ASHES - 2015!
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And with that - The Ashes are won! Have that! There is so much to be proud of with this team and the performance. Australia were a shower but you can only play what's in front of you. Nobody gave England much of chance but in 18 months they have turned it round in a massive way!
Absolutely.
The interesting thing for me is the sheer speed and comprehensiveness of Australia's fall from grace here. Making them favourites didn't look at all unreasonable before the series started.
The interesting thing for me is the sheer speed and comprehensiveness of Australia's fall from grace here. Making them favourites didn't look at all unreasonable before the series started.
Joe Root number one best batsman in the world now as well. Smith for all the Aussie bluster was a massive disappointment. Flat track bully but found out in a big way.
News in that Clarke will retire at the end of the Oval test.....
Yup all the bullshit talk before the series about how we couldn't live with them and they would smash us 5-0 shoved right down their throats. Clarke retiring after the Oval is no surprise. Really pleased for Cook in particular, noone can deny he has captained really well in this series and also Strauss, really like what he is doing behind the scenes, getting Jawaradene in as a batting coach for the upcoming series against Pakistan could be very astute. I hope we rest Broad and Anderson and bring in Footitt and Rashid for the Oval.Happy days
An amazing series. The momentum started with the one-dayers, I think, even though Cook and others weren't playing. A sad end for Clarke, who's been a fine player, but great stuff for Cook, who's suddenly started progressing as a captain, which is extraordinary at such a stage in his career but really admirable.
I've managed to chill my boots a little and reflect on a glorious series. It may not have had the drama of 2005 but it was so comprehesive. I think that's the manner of my euphoria. No one gave us a chance before Cardiff. I honestly did think it was possible but not to the degree in which they executed it. There is so many positives to take from the win but equally a few questions. No spinner being one. The winter tour will be interesting to say the least.
The Aussies were cock-a-hoop after Lords and to emphatically nail them again was something that will live long in the memory.
@Ryan - Sorry buddy but your boys were spanked.
The Aussies were cock-a-hoop after Lords and to emphatically nail them again was something that will live long in the memory.
@Ryan - Sorry buddy but your boys were spanked.
Good old Pete!
Peter Brukner @PeterBrukner 3h3 hours ago
The rest of the staff are Stoke supporters for the day at Brittania but not me. YNWA
Peter Brukner
The rest of the staff are Stoke supporters for the day at Brittania but not me. YNWA
Fair play, especially as I got the impression he left the club under a bit of a cloud.
No doubt, and deservedly so.
Poor attitude, strokes, selections, innings, bowling spells, batting actions, decisions, etc etc. Just poor everything. In a weird way, I'm not that dismayed; they'd got ahead of themselves and deserved to get brought down to earth. Wining the World Cup on your own soil is one thing, but it doesn't give you the audacity to think you can just turn up at England, snigger at their form and think you'll walk to victory. Especially given you haven't won there since 2001.
I don't agree with the need for wholesale changes. The guts of a very good test side isstill there; Warner can bat. Smith is superb, Mitch Marsh is a potential star, Voges has an unparalleled record in Sheffield Shiled, Nevill looks promising, and all of the bowlers are fine fine bowlers. Not to mention Cummins, Pattinson and others waiting in the wings. But they need to change their attitude quicksmart. Thinking you can play at Broad and Anderson in England is fucking nonsense. Waving at things, playing across the line, and not being willing to just grind out batpad after badpad for an innings is an indictment on them. It's as if it's beneath them to make 30 off 150 balls.
Well if they'd done more of that then this series would still be alive.
And this'll sound like sour grapes, but that's not a great England side. It really isn't. Cook's been an underwhelming captain, Root is outstanding, Stokes is raw but has real talent, and then you've got 2 elite bowlers in Broad and Anderson. The rest are much of a muchness to be honest. There's maybe 4 of that side that'd get in your 2005 side, max. But you won, and cricket is about the sum of the parts, and those parts making consistently good decisions. Which they did.
Fair play to Cook and Strauss. They did just about everything right.
A fair summary. I agree in part with your view of the bowlers. Both Jimmy and Broad are not getting any younger and apart from Rashid (who is a special talent) there is no spin in sight. As for Cook being underwhelming I'm afraid I disagree. Since Bayliss and Strauss came in he's really stepped up. The emotion he showed at the end when being interviewed by Athers was real. You probably don't get this being in Oz but he really has been kicked to shit by the UK press and ex players for the last 18 months. His handling of it and the KP thing has been nothing short of amazing. This is rich reward for a genuinely top draw captain. One of Englands greatest in fact.
@Ryan
Vosges has played in the county championship for years and years so his lack of technique for the conditions ( which have been pretty standard for England ) is mystifying. He is also nearly 36!. Nevill < Haddin < Gilchrist, so you are weaker in your keeper. There is also no way Mitch Marsh will be better than Ben Stokes.
