Ashes 2015 - Australia tour of England July/September 2015

[richowebbo]

You got to hand to England, it takes something special to fail so miserably on a track like this this! That Stokes dismissal is just the icing on the cake!

What the hell are they going to do about our top order? Bell and Ballance are shocking and Lyth's looking decidedly dodgy.

Drop the whole 11! I think that's what the majority of the England fans have been saying on BBC live text and twitter etc.

I think the consecutive tests have been too much for Jimmy. He looked pointless. Also Mark Wood, who for a young man, it was very worrying seeing his pace drop to around 82 mph. Also Stokes really needs to work on his bowling or we will have to pick another quick. He didn't look threatening at all.

Top Order? I'd stick with Lyth because we shouldn't keep changing the openers until we give them a whole summer. Lyth played quite well against NZ, he just needs to do some work on his off stump! Ballance doesn't move his feet, at all, and is getting battered. I'd probably drop him and Bell at the moment. I was hoping Ballance would score a big score this afternoon, but once again he didn't bother the scorers.

If I was selector I'd either bring in Finn or Rashid (depending on the pitch) for Bell and move everyone up the order and I'd maybe give Hales a bash at 3. Just see if he can bring some attacking fair to the position. Either that or I'd bring Compton in at 3, because he is a quality player who was treated pretty poorly by the ECB.

I forgot about Bairstow. Doh. Mind you with Butlers form at the moment, we night need another Keeper!

 

[blockerdave]

You are so boring and monotonous. Aren't you tired of yourself? Or are you a genuine case of OCD? What on earth has Ian Bell and his failures got to do with Gary Ballance and his performance?

If you're retorting to my post, I've already expressed my opinion on Ian Bell and where he stands. At the end of it all, I've repeatedly tried to emphasize that whatever is best for English cricket must be done. Do you genuinely believe you're funny with these outbursts? Or is it an attempt to attract attention? I understand your opinion about him. Yeah? So, why can't you actually post one post that lacks the words Ian and Bell.

I just like pointing out how hilariously wrong you and the other "Bell is class" brigade have been over 2 years.

 

[PokerAce]

Dare I say, that the fear of Johnson has contributed to the fall of wickets. First it was Bell who showed the fear, was afraid to come forward onto the front foot against Johnson and now Butler does the same thing. Feet stuck in the crease afraid of getting in line of the delivery just hangs his bat out gets the edge and out.

 

[richowebbo]

looks like they've all got plans for tomorrow.

 

[PokerAce]

How many catches has Nevill taken, surely has to be a record of some kind of most catches on debut, or atleast must be closing in on a record.

 

[blockerdave]

Bowling wise we have issues too - what's the point picking Jimmy on pitches like this, and as someone above pointed out the way Wood's pace drops in 2nd innings is a big concern.

Broad to be fair is bowling very well which is good because back at the World Cup and given his injury I'd largely written him off.

 

[cooks1st100]

It's a real problem. Lyth is getting out in the same way consistently, doesn't seem to have a tight enough technique to open.

Ballance's average is falling by the game... He's been in poor form since the WC and it's exacerbating the technical issues. I believe he'll come good long term but needs to back that up now.

Bell is just awful; mentally weak. That was as poor an innings as I've seen. Nearly out first ball, lucky to be dropped at first slip to one the keeper should have taken, a tame dismissal to the off spinner...

So that's 3 of our top 4 with huge question marks over them - Bell has been out of form for 2 years, Ballance 6 months. What do we do? I can't seeing us dropping all 3...

I think we're stuck between a rock and a hard place. I'd like to see Bairstow come in for someone but I don't know who else they can bring in. Taylor hasn't exactly been setting the world alight recently. The spectre of KP is beginning to linger, just you watch!!

 

[PokerAce]

Moenn Ali looked like a rabbit against Indian seamers two years ago, and honestly if Indian bowlers trouble you with the short pitch delivery, you are not going to look too clever against Johnson's short pitch stuff.

Of course Moenn Ali goes before I complete typing this, to a Johnson short pitched delivery.

Don't see England seeing out the day. Two tests, each dominated completely by one of the sides playing, and the other side effectively didnt turn up.

 

[richowebbo]

How many catches has Nevill taken, surely has to be a record of some kind of most catches on debut, or atleast must be closing in on a record.

8 is the current debut record apparently

 

[Dutch]

The awful thing is that you just knew this would happen; you can hear the Aussies from here smirking: oh thats a great brand of cricket you boys have got there....

 

[blockerdave]

Ballance doesn't move his feet, at all, and is getting battered. I'd probably drop him and Bell at the moment. I was hoping Ballance would score a big score this afternoon, but once again he didn't bother the scorers.

You know he's currently innings top scorer? (appreciate Root is about to go past him)

 

[richowebbo]

Emabrassing.

I think we're stuck between a rock and a hard place. I'd like to see Bairstow come in for someone but I don't know who else they can bring in. Taylor hasn't exactly been setting the world alight recently. The spectre of KP is beginning to linger, just you watch!!

I was a really big fan of Taylor, but he seems to have lost his form of the previous couple of seasons.

KP won't be back.

 

[PokerAce]

8 is the current debut record apparently

7 so far for Nevill, as I said closing in at the very least. He has had a good debut too, I don't see Haddin just walking back into the Aus side.

 

[richowebbo]

You know he's currently innings top scorer? (appreciate Root is about to go past him)

Yes. Not really much of an achievement though![DOUBLEPOST=1437318806][/DOUBLEPOST]I'd like to know how many of MJ's bowls would have been hitting the stumps. Surely just get out of the way or leave and let him wind himself up. Pathetic batting display.

 

[cooks1st100]

Bowling wise we have issues too - what's the point picking Jimmy on pitches like this, and as someone above pointed out the way Wood's pace drops in 2nd innings is a big concern.

Broad to be fair is bowling very well which is good because back at the World Cup and given his injury I'd largely written him off.

Yeah I agree,it was myself who mentioned Wood, he was bowling slower than Jimmy this morning! Broad has bowled well through out so far. The Aussies have outplayed England in all areas in this test as we did to them in the first. The signs look far more positive for them though, they rang the changes after that defeat and it's paid off for them. Have England got the balls or the replacements to do the same?