Few of our players are at 100% fitness. All of theirs are as far as I can tell. It’s a hard slog from here. Got tickets for the Oval. May be a consolation match by then.
Well done both teams. I think Australia come away with their egos somewhat bruised: the World Champions weren't expecting to have been run so close by a team with so many physical setbacks.
Australia will be pleased that they only needed to use one dimension to win. I expect England to hit them back harder at Lord's.
Very disappointed. We did well to almost defend a target of 281. We needed 50 more. Can’t see us regaining the Ashes; the Aussies have players (besides Khawaja) who will make big scores at some stage.
Well done England. By far better to lose like that than by blocking to 250 & 150 and losing by an innings.
Not sure how it was well done to lose a game in that manner
Because as much as you might disagree with the approach, it’s the best we’ve done against this Australian team in eight years.
And there’s still four Test, that could genuinely either way, to play for.
We drew 2-2 4 years ago
I suppose, although Stokes dragged us through a ridiculous Headingley win and then we beat the Aussies in a dead rubber to close the series out.
In my eight years comment, I was only really thinking about batting performance because that’s been the major flaw in this team for the last 6-8 years. We scored 666 runs. We haven’t close to that number against Australia since the first Test of the 2015 series.
Well done England. By far better to lose like that than by blocking to 250 & 150 and losing by an innings.
What utter tripe
You’re right. Get rid of them, McCullum and Stokes haven’t got a clue. Let’s go back to the old way of getting out for 185 & 68 and losing by an innings…
We got picked off in this Test match. Bazball has won us Test matches because it gives us time to do so but we set it this one up for the Aussies. We now have to win 3 of the final 4 Tests to win the Ashes. We will not do that against this Australian team especially with all the question marks we have with ours in terms of injuries, wicket keeper, spinner and all rounder. If we can scrape a 2-2 draw then we will have done very well.
For those who say that "it's only one match" I would say this. How many of our team, apart from Root would get into their side? Let's not forget that their two best batsmen, Labuschagne and Smith scored 35 runs in the match and they still won. What's the chances of them doing that every game?
Great Test match. You can't shell that many chances and have a bowling attack that brittle/out of peak match fitness (Anderson, Ali, Stokes & Robinson) and win many matches against the highest calibre of opposition, but we came bloody close. Will be interesting to see the selection for the next couple of matches - we seem like a team with a lot of gaps whereas the Aussies look a well-oiled machine. Rotation of our bowlers is going to be key as you can see them getting carted around for a really big score at some point if they don't get the right protection and rest and there are more pitches as benign as this one.
Well done England. By far better to lose like that than by blocking to 250 & 150 and losing by an innings.
What utter tripe
You’re right. Get rid of them, McCullum and Stokes haven’t got a clue. Let’s go back to the old way of getting out for 185 & 68 and losing by an innings…
Have not seen anyone saying get rid of coach and captain.
What some are pointing out is to declare when your 2nd all time highest batter is on 118, the pitch is dead and no movement, declaring was the wrong option which ultimately meant we did not get at least a draw
Well done England. By far better to lose like that than by blocking to 250 & 150 and losing by an innings.
What utter tripe
You’re right. Get rid of them, McCullum and Stokes haven’t got a clue. Let’s go back to the old way of getting out for 185 & 68 and losing by an innings…
Have not seen anyone saying get rid of coach and captain.
What some are pointing out is to declare when your 2nd all time highest batter is on 118, the pitch is dead and no movement, declaring was the wrong option which ultimately meant we did not get at least a draw
One of a few factors that you could point to. There was no guarantee of the apparent 30-40 runs given the way Root was swinging the bat, almost expecting to give his wicket away at the end.
I am far more disappointed in the lack of discipline around no balls bowled and dropped catches / missed stumpings.
Well done England. By far better to lose like that than by blocking to 250 & 150 and losing by an innings.
What utter tripe
You’re right. Get rid of them, McCullum and Stokes haven’t got a clue. Let’s go back to the old way of getting out for 185 & 68 and losing by an innings…
Everyone is talking about the shit and game costing declaration. No one is saying go to blocking and playing at 2 runs an over.
