***Official*** 3rd Test at the WACA

[Second Spitter]

In this series, Moeen Ali has been the most disappointing thing since my son...

 

[Woodster]

It's difficult for anyone opening the batting against some of the Aussie and SA attacks over the years. There are very few with better records than Cook's over the same period of time against those sides, and amongst the very few the majority are Indian where conditions are much easier to counter the new ball attack. Chris Gayle maybe the only one that you could consider to have a better record.

 

[Zinzan]

Jeez, had to feel for Root in that post match interview, chap looked absolutely shattered, and understandably so.

Slightly awkward moment too when Nicholas asked him exactly what positives he was referring to.

 

[Groundking]

the thought of england without anderson is frightening.

the idea that broad was ever on his level laughable.

I think we'll always do well at home as our bowlers are all tailor made for the hooping conditions we often get, and overseas batsmen rarely have to face bowling that moves as much as it does in England, but I don't see how we win away against a quality team without Jimmy, it's been 2 years since out last away win (SA), and I can't say I'm confident of us winning in New Zealand either TBH. It is a massive shame that it's only a 2 match series tbh.

 

[SeamUp]

It's difficult for anyone opening the batting against some of the Aussie and SA attacks over the years. There are very few with better records than Cook's over the same period of time against those sides, and amongst the very few the majority are Indian where conditions are much easier to counter the new ball attack. Chris Gayle maybe the only one that you could consider to have a better record.

I agree.

It wasn't meant to be a slight. In fact it is a decent enough record against quality seam/swing, facing it at it's toughest when it is brand new plus when bowlers are fresh !

The ability to keep coming back from disappointments as an opener can be one of the hardest things and if you get any longevity out of the position you deserve respect.

 

[wpdavid]

Jeez, had to feel for Root in that post match interview, chap looked absolutely shattered, and understandably so.

Slightly awkward moment too when Nicholas asked him exactly what positives he was referring to.

Not easy knowing that you're going to spend the rest of your test career captaining this pile of ****e with no obvious improvements coming through what passes for our first class system.

Staying local for a moment, we'll have to see whether he develops into the sort of Borderesque character that our game so desperately needs, or if he does a KIm Hughes and quits in tears when Aus repeat the punishment next time around.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Still not satisfied, I want Australia to completely demoralise england. Winning three tests is not enough I want more. I know being dead rubbers they will ease off a bit but I hope Smith can keep them focused.

You want two tedious one-sided games? I've never understood this attitude at all to be honest.

 

[andruid]

Even in that record against Australia, he had that one series where he averaged more than 100, it's been slim pickings otherwise. He was also not bad in 2006-07 TBF, when he and Bell resisted for a while in Perth against McGrath/Warne.

Can we say they were the Vince and Stoneman of that tour?

 

[S.Kennedy]

I hate to say it but Swann might have been the only person right on the Root captaincy!

 

[Woodster]

I agree.

It wasn't meant to be a slight. In fact it is a decent enough record against quality seam/swing, facing it at it's toughest when it is brand new plus when bowlers are fresh !

The ability to keep coming back from disappointments as an opener can be one of the hardest things and if you get any longevity out of the position you deserve respect.

Yes absolutely agree mate. You do wonder how much desire Cook has left in him, the captaincy stint looks like it's sapped all his mental capacity! Going to be a very tough ask to replace him without the opener absolutely assured of his place, if indeed it comes to that. I certainly don't envisage England dropping him at this stage, just depends how much he wants to keep doing it.

 

[Woodster]

Not easy knowing that you're going to spend the rest of your test career captaining this pile of ****e with no obvious improvements coming through what passes for our first class system.

Staying local for a moment, we'll have to see whether he develops into the sort of Borderesque character that our game so desperately needs, or if he does a KIm Hughes and quits in tears when Aus repeat the punishment next time around.

We'll continue to be a big threat to any side in home conditions, just need more variety in our options when travelling to certain places.

