creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I may have underestimated the 600, though might they declare so they can get giggling at our batsmen again!

[TANGODANCER]

I may have underestimated the 600, though might they declare so they can get giggling at our batsmen again!

Please don't. It's been a very depressing day today.

[BWFC_Insane]

Our bowlers have no real pace and we don't have a top line spinner. Recipe for disaster that in Australia.

403 was decent if not amazing. But letting them knock 600 plus is a joke.

Someone's going to have to tell me what Broad has done in the past couple of years. Bar the odd miracle spell under cloud cover in England he seems to offer very little. He's too scared to bat much anymore and his bowling to me has become pedestrian. He used to be aggressive. No longer.

[Prufrock]

Michael Vaughan keep saying we need to produce bowlers who can bowl down there, and we keep producing ones suited to English conditions.

Now, the second part of that is undoubtedly true, but isn't that better than what we'd been doing for about 50 years before when we couldn't win an ashes series for love nor money (I exaggerate slightly). Seems tough for anyone to win a series away recently, while I agree with thinking about how we can travel better, I don't think wilfully discouraging swing bowling is the best way.

Anyway, what a weekend of sport. Still woke up ever so slighlty hopeful this morning we might have been digging in and looking to bat it out. Not gonna happen now. Ashes will be over within an hour of the first wicket. Ali has been wank and the bowlers are all terrified.

Felt for James VInce though, finally stepped up and looked like he belonged and then he gets that! Redefining the word unplayable (albeit with some fecking help from the pitch).

[BWFC_Insane]

Michael Vaughan keep saying we need to produce bowlers who can bowl down there, and we keep producing ones suited to English conditions.

Now, the second part of that is undoubtedly true, but isn't that better than what we'd been doing for about 50 years before when we couldn't win an ashes series for love nor money (I exaggerate slightly). Seems tough for anyone to win a series away recently, while I agree with thinking about how we can travel better, I don't think wilfully discouraging swing bowling is the best way.

Anyway, what a weekend of sport. Still woke up ever so slighlty hopeful this morning we might have been digging in and looking to bat it out. Not gonna happen now. Ashes will be over within an hour of the first wicket. Ali has been wank and the bowlers are all terrified.

Felt for James VInce though, finally stepped up and looked like he belonged and then he gets that! Redefining the word unplayable (albeit with some fecking help from the pitch).

I think the point is that we need to pick bowlers in Australia that suit those pitches. Pointless expecting it to swing other than in a day-night game. But we didn't pick anyone with real pace and consequently we were toothless.

[jimbo]

We don't have anyone with pace though. Stokes may have been able to help, as he can bowl the odd short spell towards 90mph. Of the alternatives, wood is never fit, plunkett doesn't get picked by his county and Overton jnr is injured.

Hopefully there's some sort of shake up after this series. I agree about broad, he's struggled for a good while but is never questioned. I'd probably keep cook until at least the end of the NZ series as weve already tried every other opener in the country and I'd hate to go back down that route.

[jimbo]

We don't have anyone with pace though. Stokes may have been able to help, as he can bowl the odd short spell towards 90mph. Of the alternatives, wood is never fit, plunkett doesn't get picked by his county and Overton jnr is injured.

Hopefully there's some sort of shake up after this series. I agree about broad, he's struggled for a good while but is never questioned. I'd probably keep cook until at least the end of the NZ series as weve already tried every other opener in the country and I'd hate to go back down that route.

[Bruce Rioja]

Michael Vaughan keep saying we need to produce bowlers who can bowl down there, and we keep producing ones suited to English conditions.

Tell you what, Chief, I'm getting a bit sick of hearing Vaughan keep chiming on. He's welcome to his opinion of course, but when he starts coming out with shite like 'current cricketers are living a student lifestyle and it wouldn't have happened in my day' is palpably nonsense. Flintoff?

[Bruce Rioja]

Michael Vaughan keep saying we need to produce bowlers who can bowl down there, and we keep producing ones suited to English conditions.

Tell you what, Chief, I'm getting a bit sick of hearing Vaughan keep chiming on. He's welcome to his opinion of course, but when he starts coming out with shite like 'current cricketers are living a student lifestyle and it wouldn't have happened in my day' is palpable nonsense. Flintoff?

[jimbo]

Michael Vaughan keep saying we need to produce bowlers who can bowl down there, and we keep producing ones suited to English conditions.

Tell you what, Chief, I'm getting a bit sick of hearing Vaughan keep chiming on. He's welcome to his opinion of course, but when he starts coming out with shite like 'current cricketers are living a student lifestyle and it wouldn't have happened in my day' is palpably nonsense. Flintoff?

Yeah vaughan's become a complete bore. Loves the sound of his own voice yet offers limited insight. Frustrating that TMS continue to keep him on.

[Bruce Rioja]

Michael Vaughan keep saying we need to produce bowlers who can bowl down there, and we keep producing ones suited to English conditions.

Tell you what, Chief, I'm getting a bit sick of hearing Vaughan keep chiming on. He's welcome to his opinion of course, but when he starts coming out with shite like 'current cricketers are living a student lifestyle and it wouldn't have happened in my day' is palpably nonsense. Flintoff?

Yeah vaughan's become a complete bore. Loves the sound of his own voice yet offers limited insight. Frustrating that TMS continue to keep him on.

And to go back to Pru's post - what exactly is Vaughan's suggestion here? That we have a northern hemisphere test side and a southern one?

[BWFC_Insane]

With the side as it stands I'm not convinced we'd beat the Aussies in England anyway.

[Bruce Rioja]

With the side as it stands I'm not convinced we'd beat the Aussies in England anyway.

Which would further prove Mr Vaughan to be talking shite. As I say, I'd love to know what his remedy is here.

Not sure if I've mentioned this before, but one of my Godsons plays for Derbyshire Colts. When I go to see him play in tournaments it's reassuring to see that we're not short of talent, the coaching however (bully boy tactics from what I've seen) leaves plenty to be desired.

I mean, would you, in your wildest dreams ever consider telling a bunch of 14 year olds that they're "shit"?

[Prufrock]

Well that's fecking typical isn't it. Now the big boys stand up, just in fecking time.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Well that's fecking typical isn't it. Now the big boys stand up, just in fecking time.

Let's see if they can back it up tomorrow before we get too giddy.

[TANGODANCER]

Well that's fecking typical isn't it. Now the big boys stand up, just in fecking time.

Let's see if they can back it up tomorrow before we get too giddy.

I would only be experiencing giddiness if we hadn't already lost the the little urn. It's all a bit "After the ball was over" right now. We had a spell of not winning, who doesn't? I really hope we have some young Anderson and Broad's on the way up together with a who new era of cricketers. We'll get the Ashes back next time, they don't belong in Ausralia.

[Prufrock]

How the fecking shit do you not know you've hit the fecking thing. Two of them!

[TANGODANCER]

I stayed up last night till Root got out, but this morning was a pleasant surprise. Good on Broad for basting em about a bit. Excellent stuff. We're in with a shout...maybe...

[TANGODANCER]

Jimmy out first ball. 491 all out then; a lead of 164. Now if only....

[TANGODANCER]

So we get in with a decent shout and......it rains. Great.