Cricket

[Stuart]

Australia have finally hit some form. Or was our bowling rubbish?

I think this match will be a draw, but hopefully this will stop any complacency amongst the England squad.

It's all down to the pitch. Winning the toss has been the decider in every test.

[Ozz]

As I said before, it is Cricket, I think we become a bit precious when we cry foul of quite harmless statements, hardly a fatwa on Mr Broad.

Indeed. Some of things I`ve heard said on the cricket pitch would make Lehmans comments sound like a birthday card insert from his Granny by comparison. It is, well just cricket. No doubt if Broad hadn`t walked and Aussie had won at Trent Bridge, and Old Trafford, and Durham...then he would have said exactly the same

[thenodrog]

Australia have finally hit some form. Or was our bowling rubbish?

I think this match will be a draw, but hopefully this will stop any complacency amongst the England squad.

Better still for that if we suffer an innings defeat to a nice back drop of national humiliation and Aussie crowing.

Tom M ..... notice I will only allow the opposition a kind word or thought now that we have beaten them. If that convict kid wants a century and a few wickets he can have one.

[Baz]

Lehmanns comments

http://www.triplem.com.au/adelaide/sport/cricket/news/2013/8/darren-boof-lehmann-replies-to-stuart-broad-labelling-actions-blatant-cheating/

Make your own judgement, but they sound slightly tongue in cheek, slightly bitter to me.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

It's all down to the pitch. Winning the toss has been the decider in every test.

Correct.

[Baz]

A day of rain forcast for tomorrow, and if that happens, then a draw is the only logical outcome.

Very negative tactics by England today I felt. We may end the series 3-0, but actually is been much closer. The Aussies must be feeling quite positive going into a home series.

Personally I think the pitches have been poor, and made winning the toss too relevant to winning the test.

[jim mk2]

England were on a hiding to nothing - attack and they risked losing wickets and following on. Today was like watching cricket from 50 years ago when Boycott and Barrington shut up shop and nurdled along at 2 or 3 runs an over. Proper Test cricket I call it.

[Baz]

Understand what your saying Jim, but still think we handed the impetus by being very defensive.

[jim mk2]

In hindsight we made a mistake with the team selection. Woakes looks a good bat but on this evidence his bowling and that of Kerrigan is below Test standard. Plus dropped catches meant we lost control of the game from day one.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I still can't believe the selectors thought it was appropriate to bring in two novices in a Test against the old enemy. Being brutally honest it's like playing with nine and a half players. I hope both of the kids go on to great things but Kerrigan's confidence must be shattered. A very strange decision that has handed the initiative to the Aussie's.

[thenodrog]

The alternative theory and one that I subscribe to would be that there could not a better opportunity to blood young players against the aussies. This series was effectively over when it rained at OT.

[jim mk2]

Full house at the Oval, raucous crowd in celebratory mood anticipating a stunning England victory, and the umpires take the teams off and end the match with 4 overs left because of a stupid ICC light rule. The people running international cricket are idiots.

However although we were denied a deserved 4-0 series win, I'll take a 3-0 thank you very much. Alastair Cook I salute you sir.

[den]

The authorities should bow their heads in shame with what happened today. Did it not enter their thick skulls that this was absolutely bound to happen- and will do again unless they change that ridiculous rule.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

It would have been interesting to see if they'd have taken the teams off if the series would have been standing at one Test each !

[Baz]

It would have been interesting to see if they'd have taken the teams off if the series would have been standing at one Test each !

I think there is more reason to take them off at 1-1, you wouldn't want the series decided because of someone missing a catch because of the light.

Cant say we deserved 4-0 but every credit to Clarke for putting a game on. Strange to see him after the game in the interview taking the credit for that, but also at the end of the game berating the umpires to go off for bad light. Needless to say if the shoes where on the other foot England would have done the same. Feel sorry for the fans though.

Disappointing end to a somewhat disappointing series, that really hasn't got going.

I see a very close series in Aus this winter.

[jim mk2]

I'm not surprised Clarke was desperate to go off - his team have never lost a series here 4-0 and presumably he didn't want that on his headstone.

