Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.
The Ashes 2015
Comments
-
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.0
-
Was Atherton ever England's best player? Stewart maybe the superior batsman? Christ, what times they were. But what bowlers were lurking.0
-
Thanks for the commentary everyone. Being 8 hours behind in California it's difficult following this real time so I tend to pick up this thread and follow the feedback. What a day :-) I'm pinching myself.0
-
April 28, 2015
http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/867803.html
England won't come close to us in Ashes - Smith
Steven Smith and Shane Watson are convinced Australia are on course to retain the Ashes in England later in the summer. Speaking exclusively to ESPNcricinfo, Smith said he doesn't think England will "come close" to challenging the Australian team on current form, while Watson said there is "huge hunger" within the squad to end the sequence of three consecutive Ashes series defeats in England of 2005, 2009 & 2013.
"We've got a very strong squad that's going over to England," Watson said. "We've got good depth and the best part is everyone is in nearly career-best form right now which is most important as well. There is a huge hunger within the group because we know that we haven't won in England for the last three series. I've been involved in two of those. There's a big burning desire to be involved in an Ashes winning campaign in England as well. We're as well prepared as we can be within our group. I'm incredibly excited about what's on the horizon with the Ashes and everyone else is as well."
"I can't wait to get over there and play another Ashes against England in their conditions after beating them so convincingly in Australia," Smith said. "It's going to be nice to go in their backyard. If we continue to play the way we have been playing over the last 12-18 months, I don't think that they'll come close to us to be honest."5 -
-
what a player root is.
looks like a boy but plays like a man, just an incredible player.3 -
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 uscfgs said: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.
Atherton was one of our best players at the time. He had Thorpe, Nass, Stewart and Butcher at one point all capable of deputising.
0 -
I'm enjoying it over here I can tell you! For years these gobshite Aussies have been chirping away at how shite we were, now they are hearing from me loud and clear!! Get in!!10
-
We need to grind them into the dust! No taking the foot off the gas... We need to get after their bowlers and get a lead of 500! Properly dominate them as they did to us for so long!3
- Sponsored links:
-
Why ?Carter said:
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 uscfgs said: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.
Atherton was one of our best players at the time. He had Thorpe, Nass, Stewart and Butcher at one point all capable of deputising.
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).0 -
The President said...."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).
I've seen quite a bit of Nick Gubbins and he impressed immediately. I was a bit miffed when Middlesex signed Joe Burns instead of putting Gubbins in the team but now Burns has gone, Gubbins has his chance. He plays especially well off the back foot through cover (although you didn't see that v Sussex on TV the other day) and is excellent of his legs. He started out last season as a sort of Chris Rogers type but is taller and now hits the ball much harder. A superb prospect.
I've heard good reports of Mason Crane from people who have batted against him in league cricket. They say he should develop into something pretty special but as ever he will be reliant on his county playing him in 4 day cricket and not just the white ball stuff.2 -
Don't think Cook has suffered too much with the captaincy. Certainly at first, but now I think he bats well and is a good captain. But I do see what you mean, Vaughan was probably our best bat when he was made captain in 03 and his batting was never the same, awful, dare I say it. Then again, Mike brearley was a very average bat but an extraordinary captain and was worth his place in the team for that alone. A lot like Jonty Rhodes was worth his place in the SA just for being an incredible fielder.cfgs said: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.
2 -
I think the plan should be to aim to smash it around the park a bit this morning and make maybe another hundred and fifty or so before lunch.
(I am talking about Wood - the others can carry on after lunch).1 -
Wouldn't it be great if Wood smacked a more than run a ball 50 this morning to really demoralise them- including a few sixes off Johnson.Chizz said:I think the plan should be to aim to smash it around the park a bit this morning and make maybe another hundred and fifty or so before lunch.
(I am talking about Wood - the others can carry on after lunch).1 -
I wouldn't put it past himThe_President said:
Wouldn't it be great if Wood smacked a more than run a ball 50 this morning to really demoralise them- including a few sixes off Johnson.Chizz said:I think the plan should be to aim to smash it around the park a bit this morning and make maybe another hundred and fifty or so before lunch.
(I am talking about Wood - the others can carry on after lunch).1 -
I have also watched Gubbins and was very impressed. He hits the ball effortlessly and has a good defence. Apparently Gus Fraser thinks he has got it all.0
-
Looking forward to wrapping this up. Lets make their children embarrassed to say their Daddy plays for Australia :-)cantersaddick said:We need to grind them into the dust! No taking the foot off the gas... We need to get after their bowlers and get a lead of 500! Properly dominate them as they did to us for so long!
2 -
Cmon Woody !.....The_President said:
Wouldn't it be great if Wood smacked a more than run a ball 50 this morning to really demoralise them- including a few sixes off Johnson.Chizz said:I think the plan should be to aim to smash it around the park a bit this morning and make maybe another hundred and fifty or so before lunch.
(I am talking about Wood - the others can carry on after lunch).
From CricIndia..
"Comes round the wicket
.
67.2
Johnson to Wood, FOUR, that's handsome! Now he drives up and over the off side, Johnson goes fuller at off stump and Wood just crunches through the line with a lovely lofted cover drive
.
67.1
Johnson to Wood, FOUR, cuts a short, wide delivery through backward point, controlled it pretty well and got the ball to ground fairly well "
0 -
Hoppo: "Enjoying that England's night watchman has now scored more than any Australian managed"1
- Sponsored links:
-
Be brilliant if he got 61.The_President said:Hoppo: "Enjoying that England's night watchman has now scored more than any Australian managed"
2 -
Root gone0
-
Root gone.0
-
Wood gone.0
-
Starc is quality.0
-
Was hoping for a 400 lead so we dont have to bat again, but that is looking a tad optimistic. Hope we dont fold like a pack of cards and can rack up another 100 or so.0
-
Now Buttler gone.
All going a bit flat this morning.0 -
Still a long way to go.
The positive is that the ball is still moving about and the lead is 268 as I type so Australia will need to bat exceptionally well to get past that yet alone set a target.
A lead of 300 to 350 would be even better if we can get it!0 -
Stokes now gone.
Hopefully the ball carries on doing the same for us, and they dont chase us down. You can imagine their second innings going off like a house on fire as their tails will be up.0 -
332-7 as I type so 58-3 this morning effectively.0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dp12Qv3Vh8
