The ironic thing is the stats people will tell you the Aussie bowlers who have dominated are simply bowling line and length which is restricting the run rate and that's leading to wickets.The bowling has been really piss poor this test & then we see Australia keeping to their plans & bowling to the fields they set.
It is hard to see a way forward with the way the ECB are currently running cricket. Is there a pathway for players to get into the test team? I get that counties have been struggling financially but the current set up seems to be all about the Hundred or 20/20 & sod the test team.The ironic thing is the stats people will tell you the Aussie bowlers who have dominated are simply bowling line and length which is restricting the run rate and that's leading to wickets.
We've retired our ideal bowler for that tactic because 'he won't still be playing when its the Ashes', same player who has been appointed captain of Lancs for next season. Went for all out speed with a group of bowlers everyone could see before a ball was bowled wouldn't make it through the series.
Not saying if Jimmy was out there we'd be romping to victory but some selection decisions look worse and worse the further into the series we get.
We've had years of Bashir being contracted and in the squad for him to never get picked.
We claimed our tour prep was perfect and what we wanted, then complained Cricket Australia hadn't been cooperative in organising thing only for them to reveal we were offered more warm ups and turned them down.
If anyone dares to ask even the most obvious question in interviews they get a shitty answer. It really is very hard to like this team.
One thing to have that level of arrogance if you're winning game after game but they are nowhere close to that.
Not fit for purpose. Besides current set-up convinced that unproven potential should be promoted over players actually producing results.It is hard to see a way forward with the way the ECB are currently running cricket. Is there a pathway for players to get into the test team? I get that counties have been struggling financially but the current set up seems to be all about the Hundred or 20/20 & sod the test team.
If you don’t get any play at least you get to enjoy Adelaide. Fantastic little city.I watched the days play and it's frustrating seeing the same fellas giving their wicket away. Stokes has battled hard so there's a slight hope of something. I've got day 4 tickets so hopefully at least I'll see some play. Cheers Ben.
Bazball can fuck off though.
I saw enough during the India series to predict a 5-0 for this tour (and posted as much at the time) for similar reasons to McGrath. Thinking you can just ignore the fundamentals of good Test cricket: knowing when to hold steady and when to put your foot on the accelerator with the bat, take your catches in the field and bowl a consistent line and length.Problem is there are so many things you can eviscerate this team & its management for.
Likes of McGrath was saying it would be a 5-0 (always does) but the reasons he gave are exactly panning out. You can't bazball bat on Aussie wickets against disciplined bowling, you can't take wickets in Australia without being able to bowl line and length (all out pace isn't going to do it if you can't consistently put the ball in the right place).
There's no plan B. In previous years you'd have an overseas Lions tour happening in case you needed to call up players - this year it was basically an U23 team that got hammered by Aussies B team.
List goes on - Duckett thrives against balls away from the body, struggles when he's cramped up - saw a stat he averages 54 with the first, 25 with the 2nd. Pope's recent record basically padded by 2 beginnings against Ireland and Zimbabwe. You're playing quick bowlers hoping they can find the odd miracle spelll.List just goes on and on. Test batsmen need to adapt - ours have neither the technique or temperament to do so.
For me (woakes injury aside) 5th Test against India was the forewarning for this tour - sloppy cricket with bat & ball. Inability to play against more disciplined cricket
ECB has created a calendar based on money. There's no strong County system producing redball players.