Well done England. By far better to lose like that than by blocking to 250 & 150 and losing by an innings.
What utter tripe
You’re right. Get rid of them, McCullum and Stokes haven’t got a clue. Let’s go back to the old way of getting out for 185 & 68 and losing by an innings…
I'm not sure where that was said?
england need to drop down a gear at times. 3 out stumped is stupidity. Root had another 100 there for the taking if he played aggressively but sensibly. England are playing aggressively but with a touch of stupidity, which is why we were always 30-50 runs short
Aussies won but didnt take 20 wickets in the match. We gifted them our 1st innings by declaring when our best batsman was 100 not out & smashing 6's everywhere.
Our main spinner wasn't fit & couldn't bowl on the last session on day 5.
Pace bowlers have lost their pace.
Wont get Smith & Luberchagne out cheaply again.
Good entertainment but we lost.
Bazball is the cricket version of Golfie tactics. Go for goals but fuck the defence.
The most criminal aspect is the fact that we are having to cram the 5 Tests in just so August is free for that so called competition. It is absolutely disgraceful that the ECB have shown such scant disregard for a Series that is right up there with all the greatest of sporting events.
corr the negativity on here is as bad as the takeover thread! Unbelievable test match that we look like coming up just short. We go again
Yeah, we have to try and win the series, no point drawing to placate the Boycs
In "trying to win the series" we've just gone 1 down and have likely ruined any chance we had. We should have won or drawn that game. I've never seen an England Test Match gifted to the opposition like that in 50 odd years.
disappointing but this still feels so so different to many other years playing the Aus - honestly I think we are in their heads a bit now. The number of times i've seen us fold like a deck of cards - this performance was nothing like that.
I also think the Aus had the rub of the green a couple of times - Brooks dismissal in the first was a freak, JB being a bit too rusty to keep wicket missing those stumpings, and the biggest of all that 20 minute period in the second innings when frankly they shouldn't have been out there in those conditions losing both openers cheaply.
We go again next time with hopefully some lessons learned, a bit more match sharpness from a few and a major bee in our bonnet to get some pay back
Comments
england lost that rather than Australia winning
Australia will be pleased that they only needed to use one dimension to win. I expect England to hit them back harder at Lord's.
Small margins a d all that.
Ic Bairstow had not made so many mistakes we would have won by 100 runs
Captain's knock when they needed him the most from Cummins. Would expect Starc back for Lords maybe for Boland?
The way we batted forced a spread Australian field and opened gaps for singles, twos and three that’s usually wouldn’t be there.
Firmly of the belief that if we had taken the old approach, we’d have struggled to get 400 across both innings.
For those who say that "it's only one match" I would say this. How many of our team, apart from Root would get into their side? Let's not forget that their two best batsmen, Labuschagne and Smith scored 35 runs in the match and they still won. What's the chances of them doing that every game?
What some are pointing out is to declare when your 2nd all time highest batter is on 118, the pitch is dead and no movement, declaring was the wrong option which ultimately meant we did not get at least a draw
I am far more disappointed in the lack of discipline around no balls bowled and dropped catches / missed stumpings.
england need to drop down a gear at times. 3 out stumped is stupidity. Root had another 100 there for the taking if he played aggressively but sensibly. England are playing aggressively but with a touch of stupidity, which is why we were always 30-50 runs short
Our main spinner wasn't fit & couldn't bowl on the last session on day 5.
Pace bowlers have lost their pace.
Wont get Smith & Luberchagne out cheaply again.
Good entertainment but we lost.
Bazball is the cricket version of Golfie tactics. Go for goals but fuck the defence.
It was very likely we were going to win or lose by a small margin having given them a get out of jail card.
We should have won or drawn that game.
I've never seen an England Test Match gifted to the opposition like that in 50 odd years.
I also think the Aus had the rub of the green a couple of times - Brooks dismissal in the first was a freak, JB being a bit too rusty to keep wicket missing those stumpings, and the biggest of all that 20 minute period in the second innings when frankly they shouldn't have been out there in those conditions losing both openers cheaply.
We go again next time with hopefully some lessons learned, a bit more match sharpness from a few and a major bee in our bonnet to get some pay back