Benjamin_Nevis Posted December 9, 2021 Share Posted December 9, 2021 There's a credible case that Root is England's best spinner, or at least the best one in the touring party. Root can at least tie up an end, imo. Leach is utterly pointless, hopeless with the bat, gets smacked all over the place unless conditions are on his side, and only seems to take a wicket when batsmen take massive risks against him. It's going to be a long, Kong your for him (and England) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted December 9, 2021 Share Posted December 9, 2021 The Ashes: England's Jack Leach given 'a hospital pass', says Phil Tufnell - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/59579980As much as I don't rate Leach, Tuffers speaks a lot of sense here. Given how little he has played, he should never have been in the team for this one. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Khaki Posted December 9, 2021 Share Posted December 9, 2021 England can't control the weather, but it's not the first time they've travelled down there to play an Ashes series and turned up at the first Test not having played any red ball cricket in months. In fact, it seems to be the case on every single tour now. I get that modern cricket schedules mean that you can't do the old thing of turning up by boat in October and playing every single pub team in Australia before you take on the Cons, but its a problem that seems to plague England while other nations turn up fit and raring to go. I do remember Australia looking ill-prepared for a 1st Ashes test in England back in 1999, but that was a one-off and they got their shit together pretty rapidly, whereas this seems to be a perpetual issue for England which invariably puts them in a losing, defeated position before things have really got going. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted December 9, 2021 Share Posted December 9, 2021 England can't control the weather, but it's not the first time they've travelled down there to play an Ashes series and turned up at the first Test not having played any red ball cricket in months. In fact, it seems to be the case on every single tour now. I get that modern cricket schedules mean that you can't do the old thing of turning up by boat in October and playing every single pub team in Australia before you take on the Cons, but its a problem that seems to plague England while other nations turn up fit and raring to go. I do remember Australia looking ill-prepared for a 1st Ashes test in England back in 1999, but that was a one-off and they got their shit together pretty rapidly, whereas this seems to be a perpetual issue for England which invariably puts them in a losing, defeated position before things have really got going.Obviously Covid didn't help this time as the only warm ups were among themselves, and the lack of red ball cricket affects other countries in the same way as their players also roll in the money on the numerous T20 leagues. Maybe it's time to face the facts that lots of these current England players just aren't very good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Khaki Posted December 9, 2021 Share Posted December 9, 2021 Quote Maybe it's time to face the facts that lots of these current England players just aren't very good. I don't think that's ever been in doubt tbh, certainly not by me. Root, Stokes, the two geriatric seamers, maybe Mark Wood at a push. Those are the only players I think are genuine Test quality. I really like Jos Buttler, but the truth is he's a white ball specialist that they're trying to cram into the Test side because of the convenient fact that they don't actually have any Test calibre WK's. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lichtie78 Posted December 9, 2021 Share Posted December 9, 2021 Imo Leach is still living off his partnership with Stokes, he doesn't offer a real wicket taking threat or control the run rate.Exactly, he’s really only gotten a wicket today because Labuschagne wasn’t treating him as a proper bowler. Bess took a 4 for in the Aus A vs Lions game, but he’s not any better. Really would be as well going with root + 4 seamers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 400 up for Australia with 2 wickets still in hand. Is there a worst team in world cricket at finishing off the tail than England? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 England start out with a deficit of 278. Burns at least avoids a king pair. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 Burns given out lbw on the last ball of the over but survives on review. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Khaki Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 Watch England somehow make this pitch look like a minefield. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clockwork Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 Burns survives a third ball scare to win a review, but it won’t be long if he continues like this. His balance, crease position and erratic head movement look so wrong. He bats as though he doesn’t have a clue where his stumps are. You would think by now that the coaching staff would have got to work on his basic technique. At least he’s off the pair now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Khaki Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 Burns reminds me of Phil Hughes. Same fidgety, unorthodox, visibly deficient technique. Baffles me how these guys actually get selected to play Test cricket when they are so obviously flawed. You'd think that would be ironed out in their teens before they really get to 1st class cricket. Doesn't matter one iota how good your eye is if your technique is all over the place. At Test level you will get found out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 (edited) 2 wickets down in the first 45 minutes after lunch. Burns first to go in the first over, a ball from Cummins that reared up and caught him high on the bat. Hameed was just starting to look very settled when he glanced one down leg side to Carey. Root now trying to avoid a pair. Edited December 10, 2021 by peasy23 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 Root and Malan doing well, Malan has had about 15 played and misses though but got away with it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
die hard doonhamer Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 5 hours ago, Boo Khaki said: Burns reminds me of Phil Hughes. Same fidgety, unorthodox, visibly deficient technique. Baffles me how these guys actually get selected to play Test cricket when they are so obviously flawed. You'd think that would be ironed out in their teens before they really get to 1st class cricket. Doesn't matter one iota how good your eye is if your technique is all over the place. At Test level you will get found out. Steve Smith would disagree. Top effort from Root and Malan to finish the day on 220/2 and both not out in the 80s. Trail by 58, but there’s a big opportunity here to get a reasonable lead on the board and put Australia under pressure. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eednud Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 Media here reporting that Hobart will be confirmed this weekend as the venue for the Fifth Test. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 Media here reporting that Hobart will be confirmed this weekend as the venue for the Fifth Test.They had a lengthy chat about it during commentary. Shane Warne was making the point that this could be Hobart's last chance if the crowds don't turn out. The last test it hosted had a total attendance of 29k, with 12k the highest for one of the days. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kullibino Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 3 hours ago, Eednud said: Media here reporting that Hobart will be confirmed this weekend as the venue for the Fifth Test. Will the managed to smuggle the Snicko guy over the Bass Straights? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Khaki Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 12 hours ago, die hard doonhamer said: Steve Smith would disagree. Top effort from Root and Malan to finish the day on 220/2 and both not out in the 80s. Trail by 58, but there’s a big opportunity here to get a reasonable lead on the board and put Australia under pressure. Steve Smith's unorthodox, but his technique is nowhere near as much of a dog's breakfast as the likes of Hughes or Burns. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 England gonna England. 3 wickets down in just over half an hour and Australia right on top again. 234-5, still 44 behind. Lyon gets his 400th and 401st Test wickets. Buttler and Stokes at the crease now and the new ball only a couple of overs away. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.