If you look at your side for the next Ashes you are going to have to replace at least Rodgers, Clarke, Vosges, Haddin, and Johnson. Whilst I would agree with you about your bowling I have to take issue with you on the batting, which is nowhere near as strong as it has been and will need to be completely rebuilt. I follow a bit of your Aussie cricket and the SS is not what it was. There is too much emphasis on the big bash and the IPL where any batter who smashes a few 50's is lauded as the next big thing. I'm convinced this is undermining skills for the long ( proper ) game.
No one here has any illusions about our side, we know we are not worldbeaters and will probably lose in SA but we are at least 2 years ahead of the Aussies in regenerating the side. If we can find a reliable spinner and opener and if Ballance gets his mojo back ( he averages 48 and has 4 tons in tests ) we are well set as the team is young and developing together nicely. We have loads of bowling talent bubbling under too. I would rather be in our shoes than yours.
Vosges has played in the county championship for years and years so his lack of technique for the conditions ( which have been pretty standard for England ) is mystifying. He is also nearly 36!. Nevill < Haddin < Gilchrist, so you are weaker in your keeper. There is also no way Mitch Marsh will be better than Ben Stokes.
If you look at your side for the next Ashes you are going to have to replace at least Rodgers, Clarke, Vosges, Haddin, and Johnson. Whilst I would agree with you about your bowling I have to take issue with you on the batting, which is nowhere near as strong as it has been and will need to be completely rebuilt. I follow a bit of your Aussie cricket and the SS is not what it was. There is too much emphasis on the big bash and the IPL where any batter who smashes a few 50's is lauded as the next big thing. I'm convinced this is undermining skills for the long ( proper ) game.
No one here has any illusions about our side, we know we are not worldbeaters and will probably lose in SA but we are at least 2 years ahead of the Aussies in regenerating the side. If we can find a reliable spinner and opener and if Ballance gets his mojo back ( he averages 48 and has 4 tons in tests ) we are well set as the team is young and developing together nicely. We have loads of bowling talent bubbling under too. I would rather be in our shoes than yours.
Absolutey spot on Red about Cook. The shit the man has had to put up with led by the Morgan / Warne media axis has been unbelievable and would have broken many a weaker man. The lack of respect he has endured has been spectacular, with alot of the press desperate for him to fail. To come out of the other side has been a triumph.
Ps Broad is only just 29 - got a good 5 years left in him!
I'm not sure I go all the way with that. Cook is a manufactured captain as opposed to a natural one, has had to learn the job and has deserved at least some of the stick he's copped along the way. Where I do agree is that in this series (not so much before now) he looks to be coming through and making a success of it, for which he does deserve a lot of credit.
Can't argue with that but the press criticism was downright febrile and ott at the time
That's what keeps being said but it's hooey if you ask me. We won down under and in India recently. In the last year Pakistan and SA have won in Sri Lanka, Australia won in SA and the WI , NZ won in the WI and drew over here. I think the ball has just as much influence as the pitch with the Reed ball here the Kookaburra in Australia and SA and the SG ball which India use. All have different characteristics
There's just been such a turnaround between series here, series there and series here again...all within a couple of years.
It's hard to find a more odious dickhead than Piers Morgan. It's funny him supporting Arsenal. I have a few Gooner mates and they tell me he is such an embarrassment to that club. He brings his two kids to the Emirates so the crowd lay off him - Also I think he has a box. There were rumours of banning him due to his constant critique of Wenger and the clubs transfer policy but it seems money and influence talks in North London.
So the Oval! Wonder what the pitch has in store this time, it is no longer hard and bouncy but does seam if they leave a little grass on it, it definitely will spin though, so I do hope they give Rashid a chance. Aussies were crap playing leg spin against the WI's earlier this year, this is the end of the era for that side. I have a ticket for the fifth day, missed out at Trent Bridge with a ticket for the 4th day so probably will miss out again!
So the Oval! Wonder what the pitch has in store this time, it is no longer hard and bouncy but does seam if they leave a little grass on it, it definitely will spin though, so I do hope they give Rashid a chance. Aussies were crap playing leg spin against the WI's earlier this year, this is the end of the era for that side. I have a ticket for the fifth day, missed out at Trent Bridge with a ticket for the 4th day so probably will miss out again!
Nah, Cook has already said Rashid won't be included this time. Same 11 as last match. Hope you get to see some cricket!
Cheers fellas, mmm with Wood saying he needs to have an op on his ankle and Anderson out I would have thought with nothing riding on the game and with the Pakistan tour coming up and Batty and Ansari taking lots of second innings wickets on this pitch it would be an ideal match to unlease Rashid.
Cook is saying he wants 4-1, and he's not experimenting when that's up for grabs. I agree with you btw.
So do I. The way Cook's pulled things round as captain is admirable, but to me this shows - again - that he's a bit of a Madame Tussaud's captain rather than a natural for the job.
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