creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[BWFC_Insane]

Could do with more flexibility generally in test matches - start earlier and push it further when time lost for rain. There is no reason why starts can’t be 10am after time lost. And I also think an extra contingency day where lots of time has been lost to produce results are a good idea.

[Worthy4England]

Yeah, certainly agree with early starts etc. Less sure around contingency days. I'd like the Umpires to have flexibility around weather affected break times. I think it's a bit different in 5 day tests than 20 overs, as weather impacts can have a much larger impact. There's a big difference between run scoring on a dry outfield vs a wet one and I think trying to keep the balance of the contest as fair as possible is important. I'm pretty accepting of the notion games can be drawn and would generally prefer it to a "contrivance"

I think the extra day needs more thinking about as you incur expense and logistics issues on an "unplanned" day. Fairly sure they experimented with it in the past, can't recall the "outcome"

[TANGODANCER]

Could do with more flexibility generally in test matches - start earlier and push it further when time lost for rain. There is no reason why starts can’t be 10am after time lost. And I also think an extra contingency day where lots of time has been lost to produce results are a good idea.

For once I totally agree with you. Test matches are about five-days play and this one was
what, three and a half? . When something as important as the Ashes is involved the players should stay around till the game is played. Will never happen, but what a disappointing end for players and spectators alike,

[Prufrock]

I don't know, a draw is part of it, not sure about hanging around and playing on and on.

Times within days though, certainly. Also think you should be able to get more overs in if there's weather forecast (as opposed to just making them up after it happens).

Also strongly think they should just keep playing until a day's overs have been bowled as long as there is light. And in match penalties for over rates.

[Worthy4England]

I don't know, a draw is part of it, not sure about hanging around and playing on and on.

Times within days though, certainly. Also think you should be able to get more overs in if there's weather forecast (as opposed to just making them up after it happens).

Also strongly think they should just keep playing until a day's overs have been bowled as long as there is light. And in match penalties for over rates.

Yup on this. I'm less certain about dark ball and floodlights, so I think it would need judgement around natural light, to prevent bowling teams trying to gain an advantage...

[Prufrock]

If the bowling team have f*cked around to get to that stage they should have to swap to a 30 over old white ball

[Worthy4England]

If the bowling team have f*cked around to get to that stage they should have to swap to a 30 over old white ball

Ahh, I was more thinking if they didn't actually bowl a ball until tea, because it had been pi$$ing down, rather than they slowed it down from lunch.

We have a couple of forms of cricket that "guarantee" results. I don't actually want them all to be the "same" just over different time frames.

[Prufrock]

Aye, sure.

Definitely a factor but especially in the north there's often plenty of natural light after 6.30.

[Worthy4England]

On a different note, I was OK with Jimmy being selected for this one, after all it's called the Anderson end for a reason. Equally, I probably wouldn't have picked him myself.

On to the Oval, it's his "worst" test ground in England from something Nasser talked through yesterday. I don't think he's bowled duck eggs, but he's not really looked much like snaffling "a few" either...so I'd pick either Tongue or Robinson...

[TANGODANCER]

In retrospect, fate took a hand and robbed us of a real chance to bring back the Ashes. Chance is the operative word. No point claiming we would have done so for sure as we still would have had to win the decider, but it would have been nice to have had the chance. We were on a real roll. "The one that got away" was never more true.

Que Sera....

[Worthy4England]

In retrospect, fate took a hand and robbed us of a real chance to bring back the Ashes. Chance is the operative word. No point claiming we would have done so for sure as we still would have had to win the decider, but it would have been nice to have had the chance. We were on a real roll. "The one that got away" was never more true.

Que Sera....

Think the last sentence is right, mate. I would suggest that perhaps more than one has got away, though. I suspect a few players might be thinking "what might have been," right now. I know I would be kicking myself.

[BWFC_Insane]

In retrospect, fate took a hand and robbed us of a real chance to bring back the Ashes. Chance is the operative word. No point claiming we would have done so for sure as we still would have had to win the decider, but it would have been nice to have had the chance. We were on a real roll. "The one that got away" was never more true.

Que Sera....

Think the last sentence is right, mate. I would suggest that perhaps more than one has got away, though. I suspect a few players might be thinking "what might have been," right now. I know I would be kicking myself.

Had England not gone in undercooked would the OT weather even have mattered? Guess we will never know. Had wood been fit from the start etc etc…

[TANGODANCER]

And the sun also rises.......ironic ain't it..?

[TANGODANCER]

Had England not gone in undercooked would the OT weather even have mattered? Guess we will never know. Had wood been fit from the start etc etc…

If we were undercooked, what does that make the world champions? We lost because of the weather, no other reason. I'd love you to go into the England dressing room and tell them that.

[Worthy4England]

In retrospect, fate took a hand and robbed us of a real chance to bring back the Ashes. Chance is the operative word. No point claiming we would have done so for sure as we still would have had to win the decider, but it would have been nice to have had the chance. We were on a real roll. "The one that got away" was never more true.

Que Sera....

Think the last sentence is right, mate. I would suggest that perhaps more than one has got away, though. I suspect a few players might be thinking "what might have been," right now. I know I would be kicking myself.

