The Ashes thread.

[Prando]

It’s a poor way to decide an Ashes series as there is no way that anyone can claim that the Aussies are the superior side. If England win the final test then the trophy should be shared which would be a much fairer reflection as to how the series has gone. Having said this, we only have ourselves to blame for not getting something out of the first two tests.

I agree with the sentiment Leics buddy. It is therefore paramount that we win, decisively, this final test…no arguments then….
Lose it and mmmmmm…..

[Prando]

Whoops

[mickd1961]

Another day of nonsensical batting when not required.

These stupid attempted flicks of the upper hip down the leg side are going my head in along with the throwing the bay from the moment Ali pulled his groin.

He should’ve gone off and Stokes come in instead.

At 60 odd for non we had them by the nuts and at 184-3 we were well placed.

We deserve to lose now.

[TipperaryBaggie]

So Stuart Broad has officially retired from cricket tonight. He has been a mainstay for the England attack for a long time now and it is fitting that he is going out at the top of his game. Go on Stuart, give those Aussies one last pasting tomorrow.

[On Balance]

So Stuart Broad has officially retired from cricket tonight. He has been a mainstay for the England attack for a long time now and it is fitting that he is going out at the top of his game. Go on Stuart, give those Aussies one last pasting tomorrow.

All the best wishes to Stuart Broad.

Well done England, good comeback after the first two test. Good win today.

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Never been thrown away so easily! I've spent many a day at Lord's or The Oval while England meekly surrendered to The Aussies (and others) without so much as a whimper. Remember 1 final day at the Oval we needed around 250 to win and I took my kids to their 1st test match. We scratched waiting for Warne to bowl us out for around 150 at 2 an over.

Was it so wonderful before Stokes and McCullum? We won 1 in 17! Last 14 we've won 12 and lost 2 both by a narrow margin.

Anyone wouldn't be Bazball if we didn't go go 2 down come back to win 3-2

And would have been if not for the Manchester rain.

Had an entertaining few minutes reading some of the comments on here about how useless this England side is.

BazBall: Best thing that's happened to English Test cricket.

[mickd1961]

And would have been if not for the Manchester rain.

Had an entertaining few minutes reading some of the comments on here about how useless this England side is.

BazBall: Best thing that's happened to English Test cricket.

It’s been a great series and I will admit that at 135-0 yesterday afternoon I thought we’d blown it, I think the rain actually saved us yesterday and gave us a fifth day pitch and time to regroup.

Today with only 120 needed and 7 wickets in the hutch I went out for my afternoon exercise in a proper glum frame of mind, I thought it was all over.

It’s easy to be smug in hindsight 923, for all my perceived faults, I’m always true to myself and stick my neck out when predicting stuff.

We have been the better team, we threw away those first two Tests, more game awareness and a touch less arrogance from us would’ve seen us win 4-0.

Very good these last three matches though.

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

It’s been a great series and I will admit that at 135-0 yesterday afternoon I thought we’d blown it, I think the rain actually saved us yesterday and gave us a fifth day pitch and time to regroup.

Today with only 120 needed and 7 wickets in the hutch I went out for my afternoon exercise in a proper glum frame of mind, I thought it was all over.

It’s easy to be smug in hindsight 923, for all my perceived faults, I’m always true to myself and stick my neck out when predicting stuff.

We have been the better team, we threw away those first two Tests, more game awareness and a touch less arrogance from us would’ve seen us win 4-0.

Very good these last three matches though.

Not smug just positive in my view. I'll be critical and have been but some can't wait to whinge and whine when it goes wrong which over 25 days of cricket is always going to happen. Testament to this is after England's tremendous win we had ONE just ONE well done post before I posted. Lost (we easily could have done) and I reckon all the usual culprits would have been straight on here with loads more 'diabolicals' and 'stupids.'

[mickd1961]

Not smug just positive in my view. I'll be critical and have been but some can't wait to whinge and whine when it goes wrong which over 25 days of cricket is always going to happen. Testament to this is after England's tremendous win we had ONE just ONE well done post before I posted. Lost (we easily could have done) and I reckon all the usual culprits would have been straight on here with loads more 'diabolicals' and 'stupids.'

The first Test was plain stupid batting, almost to a man in the media the feeling was the same, I wasn’t on my own in thinking that.

Nasser Hussain made the point again yesterday after the match, when you have an Aussie down you keep him down, you don’t declare on the first evening with an under par score on the board.

That decision reeked of arrogance and hubris and in effect it’s cost us the series.

We still have the habit of getting into a good position and then losing 2 or 3 quick wickets, often to bad shots.

Yesterday the stars aligned to make it the perfect last passage of play and the fairytale ending for Broad but I do feel we got lucky.

On the Saturday they were cruising to victory and our bowling looked impotent.

Rain on Saturday afternoon, a change of ball and a fifth day pitch made a massive difference, we got the luck we didn’t get in the previous match.

We have a lot of innings where batsmen get in and don’t go in to make 100+.

Root only had one century, Brook had none, Pope was poor, Duckett failed to convert a single good start and Bairstow failed to get one as well.

I’m being picky I know but I just think there’s enough room for an expansive style mixed with the odd “correct” batsman and I’d like to see Root be a bit more like the old Root and Foakes in the side to keep to a high standard and bat more conventionally.

A great series though, I’m not going to be too churlish but I do think we were good enough to have beaten them 4-0, 4-1 or 5-0 if weather hadn’t killed the OT Test.

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

The first Test was plain stupid batting, almost to a man in the media the feeling was the same, I wasn’t on my own in thinking that.

Nasser Hussain made the point again yesterday after the match, when you have an Aussie down you keep him down, you don’t declare on the first evening with an under par score on the board.

That decision reeked of arrogance and hubris and in effect it’s cost us the series.

We still have the habit of getting into a good position and then losing 2 or 3 quick wickets, often to bad shots.

Yesterday the stars aligned to make it the perfect last passage of play and the fairytale ending for Broad but I do feel we got lucky.

On the Saturday they were cruising to victory and our bowling looked impotent.

Rain on Saturday afternoon, a change of ball and a fifth day pitch made a massive difference, we got the luck we didn’t get in the previous match.

We have a lot of innings where batsmen get in and don’t go in to make 100+.

Root only had one century, Brook had none, Pope was poor, Duckett failed to convert a single good start and Bairstow failed to get one as well.

I’m being picky I know but I just think there’s enough room for an expansive style mixed with the odd “correct” batsman and I’d like to see Root be a bit more like the old Root and Foakes in the side to keep to a high standard and bat more conventionally.

A great series though, I’m not going to be too churlish but I do think we were good enough to have beaten them 4-0, 4-1 or 5-0 if weather hadn’t killed the OT Test.

Where we differ is it was only because of Bazball we could have beaten them 4 or 5 nil.By its nature it's sometimes going to fail.

As my final note I had possibly my best day watching cricket on Saturday. Thank you McCullum, thank you Stokes, thank you Bazball.