Ashes thread - England vs Australia * SPOILERS *

platty said:
Better performance today, Lewis and Anderson doing the business. Shame our batting let us down a lot.

Loye was great such a relief to see someone take the game on rather than the usual 3 runs an over in a power play. Strauss looked clueless again to me, he knew and the Aussies knew he couldn't score unless they bowled him a bad ball, same with Bell. Both not ODI players IMO.

Flintoff and Dalrymple both did decent jobs later on.

Just wish we had Trescothick.

Would love to see the following team play but the point I'm trying to make is Strauss and Bell might have to go if we're to stand a chance in the world cup.

Trescothick
Loye
Vaughan (c)
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
Nixon / Read / Davies / anyone who can bat (wk)
Dalrymple
Tremlett / Broad
Panesar
Anderson
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Actually, tresco is a part time wicketkeeper (the reason this is the first recent england tour where they've taken 2 specialist keepers) so he could do the necessary behind the stumps and find another batsman (bopara maybe?)
 
Could be one option to get an extra batsman in there, Joyce would get in there next at the moment. Pity Trescothick ain't gonna be playing, we miss his a lot in ODI's.

As for last nights defeat, another shocking performance by our batsmen and same rubbish spouted out by Flintoff at the end about wanting to improve blah blah. Answers on a postcard how Ian Bell can be classed as an international class ODI number 3, another great score of 3 with a strike rate of 17.
 
platty said:
Could be one option to get an extra batsman in there, Joyce would get in there next at the moment. Pity Trescothick ain't gonna be playing, we miss his a lot in ODI's.

As for last nights defeat, another shocking performance by our batsmen and same rubbish spouted out by Flintoff at the end about wanting to improve blah blah. Answers on a postcard how Ian Bell can be classed as an international class ODI number 3, another great score of 3 with a strike rate of 17.
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Tresco is a big loss indeed, even in tests, getting the score going at a decent pace at the start of the innings was something he was invaluable for, I don't know of anyone obvious on the county scene to take over from him in that respect...

I can understand the inclusion of Bell in some ways, he is meant to be the one who bats through the innings (with a strike rate of somewhere between 50 and 70) to keep things together, the big hitters can then enjoy some freedom to play their shots. Problem is he isn't doing that, but again there's no one else obvious to play that role right now (unless strauss discovers the meaning of the word form sometime soon).

Trying to find positives, nice to see Anderson has got some ability still lurking in him....and joyce (as long suspected but never proven) can bat a bit
 
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True. Think we do have to find someone else other than Bell though. The problem is he doesn't know how to score against half decent balls. If it isnt wide enough to cut, a half volley for an easy drive or on leg stump to be worked for a single to square leg he can't score. Same can be said for Strauss. Its sad to see an ODI team through the power play overs try and get runs to third man as their more aggressive shots. They then get tied down and give their wicket away. Its the reason Cook isn't in the team at the moment. He can get tied down at times. Hasn't leanrt to manufacturer shots other than the ones hes comfortable with. Him playing in the twenty20 finals day was painful, he just couldn't score where as his opening partner Pettini?? was able to work the ball round the whole pitch. Cook does seem to be learning though, he played the odd sweep shot against the Aussies which I haven't seen him use much before.

Fletcher talked today about wanting to rest Strauss, maybe a good idea. After the next game put Loye and Joyce at the top of the order with Vaughan at 3. Might not work but just tryna find ways around Strauss and Bell at the moment. The other basmen such as Loye, Vaughan, Flintoff, Dalrymple have had the odd innings where theyve been good recently. Bell and Strauss haven't, Bell especially just doesn't look like a one day player.
 
f i heard the tms commentary correctly they said that there was 1 shot over the top during one 20over spell! This has been one of the worst displays to date. Like someone mentioned above Ian Bell is not a ODI player end of. There are lots of players out of form. Why not play the inform players and make people fught for team positions rather than just using a 'he played well last match approach'.
 
All out for 110? Why England, why? Australia at 54/1, they should be wrapping this game up no problems.

I know we lack batting depth, but this is simply a nightmare.

I wish I never knew anything about cricket, the Ashes, or this pathetic excuse for an English cricket side. Anyone else feel the same?

