Ashes 2025-26.

[sussexpob]

Meanwhile, the only two people who England have in the squad to come in for Adelaide are getting an annihilation in the Lions game.

England - 166
Australia - 550/7

Bashir brought his wicketless 100 up in 22 overs.... he ended 0/115
Bethell failed with the bat, and got Xavier Bartlett with the ball... but not before XB made his best ever score in cricket and too Bethell for 60 off 10 odd overs. Bethell has 1 x 50 in his last 12 matches to add to his miserable overall record. No one scored more than 31 for the Lions, all the bowlers have been shanked around. We have no one to come in for the 3rd test.

Meanwhile, England will be playing themselves as a squad out this funk by taking a whole week off on the beach in Noosa before going straight into the test at Adelaide. A week on the beach, ten days off for golf between the 1-2nd tests....and Stokes has the audacity to tell us we are all mongs for insisting they might do well to play a little bit?

England badly need some time against a lower ranked side to work out these pitches.

Pope's catastrophe is particularly (and rightfully) being pounded

[GarlicJam]

Even Agnew, AGNEW!!!!!!!!!!! is on the war path.

I just watched a clip of Aggers bemoaning the lack of accountability. He was exasperated and looked depressed. I almost felt sorry for him.

[sussexpob]

Even Agnew, AGNEW!!!!!!!!!!! is on the war path.

I just watched a clip of Aggers bemoaning the lack of accountability. He was exasperated and looked depressed. I almost felt sorry for him.

Bet you feel like a pig in shite, GJ.

Fair play.... I dont blame the Aussie media/fans for jumping on England after the whole Moral victory balls, and the insulting way a lot them disregarded Australia as an appalling team pre-series. This team have been pretty self-absorbed and arrogant for a while, they can reap what they sow...

[GarlicJam]

Bet you feel like a pig in shite, GJ.

Much less so than I thought I would.

Aggers is a very likable commentator, and I felt bad at just how despondent he appeared.

I will take delight in the downfall of McCullum though. Never have been a fan of hypocrisy or arrogance. I am sure that it won't happen (unlike with English Football), but McCullum being sacked before the end of the series would be an absolute hoot.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Obviously the Aussies will win and are much the better side... But if Stokes comes off and the tail hangs around, as they can, they could set Australia about 150 just as the lights go on. Onviously there more chance of getting run over, but there are 3.5 Tests left in the series and England have no business giving up.

[GarlicJam]

That's the spirit, Arthur.

Yes, England still are in with a chance - and if they did manage to pull this off, it would be an Aus loss that I would struggle to cope with. It would be an England win that I definitely would not cope with.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Hmm. Well I don't want that!

[backfootpunch]

That's the spirit, Arthur.

Yes, England still are in with a chance - and if they did manage to pull this off, it would be an Aus loss that I would struggle to cope with. It would be an England win that I definitely would not cope with.

Honestly at this point i think losing 5 nil would be a good thing

If say it meant mccullum was removed and someone like trott was appointed

The jolly boys golf tour needs to end

The fans have had enough

[alfie]

Well that was pretty grim - unless you are an Australian fan

Not unexpected though. Damage had been largely done already with dreadful bowling and worse catching on day two. Did hope they might have kept the Australian innings under 450 but the admirable Starc and Boland killed that notion ; and once they got a lead of 177 with the England boys out on their feet after five sessions in the heat the night session collapse was almost inevitable. Forced myself to watch anyway out of a sort of morbid curiosity. Just as I have scanned all the (understandable) ranting on this and other sites in the wake of this latest disaster

Can't deny this has been a bitter disappointment for me as much as anyone. I had limited hopes for this series primarily because I had little faith in the England batting , with a top three just not of the standard of previous successful teams (eg Boycott/Luckhurst/Edrich 70/71 ; Cook/Strauss/Trott 10/11) ; but thought the bowling unit would be able to take advantage of a less than settled Australian batting line-up. First day Perth that looked feasible. But since then

Still not sure why the bowling became so ragged so quickly. Upset by the early belligerence from Head in Perth , perhaps ; but professional bowlers should be better able to recover their act and not fall apart again even before the heat sapped their energy...yesterday's performance was appalling and a look at the pitch maps of the two sides shows the gulf between the attacks. Batsmen are fairly being castigated for their failings but to me this match was lost in the field before this second innings even started. Which is a huge worry for England looking to the future because with Broad and Anderson - and Woakes - all gone , Wood surely on his last legs , Archer revealed as a false prophet and Carse's promise apparently a bit of an early aberration I am not sure where the attack goes in the short to medium term. To say nothing of a bare spin cupboard...

As for that batting : nothing much changed . top three doing as I expected in Australia ; Brook and Smith both being found out when not facing either weak attacks or batting on roads - or both. Main trouble is the replacements aren't obvious. Lions already being schooled by Aussie A teams , and the main squad contains just one reserve bat who is also predictably failing along with them. And does anyone seriously think reverting to Hameed and Sibley or Burns would have brought about better results ? Maybe saying goodbye to McCullum and bringing in some Stern Headmaster Type coach to enforce rigid discipline and naughty boy nets will miraculously turn these flawed players into consistent all weather performers ; but I have my doubts.

Hey I have managed a rant of my own

Sun came up here this morning. Don't really expect a 200 run stand between Stokes and Jacks but will keep watching , as the game - and series - remains technically alive and so more appealing for viewing than the prospect of dead rubbers in Melbourne and Sydney - again. And hoping against all reason that this team will be able to somehow pull itself together to make a true contest of Adelaide - where conditions ought to be a little less unfamiliar and not so influenced by the timing of artificial lighting. Will worry about which heads must roll and whose might replace them when all this is over...

Don't blame UK residents for not getting out of bed early on Sunday though

[GarlicJam]

Hmm. Well I don't want that!

thanks

[GarlicJam]

yesterday I turned the tellie on an hour before play started, same as today. Both times the England team were playing keepy uppy, yesterday all I saw of the Australians was Carey practicing his keeping drills.

Not a good look, when the team is on the wrong end of a potential hiding.

[GarlicJam]

I can understand that he is one of many at the moment, but Michael Vaughan was really laying into the England management over the litany of shortcomings and failures that he listed. This was on the telly broadcast before the first session today.

It was forceful stuff, and very well articulated, I thought.

[bigfluffylemon]

Looks far from unplayable out there.

[bigfluffylemon]

At least we've made Australia bat again. So a 9 or 10 wicket win rather than an innings.

[alfie]

I can understand that he is one of many at the moment, but Michael Vaughan was really laying into the England management over the litany of shortcomings and failures that he listed. This was on the telly broadcast before the first session today.

It was forceful stuff, and very well articulated, I thought.

Didn't see that. I don't much like Vaughan as a commentator because he seems to change with the weather - and often strikes me as a man in quest of a smart headline. He does often make some good points I will grant. But easier to criticize from the boundary than work with the players to improve , I guess.