Cricket

[kaosmark2]

Well done to the Aussies, completely deserved. We had no answer to their bowling, their fielding, their batting aggression.

Disgraceful from England though. I've been getting increasingly critical of the team (mostly for their batting) since the UAE Tests 2 years ago, but this is a ridiculous low. Cook's captaincy hasn't impressed me but there's not really any other options.

I hope that the changes are sensible and considered. I'm particularly disappointed with Bell this series after his magnificent performance at home, everyone else showed signs of issues but he was sensible and fluid simultaneously. I hope the young players are given a real chance to prove themselves next summer, as opposed to shoved in at the tail end of a whitewash and expected to save it by themselves. Borthwick took wickets but he definitely isn't a front-line spinner yet. Finn, Monty and Onions should surely play, although they've mostly got better over this tour by not being given a chance...

[kaosmark2]

KP was our top scorer and is one of our leading run scorers of all time. If we're rebuilding after failures this series I think Bell is more in need of dropping than him. The biggest sign of his mental fragility to me is that he didn't move up to 3 immediately upon Trott leaving, if he was confident and assertive he would have, yet while he's one of our experienced senior pros, he's never stood up and guided other batsmen in partnerships, never shown any sort of presence. The only times Bell has really changed the momentum of matches is this summer, and the fact he wasn't able to carry that form shows his weaknesses to me.

As a note, I'm not actually saying he needs to be dropped, I just feel he's not got much criticism this series when of our batsmen he's arguably been the biggest disappointment. Cook has captaincy worries, Prior keeping worries and was in poor touch before, KP's outscored most of our team and has been got out to good balls more often (eg. the last innings).

I think Carberry had earned the right for one last test as a chance, and Root getting a break is right. I agree that Carberry shouldn't play again after this series, but who do you bring in? I think Root has a long England future ahead of him, and I hope that time back at Yorkshire lets him regain form. Whatever position they stick him in next though, should be his position long-term. We've got openings everywhere and shunting him about can't have helped.

I've said it a fair few times, but I think James Taylor is one of the best young English batsmen around. I think he was harshly treated after the SA series, and should be given an extended run in the team.

If you drop either of KP or Bell I think they have to bring back Morgan for another run. I don't think he's got the right mentality for Test cricket, but he has got experience and is a dangerous batsman. With all the failures at the moment he deserves another run, with the caveat that he needs to display the ability to grind in difficult conditions as well as swat it about when given a platform by the top order.

Also, on the bowling front, Finn is our best option at taking wickets. He doesn't keep it tight, but he's not going to get better if he's endlessly brought into squads and not played, and having Stokes in the team means we can use him as a strike bowler in 4/5 over spells like the Aussies used Mitch. He's got a lot of experience for someone so young, and was a huge part of our victory in India. The England camp messed around with Jimmy's action when he was young and it interfered with how good he was for a couple of years, Finn will come good and they need to show that same faith in him.

[Osama Jim Laden]

I'd give Finn another go.. Devon Malcolm was always expensive but bowled fast and attacked, that's how Finn should be used..

Bell & KP should stay, form needs addressing, games will help but nets moreso..

Carberry should IMO be given more time, he's not the ideal opener but looked solid at times, for a time.. Root needs to get back to playing county cricket regular and he'll be a good player in years to come..

Spin option, can't see Monty coming back, doubt he'd want to after his last test, bowling Root ahead if him must've hurt..

Credit to the Aussies.. Clarke today said his 3 seamers are the best attack in the works at the mo'.. Can't argue really.. They outplayed us all everywhere consistently in 5 tests.. Loved watch Johnson bowl..

[kaosmark2]

Interesting little statistic:

Over the ten innings of the Ashes Australia averaged 258.7 whilst England averaged 215.8.

Shows how much their batting was held up by Haddin. All we needed was one of our players to stand up each innings and we would have won. Neither side could bat, we were just the worse one.

[Osama Jim Laden]

Haddin was tremendous.. Nothing could go wrong for him..

Aus aren't a very good batting side, you're right, we couldn't deal with their bowling attack..

[Osama Jim Laden]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/25649105

KP being made scapegoat? I don't see that.. The entire team failed & the country/world knows it..

I didn't realise he demanded Moores to be sacked & that's why he lost captaincy..

Vaughan saying it'd be a shame if he didn't play again, yes, I agree because he's exciting but in the main, if he's THAT disruptive, not so..

Nobody is bigger than the team and if he's put himself on that pedestal, the fall is coming..

[kaosmark2]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/25649105

KP being made scapegoat? I don't see that.. The entire team failed & the country/world knows it..

I didn't realise he demanded Moores to be sacked & that's why he lost captaincy..

Vaughan saying it'd be a shame if he didn't play again, yes, I agree because he's exciting but in the main, if he's THAT disruptive, not so..