I think it's been a cracking series - the games at Trent Bridge and Durham were edge-of-seats stuff and Lord's could have gone either way at one stage.

Bell (and Pietersen sometimes) apart, I've been disappointed with England's batting. Cook needs to sort out some technical issues over the next 3 months.

[pg]

Odd series, but I guess it shows that you Test Cricket (and entire series) can be won in crucial sessions.

Australia played well at times, and beat England at times...and a couple of times folded like a house of cards.

In the end I was surprised by how close it sometimes was, I was expecting a repeat of Lord's every game. I still think you should have played more spinners on drier wickets but with Panesar seemingly having a mental breakdown perhaps you don't have as much depth in spin as you thought.

A shame (for you) because we can't bat against spin and we can't bowl spin. So thanks for giving our pacemen a good chance

Edited August 26, 2013 by pg

[neekoy]

Good on Clarke for trying to make a game of it, to hell with the statistics, let's go all out.

Good series by two misfiring teams, the difference between the two teams being Ian Bell who played outstandingly.

Should make for decent return on the Australian pitches.

Edited August 26, 2013 by neekoy

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I think it's been a good series. Anybody who thinks otherwise has probably been spoiled by recent Ashes series. In the past we've had some real boring rubbers. The teams were closer than the result suggests but Australia were very fortunate not to lose 4-0 yesterday.

[T4E]

A lot of talk about how England haven't batted well, but the reality is its been a low scoring series. Australia only managed to score above 300 twice, and only got above 250 in 50% of their innings.

The groundsmen have prepared results pitches, but for the weather we would have had a result in all 5 tests.

[Guest Norbert]

I just wish we went for a win, , and pushed the attacking players higher up the order like the Aussies did. We were never going to win when you have Trott and Cook plodding along scoring 2 an over. The crowd paid a lot of money to be there, we were 3-0 up etc. so make a game of it and really attack the bowlers. Sometimes the really conservative selection policy and captaincy is annoying.

[thenodrog]

I just wish we went for a win, , and pushed the attacking players higher up the order like the Aussies did. We were never going to win when you have Trott and Cook plodding along scoring 2 an over. The crowd paid a lot of money to be there, we were 3-0 up etc. so make a game of it and really attack the bowlers. Sometimes the really conservative selection policy and captaincy is annoying.

Some people are never satisfied.

You didnt have an ancestor in the Light Brigade cavalry did you?

Edited August 26, 2013 by thenodrog

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

I just wish we went for a win, , and pushed the attacking players higher up the order like the Aussies did. We were never going to win when you have Trott and Cook plodding along scoring 2 an over. The crowd paid a lot of money to be there, we were 3-0 up etc. so make a game of it and really attack the bowlers. Sometimes the really conservative selection policy and captaincy is annoying.

Flippin heck, you don't want much do you? They had to score at about 6 an over to make 250 in the 4th innings, I don't know how many times that's been done in test history but I doubt its double figures. England got within about 20 runs, was a great effort.

[jim mk2]

I just wish we went for a win, , and pushed the attacking players higher up the order like the Aussies did. We were never going to win when you have Trott and Cook plodding along scoring 2 an over. The crowd paid a lot of money to be there, we were 3-0 up etc. so make a game of it and really attack the bowlers. Sometimes the really conservative selection policy and captaincy is annoying.

Daft post.

227 in 44 overs is just over 5 an over, normally a piece of cake in the one-day game but they were Test conditions with no restrictions on field placings or wides etc. I thought England timed the innings to perfection and with 21 needed off 4 overs would have got there easily but for the ICC's ridiculous light meter ruling.

Edited August 26, 2013 by jim mk2

[SouthAussieRover]

I just wish we went for a win, , and pushed the attacking players higher up the order like the Aussies did. We were never going to win when you have Trott and Cook plodding along scoring 2 an over. The crowd paid a lot of money to be there, we were 3-0 up etc. so make a game of it and really attack the bowlers. Sometimes the really conservative selection policy and captaincy is annoying.

Heck Norbert I woke at 2.30am for some reason...then was glued to the tv for at least an hour when Pietersen and Trott went for it.

Edited August 26, 2013 by SouthAussieRover