Cricket

[jim mk2]

The batting is the main problem and has been for 2 years or more. England have not scored enough runs. Having said that as with any failing enterprise the problem starts at the top, Flower and Cook have said today they want to stay and build a new England team but there have to be question marks over both of them and Gooch, the batting coach.

[Gav]

I've got to say the Cook dismissal was amateurish at best, an absolute shocker, what was he thinking? Well he probably wasn't thinking that's the problem.

Bells dismissal was also terrible, he's been found out and clearly doesn't have the tools to modify his game for Australian conditions.

The upper batting order need to take a long hard look at themselves, simply not good enough.

Edited January 4, 2014 by GAV

[Guest Norbert]

Problem is that a couple are too arrogant and complacent to do that. We all know who is number 1 on that list. Carberry has had a chance and proven to be weak, so that has to be sorted out. Root has really suffered from yo-yoing up and down the order, Cook has looked like a walking wicket for the bowlers, Pietersen has been awful, Bell has forgotten his previous form and rebooted to his previous timid, flimsy factory setting and Prior and Broad have been faltering with the bat for ages.

[Gav]

Problem is that a couple are too arrogant and complacent to do that. We all know who is number 1 on that list. Carberry has had a chance and proven to be weak, so that has to be sorted out. Root has really suffered from yo-yoing up and down the order, Cook has looked like a walking wicket for the bowlers, Pietersen has been awful, Bell has forgotten his previous form and rebooted to his previous timid, flimsy factory setting and Prior and Broad have been faltering with the bat for ages.

Can't agree Pietersen has been awful, he winds me up with his me me me attitude but he's done ok on this tour, if it wasn't for his runs it would have been even more embarrassing.

Bell keeps getting caught behind because the ball comes on to the bat much quicker in Oz, sadly he doesn't have the ability to change his game to suit the conditions which is poor in my book.

But lets face it, the whole team is a shadow of its former self, Flower needs to get his act together and start doing his job again instead of keeping his future options open and filling the squad full of uncertainty.

Edited January 4, 2014 by GAV

[Guest Norbert]

Everyone gives Pietersen credit, and says he is brilliant, but compared to his former high standards he has been average and declining. My memory may be failing me, but I haven't seen him brutally take apart a team like he used to for a while. He's either not bothered the scoreboard at all, or got off to a good 40-50 and then gave the fielders catching practice with a stupid shot.

And all you need is a left arm spinner of reasonable quality, and he's up the creek.

[somersetrover]

Rogers get's his 65th first class century. Another lovely innings from him, the man really is an excellent role model for any cricketer and any level.

Edited January 5, 2014 by somersetrover

[somersetrover]

Pleased for Borthwick to get that wicket should give the lad some confidence, which he probably didn't have when Pietersen came on before him. Shame about Stokes conduct after he got Johnson and probably not the wisest thing to do either and also rather an odd thing to do when your on the verge of a whitewash.

Edited January 5, 2014 by somersetrover

[SouthAussieRover]

Totally embarassing.

A complete and utter shambles.

Gutless capitulation except for Broad and Stokes.

Edited January 5, 2014 by SouthAussieRover

[neekoy]

YEEEEAAAAHHHHHH 5-0, so happy at the moment, team has come together very well and England haven't been given a chance by excellent bowling plans.

South Africa, Bailey out, Hughes to come in at 3 and Watson to go to 7 with Haddin going up to 6 I think.

Well done to Stokes, should be in the England setup for a number of years to come. Stokes and Broad best from England.

[Ozz]

5-0, and England lucky to get nil. I`m just glad Johnson is 32 and not 22 as he clearly has a mental grip over the England batters. Big difference has obviously been Johnson and Haddin, take these two out and it may have been a more even contest.

Lehmans made a difference too, gone back to the old school of in your face aggression and raw power cricket, rather than the over analytical laptop based preparation of recent years. The pre match guessing of the England line ups was a smart move too, putting mental pressure on Cook/Flower before each test.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I've run out of things to say, just sick of getting up to hear about the latest capitulation. Only draconian changes will suffice for me. Flowers can't possibly survive this debacle, nor should he.

[dave birch]

A couple of observations:

Ozz, there are two or three bowlers who, I believe, are better than Johnson. The problem was (for Australia) that they were young and prone to injury. They are being rehabilitated and will be unleashed (again) in the not too distant future.

Had Swann not found it all too hard, then England, imho, would not have lost the fifth test. I couldn't believe that Cook won the toss and bowled. Having to bat last on the Sydney track was tantamount to saying to the Aussies, "here's the 5-0 you want". Had Swann been there then Cook would have batted, given the history of the track.

Finally, I thought that England would win the series. To me it was a series too early for the Aussies. I expected them to come good or show improvement towards the end of 2015, but I'll take it 12 months early.

So plaudits to a new (ish) coach, and to the emergence of a captain who was somewhat tentative to begin with, to one who has decided to be positive and agressive in the field. Just what cricket should be.

"Under the Southern Cross I stand,

sprig of wattle in my hand..........."

An afterthought:

This is the first time in an Ashes series that all 100 wickets (5 tests x 20 wickets) of the losing side have fallen.

Edited January 5, 2014 by dave birch

[SouthAussieRover]

From BBC sport:

ASHES IN NUMBERS

6 - Times England dismissed for under 200.