 

[ImpatientLime]

Not easy knowing that you're going to spend the rest of your test career captaining this pile of ****e with no obvious improvements coming through what passes for our first class system.

Staying local for a moment, we'll have to see whether he develops into the sort of Borderesque character that our game so desperately needs, or if he does a KIm Hughes and quits in tears when Aus repeat the punishment next time around.

eh, lets not pretend like root hasn't been a huge part of the batting failure in this series.

two piss poor series with the bat for him now in australia. i don't remember too many 50+ averaging batsmen who were as underwhelming generally as him.

 

[Starfighter]

In this series, Moeen Ali has been the most disappointing thing since my son...

Heh. I like where you get your humour from.

 

[JRC67]

Hugely disappointing defeat culminating in handing the Ashes back so soon into the series rendering Melbourne and Sydney almost irrelevant.

Once the squad was selected I'm not sure we could ask for anything different from a number of them, and I'm not necessarily suggesting there are any obvious better replacements that we've left out (barring the obvious). It's a shame our main hopes with the bat, Cook and Root, have woefully underperformed, Malan has been a pleasant surprise, Vince did what was expected, looked a million dollars at times and gave things away much too easily at other times resulting in a predictable average of around 30 and Stoneman for me has done enough to earn another shot in New Zealand.

The bowling again was fairly predictable, we lack any real variety any real pace which was going to make us look really ineffective when we played on a flat deck without much lateral assistance off the pitch or anything through the air. Moeen also had a shocker. We needed Jimmy to lead and everyone else to follow, sadly that didn't happen. Anderson's 12 wickets at 25 is impressive, he was economical when there was nothing happening and threatening in the right conditions for him at Adelaide.

All that said, credit to the Aussies for never letting England get into a position of real strength at any point and fighting back just when it looked like we might get a bit of momentum and confidence. They outplayed us in every facet. The bowling attack all fired at different times and they do look a high quality unit. Steve Smith showed all the batsmen how to do it, he was patient, disciplined, put any loose stuff away exceptionally well finding the gaps seemingly at will. I'll never enjoy watching him but he is vital to Australia and just knows how to score runs, regularly and in match defining proportions.

Pretty much agree with all that. At the moment there isn't a side which does particularly well outside their home conditions. The worrying thing for me isn't the players we select it is that there aren't a lot of alternatives who have more than odd good seasons in first class cricket. I think this group of limited cricketers have performed better than more highly rated players in 2013/14. I think England have got to be careful not to over react to this defeat. Yes we need to find better players, but there is every chance that we will go for large scale changes and end up losing home as well as away tests. More important is to look below the test team and see how we can develop better spinners, opening batsmen and genuine fast bowlers. Bottom line I'd rather win home series than away, if the ideal choice of standing a chance in both isn't available.

 

[Burgey]

I agree this England side has performed better than the last to tour here, which was flat out disgraceful given the players they had. Probably the most fancied England side to lose here since Peter May’s.

 

[Spark]

You need bowlers full stop tbh. I think there's a bit of delusion going around about how non-Anderson-and-Broad bowlers are destined to carry on carving up teams at home, when there's little evidence the backup/younger quicks are of that quality.

Although I've been banging on about this for years, tbh.

 

[Daemon]

Good to know England will be returning at least one artefact of historical significance to it's origin. Should've given back the kohinoor when they lost 4-0 to us too.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Never expected this to be all done and dusted in 3 tests. And that ball to Anderson was a brute...it looked bad, and I'm glad he was ok. But once it was clear he was, then:


*s******* *chortle*

 

[TheJediBrah]

In this series, Moeen Ali has been the most disappointing thing since my son...

I know exactly where you stole this directly from but it's still funny

 

[ImpatientLime]

You need bowlers full stop tbh. I think there's a bit of delusion going around about how non-Anderson-and-Broad bowlers are destined to carry on carving up teams at home, when there's little evidence the backup/younger quicks are of that quality.

Although I've been banging on about this for years, tbh.

eh, roland jones looked pretty damn good last summer in both series. thats one........