England's Tour of Australia - Ashes, ODIs and T20s 13/14

Can you pick a team without KP or maybe Bell in it? I feel concerned that we will be without Broad too.

I am not upset by England losing. These things always do go in cycles. However I am upset the way they have lost and that they have underperformed. Had England played to their full potential or even close to it and the Aussie just been better than us fair enough.

England's batting averages in the series so far:
Root 33.50
Bell 32.50
Carberry 31.40
Cook 30.80
Pietersen 24.00
Bresnan 21.00
Prior 16.20
Stokes 15.66
Broad 14.00
Trott 9.50
Swann 8.00
Tremlett 7.50
Anderson 6.33
MS Panesar 1.00

And the bowling averages:
Broad 25.21
Tremlett 30.00
Anderson 48.85
Stokes 54.50
Bresnan 65.00
Swann 74.14
Panesar 99.00

(15-12-2013 08:15 )babelover48 Wrote:  The whitewash is on now, the Ashes are gone. There has to be a deep and long inquiry into this totally shambolic tour and some deep and probing questions need to be asked of the most senior players on this tour why they haven't performed and I would look again at the whole idea of central contracts of those involved. I wouldn't pay any of those contracts out if it was performance - related for this disaster.
Let's face it, we are now no longer one of the best teams in test cricket. How we are being beaten out of sight by what is an ordinary Australian team is beyond me.

Agreed. I would say this Australia team is not ordinary. They gone through the hard yards being embarassed out of sight by India, I believe they even lost to New Zealand recently and losing three series to us. They are coming out the other side of the tunnel.

Here is my issue losing is one thing not competing is inexcusable. Prior's poor glovework once again exposed and responsible for at least two wickets. Warner on 13 being one of them. When we get back to England lets reinstate Compton as the opener alongside Cook. Promote Bell to three, Root at number 4 lets say goodbye to Pietersen and thanks. Put some youngsters in at five and six and a new wicketkeeper. Lets get hold of Finn who is 25 and say to him just fucking bowl fast and enjoy yourself dont worry about conceding runs for now. Tremlett and Rankin not the future. Time for us to consider turning to Panesar as our go to finger spinner.

Flowers lack of leadership being exposed here as well. Look what Lehman has done for the Aussies he has been a revelation.

Rant over now to watch Utd hopefully get their ass kicked

Australia 132-6 on the first day of the series seems a dim and distant memory...

I know one betting (but not a cricket) man who took generous odds, back in the summer, on the permutations of an Australian series win. He's having difficulty hiding his temporary support for the English now as he says the one aspect of the spread he decided not to cover was a whitewash. I'm inclined to think that he didn't go for 2-0 and three draws either, but then neither are the England team at the moment...

Warner celebrates his century in typical understated manner :

^ In fairness to Prior he kept his head and politely clapped. The celebration was over the top in my book.

Come back Duncan all is forgiven!!

(12-12-2013 08:40 )Charlemagne Wrote:  The Wacca is a pacey/ bouncy pitch, so why don't England stick the big boys in.

Because Finn is struggling for technique and confidence, Rankin isn't ready for Test cricket and Tremlett didn't bowl very fast in the first test. But Broad may be sent home apparently, depending on scan results on his injured foot due on Monday, so if that happens one of the above will need to called up.