The Ashes

[SW4Baggie]

All the talk about the batting and in this innings the bowling and yet you'd say the series has probably been lost due to the fielding in the last hour.

We're just undercooked, cocky, and poorly coached. 

That's why you see under par bowling, poor fielding, and stupid batting collapses.

Ultimately, it's a good pool of talent, poorly organised and with the wrong attitude.

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It really is the cricketing equivalent of watching us under Mowbray at the back end of last season.

To be fair, being poorly coached, poorly managed and not appropriately used could well be this season

[Josh1873]

England's bowling average by year in the Bazball era:

2022 - 28.5
2023 - 30.7
2024 - 31.5
2025 - 39.6

[pindgill]

I have a few relatives & friends flying over for the last two tests like the majority of fans!!…
Will be very very disappointed spending so much to watch dead rubbers!!!..mind you weather will be great.

[Ted Maul]

England's bowling average by year in the Bazball era:

2022 - 28.5
2023 - 30.7
2024 - 31.5
2025 - 39.6

Spot the bit where two of the best bowlers ever retired.

[Josh1873]

Australia making us toil. Grinding us down. That's how you bat in Test cricket.

Not throw your wickets away haphazardly, and keep the opposition fresh.

The only positive about getting well beat in this series, which will no doubt happen, is it'll hopefully see the end of McCullum.

It can't come soon enough.

[Ted Maul]

Australia making us toil. Grinding us down. That's how you bat in Test cricket.

Not throw your wickets away haphazardly, and keep the opposition fresh.

The only positive about getting well beat in this series, which will no doubt happen, is it'll hopefully see the end of McCullum.

It can't come soon enough.

Your McCullum point I can agree with. Lots of chat, but absolutely zero winning series against anyone good.

[Josh1873]

It's all well and good bullying lesser nations on flat tracks at home, but when we've come up against a remotely decent team, or when we come up against a tough match situation, we, more often than not, crumble.

For all their arrogance, talk, and bullshit spouting in the media, this team has zero backbone or fight in them. They're very much all talk and no action.

I've no idea where we go from here. I'm absolutely not advocating going back to where we were before, with Burns and Sibley getting 20 runs in about 40 overs, but this has gone too far the other way. It's reckless and has become infective over the last 15 months or so.

To bleat about how this is the series we've built towards for 3 years, give so much talk about how we're ready, but not actually have any prepartions in terms of practice matches, give all the big talk and arrogance about how we're going to be competitive, and then turn in performances like we've seen, where (save for that incredible bowling session in the first Test) we've been very much second best in every single session so far, is frankly an embarrassment.

It's a mess. I don't think I've ever disliked or felt anger towards an England cricket team before, but that's very much were I am with this lot. They're making me detest watching Test cricket.

[Jezstatham]

We will be out for 150 2nd innings after being 39-8 with one of the bowlers making a heroic 50 at the end .2 nil down in tests after 5 days play

[Ted Maul]

If I was Australia I'd declare in the 'dinner break' and simply bowl England out during the evening session under lights. Ashes won in five days of cricket and a nice extra couple of days off.

[Jezstatham]

Our lot will be able to go out and get a few more tattoos or buy some more of them sunglasses they love putting on their hats the wrong way round.