Cricket

[Guest Norbert]

We won't. Australia will put on another 50 for the last wicket. And then Cook will provide catching practice for the slips yet again, and we'll fall apart.

[broadsword]

pack it in, that won't happen.

we have the upper hand now

[jim mk2]

Pfft.

How long have you been following England cricket ?

England have also reverted to their old trick of playing properly after the battle has been lost.

Edited December 27, 2013 by jim mk2

[Stuart]

It does make me wonder if the first 3 tests were about a lot more than cricket.

[broadsword]

I've been following English cricket long enough to know who alan igglesdon is. bad old days. just keep haddin off the strike and you'll end the innings.

I think the signs are good at the minute.

[broadsword]

pain

[broadsword]

cook must've bumped his head

[patrickvalery]

Carberry didnt score quickly enough. If he had then we might have amassed enough of a lead here. 230 is probably about 50 short of whats required imo. Terrible collapse once again in the middle order and tail enders such as Bresnan and Broad who can supposedly bat a bit just gave their wickets away. I thought Bairstow did well and its a shame that partnership ended when it did. We looked as if we might have steadied the ship. Pietersen did great. He had little choice but to attack Lyon because he was running out of partners again.

2 or 3 early wickets and we might have a sniff. But I fear the stubborn Aussie tailenders might prove to be the difference. Still, at least its a contest and that in itself has made this the most entertaining test of the series.

[SouthAussieRover]

Apart from Cook and to an extent Pietersen, that was absolutely stupid batting by England.

[broadsword]

I despair

[SouthAussieRover]

As for Johnson...a great series for him but im loathing his behaviour. Add Haddin and Warner to the list of contemptible characters too.

[jim mk2]

Sailing along nicely at 60-0 but three quick wickets before I went to bed and the eventual outcome was entirely predictable when I turned on the wireless this morning. I'd be very surprised if our bowlers ran through them a second time.

[dave birch]

As for Johnson...a great series for him but im loathing his behaviour. Add Haddin and Warner to the list of contemptible characters too.

Don, you and I know that Johnson copped it large in England, he's just returning it big time. He's on top now. Why do you think the Aussie team did the "Shush" signal to the Barmy Army?

If you knew what Haddin has gone through, just to get to this stage in his life, you'd be singing his praises. He's done it tough with the illness his child had.

Finally, if you think Warner contemptible, then you'd also group "Beefy" in with him, wouldn't you?

Swings and roundabouts Don.....

[SouthAussieRover]

Iknow what Haddin has gone through Dave.

He's still a tool as are Johnson and Warner.

Classless behaviour by the 3 of them..with Clarke and Lehmann not much better.

[dave birch]

Don, would you care to explain why Haddin, Johnson and Warner are tools, and members of the opposing team aren't? They haven't been saintly on this tour, have they?

Have they, over time done things that members of the opposing team haven't?

As for Clarke, I'm warming to him, his tactics are working well. I didn't like him to start with as I thought he was a bit of a weak leader. That's changing.

Lehmann, what can you say about a bloke that has got an ordinary team working as a unit. The Rovers could have used a coach like that in the recent past.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Yeah, they only "sing when they're winning". Quote facility not working- I was replying to South Aussie Rover.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[dave birch]

I think SAR's problem with Haddin, Johnson and Warner is that (at the moment) they are successful.

Warner and Haddin are no 1 and no 2 in the batting averages and Johnson is no 1 in the bowling averages. Whilst you're up there, then yes, they are going to hand it out, just like Jimmy did.

As I said, swings and roundabouts. The next match/ series or even the remainder of this innings may give someone else a chance to give it large to the opposition.

It is, has been, and will always be part of the game.

[Guest Norbert]

England have been shocking yet again. I was keeping up to date until the lunch break, and things were going pretty well. Then I woke up and heard the rest of the story. Frankly, we may as well put Piers Morgan in to bat in Sydney. An utter shambles, and the players should be told that their central contracts are under review. No-one should be sacred in the post mortem of this complete failure in 2013.

They should all be given Australian nationality and told to never set foot in Britain until they can find a working brain and spine. At least that is how peed off with them I am right now.

[SouthAussieRover]

Its the outright ugliness of their behaviour which makes them tools in my opinion.Johnson eyeballing the batsman after every single ball and muttering. Haddin getting involved in every exchange and apoealing for non existent dismissals. Warner is just hard to like at all. A slogger on and off the pitch.

Ive had respect for previous Australian teams but not this one.And the worst thing is losing to such an average team.Thats how bad England have been.

Yeah, they only "sing when they're winning". Quote facility not working- I was replying to South Aussie Rover.

Indeed Tyrone but don't get me started on their supporters

[jim mk2]

Haddin comes across as a particularly nasty piece of work. His attempt to get Root out and then abusing him after the appeal was upheld was disgusting. If I had the ability to bowl at 90mph plus like Broad I know where I'd be aiming.

Heavens knows what England's batsmen were thinking about yesterday - from Root's daft's runout to Bell's first ball shot that even a club cricketer would have been embarrassed to play this innings was the low point of a very poor series. England might take ten wickets today but it's highly unlikely. If Flower (and batting coach Gooch) were in football they'd have been sacked long before now.

[neekoy]

This is brilliant, it has been so long since I have heard the excuses and whinging from the poms, 3 years of dominance and yet you turn on your team with such venom and vigour it is beautiful to watch.

Hang them high, spineless, expected batting collapses......a couple of months ago they won 3-0, the same team and they are still in with a chance to finish this series 3-2.

Cook has gone from being one of the greatest English batsmen of all time to being dropped after three tests, KP has just overtaken Boycott and is batting like he always had but without any luck and you want him dropped, Flower has been the best coach you have had in over 30 years get rid as well and and the rest of the team who are trying their best against a fantastic bowling unit you want to see deported.

Johnson was taken apart in England a number of years ago, by the crowds, media and England team on the field.....swings and roundabouts as Dave has said.

I hope we stuff you 5-0, this kind of level of support for your former #1 cricket team is more disgusting then the on field behaviour.

[SouthAussieRover]

Bye bye slogger.

Good luck against Steyn,Morkel etc..

[broadsword]

Who says Cook should be dropped?

How many people want Flower sacked?

Are you sure the rest of the team are trying their best?

Calm yourself down man, you're foaming at the mouth, that must be one hell of a chip you on your shoulder.

I'm sure if Australia were to capitulate on an English tour and be in danger of getting whitewashed, you'd be a model of equnimity.

This team is disintegrating and of course questions will be asked.

[broadsword]

Bowling Root ahead of Panesar - pure idiocy

[SouthAussieRover]

Why isnt Monty getting a bowl?