FYI, it’s reported that the Aussie coaches asked for a ‘green wicket’ at the Hampshire (Ageas) Bowl ground and they got what they wished for! At least it’s only a knockabout game.
As was evident last year from the Tests against India, the Duke ball in English conditions is too much of a handful for many batters nowadays (especially when used by Irish bowlers at Lord’s).
It was a warm up match for the Ashes and an opportunity for Ireland to play in Lords test: something they’ve done exceptionally well.
We still have no idea how to replace Alistair Cook and this is supposed to help find the man who is going to open. So far Ireland has outplayed us as can happen in any one off match so we are no closer to answering that question.
Our team for the Ashes will be a bit different though injuries will stop some of our first choices playing. However, that does give opportunities for other to shine.
All hopefully true … but woeful short selection has seen England collapse again. The batsmen have the wrong mindset for test cricket. Perhaps because of the World Cup.
Part of the blame must fall on the management, captain and the individual. But it should rest mainly on the individual.
I hope Ireland win, if only to rub in England’s inadequacies. But I hope it’s used as an excuse, a one-off, aberration.
It’s great cricket to watch nevertheless.
It’s painful watching and questions the rationale and purpose of having a batting coach for the Test team IMV - as you say, it’s down to the individual and I don’t see how a few days exposure to a batting coach is going to change a player’s ‘basics’. It’s not a one-off aberration as similar performances have occurred 4 times <3 years. It’s a pattern of inadequacy, when faced with ‘challenging conditions’. The alarming aspect is the lack of basic ‘classical’ technique. So many of the batsmen end up facing down the wicket and not playing side-on with a full bat face. This can only be down to the dominance of one-day white-ball cricket nowadays, and the resultant effects/need to use more bottom hand and get the front leg out of the way, allied to the approach of batting in front of the stumps. Jason Roy is a shining example of this.
As Sky highlighted yesterday ‘playing the V’ used to mean down the ground, whereas the better players nowadays (Root/Williamson) farm the majority of their runs in an area marginally in front of the crease and behind on both sides (Cook did the same).
To my eyes, many of the quality Aussie Test players retain a sound technique perhaps due to being brought up on hard and fast tracks, where classical strokes get better rewarded(?).
I fear what this means for The Ashes’ series given the level of expectation which has been built up by the media post the WC. We could well see more matches completed <4 days.
Aussie squad announced, much as expected I guess. No Carey which was maybe a surprise.
Pace attack looks good and I’m pleased/not pleased to see Siddle in. Pleased because I like his attitude and approach, not pleased because he was helping Essex this season!
Only one front-line spinner and Mitchell Marsh is the only real all-rounder I can see. We have plenty we can lend you…
Apparently Archer may be fit, I still think Edgbaston may not be his type of wicket and they may hold him back. Some talk that Starc will miss out there too.
Ireland 24/6. Being demolished by craft as well as pace.
Bruce
er 38 all out
What a crazy game. Has anyone really gained anything from that?
Bruce
Ireland has a name on the honours board, England too. But Root failing to take responsibility for poor bating and saying the pitch was below standard is evidence that he is perhaps not as a good captain as people had hoped.
There was a time many years ago when counties used to play Ireland as part of their season warm-ups and, sadly, their weakness over the longer form has been shown out today. A bit of bash and crash in ODI’s is one thing but the batting today was like watching fluffy bunnies heading back to the hutch. As said above, I’m not sure what any team really gained.
Re the wicket, I don’t recollect material adverse comment in 2018 when India got on the wrong end of some very questionable/testing batting conditions.
We ought to try a season of uncovered wickets and regress to those ‘sticky dogs’ of yesteryear 
Just heard the news, 38 that’s a joke. My dog and I could’ve done better. Let’s hope the Ashes is a little more interesting.
Chris Woakes got on the honours board.
Stuart Broad was delighted.
Some decent catching at last.
And we found our new opener in Jack Leach
(only joking though Jack was very happy man)
Ireland has started out in test cricket and I hope they’ll be encouraged to keep going. We used beat teams from the sub-continent easily, but now it’s very different. I think it is important we give other nations opportunities.
I think it also highlighted areas we need to improve on and very quickly. We don’t need to score off every ball and hit at least one boundary per over. And red Dukes swing more than white Kookaburras.
It may have been a game England didn’t need, but a large Lords crowd saw some unusual innings.
I would go with Ben Foakes and ask Bairstow to open with Jason Roy. Surprised Denly is where he is on that list. I still think James Vince is an excellent batsman, but he doesn’t seem to do it at international level.
Aussie 17, for the first test.
Tim Paine (captain)
Cameron Bancroft
Pat Cummins
Marcus Harris
Josh Hazlewood
Travis Head
Usman Khawaja
Marnus Labuschagne
Nathan Lyon
Mitchell Marsh
Michael Neser
James Pattinson
Peter Siddle
Steven Smith
Mitchell Starc
Matthew Wade
David Warner
Former keeper Matthew Wade has been recalled and is in the box seat to play as a batsman at number six in the Edgbaston series opener that starts on Thursday, which would be his first Test in almost two years.
Pete - any insight as to why Carey isn’t included? He looks a talent for all formats?
I see the Aussie ladies are on course to keep the England ladies at 0 wins in their series. Yesterday’s T20 was very one-sided courtesy of Meg Lanning being 133* out of 226-3. I saw some of her innings and, at times, it looked like an adult playing amongst the children - 6’s galore around all parts of the wicket. The Aussie team, as the results to date suggest, look on an entirely different level.
Not sure about Carey, think Paine has done a good job since the sandpaper incident and they don’t want to upset the status quo.
I think Carey is to play for Sussex and may be an informal ‘reserve’(?). The Ashes’ schedule looks very compact and could be very demanding on both squads.
Sadly, with Premier League football recommencing on the 10th August I suspect much of the media focus and public interest in cricket generated by the WC will be dissipated.
As much as parties point to the pay-walling of England’s cricket matches as having reduced mainstream interest and participation levels, I suspect the march of the elephant that is football has, literally in some cases, trodden over many of the summer playing surfaces which could be used for cricket. Time was when mainstream football didn’t re-commence until very late August/early September and active sportspersons & fans could do both, with minor overlap - with club cricket games scheduled until the end of September.
Yes the long season is a problem, here the “football” with the exception of soccer (sorry) play from early autumn to early spring which does leave enough space for cricket. Soccer is played here in summer and really doesn’t have huge support.
It sounds to me the Aussies have got a very good and disciplined approach to the time allocations and seasons for their sports, and also how they manage the resources for these what with drop-in pitches in multi-use stadiums.
I’d be grateful soccer hasn’t developed further (yet?), as I find it’s dominance across the UK media channels to be claustrophobic. If only Sky and BT in the UK would offer packages ex-football I’d be happier.
Football (Soccer) is ranked 4th in Aus, it is growing but not as quick as some might of expected or hoped. It doesn’t help that we don’t have any star in the EPL, like we did a few years ago. They play our main league to coincide with Europe (and the UK) to generate interest. A lot people watch the EPL here on cable or subscription, mainly English expats (god there’s a lot of them 
. The main problem with soccer here is we’re all raised on a physical kind of code. Rugby Union and The NRL, and the biggest which is Aussie Rules. A lot of Australians find the “diving” in soccer to get penalties is as low as you can go, it’s a big respect issue with the general public. Aussies Rules by far the most watched code, it’s not unusual to get 80,000 at a club game in Melbourne. It’s a tough game.
Pete
Aussie newspaper headline about the squad ‘Getting the Banned Back Together’.
Made me chuckle.
Bruce
