The Ashes

[Josh1873]

Seems like it could be more of the same.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/arti...0yjkvxk43o

Awful news.

[Jacko]

Happy for them to carry on.

Check out the top 3 run scorers in Div 1 of the CC by the way.

[Cheshire East Baggie]

Seems like it could be more of the same.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/arti...0yjkvxk43o

Must admit I’m happy to keep them as long as they’re learning from this ashes debacle.
We need to find bowlers who stay fit Potts is nowhere near the standard where as Tongue should have been in from the start along with Bethal. Also the spin department needs sorting.

I don't see how McCullum can learn anything from this, except that his cunning plans (Wood, Archer, Bashir, Smith etc etc) have mostly turned out to be shite or injured when it really mattered. As for Stokes, apart from his obvious physical frailty, his captaincy on-field has been very poor throughout this series.

These guys thrive on being different, being outrageous, breaking the "rules", creating a closed shop of like-minded fun-loving swashbucklers. Is there really a world in which they consider players in form rather than just pick players they believe to be "one of us"? Will they acknowledge that they need to use a competent wicket keeper and spin bowler? Can't see it myself.

Stokes owes nobody anything after his heroics over the years. McCullum on the other hand needs to get some white-ball results. If the T20 Word Cup goes badly, surely he and Key are done?

[rsbaggy2]

Seems like it could be more of the same.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/arti...0yjkvxk43o

Must admit I’m happy to keep them as long as they’re learning from this ashes debacle.
We need to find bowlers who stay fit Potts is nowhere near the standard where as Tongue should have been in from the start along with Bethal. Also the spin department needs sorting.

I don't see how McCullum can learn anything from this, except that his cunning plans (Wood, Archer, Bashir, Smith etc etc) have mostly turned out to be shite or injured when it really mattered. As for Stokes, apart from his obvious physical frailty, his captaincy on-field has been very poor throughout this series.

These guys thrive on being different, being outrageous, breaking the "rules", creating a closed shop of like-minded fun-loving swashbucklers. Is there really a world in which they consider players in form rather than just pick players they believe to be "one of us"? Will they acknowledge that they need to use a competent wicket keeper and spin bowler? Can't see it myself.

Stokes owes nobody anything after his heroics over the years. McCullum on the other hand needs to get some white-ball results. If the T20 Word Cup goes badly, surely he and Key are done?

The cunning plan

Woods
Bashir
Archer 

''have mostly turned out to be shite or injured when it really mattered''

We should have seen this coming!

[Beachboysbaggie]

Good to see a bit of fight, although it's too little too late.

Nothing at this stage can shield Key/McCullum/Stokes from criticism of their decision-making over the past three years. The big questions after this match are going to be:

Why did Tongue sit out the first two matches, especially after Atkinson was so poor in the first Test?
Why is Carse opening the bowling for England when he's "third seamer" at County level?
Why did they persist with Pope when Bethell was available?

So much wrong with the planning, team selection and on-field captaincy decisions in this series. It's as though history is to be entirely ignored and England will "do it their way".

If McCullum/Key/Stokes weren’t in charge Bethell wouldn’t even be there. Would any other England selectors of years gone by have selected a batter who hadn’t made a first class century? Not a chance

[Wednesburybaggie]

Seems like it could be more of the same.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/arti...0yjkvxk43o

Must admit I’m happy to keep them as long as they’re learning from this ashes debacle.
We need to find bowlers who stay fit Potts is nowhere near the standard where as Tongue should have been in from the start along with Bethal. Also the spin department needs sorting.

Surely Rehan Ahmed is a way better option than Bashir or Jack's? Wouldn't weakening the batting either coming in at 8.

[11amstart]

Seems like it could be more of the same.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/arti...0yjkvxk43o

Awful news.

I agree wholeheartedly! I’d have retained Stokes, but McCullum and Strauss would be let go. Their replacements would be Trott and Vaughan.

[Jacko]

Another abysmal 3rd umpire decision.

[rsbaggy2]

Snicko not fit for purpose.
That is not in doubt. 
But even so all you can ask for is consistency when referrals are made. Snicko showed a spike just after passing Weatherald's bat.  Following on from Stokes dismissal in a previous test in similar circumstances surely the same logic should have applied here?
The fact it wasn't given out is a disgrace.

[Jacko]

A late flurry. 5 down now.