*Official* Fourth Test at Chester-le-Street

[hendrix]

OK, this has been a world class performance by your boys and any side in the the history of the game would be grateful to reach the dizzy heights of 214 for 9.


More realistically, Aus have bowled professionally in blameless conditions where a serious test line-up would have finished the day at 280 for 4. England of course have simply continued doing what they've done for most of the last 20 months, which is why some of us are utterly contemptuous of the lazy ****s. I'd be slightly more convinced about Australia's brilliance if our batters hadn't done exactly the same against New Zealand both home and away earlier this year.

hey, here's a lovely illustration of the point!

It's pretty clear from anyone's perspective to see that Australia have some bloody good bowlers. Siddle is ranked higher than any England bowler, Harris has a ridiculously good average, Bird has shades of Philander about him, and even Nathan Lyon is coming off a 7fer in India.

before the England in NZ series, Southee and Boult had run through India in India, and Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. They were bowling very well, and it's no fluke they took wickets.

 

[Adders]

I agree with Burgey.

All throughout the home and away NZ series, it was "England are being complacent" rather than NZ actually playing well.

I could understand it if they were talking about allowing our batsmen to score >400 (because let's face it, Peter Fulton...), but the way the press dismissed some brilliant bowling from Southee and Boult was pretty arrogant, tbh.

Since when has anyone taken any notice of the English press?? FMD, if you take that with more than a pinch of salt you have more problems than the chip on your shoulder.

I was in the NZ/Eng thread and myself and from what I recall all the other English posters were not having a bar of any of the "complacency" bull****. The Kiwi bowlers were excellent.

 

[Furball]

Anderson not being ranked top 5 just shows that the rankings are ****ing stupid.

 

[Burgey]

There is no way dropping Broad is something that should be considered at this point. Absurd.

Actually think Broad has bowled pretty consistently this series. Not his absolute top but he's hardly been bad.

 

[Furball]

It would be interesting to compare a series pitch map of the two seam attacks. I reckon the Aussie blokes have bowled much fuller.

 

[Burgey]

You have too many reds with your rib eye last night Burgmeister?? What a load of bollocks mate.

Haven't seen an English poster here or anywhere that hasn't paid all due credit to your bowling lineup.........doesn't mean we aren't bitterly disappointed in our batting performances though.

Perhaps you'd like to regale us all with your consider opinions once again on Messr Ian Bell and Graham Swann.....you know they highest runs scorer and wicket taker for the series. I know you just love heaping praise on the two of them for the quality players they are.

Think before you drink before you post

Nah ****, there was stacks of it on the NZ thread, and though less of it here, it's still about to an extent. You've got to give credit to how well NZ bowled in both those series, they were very good. It doesn't mean the batting isn't above reproach, mind you.

There's this misconception (not saying yours btw) that if it's not hooping around like Wasim Akram has used his bottle top on the ball then it's not good bowling. Consistently tight and disciplined bowling is good bowling.

If you see a loose shot played on the highlights of course it looks mud, but you don't see the three or more overs of sustained pressure before the wicket which led to it. Am looking at Broad's dismissal here ATM - hideous shot, but he's been nearly nutted that over and driven onto the back foot. Gets a wide one and shovels it to point. He got worked over a bit.

Having said all that (which I wasn't going to say at 3 am because I'd just woken up) there is no doubt that neither of these sides are great batting line ups. But both of them have bowled well to the limited line ups of the opposition.

 

[Burgey]

As for Bell, he played two good knocks, for which I gave him credit. I still don't think much of him and it's a mockery of the game that the numpty looks like playing 100 tests. Swann has done his bit on dry pitches as you'd expect, but he's far from special. No off spinner without a doosra is anything special. But he's done his job.

Anderson is the best bowler on display though tbf he was understandably starting to look a bit tired last test.

 

[Cooky Monster]

Anderson's averaging 78.2 without his wickets at TB as well. Shambles.

Sarcasm here? hard to tell at times on the internet.

With Jimmy he has obviously proved himself many a time over.

Root hasn't proved hes a test opener by a long shot, yeah the ton80 was a great knock but it was at the one time in the series that the pressure was off our batsmen, i know that could be seen as harsh but its a valid point, when England have really needed him hes been nowhere to be seen, his last couple of 1st innings knocks have been exactly the same as Comptons last few knocks, **** knows what we are telling our opening batsman but its clearly not working because they are ending up stuck in a rut, it seems in a way that they are having their natural games coached out of them.

