NWR The Ashes 2021-22

The interesting Test series is in South Africa . Amazing if the Proteas can win the series, considering what a hopeless batting side they have , and the strength of the opposition.
It is most unfortunate timing Keith, with SA due to tour NZ next. I was certain this would be one of our best chances to win a series, as we have always struggled against SA. Endless bloody wicket keepers have saved SA over the years just when we have had them on the ropes.

Now we have NZ losing a test to Bangladesh and SA hammering India.

Is this a vastly improved SA side, or are India pretty ordinary at the moment? Remembering they did beat us in India, but I think we were pretty ordinary there.
 
It is most unfortunate timing Keith, with SA due to tour NZ next. I was certain this would be one of our best chances to win a series, as we have always struggled against SA. Endless bloody wicket keepers have saved SA over the years just when we have had them on the ropes.

Now we have NZ losing a test to Bangladesh and SA hammering India.

Is this a vastly improved SA side, or are India pretty ordinary at the moment? Remembering they did beat us in India, but I think we were pretty ordinary there.
Sadly Kevin, India are excellent (although currently badly led).

I would fear the worst, although assuming Conway and Williamson are fit you might be able to bat them out of it. If so, they might crumble.
 
It is most unfortunate timing Keith, with SA due to tour NZ next. I was certain this would be one of our best chances to win a series, as we have always struggled against SA. Endless bloody wicket keepers have saved SA over the years just when we have had them on the ropes.

Now we have NZ losing a test to Bangladesh and SA hammering India.

Is this a vastly improved SA side, or are India pretty ordinary at the moment? Remembering they did beat us in India, but I think we were pretty ordinary there.
I would be amazed Kevin if SA win even one test in the series. They have a good bowling attack but very weak batting .
 
Personally I have never found Root's captaincy particularly convincing, which is no reflection on his batting. I would like to see another captain, and the replacement of Silverwood
Is there an obvious contender for the captaincy? Someone who is guaranteed a place in the team. Surely you couldn't expect Stokes to do it, he already has enough on his plate.
 
Joe Root is not perfect as captain but i think he is a step up from Alastair Cook both on and off the field. He has the respect of his team mates (though I think that AC did too) and there is no other candidates. Stokes has made it clear that he does not want the job.

I also think that, though we are getting a drubbing, the wheels have not actually come off the way they did on the Cook tour, with Pietersen issues.

This was not a strong English side, with big gaps in the batting line up, wrong headed thinking about the wicket keeper, and a sound but uninspiring bowling attack which is too similar and not ideally suited to Australian pitches. I am not against Silverwood as coach but the Supremo appointment was always going to be a mistake, and would be whoever it was given to, as indeed it was in the past with Ray Illingworth.
Australia have a first rate bowling attack and have managed to find candidates to fill their batting weaknesses.

We also have not given sufficient weighting to issues for which the English team are not to blame, namely

Covid bubbles trickier than ever
Continuous rainfall during the too short preparatory period in Queensland
No other cricket scheduled for anybody to find form

Everybody in the press has been howling about the pushing aside of Championship cricket during the UK summer - but they were not making enough noise about that beforehand. What is and has always been really obvious is that we cannot introduce the Hundred as well as keeping all the other short form competitions.
 
Not a lot to argue with there, Jasper.
I’ve been moaning about the Couny Championship structure for a number of years. It was the cause of my resignation as a HCCC member a couple + seasons ago, after nigh on 40 years.
 
There is a broader issue with English cricket. The structure of Saturday league games at grass roots level. Promotion/relegation. Moneys paid to top class cricketers in divisions 3/4 diluting the quality of cricket everywhere. The emphasis on schoolboy (cricket for generally the upper class). These kids generally turn to jelly when playing mens cricket. Too many county teams again diluting the quality of cricket.

Many times in Australia when promising young Englishman come to play they would be stars in the UK competition but struggle to dominate 1st grade. Joe Denly, Ian Westwood, Nick Compton and even Kevin Pieterson as examples.

The ECB should introduce franchise cricket. 20 clubs in each county. With a 1st through to 5th teams which then feed in to the county structures. You can't play county without being in being in the funnel/playing in one of those clubs. That's the structure in Australia. It works.
 
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