Nobody is bigger than the team and if he's put himself on that pedestal, the fall is coming..

About 18 months ago, when he got dropped (rightfully) for the issues of texting SA players and issues with Strauss, PT and I were saying how regardless of everyone else's personal opinion of KP, it'd be ridiculous if cliques in the dressing room are allowed to rob the country of its most talented batsman. I'm not trying to defend KP or say he's perfect, but everyone has people in their workplace they get on well with, and people that irk them a bit. Unless KP is doing something which is genuinely outrageous and would cause him to be sacked in another job, he shouldn't be dropped. If Andy Flower thinks he's unmanageable, then England need someone better to manage the squad.

[Osama Jim Laden]

About 18 months ago, when he got dropped (rightfully) for the issues of texting SA players and issues with Strauss, PT and I were saying how regardless of everyone else's personal opinion of KP, it'd be ridiculous if cliques in the dressing room are allowed to rob the country of its most talented batsman. I'm not trying to defend KP or say he's perfect, but everyone has people in their workplace they get on well with, and people that irk them a bit. Unless KP is doing something which is genuinely outrageous and would cause him to be sacked in another job, he shouldn't be dropped. If Andy Flower thinks he's unmanageable, then England need someone better to manage the squad.

Isn't that then, say it does happen, putting it in KP's head that he's removed two gaffers?

Somebody as big headed as KP doesn't need any more fuel for that ego of being bigger than the team..

Also, if AC was putting him on the boundary, might not only be AF who has issues with him..

I know we don't know the entire story but dressing room unrest, if, if caused by one person.. It's them that has to go..

If it's only AF, yes, he'll be the one who should go.. Unless differences can be worked out of course..

Edited January 9, 2014 by Osama Jim Laden

[kaosmark2]

Isn't that then, say it does happen, putting it in KP's head that he's removed two gaffers?

Somebody as big headed as KP doesn't need any more fuel for that ego of being bigger than the team..

Also, if AC was putting him on the boundary, might not only be AF who has issues with him..

I know we don't know the entire story but dressing room unrest, if, if caused by one person.. It's them that has to go..

If it's only AF, yes, he'll be the one who should go.. Unless differences can be worked out of course..

Nah, speculating what goes on in KP's head is just ridiculous. None of us know him and to try and guess how he'll interpret things is ridiculous. Of everyone in the media and cricket world who's talked about KP, the only ones I'd consider to have to clue as to what he's like and what they're talking about are Vaughan and Strauss, both of whom have said he's a difficult character, but passionate about playing for England and wants to be loved.

I don't take Cook's field placings and captaincy decisions as worth a damn. Putting KP on the boundary could mean anything, but his decisions re. Monty and Finn to not bowl them have killed the confidence of two of our best bowlers. KP isn't the only one ostracised by the Cook/Flower regime, Monty, Finn and Onions have all been mistreated as well, and a number of young cricketers (Kerrigan, Woakes, James Taylor, Bairstow).

It COULD be that KP is causing a massive host of problems and the best solution is for him to go, but I think that unlikely. The current England setup has its favourites, both in terms of style of cricket (dour) and personnel (that play dour cricket). Our most talented batsman, most talented spinner, most talented young quick, and the best bowler in county-cricket have all been mistreated by the current regime. It's not unique to today's setup, and not unique to England (think Aussie homework-gate), but if there's growing dressing room rifts, the solution isn't to get rid of all the talent that can't get along, it's to change the management (whether personnel or structure or both).

[Osama Jim Laden]

Nah, speculating what goes on in KP's head is just ridiculous. None of us know him and to try and guess how he'll interpret things is ridiculous. Of everyone in the media and cricket world who's talked about KP, the only ones I'd consider to have to clue as to what he's like and what they're talking about are Vaughan and Strauss, both of whom have said he's a difficult character, but passionate about playing for England and wants to be loved.

I don't take Cook's field placings and captaincy decisions as worth a damn. Putting KP on the boundary could mean anything, but his decisions re. Monty and Finn to not bowl them have killed the confidence of two of our best bowlers. KP isn't the only one ostracised by the Cook/Flower regime, Monty, Finn and Onions have all been mistreated as well, and a number of young cricketers (Kerrigan, Woakes, James Taylor, Bairstow).

It COULD be that KP is causing a massive host of problems and the best solution is for him to go, but I think that unlikely. The current England setup has its favourites, both in terms of style of cricket (dour) and personnel (that play dour cricket). Our most talented batsman, most talented spinner, most talented young quick, and the best bowler in county-cricket have all been mistreated by the current regime. It's not unique to today's setup, and not unique to England (think Aussie homework-gate), but if there's growing dressing room rifts, the solution isn't to get rid of all the talent that can't get along, it's to change the management (whether personnel or structure or both).

