Ashes: 3rd Test @ Perth

[Cheshire Cat]

Can't bowl, can't bat, can't field. Complete batfliddery.

Were loose 0 - 5.

However its all very well calling for wholesale changes, but is there anyone better out there?

 

[maltaseagull]

Michael Vaughan, Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special"After day three at the Gabba England were 537 runs behind, in Adelaide they were 530 behind. On this occasion it will only be about 370, so there are positives there."

Why not swap the squads over for tests 4 and 5?
England Lions go to Australia and the senior failures go to Sri Lanka?

 

[KZNSeagull]

Why not swap the squads over for tests 4 and 5?
England Lions go to Australia and the senior failures go to Sri Lanka?

That's an idea. At the very least bring in the spare players for the next test. Or maybe Aus will let us play the entire squad?!

 

[vegster]

Can't bowl, can't bat, can't field. Complete batfliddery.

Were loose 0 - 5.

However its all very well calling for wholesale changes, but is there anyone better out there?

Other than a few minor changes there is nothing in the cupboard. This lot will limp on getting hammered but there needs to be a major overhaul in time for next summer. All the centrally contracted players need to go back to their counties and re discover some form or be dropped. After that its time to look for new faces. KP,Prior and Swann have to really fight for their places.

 

[BensGrandad]

When I asked a man well versed in cricket the reason for our poor performances, especially Matt Priors form, he said it was down to the act that we play too much cricket and the players dont get their rest periods properly. The need to grab money at all levels has overtaken every other consideration.

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

When I asked a man well versed in cricket the reason for our poor performances, especially Matt Priors form, he said it was down to the act that we play too much cricket and the players dont get their rest periods properly. The need to grab money at all levels has overtaken every other consideration.

ditto football !!

 

[KZNSeagull]

Next test:

Ballance for KP
Bairstow for Prior
Monty for Swann
Rankin for Bresnan
Finn for Jimmy
Tremlett for Broad, if Broad injured.

Move Bell to 3, Root to 5.

If we had more spare batsmen, more would change, but we don't so that will have to do for this tour.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Next test:

Ballance for KP
Bairstow for Prior
Monty for Swann
Rankin for Bresnan
Finn for Jimmy
Tremlett for Broad, if Broad injured.

Move Bell to 3, Root to 5.

If we had more spare batsmen, more would change, but we don't so that will have to do for this tour.

If we go 3 down and the series has gone I predict there will be changes to blood some of the young 'uns for the future.
Your suggestion above is to replace the entire bowling attack. To be fair the bowlers have been average, it's the batters that have failed miserably.

Monty is hardly one for the future so I'd leave Swan in
KP is now in Siddle's pocket and needs a break.
Bresnan has done nothing wrong
I'd rest the innocuous Anderson and give Finn a blast
If Broad is injured, replace with either Tremlett or Rankin, else Broad plays - is he not our leading wicket taker after all?
I'd leave Bell and Root where they are.

Bottom line is that this performance is all rather depressing - we have been well and truly out played and out maneuvered by the Aussies and some serious re-work is now required.

You watch, we'll go 3 down then win the toss, bat first and win handsomely in the last two test - when it no longer actually matters ....

 

[vegster]

When I asked a man well versed in cricket the reason for our poor performances, especially Matt Priors form, he said it was down to the act that we play too much cricket and the players dont get their rest periods properly. The need to grab money at all levels has overtaken every other consideration.

Well that's a load of balderdash. Prior has hardly played this season. He had the 8 Tests this year plus a few four day county matches, in which often he was picked as a batsman and didn't keep plus a few one day games. Central contracts mean that Test Squad players have very little actual play. Add to that the fact that the one dayers and 20/20 squads are different too means he hardly picks up a bat in malice.

20 years ago good county/Test players had a grind of county/60 overs matches/55 over matches and 40 over Sunday League matches on top of Tests and one day internationals. Moron.

 

[KZNSeagull]

If we go 3 down and the series has gone I predict there will be changes to blood some of the young 'uns for the future.
Your suggestion above is to replace the entire bowling attack. To be fair the bowlers have been average, it's the batters that have failed miserably.

Monty is hardly one for the future so I'd leave Swan in
KP is now in Siddle's pocket and needs a break.
Bresnan has done nothing wrong
I'd rest the innocuous Anderson and give Finn a blast
If Broad is injured, replace with either Tremlett or Rankin, else Broad plays - is he not our leading wicket taker after all?
I'd leave Bell and Root where they are.

Bottom line is that this performance is all rather depressing - we have been well and truly out played and out maneuvered by the Aussies and some serious re-work is now required.

You watch, we'll go 3 down then win the toss, bat first and win handsomely in the last two test - when it no longer actually matters ....

Indeed re the bowlers, but we did not take any more batsmen with, otherwise I would have changed more. Dead rubber - give all of the spares a go, I say.
But yes, you can guarantee we will win the toss in the next 2.

 

[BensGrandad]

Perhaps our win at home made us think it was a formality as even Botham said it would be 5 - 0 in Australia the only thing is he got the wrong team winning 5- 0

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Well that's a load of balderdash. Prior has hardly played this season. He had the 8 Tests this year plus a few four day county matches, in which often he was picked as a batsman and didn't keep plus a few one day games. Central contracts mean that Test Squad players have very little actual play. Add to that the fact that the one dayers and 20/20 squads are different too means he hardly picks up a bat in malice.

20 years ago good county/Test players had a grind of county/60 overs matches/55 over matches and 40 over Sunday League matches on top of Tests and one day internationals. Moron.

Very this.

