Billings .. great start but he just could not get fully out of one day mode .. when will he and rest ever learn f f s
You're right. When will he learn, indeed? He's had plenty of time to put these issues behind him. After all, if he can't learn what he's been doing wrong when he's already half-way through his test debut, what chance has he got?
Frankly, I'm surprised you been so patient with him so far. After all, he's been a test cricketer for almost three full days now.
I see my friend Tom Harrison of the ECB has written to Cricket Australia requesting that they allow England players to play in the Sheffield Shield. The argument that Australian players play in our CC but ours don't do so in the SS is a hollow one if only for the fact that we've only won one Test match, home and away, in the last year - which is why we currently sit bottom of the table of Test playing nations.
Australia only has six teams in the Sheffield Shield so there are only a small number of homegrown players that can partake - which explains why their club cricket is of such a high standard. And with so few games to play in that comp why home internationals play club cricket too. The other difference is that they play their four day game on hard fast wickets. Which we, generally speaking, could if wickets were prepared accordingly and games were played mostly in June, July and August. But we simply can't be playing four competitions in those months.
In leaking this letter to the Press, Harrison is attempting to demonstrate that the ECB are trying to improve our red ball cricketers when, perhaps, the solution is much, much closer to home. Call me a cynic but with our slaughter in the Ashes and with our domestic fixtures due be released very shortly, it doesn't take a genius to see that this is nothing but a gimmick and a smokescreen - simply because the young players Harrison wants to be playing in the SS are the very ones who should be playing in the CC in optimum conditions rather than at other times when they aren't so favourable - and rather than taking part in the ECB's own money generating "step and hit" competition.
Maybe we should reduce the County Championship to six teams if we're going to copy everything the Aussies do? Maybe the whole competition could be franchised out to the Test venues across the country. Working title: The Hundred, Extended. :-)
(I'm joking before anyone gets their pitchforks out..!) This bit is hopefully redundant after I added the last two sentences.
Maybe we should reduce the County Championship to six teams if we're going to copy everything the Aussies do? Maybe the whole competition could be franchised out to the Test venues across the country. Working title: The Hundred, Extended. :-)
(I'm joking before anyone gets their pitchforks out..!) This bit is hopefully redundant after I added the last two sentences.
The Leeds leavers The Oval obdurate defenders The Lord's lovely technique The Nottingham not outs The Birmingham blockers The Old Trafford old fashioned tactics
Frustrating thong about today's (yesterday's?) Play was that we did the hard bit in batting through the first 10 overs of the pink ball when it does the most and came through only 3 down. Yes it's a green top and the ball will still do something but it gets much easier from that point. Instead of building an innings we found ways to get out and lost wickets in clusters.
To not reach 300 once is a crime. Even in 2006/7, widely recognised as the worst ever tour down under, we had the Collingwood double ton.
Frustrating thong about today's (yesterday's?) Play was that we did the hard bit in batting through the first 10 overs of the pink ball when it does the most and came through only 3 down. Yes it's a green top and the ball will still do something but it gets much easier from that point. Instead of building an innings we found ways to get out and lost wickets in clusters.
To not reach 300 once is a crime. Even in 2006/7, widely recognised as the worst ever tour down under, we had the Collingwood double ton.
Collingwood was a street fighter. He wasn't the most talented but knew how to scrap. The majority of our batsmen lack that quality. Very often a team needs someone like that as too many will be looking at each other content in their mutual mediocrity.
I’m surprised Billings remembered to take his bat with him to the crease, with all the muscle memory he has built up with England it must of been hard not to pick up the drinks caddy.
Not an excuse for our dismal batting, but the pitches this series have been far sportier than normal. I've been amazed at how green they've been, and how that greenness has lasted several days too.
This series Australia 3 times got over 400 - 425, 473/9, 416/8 In 2017/18 Australia twice got over 600 - 662/9 and 649/7
The last time I recall such an embarrassing performance in a test series in Australia was around 74/75. Thompson and Lillie were terrifying our batsmen into surrender. Colin Cowdrey and Brian Close were sent . This was the days of no helmets , thigh pads and other protective gear.
They took plenty of body blows but never showed any fear as I recall. Did it help ? Can't remember but it certainly raised spirits at home.
Thomson was the quickest I've seen live. I saw him at Lords in 1975, side on from in front of the Tavern. It was difficult to see the ball before it thudded into Rodney Marsh's gloves. England were 46-4, before David Steele dug in, and Greig batted with Knott in a good partnership.
Holding in 1976 at Lords and the Oval, and Waqar Younis in a Nat West semi final at the Oval, before his back injury, were almost as quick. Sylvester Clarke was also consistently quick.
The last time I recall such an embarrassing performance in a test series in Australia was around 74/75. Thompson and Lillie were terrifying our batsmen into surrender. Colin Cowdrey and Brian Close were sent . This was the days of no helmets , thigh pads and other protective gear.
