. It hasn't and it won't, let's seek out our most talented players and give them a run, then if/when they fail you do the same again and again and again until we hit on the right people. It doesn't mean they'll never get another chance, it just means they need to go and work on their games. Look at Malan.
Says it all really! His dibbly dobblers are more potent than any fast bowling.
No way Livingstone is an 8. Wasted down there. If you are going to pick him, he needs to bat higher up. Pope is already proficient in county cricket, he needs to prove himself now.
Yep Pope averages 60 in F/C Cricket, if he can't make it at Test level it's not a great look for the system.
Livingstone can't bowl at test level. He has no red ball form for Lancs, his batting doesn't really stand up either but I do agree he can hardly be any worse.
Spinner wise there are better options. Parkinson or Virdi if you want to go with someone young and develop them.
Livingstone and Bohannon have 2 of the highest FC batting averages right now (albeit lower than Pope's) and they're both passable with the ball in hand. It's not saying much compared to days of yore but some players step up at Test level while others crumble. Trescothick for example had a higher Test average than FC. You can see the talent with Livingstone, I just can't really with Bess. And we can't keep trying the same things and expecting different results.
Robinson bowling off spinners. Shows how much the English selection was wrong.
He's actually bowled a lot for Lancs. We often bowl him ahead of Parky when they play together.
He's generally quite tight but doesn't take many wickets, so maybe he could play a defensive role for us. I'd be happy to give him a go.
Malan takes a wicket bowling some very suspect 'leg spin', and Labuschagne holes out.
I'm guessing at this point Australia are just batting time and wanting England to come out and bat when it's a bit darker. Maybe they want Green to get a score.
I'm guessing at this point Australia are just batting time and wanting England to come out and bat when it's a bit darker. Maybe they want Green to get a score.
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Leggies are a different kettle of fish on harder bouncier pitches in Oz, so why on earth has Livingston not been selected????
Livingston bowls with a lot more control than the other poster is suggesting and he also bats straight with an orthodox technique, he’s a very talented and powerful athlete. Roy, Vince and Livingston, 3 batsman very talented batsman. Yet England insisted in trying to develop much less talented batsman the past 4 years.
Malan an inch away from a second wicket there.
Starc just felt his back there after slog sweeping Root.
Starc just felt his back there after slog sweeping Root.