What is it with cricket and making your best player captain? It didn't effect Steve Waugh or Ponting's form but it has to Atherton and Cook. Hopefully Smith will equally struggle with the burden.
The cupboard is bare for both sides now, plenty of decent cricketers but not many with leadership qualities. I've a nasty feeling Root will be promoted too early into the role for us
Atherton was one of our best players at the time. He had Thorpe, Nass, Stewart and Butcher at one point all capable of deputising.
Why ? Cook seems to have learnt a lot this season in terms of captaincy, and will be around for at least another 4/5 years. Root will then be 28/29, and perfectly ready to take over. Seems perfect to me. And, with a middle order of Root, Bairstow(although think he still has a big problem with short bowling),Stokes,Buttler and Ali - all in their early to mid twenties, I think the batting part of Englands team looks rosy. Not so much with the bowling, however this is all at a time when 2 English kids have hugely impressed me on TV this week, notably Nick Gubbins(21) of Middx (opening bat), and Mason Crane(18) of Hampshire (leggie).
If things go well or at least not utterly terrible ten yeah captain cook is my man and to be honest I'd stick with him anyway I think he has had some fantastic mentors. My point is when, inevitably our vermin media make things untenable for him it will only panic someone else into the role.
Dont forget we are blessed with 2 of the best bowlers in world cricket so finding replacements is always going to be very tough
Anyway
Enough of the negative bullshite, we have the convicts ends up and are on the verge of making it 10 years of home dominance in terms ashes. I'm elated thinking about the present
Probably the worst Oz batting line-up i've experienced - full of bull-shit hype before the series, and now being found out as low-quality, technically deficient flat track bullies. Oh, and over the hill and second rate. Does that do?
Probably the worst Oz batting line-up i've experienced - full of bull-shit hype before the series, and now being found out as low-quality, technically deficient flat track bullies. Oh, and over the hill and second rate. Does that do?
Nope we have a great and on the young side, team that on the most part will only improve. Give them 2 more years and we will be the best in the world. Australia are still a great team but came here unprepared to deal with us in our dawn of greatness
Whilst I never foresaw the manner of the victory, I could never understand why everyone thought we would lose at home to this Aussie team. The batting line up is very similar to the one that lost here in 2013, and indeed weaker than the one that lost here in 2009 - so why would they be any better now. As for their bowling, we are seeing now what a big loss Ryan Harris was for them, for me Starc and Johnson can't play in the sane team, and young Hazlewood looks confused and overwhelmed by it all.
Australia only have about 3 players worthy of winning - Warner, Rogers and Starc. Been pleasantly surprised by Lyon too, done some decent bowling but the rest aren't upto scratch in these conditions (cannot argue with Smiths test average but as above - flattrack bully). As for England, we should realise we haven't necessarily played amazingly well to win. But batting wise, Root is class (World Number 1 next week), Bell found some form in last test, decent knock from Bairstow Thursday and contributions from Ali at 8. Bowling wise, some great spells of bowling from all 5 of the seamers in the series. Got the makings of a good side, agreed that the bowlers are hard to replace but Finn and Wood are not old, just another a proper swing bowler to replace Jimmy. Also need to find an opener. a spinner and a middle order batsman. Sounds a lot, but if it can be done over the next couple of years we will be right up there as one of the top of the world again.
An interesting aspect is that this Oz side will be dismantled over the next year, with the likes of Rogers,Clarke,Voges,Watson,Haddin,Johnson and possibly Lyon never to be seen again. Who do they have coming through? in the batting dept they are bereft.
If you were to take away the 215 that Smith scored at Lords on THAT pitch, then he has an average of just over 20 in this series, 150 runs from 7 innings. Not what i'd expect from No 1 World Batsman. ABDV and now Root are FAR better batsmen.
I personally think that as Oz are so bad that we should change the series structure so that NZ get 5 Tests and Oz get 2 - that would really rub their noses in it.
Comments
236-7
5 wickets for Stokes
Just 3 to get tomorrow and they trail by 90 runs.
Dont forget we are blessed with 2 of the best bowlers in world cricket so finding replacements is always going to be very tough
Anyway
Enough of the negative bullshite, we have the convicts ends up and are on the verge of making it 10 years of home dominance in terms ashes. I'm elated thinking about the present
Does that do?
Give them 2 more years and we will be the best in the world. Australia are still a great team but came here unprepared to deal with us in our dawn of greatness
As for England, we should realise we haven't necessarily played amazingly well to win. But batting wise, Root is class (World Number 1 next week), Bell found some form in last test, decent knock from Bairstow Thursday and contributions from Ali at 8.
Bowling wise, some great spells of bowling from all 5 of the seamers in the series.
Got the makings of a good side, agreed that the bowlers are hard to replace but Finn and Wood are not old, just another a proper swing bowler to replace Jimmy. Also need to find an opener. a spinner and a middle order batsman. Sounds a lot, but if it can be done over the next couple of years we will be right up there as one of the top of the world again.
242-8
243-9
Looks like you'll be able to leave on time now !
Ashes won
Charlton here we come.