If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

Top Contributors
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

Bell will play IMO. England have this ideology that once a player gets a score it means the problem is solved.

We saw it with Bopara, he gets a couple of tons (no matter how lucky) and all of a sudden they have their new #3.

Broad gets a burst of wickets late in the day and all of a sudden his "come of age".

Trott gets a ton on debut, now his the "next KP".

Bell gets a "70" odd and now his "turned the corner".

England have always had that attitude, and in the end it eventually hampers their progress as a cricket team, simply because you end up going in circles.

Bell is now the new #3 and will be for the SA series, there he'll struggle with his technique on the pitchs that bounce more. Then Bell will be tossed aside and they'll enter 2010 at the same place they were in 2009 - without a number 3. By then Bopara will probably be given another chance.

It always happens with England, they are like those guys that make a bit of eye contact with a girl and think she wants them. All those guys that get a lap dance at a strip bar and think the girl was really into them and that she was "the one".

Sit back and enjoy the show, England regain the Ashes, think they're top shit, then get belted for the next 2 years. The pattern repeats.

It's simply what they do.
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

Would prefer a world record Aussie win, and then the English can say their bowlers lost it for them but their batting line up is fine.
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

So would I mate, but at the end of the day it would smash all known cricket records. Yes I know, one day it will happen, but the highest successful run chase at the oval to win is something like 268.

It is a ground where you want to win the toss and bat.
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

It's basically game over. With Hauritz and North we might have been able to choke them of runs and get the wickets, now we have been thumped. Or so it appears...
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

The Aussie selectors have had the easiest job over the last 15 or so years, because we basically had a dream team and any mug could have picked a test side and it would have won. Now we have a good group of players and the selections really matter and the selectors have been tested and they once again have failed miserably.

They should be cleaned out and we should get some fresh faces in there.
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

I dont see any reason why they would drop Collingwood, KP can do what he should have been doing already and bat at no3, plus Flintoffs spot in the batting lineup is up for grabs anyway so plenty of room for Trott, KP and Collingwood

Bopara should not be even thought of for South Africa

Just on Hughes, the problem is this weakness is nothing new, his state coach said state sides knew it but they dont have the bowlers in state cricket to exploit this therefore I cant see the point of him going back to Shield cricket to work out his weakness, because he will probably just keep scoring big
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

What about the likes of Cook?

You seem to know a fair bit about the English domestic players Ed? Is there anyone that would be pushing to replace Cook? What about this Moore character?

Any chances of Bresnan replacing Flintoff as the all-rounder or are they likely to just play another batsmen for Flintoff and go with the 4 bowlers (Anderson, Broad, Onions, Swann)

Surely Collingwood and Cook both cant go to South Africa, Trott wouldn't bat at 7.

Id imagine Bell would stay at 3, KP at 4, Collingwood at 5 (if selected), Trott, Prior and then the bowlers.

What would your team be for the 1st test against South Africa (assume KP is fit).

Just curious because that would give us a clear indication of whether England is likely to persist with 5 bowlers (Broad to bat at 7) or drop back to 4 and play the extra specialist batsmen in Flintoff's spot.
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

gbatman;361402 said:
The Aussie selectors have had the easiest job over the last 15 or so years, because we basically had a dream team and any mug could have picked a test side and it would have won. Now we have a good group of players and the selections really matter and the selectors have been tested and they once again have failed miserably.

They should be cleaned out and we should get some fresh faces in there.
Click to expand...

Its alright to say "clear then out", "sack Ponting", do this and do that. The people that always say this never offer any alternatives, or they just say "Pick player X, you couldn't do any worse".

Fact is, currently we have no specialist spinners that are capable of being matchwinners. It will be like that for the next few years, the selectors just can't pick one of a tree. Hauritz for mine can serve a Tim May role - capable of bowling with good accuracy and flight over marathon spells and as a tenacious lower order batsmen.

Siddle and Johnson will be thankful to get back to Australian pitchs and the bounce on those wickets. Hilfenhaus is another one to consider, it will be interesting to see if his as effective on Australian wickets. Bollinger is always going to push for selection. Lee is never going to give up either, he knows nothing else.

Clark has to go, his had his time, been a great servant and his 2006/07 Ashes performance will be remembered for some time by Australian fans.

Hussey also has to go.

So that's 2?

The idea of sacking Ponting is absurd - the guy has done a good job to rebuild this side. If your going to sack Ponting then you better be sure the replacement is going to do a good job because otherwise your going to look like a mug.

I don't think this team needs massive changes, a new batsmen to replace Hussey and thats it really. Hauritz to replace Clark.

Id be interested in playing Andrew McDonald more as well at number 6.
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

No one knows what the selectors will do, but the smart money would be on 6 bats and 4 bowlers

Cook, Strauss, KP, Trott, Colly, , Prior, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Onions

Still missing that other batsman, could be Bell at no6 where excelled in the past

Cook is worth persisting with, still a decent opener and probably better than Watson atleast but similar problems in getting starts and not going on with it

The other option is apparently there is a batsman called Denly who is an opener, I think he is in the ODI squad and could push Cook down to 3 where he may be able to play with a little less pressure on his technique
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

KP at 3?

Would he ever put himself that far up?

No way in hell KP would bat at 3.

Im really interesting in the bowling though, looking at that lineup I dont think it can take wickets outside of England?

Your thoughts?
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

I think Onions and Broad will enjoy the very seam friendly conditions of South Africa

As for KP, its the best thing for the team, but no he probably wont because he is selfish
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

I guess we'll see.

Do Sky send over their commentators to do that one?

Hope Foxsports have the feed, its always a great period that time of the year, can watch cricket in the day, and then watch it at night.

Might try and beat my record of watching cricket for 12 hours straight earlier this year (Aus V SA from 7 pm - 2 am, then WI - Eng from 2 am - 8 am)
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

Just back now from Regent's park - watched as Hussey did a suicidle run and saw the urn leave with it. He batted well, but is it enough?

Good series. I must say that. I had a brilliant day and although we lost, I didn't get any untoward slander from the English. They like their cricket, I like cricket, good fun all around. Shame we couldn't give a bit more of a fight, but reality is, we're average now, and the next 5-10 years it's going to be a battle.
 
Re: If we lose this last ashes test (hence lose the ashes)...

Well we got thumped, again, we have been losing tests since the last time we lost the Ashes which was also cost by bad selection.

Time to go selectors!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top