The Cricket Thread

[Archibald&Crooks]

It comes to something when you bowl them out for 267 and everyone is wondering if you can avoid defeat by an innings

 

[$hoguN]

Embarrassing

 

[nidge]

I will return to my comment from yesterday, when will the ECB resign from international test cricket?

 

[midoshairband]

we must be in danger of losing our test match status.

we'll be that team who only gets asked to play one-off tests of two match series because we're so uncompetitive.

 

[PCozzie]

Honestly, if I were the bowlers I'd just tell the selection committee I was unavailable for the fourth test. Got to go shopping, or invited to a wedding. Let the batsmen run in for a day and a half. They've done fuck all else to get tired.

 

[Wsussexspur]

No point even getting angry anymore! It’s not like the batsmen aren’t trying! They just aren’t good enough. Problem is thanks to the marginalisation of the county game over last 10 or so years by the ECB there is no one else ready to step up.

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

Joe Root had the nerve to blame the bowlers for our second test defeat. Look at what his useless **** batsmen are now doing when we had a sniff of winning this game. Utter embarrassment.

Sacking Root won’t solve the problem, but he needs to be stripped of the captaincy the day after this shambolic series ends.

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

Just seen that Jack Leach was even incapable of doing his duty as night watchman.

There are a lot of people who have done nothing to deserve a call up to the England team but he just about tops the lot.

 

[Buggsy61]

It really is humiliating when you see the total lack of basic technique and concentration levels in some of our batsmen.
That coming after what was a pretty good performance by the bowlers and Jimmy A showing again that he really is one of the all time greats.
Don’t know where we go from here really but we can’t keep going on as we are. A fresh approach is needed with a change in the back room and the captaincy a first step.
Can’t see Joe wanting to stay on as captain after this debacle anyway.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

No point even getting angry anymore! It’s not like the batsmen aren’t trying! They just aren’t good enough. Problem is thanks to the marginalisation of the county game over last 10 or so years by the ECB there is no one else ready to step up.

This is just the crux of it and there are really no other options. No captain of England (that I can remember) has ever been stripped of the captaincy, forced to resign, or made to retire over team performance, especially one that has just scored 1700 runs in a calendar year, and one that has won the most Test matches ever as England captain (and lost).

Root is going nowhere unless Root decides, unless Stokes wants it then it’s all a moot point anyway.

My only hope is that this series forces a complete restructure of red ball cricket akin to what Strauss did with the white ball team when he took on the reigns, but even then with the way that the Blast, Hundred and any other limited overs gimmick shite is marketed in this country I can’t see a quick change to anything at all.

 

[UncleBuck]

"It's been a frustrating tour so far. We are working hard and trying to put things right. We hit our areas with the ball but it was a frustrating end to the day."

Yes Jimmy, after all these years whereby you predominantly bail out the batsmen some people still haven’t twigged that it’s the batting unit and fielding that has let the side down time and time again.
I’m sure frustrating isn’t the first word that comes to your mind as you and your bowlers have bailed us out so often it’s ridiculous.

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

This is just the crux of it and there are really no other options. No captain of England (that I can remember) has ever been stripped of the captaincy, forced to resign, or made to retire over team performance, especially one that has just scored 1700 runs in a calendar year, and one that has won the most Test matches ever as England captain (and lost).

Root is going nowhere unless Root decides, unless Stokes wants it then it’s all a moot point anyway.

My only hope is that this series forces a complete restructure of red ball cricket akin to what Strauss did with the white ball team when he took on the reigns, but even then with the way that the Blast, Hundred and any other limited overs gimmick shite is marketed in this country I can’t see a quick change to anything at all.

The ECB only care about squeezing money out of cricket, all the money is in white ball cricket, as you’ve alluded to.

They crowbarred a shit new format into an already packed summer schedule and basically killed the county game. I can’t see any scenario where the ECB think “shit, we need to stop making money and go back to having a really good test side”

 

[aussiespursguy]

This is just the crux of it and there are really no other options. No captain of England (that I can remember) has ever been stripped of the captaincy, forced to resign, or made to retire over team performance, especially one that has just scored 1700 runs in a calendar year, and one that has won the most Test matches ever as England captain (and lost).

Root is going nowhere unless Root decides, unless Stokes wants it then it’s all a moot point anyway.

My only hope is that this series forces a complete restructure of red ball cricket akin to what Strauss did with the white ball team when he took on the reigns, but even then with the way that the Blast, Hundred and any other limited overs gimmick shite is marketed in this country I can’t see a quick change to anything at all.

You are right. Root will stay regardless. Who else could it be? He is your best batsman.
Root stays.
The bigger question is when will the ECB take test cricket seriously.
Over here, the young lads play cricket to play "Test" cricket.
Thats what they want.
Now some confess they are not good enough so limited overs it is.
But the battle is for a test spot.
If it were not for concussions Will Pucovski would be our number 1 opener and we could well be the number 1 test nation. Alas injuries have ruined him. He is young but i fear for him.
Marcus Harris would be a distant memory!
Will Pucovski wants test cricket. Thats all he wants.
So does the forgotten Matt Renshaw. I could name heaps. They all live for the long form of the game.
Sure they will play the short form but they long for the Test match.
You guys would have a better idea who is coming through there but i don't see a lot of enthusiasm.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

The ECB only care about squeezing money out of cricket, all the money is in white ball cricket, as you’ve alluded to.

