England Are for now Doing Pretty Good Huh? Oh Dear!

[Hylander]

The lads are doing well in the cricket against the Aussies.   Let us hope they keep up the good work.

[CooWee]

Hi Monica,

 

Thus far they are, as I type Australia are 130 for 6.  I must admit I thought England were doing the back slapping a bit early and that there was no pressure, time wise, to get the 412, 206 a day and at 97 for 1 and going well it was ominous.  How quickly things can change and a very unlike Australian collapse has left England in a very strong position but I will wait for the tenth wicket to fall before I cheer too loudly.  I am sure Iain will have something to say around tea time or at the end of the day's play.

[Hylander]

Never a truer word spoken.     Will pop back into the lounge to see what is going on now.

[BroadScot]

Hi Monica & Keith,

 

Yes I have been glued to the telly watching Dad's Army disintegrate in the face of first class seam bowling and clever captaincy with the usage of the spinner Ali, he is still not the finished article, but if he picks up wickets at the right time, who cares!

 

The Aussies may survive till the new ball is due, or Broad and Co will endeth the first lesson in Ashes cricket! after tea....I hope!

 

 

Iain.

[SueH]

Breaking news!  England won by 169 runs.  1 - 0 to the English!

 

SueH

[CooWee]

I never doubted them for a moment!

[ExMemberBobdog]

I thought Australia played jolly well even though they lost.  Heavily  "The main aim of English cricket is, in fact, to beat Australia."  Damn fine start!

[BroadScot]

Well one down....four to go! Well played England        Would the London forum members kindly assist the auld ozzie team up to the long room at Lord's with their zimmers 

 

I am delighted for Alistair Cook after the whitewash out in convict land. One can only hope the groundsman at Lord's can produce a similar track to Sophia Gardens and nullify Johnson....AGAIN! 

 

Roll on Thursday morning!

 

 

Iain.

[SwanR]

I don't profess to know that much about the rules of most sports but always enjoy seeing England doing well.

[Chelsea14Ian]

Perhaps England have turned the corner.We played well against the Kiwis,they have out played the Aussies in this match,still along way to go,but things are looking on for the balls.

 

Due to work i have not been able to see much cricket or tennis,Did watch Andy yesterday.He played well but Federer found some extra gears,sadly Jammie got beat in the doubles.

 

Ian

[SwanR]

I do like the tennis and have watched some of Wimbledon. It was a shame that neither Murray has triumphed this year. The other pair did look stronger than Jamie and his partner in the men's doubles. And Andy played really well in the semi-final ... it was just that Federer was absolutely back on his A game. The men's final tomorrow should be interesting.

[VetChugger]

Hmmmmm    more like Yorkshire beat the Aussies!

[BroadScot]

Hmmmmmm nope deffo a TEAM effort. VC.  Anderson and Broad with the new ball were superb. They also now have a very good pair from Durham, Brown as fast as anything England has had in along while, and Stokes a good and improving all rounder.

 

Yes, Root did the business with the bat and ball, but it may have been different IF Hadin had taken that early chance.

 

As they say, one victory doesn't make an Ashes Series, this Australian side will fight back I am sure. 

 

As I said, roll on Thursday morning!

 

 

Iain.

[Chelsea14Ian]

Hi Iain you are right one sunny day does not make a summer,but it is a good start come on Thursday. Go for it boys

Ian

[Hylander]

It was fantastic and I am going to praise our 'Mose' as i call him.     He is a very good spinner.     As you say role on Thursday.   I shall be glued to the TV.

[Paul]

Let's not get carried away, the three main factors in Englands victory were something we had little control over. The first two are linked. England won the toss, and the pitch was quite poor and disintegrated quickly. The third was a dropped catch which cost the Aussies a first innings lead.

 

There is plenty of cricket, and more left in this series yet. England's top order is in disarray. Cook has developed two serious problems, a technical issue where he is not moving his back foot properly meaning he can't get into position properly and a mental lapse where he seems to get impatient. Both are serious issues for an opening bat. His dismissal in the second innings was as bad as cricket ever gets. An opener in an ashes series, the absolute pinnacle of the game slashing at a ball two feet wide of off stump with no foot movement. There is no way he could control where that ball was going. Given that he has a very inexperienced opening partner he should be digging in and providing the anchor. Lyth, the afforementioned inexperienced opening partner might become a good test player but he's not there yet. A few years ago he was a very promising youngster but never seemed to fulfil that, and I can't help feeling England have gone for him in the absence of anything better.

 

Ian Bell has been a phenomenal servant but can't buy a decent innings right now. We can only hope he finds form quickly. He dug in really well for his 60 in the second innings at Cardiff, let's hope that can give him some confidence.

