Cricket fred

[Galfon]

More-so when Wood has a day like this; Eng. not good at holding on to initiative that have been able to snatch

[Banquo]

More-so when Wood has a day like this; Eng. not good at holding on to initiative that have been able to snatch

Robinson also carrying an injury. Leaving Anderson out in what may well have been his final test on a greentop is baffling- even when not taking wickets, he's held down an end with the best economy rate this series.

edit- just read Anderson had 'a variety of niggles'...

[Banquo]

ffs

[Galfon]

Mis-match special continues.
Eng have failed to top 300 all series. Aus have had 3 × 400+, 300 in this one.
At least the follow-on has been avoided, so proceedings can be extended a bit..Billings/Woakes 7th wkt. partnership is 30-plus now, and the 2nd. highest

[Banquo]

Stating the obvious, but our batting is just awful, finding worse and worse ways to get out. We let Oz off the hook at least three times with poor captaincy and fielding when they batted first as well; its just embarrassing.

[Galfon]

End of D2, and game looks over again.
Root & a few of the other players have a final chance to demonstrate ability and worthiness.

[Banquo]

Pleased for Wood who had a bit of a mare in his first spell of the match. Again, they've got 30-40 more than they should though.

[Galfon]

Just checked in to catch up on impressive response, and Burns goes..in for a tricky evening but there is a glimmer.
It's a pity the tour didn't provide the prep. / practice time.

[Banquo]

Just checked in to catch up on impressive response, and Burns goes..in for a tricky evening but there is a glimmer.
It's a pity the tour didn't provide the prep. / practice time.

I don't think we can blame prep or practice tbh.

[Galfon]

I don't think we can blame prep or practice tbh.

No blame, but going into T1 with some idea of the best line up, and more game time with the conditions may have helped.
Water under the harbour bridge now of course.

[Galfon]

ffs

[Banquo]

I don't think we can blame prep or practice tbh.

No blame, but going into T1 with some idea of the best line up, and more game time with the conditions may have helped.
Water under the harbour bridge now of course.

We’ve spent 2 years thinking about this series, and get the very first thing wrong- rinse and repeat. However no amount of prep would help with such shit international batsmen. Root is very good, but has been alone for too long now, and Stokes whilst v talented is inconsistent and crocked. The rest of the batsmen tried are pretty much known not to be good enough tbh.

[Banquo]

9 wickets in one session, what a disgrace. They aren't good batsman, but nearly all got themselves out- I'll give Root a pass on that ball, but he has to step down as big change is needed. Not sure the top order would even get a job in Downing Street.

Worst 10 wicket collapse v oz in 74 years.

[Banquo]

I hear they were rushing to get onto Novaxx flight!

[fivepointer]

What a shambles.
Heads need to roll. Starting with Harrison at the ECB, Giles and Silverwood. Root needs to be replaced to send a signal that failure on this level cannot be tolerated. The players may not be world beaters but some sort of application and determination should be a minimum expectation. Some will surely have played their last test match.
Thereafter, England have to make some hard choices now about the structure of the season, the way we prepare players for test cricket, selection, schedules and how this team is run.

[Banquo]

What a shambles.
Heads need to roll. Starting with Harrison at the ECB, Giles and Silverwood. Root needs to be replaced to send a signal that failure on this level cannot be tolerated. The players may not be world beaters but some sort of application and determination should be a minimum expectation. Some will surely have played their last test match.
Thereafter, England have to make some hard choices now about the structure of the season, the way we prepare players for test cricket, selection, schedules and how this team is run.

Its going to be a long road back, as the immediate problem is a lack of quality beyond Root. Even Stokes looks shot. Broad may have a season left, Jimmy topped the averages but is on his last legs.

[Galfon]

In the last 20 years, with 1 notable exception (Strauss win in 2011) Eng have been pasted over there - 5 series going for 4 or 5.
Oz have got something fundamentally right and Eng haven't.
4 wins and a draw for Eng. the other way in the same period suggests Ashes tours are always tough for the away team, but can't recall anything this bad.
Feel a bit for JR - top batsman but he's had the privilege of leading on 2 Ashes tours (first person in 100 years), and he's got 2 hefty losses to be remembered by.
The cupboard looks bare atm.

