Cricket

[jim mk2]

No he isn't. In fact you're contradicting yourself from your previous post.

[Tom]

Who?

Blue n white

[SouthAussieRover]

This was in the Herald Sun newspaper:

A report on a major cricket website said that the England cricket team may well spend 260 nights in hotel rooms in 2013. Even for the modern professional sportsman accustomed to life on the road, that's a long time away from home, so it's little wonder England has been mentally flat all series. Test cricket requires the sort of mental application only a fresh mind can provide. England hasn't had that.

Article is http://m.heraldsun.com.au/sport/cricket/the-numbers-dont-lie-11-reasons-why-england-lost-the-201314-ashes/story-fni2usfi-1226785204016

Edited December 17, 2013 by SouthAussieRover

[Al]

Don't be so bloody grumpy Jim. I bet you know quite a few 'Blackburners' who supported BRFC as kids in the 60's but switched their undying allegiance to MU or Liverpool later in life. Well Dave's only the same as them isn't he.

Exactly and I have no time for them either.

[SouthAussieRover]

Exactly and I have no time for them either.

Hello Mr Meldrew.

Are you looking forward to next week?

[FGS5635]

This was in the Herald Sun newspaper:

A report on a major cricket website said that the England cricket team may well spend 260 nights in hotel rooms in 2013. Even for the modern professional sportsman accustomed to life on the road, that's a long time away from home, so it's little wonder England has been mentally flat all series. Test cricket requires the sort of mental application only a fresh mind can provide. England hasn't had that.

Article is http://m.heraldsun.com.au/sport/cricket/the-numbers-dont-lie-11-reasons-why-england-lost-the-201314-ashes/story-fni2usfi-1226785204016

Thats a shocking figure. Really is no wonder some cricketers suffer from mental health issues/depression with schedules away from home/family like that

[Al]

Hello Mr Meldrew.

Are you looking forward to next week?

Just don't like Glory Hunters and turncoats or smart arse convicts and yes I am very much looking forward to the Christmas festivities. Are you? Although what the @#/? it has to do with cricket or you for that matter defeats me.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Al

[Mike E]

Wow. I'm glad I don't know any cricket fans if Al and Jim are the standard-bearers.

Why do either of you give a toss who someone else supports?

Supporting another country at a game is silly at worst and quirky at best. To say he lacks morals or principles is just weird and frankly appears a malicious attempt to put him down without reason.

[patrickvalery]

I couldn't give a toss who anyone supports nor the reasoning behind it. All I know is the country I support let me down very badly. But the warning signs were there. How many times did our batting line up bail out the bowlers and visa - versa? They rarely performed together in the same test. It just so happened neither turned up this time around.

That said, the Aussies aren't a bad side. Their bowling attack is very nicely balanced. Siddle and Lyon are adept at keeping it tight and suffocating a batsman, Johnson roughs them up and does the unexpected and Harris is a class act. I'm not entirely convinced I fancy their batting line up on foreign soil. But our bowlers just didn't put them under enough sustained pressure.

Edited December 17, 2013 by patrickvalery

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Another thing that went tits up was the batting from no 7 onwards. Many times In the past the tail have been able to put on 120-160 runs. Prior was good for 50 plus more often than not, Bresnan was the same. Swann and Broad were capable batsmen who could easily make 30 to 40 or 50. Anderson could hold an end up while the better players made runs. Only really the No 11 batsman wasn't capable of regular runs.. This time it just hasn't happened .

[jim mk2]

The batsmen failed to perform from No 1 to No 11. Individual players will always go in and out of form but for the whole team to collectively bat so badly is the biggest disappointment. The warning signs were there last summer when England did not score many runs and again questions must be asked about preparations for this tour.

[patrickvalery]

Can't argue with that, But it helps the tail enders when they know they have something to scrap for. If 1-6 have done their job then the other 5 can look to add say another 100-150 and the total begins to look impressive. But they were left with the burden of unrealistic hope every innings. Bell should be in at 3 or 4 and Root moved down the order. He gets things ticking along and gives the tail end something to fight for.

I heard a lot of people clamouring for Michael Carberry to be given his chance. Well I'm not sure he's done enough. He has scored better than some in this series, but its still not impressive. If you consider our batting line up with lets say Compton and Trott in the right frame of mind, it becomes a much more test friendly line up. One which can patiently build an innings and dig in when required. That is the main thing I think we lacked. For all Pietersen's flair, we needed him to lead the younger lads by example. Dig in and be hard to beat.

[broadsword]

It was certainly difficult for the bowlers in not getting enough respite due to the upper order failing to occupy the crease for any significant time.

I should imagine Anderson is absolutely burned out right now.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Can't argue with that, But it helps the tail enders when they know they have something to scrap for. If 1-6 have done their job then the other 5 can look to add say another 100-150 and the total begins to look impressive. But they were left with the burden of unrealistic hope every innings. Bell should be in at 3 or 4 and Root moved down the order. He gets things ticking along and gives the tail end something to fight for.

