*Official* Fourth Test (Old Trafford, Manchester) 19-23 July

[GIMH]

If it was a Team of the Series so far then someone like Marsh is getting in.

The team I was alluding to was a literal best in their position, it was based on form over the last 2-3 years rather than being a career (hence no Warner/Anderson) or series thing (hence no Crawley/Wood/Woakes/Starc).

I picked Duckett over Crawley because he's quite clearly the better of the two right now - their record speak for themselves.

There's definitely a few conversations to be had and I think Hazlewood v Woakes is a good one. If Bairstow could catch then his h2h with Carey would have also been a good one.

If it’s based on the last 2-3 years then Anderson opens the bowling with Cummins

 

[wpdavid]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1683424540897026050

tbh seeing the obnoxious Morgan being upset almost makes the result enjoyable for me. Find some evidence that Lawrence Fox feels the same way and I'll even have a celebratory beer.

 

[Croadymeister]

Agree- poms would be leading 3-0 if they prepared 'fast' and 'green' wickets. The entire plan was an abysmal failure. The two tests that Aus won- they benefited from the flatness in the pitch.

Yeah dumb planning on our part and boy did it blow right up in our faces when it mattered most

 

[Croadymeister]

While England were clearly better in this game both sides would have to reflect on their tactics. Australia's bowling was as bad as England's batting was brilliant. I'm not so sure the wickets have been fast - at least at the length we bowled. English pitches are 'quicker" at a different length. When its pitched up and seaming they go at a fair clip. Bashing the middle - not so much.

The weather forecast was always a factor and Stokes batting on seemed in defiance of it. Eventually it gave Marnus the time to save Aus along with the weather. So Stokes appears to have declared too early and too late in this series. Both hard judgments but Aus has benefitted from them.

Yeah declared too early at the start and too late at the end of the series. I can't help but be really angry at why we felt the need to bat on so long in second innings. The forecast was predicted to be awful and needed much time as possible to get them out. We absolutely blew this chasing personal milestones instead of our mantra of we will chase whatever is needed to win.

 

[mackembhoy]

So funny reading that "England were robbed of the Ashes" and "cruel that series decided by rain"

England have not won the Ashes because they lost the first two tests. There's a reason only Don Bradman's team have ever won a series from 0-2 down

There's surely not one sane cricket fan feeling we've been robbed by the rain.

As much as I'd have liked to win 5-0, as we've been on the end of too many drubbings in Australia.

2-2 with it all to play for in the final test would have been amazing. Surely a lot of the reason we enjoy cricket is the battle and not the result.

For the series to have pretty just ended thanks to the weather is just a bit of a damp squib. Hard to get as excited for the final test now as a spectacle on our side of things.

The game was set to be on terrestrial tv for the first time since 2005 had we won at Old Trafford. Would have been the best viewing figures for a test in England in a generation. Instead behind a paywall and probably be the least watched test of the series.

I'm fully aware the rain isn't why we lost. But it's had a decisive action the outcome of the series.

 

[mackembhoy]

Are the comparisons drawn not based on the amount of interest and anticipation the series has produced around the country? Also the tense and competitive nature of each completed Test? Think it’s been much more captivating and exciting than the 2009 and 2019 series and closer to 2005 than either.

Both sides were stronger in 2005, not sure that’s in question!

This and for it to end somewhat in a damp squib is a real shame. Especially when the final test was set to go back on terrestrial tv

My generation fell in love with the game thanks to 2005, I remember legging it home after school to watch the fifth test. We had the joy of it being on Channel 4 so anyone could watch.

I'm gutted that this generation hasn't got the excitement this last test would have brought. Sure schools just broke up for summer on Friday too.

 

[Croadymeister]

This and for it to end somewhat in a damp squib is a real shame. Especially when the final test was set to go back on terrestrial tv

My generation fell in love with the game thanks to 2005, I remember legging it home after school to watch the fifth test. We had the joy of it being on Channel 4 so anyone could watch.

I'm gutted that this generation hasn't got the excitement this last test would have brought. Sure schools just broke up for summer on Friday too.

Yeah and it's all down to batting on too long for Jonny is why we have sadly lost that opportunity

 

[GIMH]

Was Bairstow even on 50 when Anderson went out to bat? And Jimmy was padded up in plenty of time. It’s a bit of a myth that we stayed out there for Bairstow.

 

[Croadymeister]

Was Bairstow even on 50 when Anderson went out to bat? And Jimmy was padded up in plenty of time. It’s a bit of a myth that we stayed out there for Bairstow.