Grrr...I sometimes wonder why we even bother. The players attitude and performance has been shameful. Words cannot describe my frustration at the moment, so a few smileys will have to do. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

-Chimpdaddy-
 
Chimpdaddy said:
I wish I never knew anything about cricket, the Ashes, or this pathetic excuse for an English cricket side. Anyone else feel the same?

Grrr...I sometimes wonder why we even bother. The players attitude and performance has been shameful. Words cannot describe my frustration at the moment, so a few smileys will have to do. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

-Chimpdaddy-
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I'm exactly the same. Got into cricket after the ashes last year and its been crap stuff by england since! Thankfully for me my real team is ireland so i can support them in the world cup. Failing that im off to look for a new sport to follow. Perhaps something like table tennis would be more exciting! Im not getting up early anymore for this series. Mornings are tough enuf to get up and then when u read the score as being 110 all out you just jump straight back into bed. Disaster!
 
Chimpdaddy said:
The players attitude and performance has been shameful. Words cannot describe my frustration at the moment, so a few smileys will have to do. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

-Chimpdaddy-
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Maybe we're just not that good?

There is no shame in simply not being good enough, and given the frequency of our defeats it does look like we're just nowhere near Australias standard.

Australia have won now btw, 9 wickets.
 
wedgie22 said:
Maybe we're just not that good?

There is no shame in simply not being good enough, and given the frequency of our defeats it does look like we're just nowhere near Australias standard.

Australia have won now btw, 9 wickets.
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It's not just that, the players have simply given their wickets away and not played as well as they can do. Fred should not have gotten the captaincy back either, it should have gone to Strauss once Vaughan was injured. There is no disgrace in losing to Australia, but to lose the way we have been doing is nothing short of disgusting :(

Edit: and also, what the ******* hell was the point of playing Plunkett, he's been in nets all winter and played in one tour match, plus he's not very good anyway. Stupid.
 
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We're really seeing what the England team are made of now. Very few men in that team. Lots of little boys who cant hack being away from home for a long time. Cant hack it when the going gets really tough. I know its a cliche but all that stuff people were saying about pride and passion, and them not showing any, is just so true.
 
Watched the "highlights" just now on sky, we were 72-2 and then lost 8 wickets for 38 :( the last 5 of those for 7 runs :mad: pathetic.

Surely it speaks volumes about Flintoffs captaincy when the only 2 games we've been competitive in on this entire tour was when Vaughan was captain!!

We are going to be humiliated in the world cup even Canada and Kenya will fancy their chances!
 
Psycho Ned said:
Surely it speaks volumes about Flintoffs captaincy when the only 2 games we've been competitive in on this entire tour was when Vaughan was captain!!
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Indeed. Flintoff has probably done his best but it obviously ain't good enough so he should be binned as captain from now on.
 
I haven't seen any of the match and don't think I really need to, the figures are bad enough as it is.

We don't even talk much about the matches anymore at work, but look at each other and shrug. :(
 
Glad I didn't stay up for that. My word that was utterly pathetic. Strauss yet again gets out trying his run down to third man he plays when he knows he ain't good enough to score through proper shots. He just can not score anything other than square or behind square, pathetic.

Only player that impressed was Bell, 35 with strike rate of 112. He is a classy player and maybe just saying sod it and giving it a go will allow him to use his class rather than sitting there waiting for bad balls, which is what we've seen of him up until today and wasn't good enough.
 
wedgie22 said:
Maybe we're just not that good?

There is no shame in simply not being good enough, and given the frequency of our defeats it does look like we're just nowhere near Australias standard.

Australia have won now btw, 9 wickets.
Click to expand...

There is no shame in losing to Australia. But to be bowled out for 120 to New Zealand, and now 110 against Australia just illustrates that this has gone far beyond a point that the 'best man/side won'.

These gooses at the top order are just giving their wickets away. And we leave far too much for Flintoff and the tail to do. We *must* put runs up on the board right from the start.

This involves occupying the crease but not getting bogged down as is so often the case. This will mean the lower order can play their natural game, and we can at least set some sort of feasible total for our bowlers to have a shot.


-Chimpdaddy-
 
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