Agree.
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Just watched on catchup. It rains more in Sydney than Manchester!
Australia got a fair bit of seam movement in the first few overs, Duckett actually left two balls (to huge cheers) but a pretty 20 or so won’t win matches, ditto Crawley, who got a good one but moving your feet helps. Bethel got a very good ball but could have left it. He was OK before that. Test technique tested by disciplined bowling, and found lacking for all 3.
The highlights might suggest a ‘typical’ chaotic Brook innings but he actually played with decent patience and control most of the time.
This is a very dead pitch. England obviously have absolutely no confidence in Bashir but for Australia to have both Green and Webster looks very, very negative at best. I still think Green must have something over the selectors to keep getting picked.
Bruce
Well, another day where Root showed everyone in the England team how to bat, but others didn’t capitalise. Smith’s exit kinda defines England’s tour. A flat track, and it looks like we should have had another 100+ on what was achieved.
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Yes. Just seen Smith’s dismissal. Labuschangne was bowling some deliberate filth ahead of the new ball. Possibly tops a long list of brainless moments by England this series. England now probably under par, very frustrating. Congrats to Root .
Stokes won’t open the bowling with our most threatening bowlers. Australia off to a flier.
Well at least those doubters in Australia can see what a great player Joe Root is.
After the fiasco of this tour I hope the powers that be are going to sit down and seriously look at how we can produce test quality spinners. More time for the red ball game would be a good starting point.
Unless you have Robert’s, Holding, Garner and Marshall with no limit on bouncers you need a test quality spinner in order to compete at this level.
We all see it, surely those who are paid to produce a test team can!
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And alongside the spinner let’s find some quick bowlers who can hit the right area. I don’t really get it, we’ve seen spells where they pitch it in the right area and cause the batsmen problems, but especially with the new ball they spray it around.
We focus rightly on the batting mistakes, but as I’ve said before the bowling has been even worse.
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Apart from Root have we got anything right this tour?
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Very little.
There is something going on with the pitches, as Australia have one of the best spinners in the world in Lyon, and he can’t get a game.
I’ve just seen clips of the TMS and Fox commentary boxes during Smith’s dismissal. Alex Hartley on TMS was in genuine shock, she turned to Aggers with a blank face and upturned hands. Alyssa Healey started laughing and beating the desk with her hands in amusement. Having seen the over I think they were the only 2 appropriate responses, disbelief in both cases, one horrified the other overjoyed.
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I think Tongue has showed up well enough, mostly accurate and typically bowling a decent length. Not amazing, but the best of the bowlers. I know Archer was impressive in bursts but he still bowled too short, too often.
Watched a fair bit on catchup today until I gave up on England’s awful bowling effort. The pits though, was Smith getting out. He had been incredibly streaky before that but honestly that dismissal was village in every way. The shot, the situation, the bowler. I see he has been dropped from the white ball squad. Looks to me like he needs to go back to his county and do some hard work if he is to get back in the Test team. Of course he a) doesn’t ‘keep for his county and b) has a juicy 2 year central contract so may not be made available anyway.
What a dog’s dinner this is. We are going to end this series with a spinner nobody is prepared to pick, three broken fast bowlers (so far), Duckett looking like he has forgotten which end to hold and a ‘keeper who is a liability. Don’t worry though, any inquest will have to wait because McCullum will be off with the lads in Sri Lanka in 2 weeks.
Bruce
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Well he is injured now, after playing one match.
Bruce
I wonder if (our) Smith, who is still callow at this level, has been caught up in the zeitgeist and seeming hubris within this side (as, of course, seen from outside the changing room). I find it difficult to comprehend that any professional player who has years of cricket behind them, can exhibit such an absence of responsibility at the crease. There again, he was selected on the back of his white-ball performances for Surrey, and this tour has revealed defensive shortcomings against the moving ball.
I would hate to think that England have, once again, selected someone, and then dropped them when they’ve struggled. It seems to me this isn’t a nurturing team, and one must question what on earth the coaches have been doing on this tour in terms of preparing some players mentally, as well as technically.
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His ‘keeping is suspect though too, and although the modern trend is to pick ‘batsman who keep’ it gets to be unsustainable if that is inadequate, and then he stops scoring. Seems to me he lacks the energy and personality of a good keeper too. Bit of attitude, bit of noise etc.
As for ‘not being a nurturing team’ I am not sure about that. The ethos (much criticised at times) of B.Ball has been that once picked you get picked again and again come what may. I think what is lacking is development. If Smith, Bethel, Bashir say are picked on potential at a young age then they have to play cricket to develop, not carry drinks. If they aren’t yet ready to play 1st team Test cricket get them other competitive matches. Re Smith, there is no England fielding or wicketkeeping coach, and if he doesn’t keep for his county where does he get the guidance?
Bruce
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I’d forgotten that.
In some ways it would do England no favours to come away with 3-2, feeling they had done quite well. It would be paper over large cracks.
I think only Root, Tongue and Archer have any credit at the moment.
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Wicket keeping coaching comes Brendon himself … if he has time.
…or can be bothered. Looks to me is all about ‘the vibe’ not the technical stuff. Who knows.
Bruce
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£2m+ salary for giving out vibes and looking chilled? Lol.
( estimates vary)
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I think we’re talking about the same things, just using different words i.e. they’re not nurturing any development it seems as regards the approach to red-ball cricket. As you say, it’s all B-Ball…and it’s unfathomable.
Watching live early D3, Head is carting England around the park, with Potts taking lots of tap, and when they got Head to whack a short one, he’s dropped at deep mid-wicket. Oh, to bring on a quality spinner and break the diet of very variable seam bowling, especially to Neser, who has now amassed 14 n.o. from 69 balls.
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