English cricket in ashes . . . .

[Roger]

A nice cartoon about the Ashes on the DT front page.

A newsreader reading an item about ''performance enhancing drugs' says, ''A spokesman said the English cricket team are not under suspicion''.

At 3-0 down and facing a whitewash - agreed !

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

[Roger]

You don't have to be a cricket fan to enjoy this - stick with it a little.

'Tuffers' talks of being left on the sofa by Mum as a Baby, to watch the cricket.
6 hours later Mum picks him up - the score was still 10-1- Boycott's batting LOL !

http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/42619597

[Roger]

Geoffrey Boycott wants Joe Root to follow the lead of New Zealand's Brendon McCullum and BAN sledging in the coming Test Series. I think that would be excellent. I agree with GB 100% on this . . .

For me GB is often a good listen - grumpy and always right. But he does it with a sort of blinkered silly and is distinct from the late Fred Trueman, who was just turn off inducing miserable IMO. Well said Boycs 

''Joe Root has a chance to change the England team forever by banning all sledging - the abuse has gone too far

England need to start playing some quality Test match cricket in New Zealand to win over the public. They need deeds and heroics on the field and not headlines of incidents in bars and nightclubs. It is time Joe Root, as captain, stamped his authority on the team and that should start by our England cricketers cutting out sledging. Sledging is crude and ugly and sets a bad example to youngsters.

When Brendon McCullum became captain of New Zealand in 2012 he instilled in his players a no sledging policy. His view was just play cricket no matter what the provocation from the opposition. Well done, Brendon. Although he has retired, and Kane Williamson has taken over the captaincy, New Zealand have continued to play cricket the right way. England should follow suit and play good tough, competitive, even aggressive cricket, but not with their mouths.

Joe Root could cut out England sledging this week and say this is how we will play from now on. Sadly many players and teams have got it into their heads that sledging is macho and enhances their performances. That is why Root and Trevor Bayliss are reluctant to tell the England team to cut it out in case it inhibits a player’s performances. My view was always get mad at yourself, wind up one of your own bowlers to bowl faster or better but abusing the opposition is unacceptable.

There is too much on the field goading and in-your-face foul mouthed abuse. That sort of intimidatory language would not be accepted in a pub. There would be a fight in no time. It is getting so bad that in a Test between South Africa and Australia recently players nearly came to blows. How is that good for cricket’s image?

If you are comfortable in your own skin and confident in your own cricketing ability it should not matter what the opposition say or do. You can silence any detractors through your performance, not retaliate with a gob full of abuse. Score a century, take five wickets and win the match is all that matters. We saw in Australia that Root was not frightened to show some ingenuity with unusual field placing but he was let down by his bowlers. What we need him to do now is show some real leadership and be his own man. Great leaders are not followers of fashion or the norm. They are innovators. Has Root got it in him? Can he be like McCullum?

Root is one of the great batsmen of the world. He is in a position to make a real statement. McCullum is a great man but was not a great player. Joe is going to be a great player for ten years. Changing the way England are perceived around the world is his chance to put his stamp on cricket. He could make this England team admired for the way they play the game and the standards they set.

This team could be the role models cricket badly needs. You should not care about what the opposition gets up to, just go your own way. The abuse has gone too far. It is time for someone of Joe’s stature to say enough is enough. We have to change and play the game the right way.

It is one thing to play poor cricket. That happens. You win and you lose. But there is no excuse for the yob culture of drinking in bars or abusing on the field. We want to be looked up to and admired for the standards we set. We want to set standards and not follow other people. Our England players need to redeem themselves after a dreadful Ashes series, off field antics of Ben Stokes getting arrested, Jonny Bairstow head butting and Ben Duckett pouring alcohol over Jimmy Anderson in a bar. This winter more people were talking about after-hours antics than England’s cricket and that is bad for the game.

The image - whether deserved or not - of loutish, uncouth behaviour that has gone around the world has to stop. English cricket cannot afford anymore of these incidents and bad headlines.

If it happens again someone should lose their job. Maybe that is the only way to get through to our players and coaches that this winter has been a disaster on and off the field. The ECB has always left discipline to the head coach. Bayliss says he treats the players as adults and does not like to put restrictions on them or have curfews. But if some players act like children then it is his job to handle them. As coach, Trevor does not have to score any runs or take any wickets. His job is man-management, and discipline is a big part of handling guys.

If Trevor is unable to deal with it then Andrew Strauss, the England team director, should step in. If that puts Trevor’s nose out of joint then too bad. He has not done a good job handling them so far. The ECB are looking for a new backer of Test cricket to replace Investec but companies do not like being involved with losing teams or worst still an institution that attracts bad publicity.

Companies see yob culture as a no-no and avoid it like the plague. Image is everything to them and if the England players do not behave as the role models they are to the a younger generation then companies will run away. Sport should be fun, enjoyable and a healthy game parents want their kids to play. They want good role models and it is time Root made sure England start setting the right example.''