[Puja]

Agnew's plan to save English first class cricket: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/60016410

Basically obviate the county championship by introducing a new layer on top of them, possibly based around the eight new franchises built for The Hundred with an auction for players, and making that our first class system. I can't really say I disagree with him - first class county cricket doesn't make money in this country, doesn't appear to attract any crowds, and it's certainly not fit for purpose in creating test players. Reducing the number of teams from 18 to 8 and having a shorter, higher quality, more focussed competition seems to make sense to me.

That being said, I know very little about the current state of the county game (except that it's not making Test quality players), so I will defer to others that do. What do people think?

Puja

[fivepointer]

In principle i'm fine with it. Condensing the best players in red ball cricket into an 8-10 team comp makes sense. In theory we already have that with the 2 div Championship though. There is some value in separating red and white ball squads and there is a real need to have a look at the schedule for the season. We play too much cricket and there isnt enough time to rest, condition and work on technique/skills.
Serious adjustment needs to be made when we play the Champ. It cannot be sidelined to the start and end of the season; it needs to run throughout so that would be test players are never far away from a game.
But first and foremost those running the game must make a clear commitment to improve our test team. That means greater emphasis on it, greater resources, better wickets and a schedule that gives us the best chance to produce good cricketers.

[Galfon]

Why stick at 8-10 ? Sheffield Shield has just 6 in a home/away format with grand final over 5 days for top 2.
Play it mid June - mid Aug to make bowlers earn wickets and give batsmen more chance to bat long and hard;
( 2 months is c 60 days, for a 7-team league you need
6 × 2 x 5..including gap day = 60 days. )
Encourage more young talent to overwinter in the State systems (not sure how funding would work) to enhance skills.
The slog-fest genie is out the jar now though and appears to be pulling the game by the nose, understandably.

[Banquo]

Why stick at 8-10 ? Sheffield Shield has just 6 in a home/away format with grand final over 5 days for top 2.
Play it mid June - mid Aug to make bowlers earn wickets and give batsmen more chance to bat long and hard;
( 2 months is c 60 days, for a 7-team league you need
6 × 2 x 5..including gap day = 60 days. )
Encourage more young talent to overwinter in the State systems (not sure how funding would work) to enhance skills.
The slog-fest genie is out the jar now though and appears to be pulling the game by the nose, understandably.

Sheffield Shield is easy though- Australia has always had a pyramid structure with a small number of first class teams. See New Zealand provincial/Super Rugby Structure. Breaking up the county structure is a big call, with their reach into the community.

[Galfon]

Leading from the front, revisited.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/60035895

[Galfon]

Breaking up the county structure is a big call, with their reach into the community.

That's true, and the 2 leagues of 10 suggested here may work, though you would want the best players consistently competing in L1, and ideally at the Test venues.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/59997310

Darren sez it:
"If it's pride and wanting the Ashes back then they've got to start moving some four-day cricket into the middle of the summer," Stevens added.
"There's a lot of flawed techniques out there but why is that? It's white-ball cricket.

[Banquo]

Breaking up the county structure is a big call, with their reach into the community.

That's true, and the 2 leagues of 10 suggested here may work, though you would want the best players consistently competing in L1, and ideally at the Test venues.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/59997310

Darren sez it:
"If it's pride and wanting the Ashes back then they've got to start moving some four-day cricket into the middle of the summer," Stevens added.
"There's a lot of flawed techniques out there but why is that? It's white-ball cricket.

already got two leagues though, haven't we?

[Galfon]

already got two leagues though, haven't we?

Yup, 18 teams - 10/8 split from 2020, 8/10 previously.
( Specsavers championship, 2020 ?..will resist this one )
Jarvis suggests 2 more, but the question remains how to ensure the 'best against the best' and scheduling more game time in the better conditions.