*****Official Ashes thread*****

[Pighardia]

Nah, Cook isn't the kind of captain to hang a batsman out to dry when he's in with a shot at 200. With time likely in hand, it was worth letting him try.

Indeed....Root makes 178 at the end of the day, how bad would it be for Cook to declare there! It's not like we were ever gonna need 2 days to bowl them out, or they were ever gonna get the runs.

Once we bowled Australia out for 128 with 3 days to go, this game basically became a practice game where we could do whatever we wanted.

 

[LOAM]

Brilliant delivery from Swan there.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

That will do nicely !

 

[Mr Jack]

And that's a wrap. What a crushing defeat. I kinda hope Australia can find a way back and make a fight of the series but on what we've seen over the last few days I don't hold much hope.

 

[Yas786]

Shambles of an Aussie side, this has to be one of their heaviest defeats at the hands of England??..347 run loss, that has got to hurt but unlike the Aussies of past...i cant see the Aussies even winning a test match let alone draw one.

Its actually become a borefest that Aus cant even mount a serious challenge, i expect England to have this series and the Ashes wrapped up in the next few weeks.

Aussies really need to sit down and do some major tinkering with their squad, none of them look like they can take England on.

Well done England, absolutely smashed Australia to pieces in this test.

 

[Gilly]

It'd be all over by now if he'd enforced the follow on.

Indeed.

 

[Caseh]

It'd be all over by now if he'd enforced the follow on.

While that is true, but then there wouldn't have been a fantastic knock from Root, and that knock should be an absolutely huge confidence boost.

 

[Mr Jack]

While that is true, but then there wouldn't have been a fantastic knock from Root, and that knock should be an absolutely huge confidence boost.

Yeah, it's a great boost for Root. Apart from Bell, however, the rest of the batsman will hardly take great cheer from being easily dismissed on the same pitch where Bell and Root made it look easy.

End of the day, it was a crushing victory, so its pretty churlish to spend too long picking nits but I still think it was a mistake not to enforce the follow on.


Also, despite Root's knock I think Bell deserved the Man of the Match more. Whereas Root came in when things were largely won, Bell's first innings knock changed the course of the match. I guess it was Root's enviable bowling figures that swung it.

 

[steveo]

i dont no why but Michael Holding really grinds my gears, he has such a negative attitude towards everything, watching the highlights and at the start after Root is out he starts going on about why England went in to bat again i mean the whole country new why they batted again and that was so Root had a chance to get the double ton, why does he have to be such a prat all the time

 

[Yas786]

i dont no why but Michael Holding really grinds my gears, he has such a negative attitude towards everything, watching the highlights and at the start after Root is out he starts going on about why England went in to bat again i mean the whole country new why they batted again and that was so Root had a chance to get the double ton, why does he have to be such a prat all the time

I dont know why they get him to commentate on the Ashes, hes not English and neither is he Australian. He should stick to commentating on WI matches in all honesty.

 

[Doohickey]

I just want to hear David Lloyd and Geoff Boycott in the same commentary box, that would be a dream

 

[Sankari]

Wow, 235. That's a big score for this team. /golfclap

Now all we need is two spinners who actually know how to spin, a pace man who actually knows how to swing, and five batsmen who actually know how to bat.

 

[Rich_L]

That still leaves you 3 players short

 

[Alpherah]

I dont know why they get him to commentate on the Ashes, hes not English and neither is he Australian. He should stick to commentating on WI matches in all honesty.

They need the numbers in afraid. As part of the deal for Sky to have so much cricket they need to provide commentators to the touring broadcaster as well as neutral coverage stations.

 

[Yas786]

I just want to hear David Lloyd and Geoff Boycott in the same commentary box, that would be a dream

Id love to see Boycott commentate on Sky but i guess since his wife/lady beating scandal a few yrs ago...no one is going to touch him with a bargepole.

Other than that most of the commentators they have on the cricket are pretty decent expect for that depressing prat Bob Willis...dear god his voice just makes me want to slit my throat in all honesty.

 

[Gilly]

Can't believe anyone is a fan of Boycott :/

 

[Father Ted]

Other than that most of the commentators they have on the cricket are pretty decent expect for that depressing prat Bob Willis...dear god his voice just makes me want to slit my throat in all honesty.

He's so dull isn't he? Gods knows why anybody employs him as a commentator.

As for Boycott, I love him. Says what others are far too polite to. Speaks sense.

 

[Doggie2k]

Well you guys may still have the Ashes but we we still have our porn

 

[Yas786]

He's so dull isn't he? Gods knows why anybody employs him as a commentator.

As for Boycott, I love him. Says what others are far too polite to. Speaks sense.

LOL everytime hes on i mute the volume, and hes always putting down England even though England are a very good side now. But his voice just grates and i dont think ive ever seen him get excited unlike Atherton and Hussain to some extent show some passion.

Boycott is one of my fave commentators, dont really care what he does in his private life and like you said he just tells it how it is and speaks a lot of sense.