They crowbarred a shit new format into an already packed summer schedule and basically killed the county game. I can’t see any scenario where the ECB think “shit, we need to stop making money and go back to having a really good test side”

One of the main reasons they are able to do that though is because of the guaranteed millions of pounds that a Lords Test Match brings in through the gate as an example, if we go back to the 90s with dwindling numbers of people taking days off work to sit at the cricket and then those that do start booing the end of match presentations they will sit up and take note. All Test venues have to bid for matches and without the income the guaranteed income they can’t do it.

It goes in cycles and we all get that, we’d won the Ashes in 2011 and got to number 1 in the world and were shite at white ball cricket so we made a vast change to our focus. Same reason why we downgraded our own 50 over domestic cup last year and this coming year to a “development” competition because there is another T20 World Cup before the next 50 over one. We appear to have a plan for some things, I just don’t think they understood how low our batting stocks were going to be for the red ball stuff. And spinners, I think we’re generally ok for seamers.

 

[JCRD]

Demoralising when you go to bed just after lunch, wake up and see Australia out for 267 only to then look to the left of the score and see England at a paltry 31 for 4.

How can the batting be THAT bad. I couldnt hit a cows arse with a banjo but im sure i can do better.

There is no reason why Root cant get a big score here.

 

[nidge]

An interesting read this morning.

England's Test batting at rock bottom with deep-rooted issues

Systemic deficiencies in two areas that are fundamentals for good Test match batting - technique and temperament - are at the forefront of England's Test problems

www.cricbuzz.com

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

This is just the crux of it and there are really no other options. No captain of England (that I can remember) has ever been stripped of the captaincy, forced to resign, or made to retire over team performance, especially one that has just scored 1700 runs in a calendar year, and one that has won the most Test matches ever as England captain (and lost).

I must be massively misunderstanding you when you say 'stripped' of the captaincy here but there's been heaps of England captains who've been sacked because of results. John Emburey was given the job, lost his first two test matches and was removed, Graham Gooch went a year without winning a test match and was sacked. Alec Stewart was sacked after a loss in Australia and then a dismal ODI World Cup and you can almost certainly add more to that list. Apologies if I misunderstand though.

Whilst I agree there's an issue as to who would do it and that there's a lack of options, you can't run the team like that and they probably won't. If they sack him, they'll have to find someone, if he quits, they'll have to find someone, either way, at some point, they'll have to find someone. You can't keep a man in a job because 'who else is there'. He's a poor captain and he needs to go it's as simple as that. Worry about who's next when that happens. I also agree he's very unlikely to actually be sacked but a year or more ago I did suggest it's possible he sees this Ashes series as the end of a cycle and might step down of his own accord once it's over and for me, that's where the main hope lies, that he's simply had enough now. And I wouldn't blame him.

Anyway, them's my onions, Root out, Giles out, Silverwood out and TBH the gin swiggers at the ECB can do one too. Bring back Keith Fletcher! At least there's coach who understands test cricket and how to improve a player. But I say that tongue in cheek, he's probably retired now anyway.

 

[tototoner]

If Root isn't captain then who else because I cannot see any other candidates.

PS I wouldn't put the pressure on Stokes

 

[tototoner]

I must be massively misunderstanding you when you say 'stripped' of the captaincy here but there's been heaps of England captains who've been sacked because of results. John Emburey was given the job, lost his first two test matches and was removed, Graham Gooch went a year without winning a test match and was sacked. Alec Stewart was sacked after a loss in Australia and then a dismal ODI World Cup and you can almost certainly add more to that list. Apologies if I misunderstand though.

Whilst I agree there's an issue as to who would do it and that there's a lack of options, you can't run the team like that and they probably won't. If they sack him, they'll have to find someone, if he quits, they'll have to find someone, either way, at some point, they'll have to find someone. You can't keep a man in a job because 'who else is there'. He's a poor captain and he needs to go it's as simple as that. Worry about who's next when that happens. I also agree he's very unlikely to actually be sacked but a year or more ago I did suggest it's possible he sees this Ashes series as the end of a cycle and might step down of his own accord once it's over and for me, that's where the main hope lies, that he's simply had enough now. And I wouldn't blame him.

Anyway, them's my onions, Root out, Giles out, Silverwood out and TBH the gin swiggers at the ECB can do one too. Bring back Keith Fletcher! At least there's coach who understands test cricket and how to improve a player. But I say that tongue in cheek, he's probably retired now anyway.

Don't think anyone who wants Root to step down as captain wants him out of the team, he's England's only decent batsman

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Don't think anyone who wants Root to step down as captain wants him out of the team, he's England's only decent batsman

I never said they do. And I don't either.