England v NZ & Aust 2015

[Quick Hands]

Wasn't Voges injured as well?

Surely we won't go back to Watson? Getting two good young blokes into that side was a big part in the eventual result.

Burns should have always been in the touring squad. If we can't find a decent opening bat from 6 first class teams, we're in serious trouble as a cricketing nation. (And I don't believe that we are)

 

[Strewthcobber]

Wasn't Voges injured as well?

Surely we won't go back to Watson? Getting two good young blokes into that side was a big part in the eventual result.

Burns should have always been in the touring squad. If we can't find a decent opening bat from 6 first class teams, we're in serious trouble as a cricketing nation. (And I don't believe that we are)

Voges got smashed in the hip while fielding at short leg. Apparently they're pretty confident he'll be fine after the couple of weeks break.

Australia A tour starts soon ironically enough. We could have done with seeing who's in form amongst the next level right now

 

[Train Without a Station]

Getting two good young blokes into that side was a big part in the eventual result.

Here I thought it was big scores by Smith and Rogers that was the big part.

 

[Quick Hands]

Here I thought it was big scores by Smith and Rogers that was the big part.

It's all part of it. Many, many factors go into the success of teams and the make-up of the squad is one of them. Don't underestimate the effect of youthful exuberance on an aging squad. The whole demeanour and body language of the team looked different at Lords - no sullen middle order batsmen/all-rounders shambling around.

 

[barbarian]

But Watto was still around. He was in the dressing room for the Rogers and Smith partnership, just like the other 9 team members.

Certainly Marsh and Nevill added some spark, but I don't think that really contributed to the end result.
.

 

[barbarian]

Also Watto is pretty well liked behind closed doors, apparently. Not sure there is any evidence he is 'sullen' or not a positive influence on the playing group.

 

[Quick Hands]

Not sure about how well liked he is, Clarke can't stand him for one. The only thing in his favour is that the Poms think he's a knob as well.

 

[Quick Hands]

But Watto was still around. He was in the dressing room for the Rogers and Smith partnership, just like the other 9 team members.

Certainly Marsh and Nevill added some spark, but I don't think that really contributed to the end result.
.

Everything contributes in team sport.

 

[Aussie D]

Can we get beyond the he said crap and focus on the cricket? A great result for the Aussies at Lords, hopefully they can keep it up for the rest of the series.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Not sure about how well liked he is, Clarke can't stand him for one. The only thing in his favour is that the Poms think he's a knob as well.

Always thought that was an amusing relationship given they've basically stood next to each other in the slips for years.

Anyway, Haddin was back with the team yesterday. Tough decision for the selectors coming up. Hopefully they stick with the change

 

[Train Without a Station]

It's all part of it. Many, many factors go into the success of teams and the make-up of the squad is one of them. Don't underestimate the effect of youthful exuberance on an aging squad. The whole demeanour and body language of the team looked different at Lords - no sullen middle order batsmen/all-rounders shambling around.

Mate we ended day one at 1/337. Of course the whole demeanour was different. You'd have to be a sad, miserable prick not to be positive after that.

 

[The Red Baron]

A drubbing like that isn't going to do much for the confidence of the poms. The rest of the series could be a bloodbath.

 

[Quick Hands]

We certainly hope so.

 

[Pedrolicus]

Surely we play nevill and haddin if Rogers is out.

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[Braveheart81]

If Haddin is available for the third test he will play. He wasn't dropped.

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[Quick Hands]

Hopefully Rogers is back and we won't have to change the side at all. AFAIK the exact cause of the dizziness is still a mystery. It's possible that it could be a concussion related episode - and he has been struck on the helmet a couple of times recently and had to miss game time in the West Indies. If so he could be sidelined for a couple of weeks.

The choice as I see it to to either pick the unconvincing S Marsh to open or to bring in an opener from outside the squad.

 

[Quick Hands]

I agree 100% with Geoff Boycott's take on the England collapse.

Boycott said “it is shameful to bat the way we did” and warned “many more batting and bowling performances and pitches like this, and you will get slated”.
“We had no fight, our thinking was awful and we never adapted to the situation,” Boycott wrote. “All we had to do was defend and get through the new ball, take the sting out of the Australian fast bowlers, and then bat on one of the best pitches I have ever seen to try to save a Test. There was no pace, no bounce and no spin in this surface. The sun was shining, and the least we should have done was bat until the middle of the last afternoon.”
He added: “If you ask for slow pitches to tame the Aussie fast bowlers, then you are immediately betraying your own insecurities about facing them. It is contradictory, and belies all England’s talk about playing positive, attacking cricket. England signalled their fear of Australia’s pace attack.”

 

[Quick Hands]

If Haddin is available for the third test he will play. He wasn't dropped.

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Hope you enjoyed your day at Lords - what a great test to be a part of. We barely put a foot wrong for 4 days.

 

[Lindommer]

Difficult to imagine how Australia could've played any better than that. Surely that's scared the shit out of the English team for the rest of the series.

One observation: I suspect Clarke's caught a severe dose of the Brearleys, the player's not as effective for his team as the captain. Never mind, his leadership's improving with age and he can't do much better than this test.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

If Haddin is available for the third test he will play. He wasn't dropped.

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I think that would be a mistake. The train has moved on and Brad's not on it for mine. His batting has really dropped off in the last 12 months and whilst his keeping has been tidy enough, that drop in the first test probably lost us the game.