A Burnley batsman on his way to scoring a century - the wicket keeper looks less than pleased.

[wizofoz]

I suspect a similar grin was on the dial of Capt Cook and one S. Broad recently......

[mohb]

I suspect a similar grin was on the dial of Capt Cook and one S. Broad recently......

It would be wrong of me to gloat over the thrashing we gave the Aussies

[PJ1]

It would be wrong of me to gloat over the thrashing we gave the Aussies

No, go ahead and gloat. I would like to say it won't be for long, but you never know ....


I could see it all going bad at Edgbaston when Clarke won the toss and decided to bat. The previous six tests there, the side that batted first lost four times and two were draws. Now its the side that batted first has lost five times.


mohb: Nice pic.

[wizofoz]

As much as it hurts for our batsmen to be so deplorable (Weren't they EVER taught never to follow a moving ball?????!!!) I find it refreshing to have the ball dominate the bat occasionally. Long drawn out draws on feather bed pitches are the best argument against test cricket by its detractors.

That said the Trent Bridge wicket might have been just a touch too juicy. Whoever won the toss was going to have a huge advantage, and the Poms an even greater advantage given bowlers such as Broad are more seamers than swingers of the ball. The ball that got Rogers in the first over of the match was a peach; Angled in to middle and leg, then seaming away... almost unplayable. Most of the others got out to mind numbingly dumb shots. The lack of experience in English seaming conditions was very evident. I blame 20/20 rubbish and the IPL. Young Aussie players used to go and play Lancashire League or County Cricket to gain English experience. Now they play bollywood rules in India...bah!

Strangely when the Ashes was last played in England the pitches were dry and suited G Swan. This time they are green seamers with slow bounce to suit Broad, Anderson etc and nullify the outright pace of Johnson and Co. (how times change) Losing Harris was a blow, and playing Marsh instead of Siddle was a huge selection error in the conditions.

They made a traditional Test Pitch at Lords and got thrashed. Little wonder that there was a lot more 'Englishness' to the other pitches. I suspect The Oval pitch will have a very green tinge to it on the first morning.

Well played England. Look forward to lots of fast bouncy Aussie pitches next time around.- Bring extra padding....

[danny09]

I for one don't like IPL neither do I ever watch it. However it's immensely popular format suits people tastes very well the world over. 25 years from now test cricket would be crawling to death. That saddens me though. As a die hard supporter of this glorious game I can't spare more than 15 mins a day to watch the highlights of the day. My nephew who is barely 10 finds the idea of spending 5 days on the outcome of a single game 'boring'.
The ashes was indeed fantastic. Taming the mighty Aussies is no joke. The inconsistency of the Englishmen does surprise. In the last world cup they were mediocre compared even to the Bangladesh players. Hope the Britons keep up their good work.
No great sight than a contest between a bat and a ball.

[rod_grant]

the wicket keeper looks less than pleased.

the "spectators" couldn't care less!

lack of experience in English seaming conditions was very evident

Also the lack of remembering how the previous batsman (batsmen) threw away their wicket!!
What is wrong with them, wiz? They sit in the dressing room, watch wickets fall through blind stupidity, and by the time they walk out to the wicket they have forgotten: and proceed to throw away their own wicket with more blind stupidity. It is no wonder that they can't remember how they got out in the first innings and try the same 'shot'.

[GeoJerry]

Nice shot! As a Yank I had never even seen a cricket match and thought it kind of an athletic tea party of a sport. That all changed the first time I was invited to play for a while in Scotland. That ball is like a rock and man it's a dangerous sport! No gloves and you're right on top of the batsman, and the top bowlers throw just as fast or faster than a major league baseball pitcher (of course they get a running head start....)! So now I have newfound respect for these guys.

[wizofoz]

Nice shot! As a Yank I had never even seen a cricket match and thought it kind of an athletic tea party of a sport. That all changed the first time I was invited to play for a while in Scotland. That ball is like a rock and man it's a dangerous sport! No gloves and you're right on top of the batsman, and the top bowlers throw just as fast or faster than a major league baseball pitcher (of course they get a running head start....)! So now I have newfound respect for these guys.

Jerry, the only world class player who was allowed to get away with 'throwing' was a certain Sri Lankan who had the rules of the game changed to accommodate him. Cricketers 'bowl' with a straight arm, not bent appreciably at the elbow. If they could both run up AND throw it, they would indeed be very fast and very dangerous.

Cricket can be a physically dangerous game and sadly there are scores of deaths annually the world over as a result. Last Australian summer a leading cricketer was felled and killed on the pitch during a first class game between NSW and South Aust. It was very sad. Intimidation and fear are part of a fast bowlers' armoury, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Broken fingers from being hit with the ball are quite common as is split webbing between the fingers from attempting to catch a speeding ball without gloves. Mild to severe bruising of the upper thighs and other areas from being hit where the padding doesn't reach is common, and worn as a source of tough pride.

