Ashes 2021-22.

[Durhamfootman]

still..... at least there's the Hundred

[Red Devil]

Disappointing again from England but tbh pretty much the scoreline I expected after Eng were batting first. Feels like deja vu

[yuppie]

Maybe England should listen to Punter.

[Arthur Crabtree]

England's top seven 1984-1986:

Gooch...36.2
Broad...32.7
Lamb...40.1
Gower...33.5
Gatting...33.9
R.Smith...49.5
Russell...45.3

England's top seven 1994-1996:

Stewart...47.6
Atherton...44.8
Hick...39.5
Smith...37.0
Thorpe...39.1
Crawley...33.7
Russell...32.5

England's top seven 2019-2021:

Sibley...28.9
Burns...31.5
Crawley...27.7
Root...49.1
Stokes...41.8
Pope...30.9
Buttler...28.7

In the last group, also

Denly...29.5
Bairstow...21.8
Lawrence...27.2
Malan...38.5
Hameed...19.8

Also played five Tests or fewer, Roy, Jennings, Bracey, Foakes.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Picked the top six scorers, plus top scoring keeper in each period.

[sussexpob]

Hard to know where to start. I separate Joe Root from criticism of batting failures because let's face it...he got out to a lame shot, but if all the top 6 scored 50 and got out to a terrible ball, we probably wouldn't be losing this pathetically. And despite Ben Stokes horrendous innings even I am not going to after a guy being thrown in with zero cricket after time off with a mental illness.... the guy has no chance and should be at home ploughing into a turkey.

Bairstow got 9 lives and still made only 30. Buttler decided at 100-5 to go T20. Hameed hasn't the talent to back his desire. Crawley hasn't the defence to back up his offensive splendour.

This batting line up could go missing in the bush between tests, and you get the feeling as long as Root missed the bus, we wouldn't notice. I refuse to believe a county XI Z team could do consistently worse.

But hey.... The coach and captain tell us they had words. They have passion...lalala.

Shame sport isn't about any of that nonsense.... Because hardly any of this lot have skill

[Arthur Crabtree]

I stole this from a post in the Guardian. It's an actual statement from before the tour by the ECB. Get this...

Graham Thorpe will head up the Ashes preparation period until Head Coach Chris Silverwood arrives in Australia. Working alongside England batting coach Graham Thorpe will be Elite Pace Bowling Coach Jon Lewis. The Lions contingent will have a wealth of experience, including Carl Hopkinson (Elite Fielding Coach), Bruce French (Wicketkeeping Consultant) and Jonathan Trott (Batting Consultant). Completing the set-up will be Kent's Head of Talent Pathway Min Patel and Nottinghamshire coach Ant Botha, who have both been seconded from the County network for the tour.

Once England's ICC Men's T20 World Cup commitments are complete and a 14-day quarantine period is served on the Gold Coast, England Men's Head Coach Chris Silverwood, Assistant Coach Paul Collingwood, Elite Spin Coach Jeetan Patel and Wicketkeeping Consultant James Foster will join the Ashes party in Brisbane.

England have been preparing for a corporate takeover, not an Ashes tour. No wonder they're struggling.

[sussexpob]

The barmy army's Twitter account has been a tour highlight. Their refusal to be anything but positive is hilarious

[bigfluffylemon]

Sussex said it all really.

Root should be going on, but it's hard to blame him too much when everything is falling apart around him.

Stokes is eating up a lot of deliveries but can't seem to turn the strike over or score. None of his usual fluency. You j just feel he needs one good innings to get going, but he may be too in his own head.

On the rest, Bairstow insists they're trying. So that's all right then.

[sussexpob]

I don't want to lay into stokes, but he looked pretty rubbish save for one trademark six into row Z. He's playing a lot round his pads, front foot planted. He tried to make up for that today by using his feet to express pace bowling, which seemed mad. He then played the same ramp shot a few times getting nowhere near the ball, finally hitting one and chipping a bit of catching practice to the fielder.

He looks pretty much what he is....a man who's barely played recently being thrown to the sharks. England and the English press sort of promoted him as a superhuman game changer who'd just waltz in and win with his superpowers.

Don't work like that. Ben will have his days in the future, but right now I'm not sure why he's there. I'd have probably insisted some cricket and some rest under his belt would have been better and unleashed him next summer.

Doubly so considering the reason for his absence. I just hope for a guy with mental health issues this tour won't open wounds due to the pressure and criticism they will get after, and he gets home healthy.

[Durhamfootman]

some cricket under his belt?

that's commie talk, mister

How very old fashioned

If England applied that to every member of their test team they wouldn't have anyone in it, no matter when or where they played these series..... since when does Stokes get special treatment? As far as the ECB are concerned, with all the money they pay him, he shouldn't need any of that nonsense.... just get the press to keep saying 'Headingley' and the Aussies will be so scared they'll just throw the series away..... job's a good 'un

Even in the English spring, England players only get to turn out once or twice for their counties in case they get injured or a bit tired.... "here you go son, these are your two appearances for your county for the year... now don't forget they have to last you 12 months, so don't waste it.... and don't put any effort in... we can't afford to have you on the physio table when the Hundred starts..... we've got money to make.... so think on!

[Durhamfootman]

and Stokes never gets to turn out for his county, btw, not in red ball cricket at least and not much in white ball either..... he always needs the rest according to England

[Durhamfootman]

and for clarity here.... I'm not having a go at Stokes either

[Arthur Crabtree]

Labuschagne out. That opens the door a litte.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Some covid in the Engand party so this might end faster than it takes England to collapse again.