So Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood all failed with the bat again. They were bailed out by a KP innings and yet again by the tailenders.
So whats new there? Maybe a KP innings compared to the last 18 months. I’m well aware of the fact that we are a team, but that dosen’t mean we have to keep on relying on the tail to get our runs.
I know it’s only the first match and things could change, but come on lads the Aussies are struggling. A solid batting display here would have sent out a real message of intent.
Do we really want to show them that our batting is still crap? And give their confidence a boost just when they need it most?
Get your acts together.
Wes ~PFCNFS~
You know what. I think this all means nothing. Look at the German football team. They only just limp through the qualification on one leg but as soon as the tournament starts they suddenly play football. I think Ashes might be the same.
Pencil Cricket
To be fair, this is only the first match of the tour so I’m not unduly concerned. I’d sooner look at the positives and it seems KP is finding some form at the right time, and we’ve got an increasingly confident tail capable of meaningful contributions. Obviously the middle order needs to pick things up but there’s still more than two weeks for them to adjust to the conditions.
Cricket Betting Blog
Wes,
Thats fair enough. I do agree that it probably is irrelevant in the bigger picture. I just think it would have sent out a statement of intent to the Aussies. Which Strauss has now done with his century in the 2nd innings.
In contrast to that, do you think the Aussies are going to pass up the chance to try and undermine Alastair Cook by pointing out yet another batting failure?
My main point is the message that these warm up games can send out. In the past England have lost most of them, so their victory today is a positive start.
PC, the poitives are good. KP is talking himself up and that means his confidence is returning – and the tail’s runs could be the difference between losing the series or retaining/winning the Ashes. I was a bit unsure whether to criticize them in the first game, but I’m happy to be proved wrong with the outcome.
I just get the feeling that sometimes the top/middle order rely on the tail to bail them out a bit too much.
Cook and whoever else can fail all the way through these warm up games, but if he produces in the tests it won’t matter a bit.
Stani Army
Cook should have been dropped much sooner so that they could have tried someone else up top. Now it is too late to try someone else and they will have to go in with Cook who will be a walking wicket. Too much favouritism in the English set-up currently.