Lousy preparation = first Home Ashes loss since 86-87?

86-87 was an interesting series when you look at the stats.

Aus had 3 batsmen who averaged over 50 - Jones, Mo Matthews (*cough*) and AB, as well as another 3 who managed over 40. England only had 2 over 50 but Chris Broad was stellar with 3 tons and an average of 69+. Gower was the other over 50. Then only Gatt managed an average in the 40s.

The bowling saw Chooky Reid as the best bowler with 20 wickets at 26. But no other Aus bowler took more than 10 wickets. England had 3 bowlers with 15 or more wickets, all averaging in the 30s, + Gladdy Small with 12 wickets at 15.

Clearly England won all the big moments, like Beefy's 138 in the 1st Test in Brisbane.

Merlin wrote:

JKLever wrote:Bollocks Skully. Our opening pace bowling average 34+

We have one world class batsman who is in no kind of form.

As Dellboy said, we won't take 20 wickets once all tour.

Nor will the bushmen.
So looks like a boring 0-0 series draw with England retaining the coveted urn.

Suits me.

Nah, Aus will throw away wickets going for runs rather than settle for boring draws. Maybe that's the game plan? Bore Aus out.

I hope it isn't a boring series either skullers ...
frankly, contrary to the Dellboy's and Lever's miserable gloom and doom, I'd place a lot more faith in Broadly, Huck and Swanny for us than Michelle, The Rug and fat-boy Sniff for your lot ...

Roll on November.

Agreed on all three points, Merls.

Ironically, English preparation will be better than it has been for some time - with three F/C matches before the first test.

So Bas agrees. Engulund will sh!t the Ashes in.

Nice of Aus to pack us off to Hobart just before the Brisbane test

I think, you're being unduly pessimistic, Skully. No rational person, including the few still remaining in Pommy-land, gave Gatt's team, the remotest chance Down Under in 1986. England had been comprehensively minced and shredded (and that was just Gatt's nose!) 5-0 by the West Indian Mean Machine on their previous tour and were then rolled over by both India and New Zealand at home.

Gatt had yet to win a match as captain, Botham had been convicted of marijuana possession and had been banned for 4 Tests and even when he returned it was clear he was in decline as a player (the 1986-7 series was to turn out to be his last hurrah as an all-rounder despite a comeback at The Oval against the Windies in '91 to level the series and an improbable return as Gooch's opening partner in the '92 WC).

Some of the selections were seen as curious, if not downright eccentric. Broad had been dropped 2 years before for slow scoring against Sri Lanka, the idea that Jack Richards would substitute for Bruce French behind the stumps was viewed as ludicrous and the prospect of Gladstone Small opening the bowling was viewed in the same way that the prospect of Luke Wright letting go the first ball in Brisbane next November might be viewed today.

And yet...Captain Pugwash managed to bring his pirate crew together and steal the treasure (as well as win all the 1-day competitions including against the Windies). Fat Gatt captained England in 23 Tests in 7 different series until a combination of Shakhoor Rana and a Leicestershire barmaid ejected him from the post. He only ever won 2 Tests and 1 series. Fortunately it was the only series that counted.

Do not despair, Skully, all will come right...or not, as the case may be.

Fat Gatt captained England in 23 Tests in 7 different series until a combination of Shakhoor Rana, a daily swilling of seven pork pies at lunch and six meat pasties at supper and a Leicestershire barmaid ejected him from the post.

Fixed.

PS. Re: Shakoor Rana - WELL DONE GATT.... the cheating qunt Rana needed sorting.

I thought the pork pies and pasties got him the job in the first place!

That 86-87 Engulund side carried all before them in that tour. Not only did they retain the Ashes, but won the special JAMODI series to celebrate the America's Cup (IIRC) and the World Series Cup. Gatt looked an absolute genius in the end.

Badest of bad memories.

and that was only 12 months after Paddles had pulled our pants down


dark days

The darkest in all my time following the Grouse Game. But it made 1989 oh so good!!

And that's why you sooking constantly about the current team is so festive . .. our time will come again, and how farkin grouse will it be?

skully wrote:That 86-87 Engulund side carried all before them in that tour. Not only did they retain the Ashes, but won the special JAMODI series to celebrate the America's Cup (IIRC) and the World Series Cup. Gatt looked an absolute genius in the end.

Badest of bad memories.

And then, less than a year later...

Spoiler:

Hardly needs a "spoiler" for that.

More like a family-sized box of tissues for you guys. ...

I like to build the suspense for the gullible.

I know it's true.


But tac is not even around at the mo, is he?

He was here earlier. And there's always skully, or taips, or merls... The list goes on.

I am glad you didn't include Marty, the Richelieu of this forum.

Or shoudl that be Rasputin?

Pancake-flat Indian pitches are also probably the worst place to try to recalibrate misfiring spearhead

Mitchell Johnson, who returned a woeful average of 72 in the two Tests against Pakistan in England.

then don't pick him, so he'll get confidence in the Shield

skully wrote:That 86-87 Engulund side carried all before them in that tour. Not only did they retain the Ashes, but won the special JAMODI series to celebrate the America's Cup (IIRC) and the World Series Cup. Gatt looked an absolute genius in the end.

Badest of bad memories.

First away series I ever watched.

BBC carried the final day of the first test live I think, and I remember listening all night to the Sydney test when Embers was bowled with an over to go (after Border had cheated claiming a catch off noneck Small) on a crackly reception on the radio. Was too tired to go to school the next day and got a bollocking.

And it stuck.