England v Australia, 4th Test, Chester-Le-Street, 9-13 August, 2013

embee wrote:

lardbucket wrote:

beamer wrote:Root may have got a good one in the end but 7 failures out of 8 at the top of the order, there is a major problem there. Trott needs to get back to playing like Trott again. And I'm almost hoping Bairstow doesn't get 50 or so here or we're stuck with him for the whole winter.

I'd send Root back to Yorkshire for the rest of the summer to work on his technique against the new ball. Putting him down to 6 would give the Aussies too much sledging ammunition and if we want him as an opener long term he needs to keep working on that side of his game in county cricket rather than hidden away down the order for England. There's plenty of time for him of course.

You'd drop him, two games after making 180? Tough call, just wrong IMO.

TAYPODGE was dropped 2 Tests after he got a double ton ...which was the correct call

Dizzy?

Everything has to be put into context as well. An average of 30 in this series is not all that bad.

Brass Monkey wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:What's a failure? 30? 13 not out?

The 13no he got dropped.

He's been dire, let's face it. Not as dire as Bairstow.

Rogers got dropped yesterday, as did Watson.

Has any player in Ashes history ever caused so much frustration for BOTH sets of supporters as IR Bell?

Mouthfuls either from one side or other throughout his career to date.

Henry wrote:Everything has to be put into context as well. An average of 30 in this series is not all that bad.

Only by comparison with the rest of the team... the pitches haven't been ones where top batsmen should average 30. The runs scored by the tail show that. It's just that very few on either side have played like top class batsmen. Obviously we're not going to discard those with proven track records over the best part of 100 Tests on the back of one bad series so the less experienced players will always be in the firing line if the batting line-up isn't functioning.

Anyway, the match probably rests on this partnership, we're effectively into the tail after this.

Gary 111 wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:What's a failure? 30? 13 not out?

The 13no he got dropped.

He's been dire, let's face it. Not as dire as Bairstow.

Rogers got dropped yesterday, as did Watson.

You're cruising for a bruising, Gaz!

I feel a bit sorry for Root as well in regards to the hype generated around him. There was some ridiculously gushing articles after his century against New Zealand. It's not like he ASKED to be labelled the next golden boy of English batting.

He's still a talented 22 year old finding his way.

Series winning partnership.

Well done England.

Gary 111 wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:What's a failure? 30? 13 not out?

The 13no he got dropped.

He's been dire, let's face it. Not as dire as Bairstow.

Rogers got dropped yesterday, as did Watson.

All I'm saying is that it alludes to his weakness outside off.

His incredibly laboured S/R has been similar to Compton's, which elicited shrieks for the latter's head.

We'll have to stick with him now we've made the decision but it's been a rather large failure so far IMO.

It's always heart-in-mouth stuff when KP is facing spin, isn't it.

Almost "stumped and bowled" off the first ball...

Brass Monkey wrote:
His incredibly laboured S/R has been similar to Compton's, which elicited shrieks for the latter's head.

Other scores this series:

Runs(balls)

30(64)
5(31)
6(14)
8(57)
13*(57)
16(52)
2(19)

Tea

37 + 37 = 91


Advantage Australia, but tending much closer to deuce than an hour ago.

So what will England be happy with. 300 lead?

taipan wrote:So what will England be happy with. 300 lead?

They'll be happy with a chicken caesar salad for tea.

Realistically, England would want a minimum of 250 to bowl at in the fourth innings.

taipan wrote:So what will England be happy with. 300 lead?

They'd fire up an open topped bus parade if they got a 300 lead.

200 lead sounds more realistic. The tail begins at the fall of the next wicket.

PeterCS wrote:Tea

37 + 37 = 91


Advantage Australia, but tending much closer to deuce than an hour ago.

Lame attempt there Peter.

150 lead will be plenty. If England could catch this match would already be over.

Brass Monkey wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:What's a failure? 30? 13 not out?

The 13no he got dropped.

He's been dire, let's face it. Not as dire as Bairstow.

Rogers got dropped yesterday, as did Watson.

All I'm saying is that it alludes to his weakness outside off.

His incredibly laboured S/R has been similar to Compton's, which elicited shrieks for the latter's head.

We'll have to stick with him now we've made the decision but it's been a rather large failure so far IMO.

My take is this - opening is a highly specialised position and even the best openers tend to have spells of feasts or famine. You're going to make some low scores, the ball is seaming around and the bowlers are fresh. Once you get in, you have to make it into a good score and punish the bowlers.

With Compo it was a general feeling he was out of his depth - the stiff technique, the flappy aerial drives (even in his tons in NZ). In his last 6 hours at the crease he only hit one genuine (intended) boundary.

I was there on Days 1 & 2 and Root looked much more assured than Cook, or Rogers. But it only takes one good ball on any day and he got one, they survived countless chances and got the runs.

Session started as Australia's but quickly went to England.

Screwed if they can't get this pair out quickly after Tea.

Haddin drops Bell.

Just to expand on that point...

By my reckoning (and Cricinfo's) text commentary Root had played and missed twice and edged short of the slips once when Watson got him out for 16 off 52 balls.

Rogers, 52 balls into his innings, had already played and missed 3 times, outside edged 3 times short or through the slips, inside edged it past his stumps 3 times and survived 3 LBW appeals (including two that were referred). It was Rogers day, maybe at the Ovsl it'll be Root's?

By the end of Rogers innings 110 off 250 balls I reckon he had played and missed 14 times, outside edged it short/through the field 11 times, been dropped once, inside edged it 7 times and survived 4 LBW appeals and 1 stumping. When it's your day it's your day!

JGK wrote:Haddin drops Bell.

Catch of the millennium if he had held that one...

JGK wrote:

PeterCS wrote:Tea

37 + 37 = 91


Advantage Australia, but tending much closer to deuce than an hour ago.

Lame attempt there Peter.

150 lead will be plenty.  If England could catch this match would already be over.

A lame attempt at realism

To adopt the old saying:

"In the Kingdom of the Reverse Woof, the one-eyed dog is god."

JGK wrote:Haddin drops Bell.

Clanger?