Had England not gone in undercooked would the OT weather even have mattered? Guess we will never know. Had wood been fit from the start etc etc…

That too, but I'm thinking more of things in the direct control over the fella's that did play, rather than those who didn't. The direction we're heading is fine. I suspect after this series, Aus will have a look at what they need to do. I mean Cummings, Starc etc. being punted at 5+ (and more in spells) an over isn't going to sit well, even were they to go on and win 3-1. I really think we need to win the last test.

But little things, like bagging catches, not giving them shedloads of extras (19 v 44 M1, 39 v 74 M2, 30 v 41 M3, 9 v 35 M4 (notice the switch ). The way we bowled at Cummings and Lyons in M1, the deccy in M1, little bit of refinement in how you chase a world class spinner...Just lots of little things. If I'm in that dressing room, I'm thinking "We had this" and winning Ashes is at best a once every 5 years thing - so for some, it might even be the only chance they had.

To TD's point, yeah - cracking the flags...bastard.

[BWFC_Insane]

In retrospect, fate took a hand and robbed us of a real chance to bring back the Ashes. Chance is the operative word. No point claiming we would have done so for sure as we still would have had to win the decider, but it would have been nice to have had the chance. We were on a real roll. "The one that got away" was never more true.

Que Sera....

Think the last sentence is right, mate. I would suggest that perhaps more than one has got away, though. I suspect a few players might be thinking "what might have been," right now. I know I would be kicking myself.

Had England not gone in undercooked would the OT weather even have mattered? Guess we will never know. Had wood been fit from the start etc etc…

That too, but I'm thinking more of things in the direct control over the fella's that did play, rather than those who didn't. The direction we're heading is fine. I suspect after this series, Aus will have a look at what they need to do. I mean Cummings, Starc etc. being punted at 5+ (and more in spells) an over isn't going to sit well, even were they to go on and win 3-1. I really think we need to win the last test.

But little things, like bagging catches, not giving them shedloads of extras (19 v 44 M1, 39 v 74 M2, 30 v 41 M3, 9 v 35 M4 (notice the switch ). The way we bowled at Cummings and Lyons in M1, the deccy in M1, little bit of refinement in how you chase a world class spinner...Just lots of little things. If I'm in that dressing room, I'm thinking "We had this" and winning Ashes is at best a once every 5 years thing - so for some, it might even be the only chance they had.

To TD's point, yeah - cracking the flags...bastard.

I think many of those things might come under the ‘bit undercooked’ category. We were just off going in. Not played enough 5 day stuff. You see it in Bairstow now. Start he was rusty. He’s never the worlds greatest keeper but nor is he ‘that bad’ but straight back in with barely much cricket and it showed.

It felt at the time like Aussies went in off back of world championship win on top form and we went in a little off where we could be. We caught up and I think went past them but weather also caught up too.

[Worthy4England]

Agree, mate, to an extent. Jimmy hadn't played in a while either, after injury. We did of course play the mighty Ireland in a test, just prior, but Anderson didn't play, so only really Broad and Tongue got a go, bowling - and Leach who crocked himself. Probably helped the batters a little, but we only got to 4 down...They need to give that some thought next go around...

That's why I think they'll kick themselves - not at "big things" but much smaller ones - I mean they given themselves "an allowance" of 39 extras in M2, they're down to an 8 run difference...one more catch, they probably win...Khawaja dropped by Jimmy, added 56...

By the second day of the third test, I think the "runs accumulated after a drop/missed stumping" was England have given Australia 401 and Aus have given England 266. In close matches such as these, that's "fundamental"

I'd be well pi$$ed off.

[BWFC_Insane]

Agree, mate, to an extent. Jimmy hadn't played in a while either, after injury. We did of course play the mighty Ireland in a test, just prior, but Anderson didn't play, so only really Broad and Tongue got a go, bowling - and Leach who crocked himself. Probably helped the batters a little, but we only got to 4 down...They need to give that some thought next go around...

That's why I think they'll kick themselves - not at "big things" but much smaller ones - I mean they given themselves "an allowance" of 39 extras in M2, they're down to an 8 run difference...one more catch, they probably win...Khawaja dropped by Jimmy, added 56...

By the second day of the third test, I think the "runs accumulated after a drop/missed stumping" was England have given Australia 401 and Aus have given England 266. In close matches such as these, that's "fundamental"

I'd be well pi$$ed off.

Yeah I said going in that too many little things went against us. The bowlers who were in the CC got niggles so couldn’t play. Others were seen as not in form. Wood didn’t recover as expected. Leach. We went in with key components not at peak in Robinson, Jimmy and Wood and Leach injured. And Bairstow barely played in a year anything meaningful. Not to mention as you say some batters barely tested in the 5 day format for a while.

Felt like a recipe for the Aussies firing on all cylinders to get the drop on them.

[TANGODANCER]

England have named an unchanged squad for the fifth and final Ashes Test, which begins at The Oval on Thursday. B.B.C News....

[Worthy4England]

England have named an unchanged squad for the fifth and final Ashes Test, which begins at The Oval on Thursday. B.B.C News....

It's going to be a tough watch... especially were we to gub 'em.

Not surprised at no squad change. Would be a little surprised if Jimmy is in the XI...