They took plenty of body blows but never showed any fear as I recall. Did it help ? Can't remember but it certainly raised spirits at home.
The last time I recall such an embarrassing performance in a test series in Australia was around 74/75. Thompson and Lillie were terrifying our batsmen into surrender. Colin Cowdrey and Brian Close were sent . This was the days of no helmets , thigh pads and other protective gear.
They took plenty of body blows but never showed any fear as I recall. Did it help ? Can't remember but it certainly raised spirits at home.
Thomson was the quickest I've seen live. I saw him at Lords in 1975, side on from in front of the Tavern. It was difficult to see the ball before it thudded into Rodney Marsh's gloves. England were 46-4, before David Steele dug in, and Greig batted with Knott in a good partnership.
Holding in 1976 at Lords and the Oval, and Waqar Younis in a Nat West semi final at the Oval, before his back injury, were almost as quick. Sylvester Clarke was also consistently quick.
Brett Lee was pretty quick too. Both he and Jeff Thomson could bowl over 160mph
It wasn't a ball deserving of a wicket but Carey chopped on playing a stupid shot and we can't afford to give anything back with basic errors. Third time in the series. Get your foot behind the line ffs
The last time I recall such an embarrassing performance in a test series in Australia was around 74/75. Thompson and Lillie were terrifying our batsmen into surrender. Colin Cowdrey and Brian Close were sent . This was the days of no helmets , thigh pads and other protective gear.
They took plenty of body blows but never showed any fear as I recall. Did it help ? Can't remember but it certainly raised spirits at home.
Close didn't go on that tour ,he was recalled to face the windies in 76 .The pictures you see above were taken either then or most probably when he faced Hall and Griffith in the early 60s
The batting victims of that 74/75 tour were mainly Amiss, Fletcher, Edrich and David Lloyd...Cowdrey did go as an injury replacement and got a bit of credit for getting 40 odd
Greig and knott stood up quite well in that series but we were slaughtered
Broad had Carey lbw in the previous over but it was overturned on review, pitching a seam’s width outside of leg stump. Surprised there’s no umpire’s call in situations like that.
Comments
Frankly, I'm surprised you been so patient with him so far. After all, he's been a test cricketer for almost three full days now.
Its really tough being a cricket and a Charlton fan at the moment.
Why didn't my Dad take me to Chelsea and keep whippets or play bowls or something?
Utterly pissed off ..thinking of buying a cat just so that I could kick it
Australia only has six teams in the Sheffield Shield so there are only a small number of homegrown players that can partake - which explains why their club cricket is of such a high standard. And with so few games to play in that comp why home internationals play club cricket too. The other difference is that they play their four day game on hard fast wickets. Which we, generally speaking, could if wickets were prepared accordingly and games were played mostly in June, July and August. But we simply can't be playing four competitions in those months.
In leaking this letter to the Press, Harrison is attempting to demonstrate that the ECB are trying to improve our red ball cricketers when, perhaps, the solution is much, much closer to home. Call me a cynic but with our slaughter in the Ashes and with our domestic fixtures due be released very shortly, it doesn't take a genius to see that this is nothing but a gimmick and a smokescreen - simply because the young players Harrison wants to be playing in the SS are the very ones who should be playing in the CC in optimum conditions rather than at other times when they aren't so favourable - and rather than taking part in the ECB's own money generating "step and hit" competition.
(I'm joking before anyone gets their pitchforks out..!) This bit is hopefully redundant after I added the last two sentences.
The Oval obdurate defenders
The Lord's lovely technique
The Nottingham not outs
The Birmingham blockers
The Old Trafford old fashioned tactics
The Headingley Hookers
The Lords Leg Befores
The Oval Road
To not reach 300 once is a crime. Even in 2006/7, widely recognised as the worst ever tour down under, we had the Collingwood double ton.
This series Australia 3 times got over 400 - 425, 473/9, 416/8
In 2017/18 Australia twice got over 600 - 662/9 and 649/7
Holding in 1976 at Lords and the Oval, and Waqar Younis in a Nat West semi final at the Oval, before his back injury, were almost as quick. Sylvester Clarke was also consistently quick.
63-6, lead of 178.
Smith 27 (62) c Malan b Wood
Head 8 (16) c Billings b Wood (FOW 59-5)
Wood has figures of 4-18 from 8.2 overs bowled.
Green 23 (47) lbw b Broad
Broad breaks the partnership of 49, given not out but overturned on review.
The batting victims of that 74/75 tour were mainly Amiss, Fletcher, Edrich and David Lloyd...Cowdrey did go as an injury replacement and got a bit of credit for getting 40 odd
Greig and knott stood up quite well in that series but we were slaughtered
Starc 1 (4) c Pope b Wood
Five wickets for Wood this innings.