 

England cannot keep relying on Joe Root to bail them out. No doubt they will go to Lords unchanged. It's the England way not to change a winning side but there are issues that need to be sorted.

[Timbo]

 I am sure Iain will have something to say around tea time 

Coorie up wi' mah tea hen aam pure guttin'! 'En pack mah poke aam aff tae teach australians hoo tae play crickit!

[BroadScot]

As in many test matches it is down to the toss of a coin. I wouldn't say that pitch disintigrated, bar the front foot on the popping creases. As I type. I look at my poor old ankles and think back to the punishment I bestowed on them thumping the left leg down. Crumbling wickets are those where every ball takes a piece out the surface, yes you saw a puff of dust occasionally, but that was on the bowlers follow through.

 

ALL test sides target the oppositions captain, and Cook is no exception, I thought of his two strokes, the first was very bad, the old sucker punch off spin bowling.

 

All countries at times struggle with opening partnerships, its not every day a Gordon Greenidge / Desmond Haynes or Bob Simpson / Bill Lawrey come along. 

 

I had the pleasure of being tonked all around a ground by Mr Greenidge, he was a magnificent batsman IMO. 

 

With so many overseas players in the English County game in all formats, it must be disheartening for some of the younger players hoping to play for England. Adam Lyth I hope takes his chance, time will tell.

 

When I saw Struass playing a one dayer at Chester le Street, I would not have given tuppence for his chances of turning out to be both a successful Ashes Captain and opening batsmen. Alistair Cooks record speaks for itself, he has won a Ashes Series, lost one very badly too.

 

It only one victory, BUT, its a victory in the Ashes, and that counts for a hellova lot IMO. Being lucky enough to have played with test players in my younger days, you learn to appreciate the pressure these men play under.

 

In a email to Keith (CooWee) I had said Ian Bell has had a few Jaffa Deliveries, there is nothing you can do about that. Yes he like Watson is a LBW candidate every time they play cricket. With all this analysis today, its a wonder anyone can bat or bowl !

 

On next to the hallowed turf that is Lord's, a ground the Aussies have done well on in the past. Yes they will be hurting, and yes I don't see a 5-0 drubbing, much as I would love to see it happen.

 

In conclusion, Joe Root is an amazing talent, and plays the game the way I love to see it being played,with a smile on his face. However, there were other players in the England side who were playing with a smile on their face also, Mark Wood being the prime example.

 

Onwards to Lord's, win the toss, and score one more run than the Aussies I say!

 

 

 Iain.

[BroadScot]

Coorie up wi' mah tea hen aam pure guttin'! 'En pack mah poke aam aff tae teach australians hoo tae play crickit!

Tim,

 

When Ashley Mallett arrived at Ayr CC, he really struggled with our accent, but by the end of the summer, he had developed a slight Ayrshire twang 

 

Bob Massie, had three years at Kilmarnock CC and he also developed a touch of a scots accent. They both though, taught us lot, the way to train properly at Net nights etc, and trust me, it was bliddy hard work!

 

Iain.

[Poppy]

https://youtu.be/fgwsaUnZa8g  

[Paul]

I didn't mean deteriorated in terms of breaking apart, but the bounce became more inconsistant as the test went on. Even on day two several length deliveries went through shin high. As you say, many tests have been won or lost on the flip of a coin.

 

Alistair Cook may not be in the best form at the moment but he seems to be a lucky silly person

[Paul]

you will understand that the forum's language code has substitued silly person from someone who spins a coin.

[BroadScot]

Fair point Paul, but who else has the experience as Captain?  I have never been in favour of bowlers in charge, I include myself in that one, you end up over or under bowling yourself. I just don't see Ian Bell as the captain either. 

 

So unless there is a player somewhere who is of test level, Cook has the job for a few more years till possibly Joe Root takes over the mantle.

 

 

Iain.

[Paul]

I'm not advocating a change of captain, you can't do that midway through an Ashes series (don't mention 1981, I don't think Mike Brearly is ready for a comeback), but Cook needs help. I played clun cricket for almost thirty years and two seasons in Minor Vounties, so played with a number of test players to be, or past test players and have coached youngsters but don't consider myself an expert. What I do find puzzling is that commentators see the issues with Cook's game, I can see it as can many others yet the England Coaches seem unable to do so. Hopefully Bayliss will improve the back room performance.

 

England seem to have a nack for emerging spinners. Neither Giles nor Swann were considered great players when they entered the test arena but both became key players. I have a feeling Moeen could be similar and the selectors do want bowlers to produce runs so I think he's a fixture for the time being, and deservedly so. On that basis I can't see many obvious changes but Bairstow is hammering at the door and the most likely candidate for the chop is Bell.

 

Problem is we have four or five middle order batsmen who all suit slots 5-7 but a real lack of top order talent for 1-4

[Paul]

I'm not saying a word .....