I heard a lot of people clamouring for Michael Carberry to be given his chance. Well I'm not sure he's done enough. He has scored better than some in this series, but its still not impressive. If you consider our batting line up with lets say Compton and Trott in the right frame of mind, it becomes a much more test friendly line up. One which can patiently build an innings and dig in when required. That is the main thing I think we lacked. For all Pietersen's flair, we needed him to lead the younger lads by example. Dig in and be hard to beat.

I agree with most of that Patrick. I hadn't seen much of Carberry before he was selected but I remember seeing him make 60 odd in one game and he looked like could have been out next ball at any time in the innings. When he was on 30 odd he played and missed about 4 times in one over. I would have taken Compton. Carberry isn't a test player in my opinion. Neither are Root and Bairstow at this moment in time.

The team papered over the cracks in the summer helped by winning important tosses and a bit of luck. This time we've had neither.

[SouthAussieRover]

Just don't like Glory Hunters and turncoats or smart arse convicts and yes I am very much looking forward to the Christmas festivities. Are you? Although what the Kean it has to do with cricket or you for that matter defeats me.

Have a great Christmas Mr Meldrew.

[jim mk2]

Root will be an important batsman for England but it will take time. Compton looked a very good player to me but like Onions will go down as one of those players discarded for no apparent reason. Bairstow isn't a Test player - his technique is poor. As for the bowlers Anderson does look knackered and it does beg the question of why they have continued to pick him. Tremlett and Rankin were taken on the tour for their height and pace on bouncy wickets so why have they hardly played ?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Root will be an important batsman for England but it will take time. Compton looked a very good player to me but like Onions will go down as one of those players discarded for no apparent reason. Bairstow isn't a Test player - his technique is poor. As for the bowlers Anderson does look knackered and it does beg the question of why they have continued to pick him. Tremlett and Rankin were taken on the tour for their height and pace on bouncy wickets so why have they hardly played ?

I agree with you about Onions, what more did he have to do to get in the squad ? He would have been more of a threat than Rankin and if Broad is out of the next test he would be an ideal replacement. Something has been rotten behind the scenes with England for the last year or so.

[Al]

Have a great Christmas Mr Meldrew.

Same to you Onslo.

[patrickvalery]

Root will be an important batsman for England but it will take time. Compton looked a very good player to me but like Onions will go down as one of those players discarded for no apparent reason. Bairstow isn't a Test player - his technique is poor. As for the bowlers Anderson does look knackered and it does beg the question of why they have continued to pick him. Tremlett and Rankin were taken on the tour for their height and pace on bouncy wickets so why have they hardly played ?

Agree jim. Why take Tremlett and Finn if they weren't to be used to their strengths. I know ita been said a thousand times, but if it worked for Johnson then why not fight fire with fire?

For me test cricket has changed a great deal. The T20 influence is there to see. Batsmen are picked on the ability to make shots. Thats all well and good. But when did it become so remiss for batsmen to be picked on WHEN to make shots? We needed a stubborn few in the top order who were intent on staying put. The aussie attack was decent. But how decent would it have been after a session or two without success? We saw when Bell and Stokes got in how the Aussies became frustrated. Our top order gave them too much encouragement and it got their tails up. Mitchell Johnson is a head case. Had we shown some resilience he would have wilted. We shot ourselves in the foot and no mistake.

Edited December 18, 2013 by patrickvalery

[SouthAussieRover]

Same to you Onslo.

Would that be Onslow?

Good post Patrick and partly why I think their cricket has been ugly.

They have a bunch of T20 sloggers who have got lucky in this series although England have been pretty ordinary in all departments.

Will be interesting to see how far Australia have really progressed, if at all, when they face South Africa.

[Brad]

5-0 my lord 5-0

[Brad]

All this bad sportsman ship crap that people are talking about is laughable to be honest.. The biggest problem is the media and the stump mics..

Believe it or not sledging was far worse in the past.. But it was always the gentlemans agreement what happens on the field stays on the field.. England players came into the Aussie dressing room as has happened for 100 years to say, well done lads.. That's what I love about cricket!!

[Brad]

And I love the convict jibes, ask any English soldier in 1916 and they where happy as Larry knowing the convicts where holding the line!!

[thenodrog]

No he isn't. In fact you're contradicting yourself from your previous post.

Obviously you've never quite got the hand of sarcasm have you?

Blue n white

He really doesn't like the English does he?

btw.... Just as a matter of interest which Madrassa did he go to?

[Brad]

Oh, and people who dare to have a go at Dave Birch is laughable.. This country "Australia" is being built on people like Dave.

I sure all the people making the sly remarks have never visited these shores.. To know how welcome you are made and given a fair go, no matter who you are!! Is what makes this country so great.

This argument has been going on since the first ashes and plenty of English have moved over since.. Though wether winning or losing for some strange reason those kids who could go either way, 99% they want to play for Australia..

If you've never been here, worked here and travelled the country don't even try to understand!!