I think England falling apart was inevitably going to happen, this "don't change a winning side" cobblers leads to complacency and players who have been carried not contributing will eventually coincide with when those that have fail to contribute as well.
I mentioned Cook, Bopara, Broad and arguably Swann/Flintoff as not doing well enough. Cook's 30 actually raises his series average, Broad's 3 runs do nothing for his case although his wickets were a welcome change. And Bopara will almost certainly be dropped, 105 runs in six innings with a HS of an unconvincing 35 and an average now half that is one Test (innings) too far.
2009 Ashes
Cook : 173 runs @ 28.83
Bopara : 105 runs @ 17.50
Broad : 107 runs @ 21.40 & 8 wkts @ 46.75
I'm sorry but a net innings contribution of 66 runs between three top eight batsmen including two averaging 23.17 between them which if you double means they contribute between them what you might hope one or t'other might alone.
I said before the Test when a potential tail of Broad, Swann, Anderson, Harmison, Onions was suggested that it was a cr ap team and basic suicide. That tail lasted 44 balls between them and scored a whopping SIX runs when we could have done with a bit more resistance. Fair enough the top order failed, but Prior was left stranded while his lower order "support" didn't hang around long enough.
So for me the terrible decision by Strauss was not opting to bat, but the decision to bring in Harmison for Flintoff as the only change. I think the aussies will push up to 300-400 and England probably lose by an innings to leave the series square. What will really p me off is if England then drop Broad and Bopara (I doubt they'll drop Cook) and it will be a case of too little too late. England carry on picking more or less the same players because we beat West Indies and New Zealand, but we've beaten only Pakistan of the other sides since the 2005 Ashes and been bowled out for 81, 51 and now 102 in two just under years. Even in really good bowling conditions a side should be able to make 150, especially on the pitches England have been skittled for
3rd Test vs Sri Lanka (18/12/07) Sri Lanka 499/8d, England 81 & 251/6
1st Test vs West Indies (04/02/09) England 318 & 51, West Indies 392
4th Test vs Australia (07/08/09) England 102, Australia 196/4
Too many bad batting habits picked up by England and the same faces.
3rd Test vs Sri Lanka (18/12/07) - Cook, Bell, Collingwood, Bopara, Prior, Harmison
1st Test vs West Indies (04/02/09) - Strauss, Cook, Bell, Collingwood, Prior, Broad, Harmison
4th Test vs Australia (07/08/09) - Strauss, Cook, Bopara, Bell, Collingwood, Prior, Broad, Harmison
So Cook, Bell, Collingwood, Prior and Harmison played in all three matches with humiliating innings with Bopara, Broad and Strauss playing in two of the three. How many of those will be dropped? Probably Bopara as his series average is poor, maybe Broad and probably Bell as the easy scapegoat and in 6-12 months time we'll probably be skittled again. It typifies England, the batsmen all do enough to sustain averages but because they all go through poor spells they are bound to all fail in one innings sooner or later. Make no mistake, the HS of 30 from our top five batsmen still is a relative failure as was the HS of 29 from Collingwood vs Sri Lanka and the HS of 24 from Collingwood against West Indies.
I suppose at least the series decider could be a thriller, if England don't go with dozy tactics such as five batsmen, a batting keeper at six and quasi all-rounders at seven and eight. It strikes me as odd we should contemplate it, with Cook and Bopara having poor series, Bell with only a few runs to his name in his 2nd Test of his recall and a vulnerable and long lower order. That sixth batsmen could have made the difference between 102 all out and say 180+ as he might have stayed with Prior and added priceless runs. Truth is England didn't hang around long enough to find batting easier.
I mentioned Cook, Bopara, Broad and arguably Swann/Flintoff as not doing well enough. Cook's 30 actually raises his series average, Broad's 3 runs do nothing for his case although his wickets were a welcome change. And Bopara will almost certainly be dropped, 105 runs in six innings with a HS of an unconvincing 35 and an average now half that is one Test (innings) too far.
2009 Ashes
Cook : 173 runs @ 28.83
Bopara : 105 runs @ 17.50
Broad : 107 runs @ 21.40 & 8 wkts @ 46.75
I'm sorry but a net innings contribution of 66 runs between three top eight batsmen including two averaging 23.17 between them which if you double means they contribute between them what you might hope one or t'other might alone.
I said before the Test when a potential tail of Broad, Swann, Anderson, Harmison, Onions was suggested that it was a cr ap team and basic suicide. That tail lasted 44 balls between them and scored a whopping SIX runs when we could have done with a bit more resistance. Fair enough the top order failed, but Prior was left stranded while his lower order "support" didn't hang around long enough.
So for me the terrible decision by Strauss was not opting to bat, but the decision to bring in Harmison for Flintoff as the only change. I think the aussies will push up to 300-400 and England probably lose by an innings to leave the series square. What will really p me off is if England then drop Broad and Bopara (I doubt they'll drop Cook) and it will be a case of too little too late. England carry on picking more or less the same players because we beat West Indies and New Zealand, but we've beaten only Pakistan of the other sides since the 2005 Ashes and been bowled out for 81, 51 and now 102 in two just under years. Even in really good bowling conditions a side should be able to make 150, especially on the pitches England have been skittled for
3rd Test vs Sri Lanka (18/12/07) Sri Lanka 499/8d, England 81 & 251/6
1st Test vs West Indies (04/02/09) England 318 & 51, West Indies 392
4th Test vs Australia (07/08/09) England 102, Australia 196/4
Too many bad batting habits picked up by England and the same faces.
3rd Test vs Sri Lanka (18/12/07) - Cook, Bell, Collingwood, Bopara, Prior, Harmison
1st Test vs West Indies (04/02/09) - Strauss, Cook, Bell, Collingwood, Prior, Broad, Harmison
4th Test vs Australia (07/08/09) - Strauss, Cook, Bopara, Bell, Collingwood, Prior, Broad, Harmison
So Cook, Bell, Collingwood, Prior and Harmison played in all three matches with humiliating innings with Bopara, Broad and Strauss playing in two of the three. How many of those will be dropped? Probably Bopara as his series average is poor, maybe Broad and probably Bell as the easy scapegoat and in 6-12 months time we'll probably be skittled again. It typifies England, the batsmen all do enough to sustain averages but because they all go through poor spells they are bound to all fail in one innings sooner or later. Make no mistake, the HS of 30 from our top five batsmen still is a relative failure as was the HS of 29 from Collingwood vs Sri Lanka and the HS of 24 from Collingwood against West Indies.
I suppose at least the series decider could be a thriller, if England don't go with dozy tactics such as five batsmen, a batting keeper at six and quasi all-rounders at seven and eight. It strikes me as odd we should contemplate it, with Cook and Bopara having poor series, Bell with only a few runs to his name in his 2nd Test of his recall and a vulnerable and long lower order. That sixth batsmen could have made the difference between 102 all out and say 180+ as he might have stayed with Prior and added priceless runs. Truth is England didn't hang around long enough to find batting easier.
Very average bowling by the English still, even after the what would have been said over night.