I do agree about Onions & Taylor.. They were strangely overlooked.. Woakes, he just ain't ready yet.. Needs another season at county level, maybe two..

Okay, speculating/interpreting what's going on in somebody else's head is daft, KP however is a renowned egotistical dipstick, Warne (yes he was a genius) would say to Gilchrist exactly how he'd get KP out & then go and do it, everybody can do their homework on opposition players, Siddle certainly has the beating of him too..

If our batting coach isn't saying to KP, or if he's unaware he's getting out in similar circumstances, something is going awry.. I don't believe it though, he'll have been told, he'll have seen two fielders at mid wicket but still thought he could beat them to make a stance.. Didn't work.. This is probably coming across as singling him out, not meant to.. The entire team failed.. If he's a bad apple though, he's not the future of English cricjet anymore, start again, drop him, if he bucks his ideas up, bring him back, that goes for anybody else who's disruptive.. Nobody is bigger than the national side, or any other dude for that matter..

England's attitude was poor heading into this series, it showed.. Anderson & Cook are two of the best players Engkand have had in the past, well, I don't know how many years but they've lost two ashes series 5-0!! Mad..

[kaosmark2]

I do agree about Onions & Taylor.. They were strangely overlooked.. Woakes, he just ain't ready yet.. Needs another season at county level, maybe two..

Okay, speculating/interpreting what's going on in somebody else's head is daft, KP however is a renowned egotistical dipstick, Warne (yes he was a genius) would say to Gilchrist exactly how he'd get KP out & then go and do it, everybody can do their homework on opposition players, Siddle certainly has the beating of him too..

If our batting coach isn't saying to KP, or if he's unaware he's getting out in similar circumstances, something is going awry.. I don't believe it though, he'll have been told, he'll have seen two fielders at mid wicket but still thought he could beat them to make a stance.. Didn't work.. This is probably coming across as singling him out, not meant to.. The entire team failed.. If he's a bad apple though, he's not the future of English cricjet anymore, start again, drop him, if he bucks his ideas up, bring him back, that goes for anybody else who's disruptive.. Nobody is bigger than the national side, or any other dude for that matter..

England's attitude was poor heading into this series, it showed.. Anderson & Cook are two of the best players Engkand have had in the past, well, I don't know how many years but they've lost two ashes series 5-0!! Mad..

Onions, Taylor, Panesar and Finn have all been treated poorly by the current setup for reason unknown to us. They're the ones that I actually think are talented (I'm not sure Woakes or Kerrigan will ever be ready, but that one test cameo won't have helped them at all).

KP's been getting out in similar circumstances for years, it'd be absolute bollocks if he's being kicked out for that. Bell's failures this series were twice as bad, KP fell idiotically often, but sometimes he got good balls, Bell just kept holing out and doing stupid things.

I don't know how disruptive he might be, but my point is that there's other players who aren't happy with the management at present either, they just don't feel they can get away with dropping KP yet.

[kaosmark2]

ODI score is the biggest 1st innings of the tour yet.... What a disgraceful stat that is.

[Osama Jim Laden]

Re- Finn.. I was saying they should bowl him too, something must be really wrong with him to be the only touring member to play zero minutes.. Finns pace, if his line was right would've shook the Aussies 'weak' batting lineup a wee bit more..

That ODI is just brilliant.. What a stat!

[kaosmark2]

The problem with Finn started when Cook was reluctant to bowl him at the Oval when he'd been being expensive, and opted to pretty much use a 3-man attack. That broke his confidence and he's not really recovered in the eyes of the setup. Appalling treatment by the regime.

[Osama Jim Laden]

He'll always be expensive because he always attacks.. This nonsense about him needing to work in his action I don't believe..

[kaosmark2]

Well.quite. The last England regime nearly broke Anderson by messing with his action. This one shouldn't be ding it to Finn

[TheGayTent]

18no and 4-0-10-1.

Moral of the story is clearly if we want to beat the convicts more often we should pick Kentishmen more often

[TheGayTent]

Um, we're getting closer I guess...

[kaosmark2]

Um, we're getting closer I guess...

Got a first innings score of 300. Tour best...

[kaosmark2]

Another day another record broken...

We actually had fight at least.

[TheGayTent]

What record ?

Australia's highest 10th wicket partnership in an ODI? Edited January 17, 2014 by TheGayTent

[kaosmark2]

Australia's highest 10th wicket partnership in an ODI?

Indeed.

Also Australia's highest run chase at Brisbane in a ODI.

[Osama Jim Laden]

Psst.. We did win that last one....

[kaosmark2]

Psst.. We did win that last one....

I'm still twitching with shock.

[lharris92]

i've been drinking ever since in celebration, might stop suddenly though if we lose again