Five-Nil, Five-Nil

[Scmods]

Oh dear England. Wasn't this team the best to come down in here in 20 years? Well I think we've proven that England are ridiculously overrated, almost as much so as MS Dhoni and Shiad Afridi. It was funny watching the Barmy Army cheering today, but then again they are English so I guess they celebrate mediocrity.

[Barney Rubble]

Originally Posted by Scmods

Oh dear England. Wasn't this team the best to come down in here in 20 years? Well I think we've proven that England are ridiculously overrated, almost as much so as MS Dhoni and Shiad Afridi. It was funny watching the Barmy Army cheering today, but then again they are English so I guess they celebrate mediocrity.

This team wasn't the best to go down there in 20 years. It was the best team to go down there in 20 years minus a third of its players. There's a difference.

[Son Of Coco]

Originally Posted by Mr Mxyzptlk

Except one team is on top of the rankings and the other isn't. Contrast much? Or rather, context much?

So, without Lara you guys are the equivalent of Scotland?

[Son Of Coco]

Originally Posted by Barney Rubble

This team wasn't the best to go down there in 20 years. It was the best team to go down there in 20 years minus a third of its players. There's a difference.

4 man team

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Originally Posted by Son Of Coco

So, without Lara you guys are the equivalent of Scotland?

Eh?

[Barney Rubble]

Originally Posted by Son Of Coco

4 man team

It appears so.

[Scmods]

Originally Posted by Barney Rubble

This team wasn't the best to go down there in 20 years. It was the best team to go down there in 20 years minus a third of its players. There's a difference.

Vaughan (Who would he have replaced?), Jones (who's reverse swing would've been negated here). That's it. Wow, two whole players!

[Matteh]

Originally Posted by Scmods

Vaughan (Who would he have replaced?), Jones (who's reverse swing would've been negated here). That's it. Wow, two whole players!

Vaughan in for Mahmood. Jones can actually bowl straight regardless of the swing so he'd have been a help. Tresco could have come in for Collingwood (who actually did absolutely nothing bar his double century and his 96.) or Bell.

[Barney Rubble]

Originally Posted by Scmods

Vaughan (Who would he have replaced?), Jones (who's reverse swing would've been negated here). That's it. Wow, two whole players!

Yeah, let's just completely ignore Trescothick, shall we? 'Cause he doesn't have close to 6,000 Test runs or anything.

And if you're going to be pedantic and say that 3/11 isn't a third, then the injuries the other players have had in the last 6 months and subsequent loss of fitness is as good as losing another player.

As inexcusably terrible as they were, the simple fact is that the England side that lost the Ashes 5-0 was nowhere near full-strength. That's not to say the result would have been any different if they had been at full-strength, but the fact they weren't is pretty much the plain truth.

[Scmods]

Originally Posted by Barney Rubble

Yeah, let's just completely ignore Trescothick, shall we? 'Cause he doesn't have close to 6,000 Test runs or anything.

And if you're going to be pedantic and say that 3/11 isn't a third, then the injuries the other players have had in the last 6 months and subsequent loss of fitness is as good as losing another player.

As inexcusably terrible as they were, the simple fact is that the England side that lost the Ashes 5-0 was nowhere near full-strength. That's not to say the result would have been any different if they had been at full-strength, but the fact they weren't is pretty much the plain truth.

Tresco? He's a hack these days. Can you honestly tell me it was better for English Cricket for Tresco to be in those 5 Test Matches for Cook?

[TT Boy]

Originally Posted by Matteh

Vaughan in for Mahmood. Jones can actually bowl straight regardless of the swing so he'd have been a help. Tresco could have come in for Collingwood (who actually did absolutely nothing bar his double century and his 96.) or Bell.

Been a long time but combined with the utterly brilliant delivery the man (Simon Jones) had more than a penchant for the half volley and a bit of legside trite. He was hardly gun barrel straight ala McGrath. Also Tresco wasn't much cop in Australia last time was he?

[Barney Rubble]

Originally Posted by Scmods

Tresco? He's a hack these days. Can you honestly tell me it was better for English Cricket for Tresco to be in those 5 Test Matches for Cook?

To be blunt, yes. Cook did next to nothing apart from his hundred at Perth (or was it Adelaide? The defeats are bleeding into one another these days), and given the fact that our biggest opening partnership of the series was something like 54, I don't think you can exactly say that the Strauss-Cook partnership was a success. I would far rather have had Trescothick at the top of the order with Cook at three and Bell at five. And yes, that does mean I'd have dropped Collingwood if Trescothick was fit, that double-hundred is an irrelevance.

[TT Boy]

Originally Posted by Barney Rubble

Yeah, let's just completely ignore Trescothick, shall we? 'Cause he doesn't have close to 6,000 Test runs or anything.

Scoring only 261 of them in Australia at an average of 26, probably best to ignore TBH.

[TT Boy]

Originally Posted by Scmods

Oh dear England. Wasn't this team the best to come down in here in 20 years? Well I think we've proven that England are ridiculously overrated, almost as much so as MS Dhoni and Shiad Afridi. It was funny watching the Barmy Army cheering today, but then again they are English so I guess they celebrate mediocrity.

Why of course.

[Barney Rubble]

Originally Posted by TT Boy

Scoring only 261 of them in Australia at an average of 26, probably best to ignore TBH.

Ricky Ponting doesn't have a good record in India, doesn't mean Australia leave him out when they go there. No reason why a class act like Tresco couldn't improve that.