posted Dec 28, 2006

australianpride23. Australia have been able to risk a player of McGrath's limited batting ability because they've had other tailenders, like Warne and Lee, who can bat. When Simon Jones is fit he won't be able to play in the same team as Hoggard, Harmison and Panesar because none of them can bat. We need a batsman of Warne's ability at eight, which is why Giles played in the first two Tests and Mahmood has played since. Like Warne they are primarily bowlers but they can bat a bit.

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posted Dec 28, 2006

I really don't know what to say. Utterly outplayed, made ot look right plonkers and what's more I support Aston Villa!!!

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posted Dec 28, 2006

Cray165 - the only other thing to add, is that 8 Aussies managed 54 runs! Extras was a high scorer.

Monty "glitters in a mud puddle," but he DOES break big partnerships if given the chance. 12 overs from a class spinner and 90 overs of same old, same old, speaks to unimaginative captaincy (and Management.) I'm sure the "team tricks" were lost in the Pavilion bar while the England Management and Old Boys were yucking it up there.

Strauss had an unlucky series. Some very bad decisions.

But let's praise the Aussies. They've been good for cricket.

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posted Dec 28, 2006

burghboy13. What on earth is the point of playing Vaughan in Sydney? He's not fully fit and the Ashes are already lost. And you don't say who he should replace, unless you think we should play twelve against eleven.

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posted Dec 28, 2006

" you think we should play twelve against eleven."

we might win that way...

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posted Dec 28, 2006

Before England fans get too carried away I would just like to suggest we cast our minds back to September 2005 when we won the Ashes.

The Australian public reacted in much the same way as we are now. There were calls for both the coach and captain to be sacked and there were calls for the older players to be replaced by younger ones.

Fifteen months on and Australia have regained the Ashes with the same coach, the same captain and more or less the same team. The only changes they made were to bring in Hussey for Katich and Stuart Clark for Gillespie/Kasprowicz/Tait. And when Martyn retired after the second Test they brought in Symonds. But most importantly of all they didn't panic. They resisted the calls for mass sackings and they learnt from their mistakes. I hope England follow their example. Duncan Fletcher knows he has made mistakes in this series. Sacking him is not the answer. He needs to be given the chance to learn from his mistakes, just like Australia gave John Buchanan. Obviously Flintoff has to be replaced as captain, but in all fairness to him he wasn't captain when we won the Ashes in 2005.

In my opinion the biggest problem England have had in this series has been the loss of Vaughan and Simon Jones. If those two can regain form and fitness I think we have the makings of a very good side. If Duncan Fletcher is still coach in 2009 and Vaughan is still captain I am confident we can regain the Ashes.

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posted Dec 28, 2006

"Yes, not bad for a team of geriatrics, But to be realistic, take out Hayden and Symonds and all bar Warne failed with the bat."

Pity those 2 almost scored more in an innings than England XI did in two.
Duds Army !!!

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posted Dec 28, 2006

There is no doubt that just as the biggest observable edge in the 2005 series was the qualities of generalship on the part of the two captains Vaughan and Ponting, so in this series Ponting has made Flintoff look amateurish. However it is also true that England's current batting line-up is inadequate compared to the Aussies, especially in the lower order. Glichrist vs Read is the most obvious, but Warne vs Mahmood at 8 and Lee vs Harmison/Hoggard at 9 is also striking. Hence this has been the sad old tale of the sad old tail -- get 5 England wickets and it's innings over. The most vital search for England remains to find a wicket keeper of genuine Test class as a batsman. Steve Davies may be the man, but it would be foolish to assume it. The other gap is a genuine test class wrist-spinner. Yes, Warne is a genius, but I suspect that MacGill would also have posed the England batsmen serious problems. Yes, Panesar is a terrific bowler, but like most finger spinners he has only two deliveries, the orthodox spun one and the arm ball: this is not enough to cause confusion in the minds of the best batsmen. When there were genuinely quick wickets in Test grounds around the world, then you could win series after series by pace alone. But those days are gone. Broad for Harmison, or S Jones for Mahmood comes nowhere near solving England's problems.

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posted Dec 28, 2006

craigsmith,

Too true, too true. The domination hasn't just been of the English, and the Australian team have certainly faced some stiffer opposition.

hesacountrymember,

I reread your posting and two things occured to me. 1. You don't comment on my assertions, you just laugh at my screen name (problem: failure to attend to real issues), and 2. You discuss the weather as though I made an issue of it (problem: failure to attend to real issues).

As a result, based on the sole characteristic of failing to address real issues, I must conclude you are English and a supporter of the English cricket team.

Yours,

CycArm

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posted Dec 30, 2006

I am still on to win the pot at work through an Australian whitewash. Perhaps something miraculous will happen before 2007 world cup but I seriously doubt it...is there any way to duck out of the one day series as further humiliation will surely be affecting us next year, and probably in 2009? It is not a question of talent but of belief and balls, the Aussies have it in spades and we have none. Sad sad sad

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