1 - Century partnership by England, seven fewer than Australia.

28 - Runs scored by George Bailey in a single James Anderson over in Perth, equalling the world record.

0 - Lbw dismissals by England in the first four Tests.

80 - Graeme Swann's bowling average when he retired after the third Test.

82 - Pages in England's 'essential' touring menu, leaked prior to the series.

ASHES IN NUMBERS

37 - Most wickets in the series, by Australia's Mitchell Johnson, at 13.97.

21 - Most wickets by an England bowler, Stuart Broad at 27.52.

10 - Centuries scored by Australia.

1 - Century scored by England.

255 - England's highest first innings total.

570 - Australia's highest first innings total - for nine, declared.

ASHES IN NUMBERS

9 - Australia's winless run in Tests prior to the series.

18 - Players used by England. There were 17 in the original touring party.

4 - Number of England debutants.

11 - Players used by Australia, only the fourth side to go unchanged through a five-match Test series.

30.8 - Average age of the Australia XI at the end of the series.

523 - Runs by Australia's David Warner, the top scorer in the series.

294 - Runs by England's top scorer, Kevin Pietersen.

[dave birch]

says it all Don.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

You don't lose that comprehensively without something being wrong in the camp. Ability wise the two teams should not be that far apart. I agree about the toss, the first one we've won and we put the opposition in ! Unbelievable !

[Gav]

I think we need to remeber that we've won 3 Ashes series and away in India, that's a tremendous achievement and one we should all be very proud of.

That said I think the golden era has now well and truly gone, and some of the players from that era need putting out to pasture.

Over to you Andy Flower.

[jim mk2]

The England players have let themselves and the country down. Good players do not become bad players to that extent overnight, and something is seriously amiss.

To my eyes they looked in the wrong frame of mind from the start. Questions have to be asked over how they prepared for this tour in the 3 or 4 months from the end of last season. What were the coaches doing, and how did they get is so wrong ? Was it complacency, did they work hard enough ?

Failure in sport is no different to any other walk of life and starts at the top. Flower and Cook must account to the ECB for their actions and justify their continued employment in their respective jobs. In football they would have been given the boot some time ago.

On a positive note I am pleased with how England have conducted themselves on this tour. In contrast to the feral opposition, England have been competitive without being over-aggressive. I would never want England to sink to the depths of childish and pathetic behaviour shown by the opposition players.

In addition, his failings with the bat notwithstanding Cook is a class act off the pitch as captain and would make an excellent diplomat when he retires from the game. I do think however the captaincy has affected his form this tour, and he and England would benefit if he stepped down. If there any tough Ray Illingworth types coming through the ranks at Yorkshire, would they please put their names forward ?

[thenodrog]

Well done to the australians, they've won at a canter against our lot so fair play. But never mind pastimes that are quite literal kg past their time cos i'm pretty sure we'll pagger them at PlayStation games which appear to be the main thing these days...... Does anybody know a kid who got a cricket bat for Christmas back here?

Also if cricketers are still getting paid for their efforts then I hope our lot put their ill gotten gains into their pension pots whilst the Aussies spend all of theirs on elecution and etiquette classes. It appears that they certainly need to.

Edited January 5, 2014 by thenodrog

[broadsword]

England players indulged in bad brhaviour back home when they @#/? on the pitch. disgusting.

whilst I think the aussies were worse, especially warner and haddin, let's not pretend english players are angels

[Tom]

Our resident troll must be hurting about being banned and not being able to gloat on here so has taken to trying to troll me and Ste on twitter

Odd chap

[Kamy100]

Well done to the Australians.

This one hurts me more than the 2006 whitewash, this aussie side is no where as good as the 2006 side. But they way we have capitulated has been alarming, at times we have played like a pub cricket team. No way did anyone see this coming, I thought that it would be a close series with it being decided by the odd test or so. What has gone wrong? The buck stops with Cook and Flower, they need to look at this horror show and start the rebuilding process. One bad series shouldn't mean that we dispense with Cook/Flower, but they must not allow this to happen again.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

We need to dispense with whoever is responsible. Nobody should be beyond reproach for this debacle.

[Guest Norbert]

Pretty much my view Tyrone. Get rid of Flower and Gooch, Give Cook and Anderson rest and make someone else captain (not Bell or Pietersen). And get new selectors, especially since Goeff Miller has more or less said Cook and Flower are safe in their job.

[somersetrover]

Pretty much my view Tyrone. Get rid of Flower and Gooch, Give Cook and Anderson rest and make someone else captain (not Bell or Pietersen). And get new selectors, especially since Goeff Miller has more or less said Cook and Flower are safe in their job.

Geoff Miller's already left James Whitaker is the new Chairman of Selectors.

[dave birch]

England players indulged in bad brhaviour back home when they keaned on the pitch. disgusting.

whilst I think the aussies were worse, especially warner and haddin, let's not pretend english players are angels

Bryan,

I'm not being mischievous or anything, but just how were the Aussies worse, particularly Haddin (Warner, I can see there is a thing about after chinning Root). But Haddin, he's just a competitive bloke, always has been.

Both of them have been no different from many English players over the years.

Is it because they topped the batting averages?

Edited January 6, 2014 by dave birch