 

[KZNSeagull]

When I asked a man well versed in cricket the reason for our poor performances, especially Matt Priors form, he said it was down to the act that we play too much cricket and the players dont get their rest periods properly. The need to grab money at all levels has overtaken every other consideration.

I would say that our performance in this series is down to not having played enough beforehand!

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Perhaps our win at home made us think it was a formality as even Botham said it would be 5 - 0 in Australia the only thing is he got the wrong team winning 5- 0

But Botham is a tried and trusted idiot.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Next test:

Ballance for KP
Bairstow for Prior
Monty for Swann
Rankin for Bresnan
Finn for Jimmy
Tremlett for Broad, if Broad injured.

Move Bell to 3, Root to 5.

If we had more spare batsmen, more would change, but we don't so that will have to do for this tour.

Can't disagree with any of that.
Don't have the confidence that the management will have the guts to drop ' big ' names. They've stuck with them through two awful Tests in the vain hope that it is going to improve. We will be 3-0 down and the Ashes safe in Australian hands before they wake up and realise that some of these players don't want to be there. They have given up.
The management are guilty of complacency. They have persevered with players who have been struggling for some time. They have picked players on reputation, not form. They fell for the statement from KP that he wanted 10,000 Test runs and thought he was committed to the task. He ain't. He's only really interested in 20/20 now and the big bucks. When it gets a bit tough at Test level, he chucks it away, knowing he'll get another chance. He's not getting any younger and the fantastic eye he had for playing across the line is now deserting him and his lack of technique is now finding him out.
Matt Prior is surviving on reputation alone and Alistair Cook's game is in pieces again. Jonathan Trott is finished mentally. He will never be able to play quick bowling at the highest level again.
I hope we don't limp to 0-5 with the same players underperforming but will the management ( who all have to go anyway after this debacle ) make enough changes and at least bring in players who want to fight for the cause.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Well that's a load of balderdash. Prior has hardly played this season. He had the 8 Tests this year plus a few four day county matches, in which often he was picked as a batsman and didn't keep plus a few one day games. Central contracts mean that Test Squad players have very little actual play. Add to that the fact that the one dayers and 20/20 squads are different too means he hardly picks up a bat in malice.

20 years ago good county/Test players had a grind of county/60 overs matches/55 over matches and 40 over Sunday League matches on top of Tests and one day internationals. Moron.

Nine innings on the LVCC circuit (seven matches), two innings on the YB40 circuit and he didn't play a single Twenty20 game for Sussex. I hope the ECB are paying us well.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Can't disagree with any of that.
Don't have the confidence that the management will have the guts to drop ' big ' names. They've stuck with them through two awful Tests in the vain hope that it is going to improve. We will be 3-0 down and the Ashes safe in Australian hands before they wake up and realise that some of these players don't want to be there. They have given up.
The management are guilty of complacency. They have persevered with players who have been struggling for some time. They have picked players on reputation, not form. They fell for the statement from KP that he wanted 10,000 Test runs and thought he was committed to the task. He ain't. He's only really interested in 20/20 now and the big bucks. When it gets a bit tough at Test level, he chucks it away, knowing he'll get another chance. He's not getting any younger and the fantastic eye he had for playing across the line is now deserting him and his lack of technique is now finding him out.
Matt Prior is surviving on reputation alone and Alistair Cook's game is in pieces again. Jonathan Trott is finished mentally. He will never be able to play quick bowling at the highest level again.
I hope we don't limp to 0-5 with the same players underperforming but will the management ( who all have to go anyway after this debacle ) make enough changes and at least bring in players who want to fight for the cause.

Yup. Cannot get rid of Cook though - he is a class above everyone else. He can step down as Captain though to concentrate on batting.

 

[vegster]

Yup. Cannot get rid of Cook though - he is a class above everyone else. He can step down as Captain though to concentrate on batting.

That's the problem, its difficult to step down as captain and stay in the team. But, I agree, Cook can bounce back as a batsman but never really was a decent captain. Good individual performances and some fortunate weather has covered up his failings.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Well that's a load of balderdash. Prior has hardly played this season. He had the 8 Tests this year plus a few four day county matches, in which often he was picked as a batsman and didn't keep plus a few one day games. Central contracts mean that Test Squad players have very little actual play. Add to that the fact that the one dayers and 20/20 squads are different too means he hardly picks up a bat in malice.

20 years ago good county/Test players had a grind of county/60 overs matches/55 over matches and 40 over Sunday League matches on top of Tests and one day internationals. Moron.

Matt Prior can't play hostile bowling near his body. He is chicken. He doesn't want to get hit or hurt. The Aussies know that if they bowl on or around off-stump to him he will knick one to the keeper. He is just happy to get out of the firing line.
As long as he can free his arms and hit wide, short-pitched bowling, he's alright. Tiring bowlers and an old ball, late in the day and he may slap a cameo 50. Any pressure and he won't last.
Its not his fault. Mentally he's not strong enough. I wasn't kidded by his ' up and at em ' comments before this Test, ' fighting fire with fire, going on the attack, rather than defending ' etc. He is one of the reasons we are in this mess and he hasn't got the bottle to dig in and try and battle out of this hole we are in.
Too much cricket...I agree...what a load of bollocks. You are either up for the fight or not. There is nothing bigger than this...an Ashes series. Its like listening to apologists for England's abject display in the 2010 World Cup ( football ) claiming tiredness for poor performances.
Three Tests is long enough for players to show some fight and improvement. Time has run out for Matt Prior, together with some of his complacent colleagues.

 

[banjo]

I was really looking forward to this series, I thought it was going to be a real close run thing with the Aussies not being able to get any worse and An England team in decline. Oh well theres alwaŷs next time.