It is also a game that can be played anywhere from test/international level between superb athletes and technicians to the mugs playing village green and local club level. I played the game at various levels from the age of 8 till this past season where I have finally hung up the sprigs at age 55. (at least that's what I tell the missus.... )

There is nothing better than a cold beer or three after chasing a red ball around the ground all afternoon in the hot Aussie sun.

People dis test cricket as being too long in format. It's true that it is somewhat anachronistic and dates back to the time when 'gentlemen' who had nothing better to do could afford to spend three, four or five days playing a game. But it is the long format, large canvas game of test cricket which holds the magic of concentration, sustained effort and reflexes, where one could conceivable spend long hours in the field and any given milisecond could be the vital chance to change the game that may not come around again. This is why dropped catches are such a big deal. When world class batsmen have the ability to concentrate and bat for days at a time, any dropped chance to get them back into the pavillion is significant.

There is a version of cricket in which each team bats for only 20 overs (120 balls) called 20/20 or T20 which is akin to baseball in that it is over quickly and is based on big hitting rather than accumulation of runs. It has none of the beautiful nuance of test cricket and is designed for an audience brought up on computer games with no attention span. It is bubblegum pop music compared to the Beethoven or Mozart of a test match played well.

Can you tell I'm a bit of a cricket tragic?

[wizofoz]

Also the lack of remembering how the previous batsman (batsmen) threw away their wicket!!
What is wrong with them, wiz? They sit in the dressing room, watch wickets fall through blind stupidity, and by the time they walk out to the wicket they have forgotten: and proceed to throw away their own wicket with more blind stupidity. It is no wonder that they can't remember how they got out in the first innings and try the same 'shot'.

Spot on Rod. Could you imagine captains like I.M.Chappell, A.R Border, or S.J Waugh giving their wicket away with abandon like the (now former) incumbent?
Where did the grit go? Where is the stubborn refusal to yield? Border once made a pair of 90's against the great West Indian quartet of quicks that was so brave even the West Indians were sad he didn't get to three figures. Border didn't have all of Clarke's class as a player in the aesthetic sense, but he was bloody near impossible to get out in his prime.

Stuart Bloody Broad is a trundler compared to this lot, and Pup Clarke didn't even have the ticket to cop a few on the body to put his well being below the need to protect the team. Remember Waugh V Ambrose? 'Nuff said.

Lets hope the next Captain isn't stupid enough to keep getting caught at point wafting at wide balls......FFS!

[rod_grant]

Well said, wiz, in both the above posts.
I remember listening with the Poms in trouble a few years ago (can't remember which year) hoping for a draw as wickets tumbled: the cry was "we need a Barrington or Boycott or Bailey".
Well this series we needed a Waugh S and Border A, (perhaps even a Lawry W).

[PJ1]

Well this series we needed a Waugh S and Border A, (perhaps even a Lawry W).

Even a Bradman would not have helped. Who would have held up the other end? No. We were comprehensively outplayed on those wickets. Well done to Cook and Co.

[tim60]

As much as it hurts for our batsmen to be so deplorable (Weren't they EVER taught never to follow a moving ball?????!!!) I find it refreshing to have the ball dominate the bat occasionally. Long drawn out draws on feather bed pitches are the best argument against test cricket by its detractors.

Not to follow the moving ball was one of the first bits of coaching given by Chester Bennett, high school coach to the Chappell brothers. Did not do me as much good.

Clearly we need to bring back old Chester's progeny and those who learned from those who learned from him.

[clackers]

Spot on Rod. Could you imagine captains like I.M.Chappell, A.R Border, or S.J Waugh giving their wicket away with abandon like the (now former) incumbent?
Where did the grit go? Where is the stubborn refusal to yield? Border once made a pair of 90's against the great West Indian quartet of quicks that was so brave even the West Indians were sad he didn't get to three figures. Border didn't have all of Clarke's class as a player in the aesthetic sense, but he was bloody near impossible to get out in his prime.

Stuart Bloody Broad is a trundler compared to this lot, and Pup Clarke didn't even have the ticket to cop a few on the body to put his well being below the need to protect the team. Remember Waugh V Ambrose? 'Nuff said.

Lets hope the next Captain isn't stupid enough to keep getting caught at point wafting at wide balls......FFS!

I think it's a bit unfair to assess a batsman by the last five minutes of their career. Chappell, Border and Waugh all looked awkward in their final games.

Players hang on too long these days, because the pay's so good at the top of the tree.

We should remember them by their averages. Pup belongs with those other names, and I think he has the third highest winning percentage of any skipper who did 40 Tests or more.

I've never liked his persona, but that's a different issue.

As for Waugh vs Ambrose, just cast your mind back to the last tour of SA where Morne Morkel did a demolition job on Clarke on a seamer's wicket at Capetown, he hung in there 'ugly', then counter attacked later on (with a fractured shoulder) to bring up a ton.

[rod_grant]

Pup was obviously adversely affected by his last injury. He really hasn't done anything since returning. I think his leadership has slipped as well.