I will never understand why we didn't just put the foot down on that evening session of day 2. We could then have declared much earlier than mid afternoon on day 3. Sadly England didn't show enough awareness this was effectively a 3 day test match.

 

[RIcho]

I think the die was cast with the arrogant and hubristic declaration on the first day of the series. 'Moving the game forward' is one thing, treating your opponents with something not much short of contempt is another. Then abandoning the much vaunted philosophy of Bazball so your red headed mate can score a confidence boosting hundred was the icing on the cake. The cricket gods will not be mocked.
On another note, nice to see Piers Morgan stepping up as spokesman and representative for the average Englishman.

 

[GIMH]

On another note, nice to see Piers Morgan stepping up as spokesman and representative for the average Englishman

Get ****ed

 

[Gob]

Both declarations are silly in their own way and I'm not sure which is worse. Obviously all of it depend on the context of the game and both declarations could have been justified if they were made in different situations.

If the first game was a pink ball test or it was really overcast, that declaration would have been justified but there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the wicket was flat af. So much has been made about Broad getting Warner in that situation but Warner really isn't the big wicket for England and even if Broad dismissed Warner then, harder work was still to come. Although it's worth pointing out that England were 8 down and not 6 so some fans acting like England definitively left 50 runs is, again, silly

Second declaration was bad because it was pretty obvious from the beginning that significant amount of time will be lost to weather and England was the team that needed the win. It was perfectly fine in a game that runs the full length if I state the obvious but they definitely reduced their chances of winning significantly by batting on

 

[Gob]

Heard somewhere that Bairstow did not want Sky to feature Sangakkara in one of the post match interviews because Sanga mildly criticised his keeping earlier

Don't know if it's true but if it is, what a ****ing toss pot. Jonny that is not Sanga

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Heard somewhere that Bairstow did not want Sky to feature Sangakkara in one of the post match interviews because Sanga mildly criticised his keeping earlier

Don't know if it's true but if it is, what a ****ing toss pot. Jonny that is not Sanga

Seems 100% on brand for Bairstow, bloke has always came across like he thinks the whole world has got it in for him

 

[Croadymeister]

Seems 100% on brand for Bairstow, bloke has always came across like he thinks the whole world has got it in for him

Yeah that interview was uncomfortable

 

[Croadymeister]

Both declarations are silly in their own way and I'm not sure which is worse. Obviously all of it depend on the context of the game and both declarations could have been justified if they were made in different situations.

If the first game was a pink ball test or it was really overcast, that declaration would have been justified but there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the wicket was flat af. So much has been made about Broad getting Warner in that situation but Warner really isn't the big wicket for England and even if Broad dismissed Warner then, harder work was still to come. Although it's worth pointing out that England were 8 down and not 6 so some fans acting like England definitively left 50 runs is, again, silly

Second declaration was bad because it was pretty obvious from the beginning that significant amount of time will be lost to weather and England was the team that needed the win. It was perfectly fine in a game that runs the full length if I state the obvious but they definitely reduced their chances of winning significantly by batting on

Yeah you are bang on the money

 

[honestbharani]

Jonny that is not Sanga

@Himannv

 

[SteveNZ]

Why was it the worst? Because no UK player in the top 5? For me, it was a good finish, a US player won and an Indian finished in the top 10 for the 1st time in majors (with a bogey-free Sunday no less)...

I'm an NZer...no worst because it was not really a contest for any period of time. Good on Brian Harman but it wasn't enthralling. Great golf and deserved winner but I didn't enjoy it much

 

[kevinw]

I think the die was cast with the arrogant and hubristic declaration on the first day of the series. 'Moving the game forward' is one thing, treating your opponents with something not much short of contempt is another. Then abandoning the much vaunted philosophy of Bazball so your red headed mate can score a confidence boosting hundred was the icing on the cake. The cricket gods will not be mocked.
On another note, nice to see Piers Morgan stepping up as spokesman and representative for the average Englishman.

England needed two wickets whilst fifty ahead. They'd have snapped your arms off for that scenario. England just couldn't bowl the tail out. That was why they lost, not the declaration.

 

[kevinw]

Heard somewhere that Bairstow did not want Sky to feature Sangakkara in one of the post match interviews because Sanga mildly criticised his keeping earlier

Don't know if it's true but if it is, what a ****ing toss pot. Jonny that is not Sanga

He'd run out of potential interviewers pretty fast then. If someone like Sanga gave me constructive criticism I'd have the grace and respect to listen. YJB seems to have this chip on his shoulder, 'the world is against me' mentality which sometimes works. But his recent interviews have been odder than usual.