Australia (303 & 155) defeat England (188 & 124) to win 5th Test by 146 runs - Take series 4-0

[Robert]

Bowling is the least of your worries. Jimmy wants to play on. Broad is only early 30s & has a few years left, if he's made to feel wanted. Wood is now coming into his own & although he's been injured a lot, it means he doesn't have as many miles on the clock. Add in Saqib, Archer, Overton with Woakes & Robinson (needs to get fitter) for backup and seam attack is ok.

Need to nurture/play your legspinners. It's almost absurd how even SA & NZ & WI can develop the odd wristy but England just flat out refuse to play them.

But what can be done to fix the batting? One of The Hundred or T20 domestic comp needs to go, surely.

Can some meaningful county cricket be scheduled in the middle of summer?

Change the ball? Pitches?

Anderson is at the end.

Broad’s 35. He’s got a year or two left. I’d keep him as the crafty third seamer.

Archer and Robison need to get their fitness up. Wood is on top form and fitness. Stone can come back. Saqib is worth a go.

There are no leggies. It’s a lost art. The last one of note was Titch Freeman in the fifties and even he never played for England.

 

[Babeikh]

It’s not about making me or anyone else feel better, it’s about presenting the facts, RE Australia’s record in England over the last 20 years: which for some reason gets overlooked at times.

2019 was the first Ashes since 2001 where Australia played well throughout and looked consistently the better team, but a once in a lifetime innings from Ben Stokes at Headingley helped England to secure a tied series.

Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke (2 attempts each) and Tim Paine never won an Ashes series in England during their captaincy.

Well if facts are what you are after I can tell you the reason why Australia's record in England over the last 20 years is overlooked compared to England's record in Australia. The reason is simple: facts.

Let's start in 2002/3 so we exclude Australia's last series win in England.

In England

England: 12
Drawn: 7
Australia: 6

As you can see most tests have either been drawn or won by Australia.

In Australia

England: 4
Drawn: 3
Australia: 23

As you can see there is literally no comparison at all between Australia's record in England and England's record in Australia. So as I said, the facts have shown you quite categorically why Australia's record in England tends to be overlooked / not talked about as much as England's pathetic record in Australia.

 

[Robert]

Well if facts are what you are after I can tell you the reason why Australia's record in England over the last 20 years is overlooked compared to England's record in Australia. The reason is simple: facts.

Let's start in 2002/3 so we exclude Australia's last series win in England.

In England

England: 12
Drawn: 7
Australia: 6

As you can see most tests have either been drawn or won by Australia.

In Australia

England: 4
Drawn: 3
Australia: 23

As you can see there is literally no comparison at all between Australia's record in England and England's record in Australia. So as I said, the facts have shown you quite categorically why Australia's record in England tends to be overlooked / not talked about as much as England's pathetic record in Australia.

There is literally a comparison, by definition, because [MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION] wrote it down. That’s what literally means. Written.

[MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION] is also correct that England are too metrosexual. We produce many great teachers, great musicians and actors. Not many great sportsmen. They have to get back to picking hardcases like Boycott, Edrich, Illingworth, Snow, Willis, Stewart, Collingwood.

Though I doubt such characters exist in cricket any more. Millennials and Gen Z are gentle folk unlike the Silent Generation and Boomers and early Gen Xers. All the young tough nuts are in the military now.

 

[Varun]

[MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION] is also correct that England are too metrosexual. We produce many great teachers, great musicians and actors. Not many great sportsmen. They have to get back to picking hardcases like Boycott, Edrich, Illingworth, Snow, Willis, Stewart, Collingwood.

Too young to have heard about the others much, but if they are on the same category as those two - Stewart and Collingwood - steer clear. Collingwood especially is largely an Ashes failure who was at the right place at the right time in both 2005 and 2010/11.

The rest of the world produces Tendulkar, Ponting, Kallis, Sangakkara, Lara, McGrath, Wasim, Warne, Murali, Steyn - you don't have to produce Paul frikkin' Collingwood.

 

[Babeikh]

There is literally a comparison, by definition, because [MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION] wrote it down. That’s what literally means. Written.

[MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION] is also correct that England are too metrosexual. We produce many great teachers, great musicians and actors. Not many great sportsmen. They have to get back to picking hardcases like Boycott, Edrich, Illingworth, Snow, Willis, Stewart, Collingwood.

Though I doubt such characters exist in cricket any more. Millennials and Gen Z are gentle folk unlike the Silent Generation and Boomers and early Gen Xers. All the young tough nuts are in the military now.

I mean, yes, but that reasoning there is 'literally' a comparison between a half eaten apple and an under construction suspension bridge too.

Personally, I don't see it as a cultural issue in England. Sport is as important a part of the culture in the UK as music, art etc. If anything, more emphasis is placed on sport in schools than is placed on music and art.

It is a structural issue rather than a cultural issue.