What no Ashes thread this year?

[Stan_van_nel]

I found myself agreeing with Michael Vaughan on the first day of the first test.

He said that the Aussies were the better team in the last two/three tests in the last Ashes series in England. We just had one or two players that saved us at crucial times (Bell with the bat and broad/Anderson or Swann with the ball), they just haven't done that this series.

We haven't scored 400 plus in one innings for over a year now and we aren't going to win many matches if Cook, Pietersen and Bell do not get many runs.

We may have finally found a proper decent all rounder in Stokes, which is the only plus in what was the most embarrassing England Ashes performance in living memory.

[gardsPNE]

I found myself agreeing with Michael Vaughan on the first day of the first test.

He said that the Aussies were the better team in the last two/three tests in the last Ashes series in England. We just had one or two players that saved us at crucial times (Bell with the bat and broad/Anderson or Swann with the ball), they just haven't done that this series.

We haven't scored 400 plus in one innings for over a year now and we aren't going to win many matches if Cook, Pietersen and Bell do not get many runs.

We may have finally found a proper decent all rounder in Stokes, which is the only plus in what was the most embarrassing England Ashes performance in living memory.

Yep fair point Stan, the last couple of tests showed signs of the Aussies bucking up and us having mini collapses. I think its time to seriously look at our batting lineup and take the captaincy off Cook and let him concentrate on his batting and get rid of Gouc

[AucklandRover]

I found myself agreeing with Michael Vaughan on the first day of the first test.

He said that the Aussies were the better team in the last two/three tests in the last Ashes series in England. We just had one or two players that saved us at crucial times (Bell with the bat and broad/Anderson or Swann with the ball), they just haven't done that this series.

We haven't scored 400 plus in one innings for over a year now and we aren't going to win many matches if Cook, Pietersen and Bell do not get many runs.

We may have finally found a proper decent all rounder in Stokes, which is the only plus in what was the most embarrassing England Ashes performance in living memory.

Yep fair point Stan, the last couple of tests showed signs of the Aussies bucking up and us having mini collapses. I think its time to seriously look at our batting lineup and take the captaincy off Cook and let him

[gardsPNE]

Carberry i would certainly play in the summer in a couple of test series as he was the nearly man regularly getting into the 30's and to be fair to him no partnership support as wickets were dropping at the other end which must not have helped. Auckland, lets start a bring back Captain Mike B for England campaign

[MillHillRover]

I don't think even Mike Brearley could do owt with this shower probably need to dig Douglas Jardine up to have any chance

[AucklandRover]

I know it will never happen, but from the current squad, I would be interested in seeing what Kevin Pietersen might do as captain until a more mainstream candidate emerges.
He seemed confused during this series as to whether he should play his normal game or not, but he is surely worth his place for a couple more years.
He is more likely than AC to be adaptable and a risk-taker. Sometimes, left-field solutions pay off...although it hasn't worked for Rovers!

[Stan_van_nel]

He seemed confused during this series as to whether he should play his normal game or not,

Well he shouldn't have been confused what with the way the Aussies advertised what the were doing with Peter Siddle and the two Aussies at short mid wicket.

Pietersen knew exactly what was going on but his ego thought that it didn't matter and he'd just lob it over them at short mid wicket. He didn't lob it over them and his ego lost.

He's not captain material.

[alfinyalcabo]

No smoke without fire.. Pietersen and Flowers - view external link

[MillHillRover]

No smoke without fire.. Pietersen and Flowers

Yeh like ya say Alf the blokes got form IE Peter Moores and there's no one gonna tell me that Swann's retiring comments wasn't sideswipe aimed fairly and squarely at Pietersen