| The Ashes 22:43 - Dec 7 with 17349 views | stowmarketrange |
The Ashes start in less than 90 mins,and I wondered what people thought of our chances this time?
It will be strange not to be able to have the barmy army in force out there this winter.Although I can’t see us winning the urn back,I think it will be closer than 4 years ago.Just a shame that I can’t be over there for a month like I was 4 years ago.
I think it might’ve been closer then if we’d taken Stokes along,but that’s history now.I hope we put up more of a fight this time around.
Come on the poms. [Post edited 19 Dec 2021 8:32]
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| The Ashes on 12:40 - Jan 16 with 425 views | ManinBlack |
| The Ashes on 12:21 - Jan 16 by PlanetHonneywood |
Djokovic has looked more likely to retain his crown then the England cricket team of regaining g theirs. We’d have been better off arriving with several unvaccinated players and being sent home! |
Good point. Djokovic at least put up more of a fight than our wimps. Basically lost 10 wickets for 56 runs and nine in a session. |  | | |
| The Ashes on 12:45 - Jan 16 with 408 views | loftus77 |
Said it before and say it again — excuse the rant — I could write a book but I’ll keep it shortish:
There is nothing much wrong with English Test bowling and English Test fielding and there never really has been since around 1980.
There is everything wrong with English Test batting and there always has been since around 1980
Why 1980? That was around the time I started following the England Test cricket team (Botham, Boycott et al). And the point is that in that time the Test-playing world has caught up technically, professionally and in terms of experience.
This means that England has a real underlying problem. Nothing to do with coaching, captaincy, hierarchy or structure. Our cricket system has produced a battery of Test bowlers and quality fielders which has challenged teams regularly the world over (Aus bowled out for 155 don’t forget…India dismissed in their home country for 145 and 192 last year..the list goes on) and blown teams away regularly away in English conditions (too numerous to mention).
But that phrase ‘English conditions’ is the key IMHO. If you want to know the real underlying problem, literally look up.
Batting is a discipline learnt and honed over hours-and-hours out on patches of dried grass under a consistently and reliably warm sun. No net practice can replace this. If that warm sun is not there, English boys and girls will now never be able to learn the skills of patience, discipline and concentration necessary to occupy a crease for 3+ sessions in the first innings (yes, the first innings, the crucial ‘defensive wall’) of a 5 day Test match in a 5 Test series. The ‘canvas’ is too big. The time is too long. The ‘ask’ is too much.
The solution? Be honest, be open. In advance of climate change, there’s not a lot we can do about the English weather. What we can do is scrap 5-day, 5-test series overseas and replace them with 3-day, 3-Test series. That is much more realistic and would give England a genuine chance to try and salvage draws in 3 days (just about…), making series closer and more competitive. You could keep 5-day 5-Test series in England, because overseas players have developed batting skills under warm suns to challenge English skies, but not overseas.
If you carry on as per now, things will never change. History shows this. We have won twice in Australia since 1980 and both those were due to Australian restructuring (Border’s ‘new’ team post-Lillee, Marsh, Thomson etc in 1986-87 and similarly in 2010-11 when the replacement of the greats (McGrath, Warne, Langer etc) were bedding in.
It’s all too obvious. But who will actually admit it? If I am wrong, what else is the consistent reason over the past 40 years+? |  | | |
| The Ashes on 12:51 - Jan 16 with 396 views | toboboly |
I invoke the law of '86, it never happened. |  |
| Sexy Asian dwarves wanted. |
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| The Ashes on 13:09 - Jan 16 with 366 views | Paddyhoops |
No wins in 15. Time for 3 test series. | | | |
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