Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

All the top seven apart from Cook got a good start, at least getting to 40, but no one got a ton. They showed they could make runs, but were outthought once in. That exposes a big weakness in the England batting.

Odd , that.

Would generally expect once they were "in" they'd have started to find things easier ; and at least some would have gone on with it. Though of course only Smith went on with it for Australia (not counting the second Aus innings where the fizz was gone from the game after a dozen or so overs)

Do think that England bats these days generally aren't as geared to batting endlessly onwards , even on placid wickets , as their counterparts from Australia or India , for example. Even when a Root or a Stokes , say , gets a big hundred they usually get it pretty fast. So when they have to grind out the runs time gets them making a mistake - sometimes with minimal actual impact from the bowler (Vince run out , Malan careless hook ) I guess I'm suggesting it is primarily a failure of concentration rather than skill.

Which may give a glimmer of hope : if some of the other wickets are a bit livelier , although there may be a few cheap dismissals , that will probably apply to both sides : and the advantage that a Smith marathon confers over a Root frisky fifty might not weigh in...

Alternatively Cook might settle in - when he does get going he is one player we know doesn't get tired of batting ! Not sure what he was thinking of second innings...

One can hope that this match provided the serious match practice that was missing from the flimsy warm ups and they are all better for the experience. Otherwise it is going to be a rough tour.

I hope we aussies don't get too carried away with this belting of a crappy Pommy cricket outfit,our team is only about 50% as good as our earlier teams,( how many of the current side would make it into the teams of the Chappel Brothers,Steve Waugh's side Alan Borders side,Rick Ponting's side ????) not many I would say. Frankly I think the pommies team is very poor quality players.
Finally I would like to congratulate Steve Smith & Cummings on their magnificent stand that enabled Australia to thump the poms,well controlled batting from both boys.

Yes good display by your boys Wiljoy.

Good post Alfie. I think that's right.

Yes, England needs players who can play long innings, like some Aussie players and Indians.

Chet batted so long that the bowlers were tired and it allowed Virat and Rohit to flourish. Smith and Michael Clarke are also long stay players. These players stay on the ground as if they have paid rent of wicket for 2 days one night. Imo Cook is also one of such player who has bored opponents to highest possible state. The player who bores the opponent's most is Chet and Cook is next boring batsman for opponents. Problem is that Cook cannot produce these 200 plus knocks frequently. I think he scored one 200 in last few months. Some other English batter has to play the long innings when Cook is not scoring a big ton or double. Otherwise with the other players capable of scoring only 50 odds the totals will be less and opponents won't be under score board pressure. For posting mammoth totals of 500 and 600, England will need Cook and Joe. I cannot see other batters in this team capable of playing for one and half day or more.

Congrats to the Aussies - a fitting day and moment to remember the late Phil Hughes.

Think the bad part of the first test for an england perspective was the failures of Cook and root.
Cook because he failed all times in this series so far and Root for getting out in a similar way and giving an Australian team an opening to getting him out with him falling over at the crease and being vulnerable to the lbw.
Actually think Root definitely need a score in the second test otherwise it could be a tough series for root and the England team for the rest of the series.
Don't really expect cook to get a score at all in the series so no point mentioning him.
from the english batsman this test, Stoneman looks the most assured and looks like he can do well in this series, can't say the same for the rest of the batsman.

Bob willis Verdict for the Ashes test.
Got to feel for the Sky commentators though apart from Athers and Botham none of them are in australia working on the series and the commentators have to do the reporting or covering of the series either on the papers or on Sky sports cricket site.
actually surprised Sky sports are covering the Ashes properly expected them to act like the Ashes didn't exist this winter.
http://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/1 ... e-and-more

England need something from key players for whom this Ashes is probably sees them entering what should be their peak, mainly Root, Mo, Bairstow, Woakes. Stokes would have been in this category. England's future probably depends on how dominant they can be.

I'm expecting England to thump the Aussies in Adelaide.

It's the way test series seem to go these days, especially between sides that on paper are not to far apart in quality terms.

backfootpunch wrote:Jake ball needs to learn how to bowl a bouncer

Bowled some appalling ones

Get them at the body not 10 foot over their head outside off

Makes Overton's omission more baffling, if Ball was playing an enforcer role he should already have the bouncer delivery in his armoury.

Wonder if Cummins may be rested at adelaide? Has played a lot of tests recently, given his history, and im sure Sayers will play at Adelaide..wonder if cummins might sit one out..?

More likely than the last Mitch or Haze sitting it out I think.

A bit wishful thinking, referring to him as the Last Mitch, Arthur.

For a start, the factory is still going strong, there are plenty to come yet.

Also, you haven't seen the last of Mitch 3. He will be back in Aus colours. At least that's my prediction. He may even replace his brother, when he wears out his current welcome (or injures himself)

Dr Cricket wrote:Think the bad part of the first test for an england perspective was the failures of Cook and root.
Cook because he failed all times in this series so far
Don't really expect cook to get a score at all in the series so no point mentioning him.

I wish I could argue this point, but I have a sneaking suspicion that you're right, even if you're a bit blunt about it. This might be one tour too far.