The Ashes (Australia tour of England)

[Dutch]

there you go......an experiment everyone apart from the ECB knew would only end this way......terrible selection....I feel for Joe because he is just put right into the headlights......

 

[Dutch]

"We feel these are the best batsmen available in England"....if that is true, and I don't believe it is so, then we are in really serious trouble as a cricketing nation.

My apologies for my obvious cynicism and sarcasm but it really is not good enough. The glib soundbites coming out of various people close to the England setup are just so much bullshit.

 

[Yorkshireman]

My god we’re a shambles

 

[Dutch]

My god we’re a shambles

Summed up by the fact that our nightwatchman has a better average than our opener and looking 10 times more comfortable!

 

[LittleBigPlanet]

And for as good as smith has been, and how how terrible the England batting has been, and just how good has the Aussie bowling apparently is.. the series is still tied one all, with this test match to still be played out (look no further than what happened last test) it’s game on really...

I think smith and Joffra will be the determing factors either way, barometers at the minute for each side

 

[LiveLoveABD]

I believe I have a way to get Smith out. I have got fed up of watching him amass these runs and I believe that you need to kill him mentally. Instead of going to him, let him come to you. I believe the top of off just doesn't work with him. I would honestly have a square leg, short mid and deep mid from ball 1 and just bowl 5th stump to 6th stump all day. The only time I have seen him get agitated and irritated instead of him irritating us or the bowlers is when bowlers bowl wide of the stumps and he has to leave them. Perhaps, move the line closer to him and then just keep plugging away. Let him get bored and not get bored and frustrated.

Bowling round the wicket to him is definitely the worst solution I have ever seen. Root's captaincy has been really pathetic so far.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

I believe I have a way to get Smith out. I have got fed up of watching him amass these runs and I believe that you need to kill him mentally. Instead of going to him, let him come to you. I believe the top of off just doesn't work with him. I would honestly have a square leg, short mid and deep mid from ball 1 and just bowl 5th stump to 6th stump all day. The only time I have seen him get agitated and irritated instead of him irritating us or the bowlers is when bowlers bowl wide of the stumps and he has to leave them. Perhaps, move the line closer to him and then just keep plugging away. Let him get bored and not get bored and frustrated.

Bowling round the wicket to him is definitely the worst solution I have ever seen. Root's captaincy has been really pathetic so far.

I really don't think he gets bored. He's too in control of his game and too patient. The only time England have got him out he's been in the 140s and played a loose shot, come back in after a concussion. The other times have been when he's upped the tempo.

England did seem to adopt the tactic of giving him the single to bowl at the middle order, let alone the tail. Which isn't a bad idea but it can backfire, as it did today. You end up searching for wickets and he and Paine batted an entire session. Starc got about 20 sighters too and ended up with a run a ball fifty.

He basically does to the bowlers exactly what you suggest doing to him. Certainly in the last two Ashes he's shown that he will beat you mentally before you beat him.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Just bowl him a short ball at 90mph cramping him for room and have a fielders at deep fine-leg, a third man, a point, a mid-off, a short leg, 2 slips and a gully. He would get out on 7 out of 10 occassions early in his innings.

 

[Dutch]

Just bowl him a short ball at 90mph cramping him for room and have a fielders at deep fine-leg, a third man, a point, a mid-off, a short leg, 2 slips and a gully. He would get out on 7 out of 10 occassions early in his innings.

This has been tried and he even said thanks to England for doing so for it helped him tremendously. The way to get him out is to hold on to your catches and dont bowl no balls.

Not sure how much play we will get today.

 

[Ed Smith]

Hope it rains for the next 3 days

 

[Dutch]

Now, Mr Root, what are you made of?

 

[Deleted member 193590]

Really puzzled as to why we didn't bring in Leach last night as the nightwatchman.

 

[Dutch]

Really puzzled as to why we didn't bring in Leach last night as the nightwatchman.

Dont think it really matters to be honest...not against this attack.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Now, Mr Root, what are you made of?

A lot of 50’s and 60’s!

 

[Bevab]

Starc has been unbelievably erratic so far. Such a huge difference from someone like Siddle who rarely bowled a bad delivery.