Listening to McGrath before the Ashes and he was saying how on his debut he was asked to do things he didn't usually do and ended up with 0-90 odd, he said after that he realised pretty quickly he had to play his natural game which was what got him in the Aus side in the first place, Compton has a lot more in the locker than what we saw in his last 2/3 tests as does Root no doubt.

Bairstow i wont even go there.

 

[Cooky Monster]

Probably get called mad but i'ld seriously consider jibbing Flower off after these Ashes series, thought it for quite sometime, it all just seems stale and has been for a while, it needs freshening up and players back on their toes again.

Problem is Ashley Giles looks to be next in line and he has that bit of a loser look about himself, not as blatent as someone like Tim Nielson did but still.

 

[social]

Unless most of the English batsmen change their approach, I can see Australia hammering them at home.

Simply blocking the hell out of it and waiting for a 4 ball might have worked last time but they need to get their heads around the fact that this is 2013 and the bowlers are a **** load better

 

[social]

Sarcasm here? hard to tell at times on the internet.

With Jimmy he has obviously proved himself many a time over.

Root hasn't proved hes a test opener by a long shot, yeah the ton80 was a great knock but it was at the one time in the series that the pressure was off our batsmen, i know that could be seen as harsh but its a valid point, when England have really needed him hes been nowhere to be seen, his last couple of 1st innings knocks have been exactly the same as Comptons last few knocks, **** knows what we are telling our opening batsman but its clearly not working because they are ending up stuck in a rut, it seems in a way that they are having their natural games coached out of them.

Listening to McGrath before the Ashes and he was saying how on his debut he was asked to do things he didn't usually do and ended up with 0-90 odd, he said after that he realised pretty quickly he had to play his natural game which was what got him in the Aus side in the first place, Compton has a lot more in the locker than what we saw in his last 2/3 tests as does Root no doubt.

Bairstow i wont even go there.

Root has been rubbish.

Aside from the 180 (when Haddin let him off in single figures anyway), he has looked more like a night-watchman than a test batsman and I dont think he is an opener's bum tbh

Most worrying thing for him and England is that he has an obvious weakness and now every one in world cricket knows it

 

[morgieb]

Very good day for us after KP was dismissed.

It's been pretty rare that we've bowled badly since the Ashes 2010/11. India maybe but that was more down to conditions and funky selections IMO.

 

[Adders]

Nah ****, there was stacks of it on the NZ thread, and though less of it here, it's still about to an extent. You've got to give credit to how well NZ bowled in both those series, they were very good. It doesn't mean the batting isn't above reproach, mind you.

Exactly, and from a supporters pov it is natural to be more concerned with the failings of what you are doing than what your opposition are doing well. India away aside England's batting line-up has been underperforming for sometime now, that includes this series and NZ home and away.........that takes nothing away from the quality bowling we've faced in these series.

Anyway ****, this is an Ashes series FFS......we're not meant to be all lovey dovey and blowing sunshine up each others arses!!

 

[Cooky Monster]

Unless most of the English batsmen change their approach, I can see Australia hammering them at home.

Simply blocking the hell out of it and waiting for a 4 ball might have worked last time but they need to get their heads around the fact that this is 2013 and the bowlers are a **** load better

Same here.

 

[Adders]

Unless most of the English batsmen change their approach, I can see Australia hammering them at home.

Not sure about a hammering, but at this stage I cannot see Eng winning in Oz with the form our batsmen are in.

Trott and Cook, I mean wtf has happened to them?? When they scored 50 you used to lock them in for 150.

But having said all that.....as we all know, we won't know how good/bad Eng score is here until the Aussies have had a bat.

 

[GotSpin]

Onya Lyon. Making me look stupid but I'll take it

 

[Top_Cat]

How are you doing this?

Inadvertent Ghambiring but, in reality, just so so very wrong.

 

[Burgey]

Not sure about a hammering, but at this stage I cannot see Eng winning in Oz with the form our batsmen are in.

Trott and Cook, I mean wtf has happened to them?? When they scored 50 you used to lock them in for 150.

But having said all that.....as we all know, we won't know how good/bad Eng score is here until the Aussies have had a bat.

Trott still looks a million bucks though. He's approaching Watson standards with the well compiled start then out in the same way thing. Cook just looks horribly out of sorts, but he's still grinding at least. They're two big wickets, and unlike last time our blokes are executing their plans really well to them.

 

[Ruckus]

So do people think the right attack was chosen? I gotta say, I personally love it when we have an attack with no real pressure valves in it. Despite the fact none of the quicks looks particularly threatening, they worked well as a unit - and it shows in how everyone has picked up a wicket.

 

[hendrix]

Yeah, with that tight bowling collapses are far more imminent. There's just no release of pressure. Lyon benefited from that.