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2018/03/20/joe-root-has-chance-change-england-team-forever-banning-sledging/

[Roger]

Well, after banning 'sledging' uuummm AND Ben Stokes for a while, here he is again! Three cheers for that 

I'm sure that justice has gone it's proper course and without casting aspersions - that was a lotta punches on video. Ben is a bit wild and that's why we want Ben in the team. I hope he'll behave OFF the pitch now 

So to lighten up I'll try this again -''Tuffers' talks of being left on the sofa by Mum as a Baby, to watch the cricket. 6 hours later Mum picks him up - the score was still 10-1 . . .  Boycott's batting LOL !''

Night all.

[Teessider]

I think Stokes was a bit lucky to get away with it. Maybe the CPS overreached by charging him with affray rather than ABH. I wonder why we heard no evidence from the 2 gay men Scholes said he was "defending"? First test was gripping stuff but only due to the efforts of Virat Kohli. Second test was 1 sided after an important toss won by Root. In the second test Rashid didn't bowl, didn't bat and took no catches.

[caller]

I wonder why we heard no evidence from the 2 gay men Scholes said he was "defending"?

They were found to be unreliable, primarily as they were both drunk! They also went on social media and kept changing their stories, their initial reaction was to thank Stokes for protecting them.

To be honest, the whole prosecution has been a farce with lots of questions being asked about who was and wasn't prosecuted and why? There is something seriously rotten about CPS at the moment that will only be corrected when the current DPP's contract ends. She has been an absolute disaster.

I was reading an article about the old pop mogul Jonathan King earlier. There are now questions being raised about his earlier conviction for which he went to prison for. The recent case against him collapsed as basically, the evidence was felt to have been doctored and the judge was never given satisfactory answers to his constant questions, to the point where it reached the stage where he thought it was unsafe to continue and halted the case. It's now been dropped.

They seem to want trophy convictions for whatever reason.

[Roger]

Caller you may be right about the CPS and 'trophy' convictions - but NO problem with that bias in the England cricket camp    Ben Stokes is straight back into the Test side at the expense of match winner Curran    What sort of message does that send? Was it 29 punches in 2 minutes? Stokes is very lucky boy IMO.

There's a saga of bad behaviour in our test team :-

''The incident involving Stokes and batsman Alex Hales came in the early hours of the morning, following England's one-day international victory over West Indies. On the Ashes tour that followed, Jonny Bairstow was accused of 'headbutting' Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft, while England Lions batsman Ben Duckett poured a drink over James Anderson, both in the same Perth bar. At the time, coach Trevor Bayliss said players would pay with their places in the team if behaviour did not improve.''

Oh yeah ?

Moving on a lighter note - I thought this a remarkable resemblance of Stokes to Shkrodan Mustafi of Arsenal  . . . . . . . . .

Ben Stokes : https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45224675

Mustafi : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-45182868

[Roger]

Teess - ''In the second test Rashid didn't bowl, didn't bat and took no catches.''

Curran is dropped after a matchwinning first test with 87 runs and 4 wickets and a useful 40 runs in the second test 

[Roger]

Despite an unreliable contribution from England's top batting order - (until Cook's fine 5th Test that is), England run out 4-1 winners - a slightly flattering result.

IMO could have been 3-2 either way, without some terrific performances out of the blue, from unexpected directions, particularly Curran. James Anderson - amazing throughout.

Was the selection of Rashid justified in the end ? India were heading to approach that massive target in the 5th Test when Rashid took the wickets of the rampant Rahul and Pant

Ben Stokes and Alex Hales are charged by the ECB with 'disrepute' - will they flunk it? Personally, I think Stokes has suffered enough and may stay in line after the experience.

I notice that Ian Bell, dropped by England in 2015, scored 5 centuries and a 1000+ runs this season - time for a call up - he's only 36.

Anyway - off to Sri Lanka shortly for a tour - minus Alistair Cook.

England cricket NOT in ashes anymore then 

[Roger]

The England team with many newish faces and without Alistair Cook, recover from 103 - 5 to a total of 342. New stars, Jennings, Buttler, Foakes, Curran and Rashid get 274 of the 342.

Declaring the second innings at 322, Jennings scoring 146 not out after 46 in the 1st Innings and set Sri Lanka a target of 462 - apparently the highest winning chase on this ground is . . . . 99 

Looks like England's first overseas test win since 2016 is coming 

[Thaiwolf]

Watched every ball Roger.

[Roger]

Hi TW. I guess you are watching every ball      It looks like the no. 11 bat can knock off the last 60 on his own     60 now 47 

Just one wicket to win the Series 3-0 . . . . . .

It's the first time since 1927/8 that England have had 3 spin bowlers taking more than 12 wickets in a series - in 3 tests this time.

?

[Thaiwolf]

Yes Roger, watched every ball. Great effort from SL to come so close today.

[nookiebear]

Have to agree it was well worth watching....credit to both teams.
Rather odd that Leach bowls left arm but throws right arm

[dam12641]

Yeah, there are quite a few cricketers who can't decide which hand to use.
Jimmy Anderson bowls right-handed and bats left-handed.
Ashley Giles bowled left-handed, bats right-handed.

I've never read why anywhere.

[dam12641]

Meanwhile until England go to the Windies, for Test Cricket lovers there is a fascinating series going on as I type: NZ & Pak.

1st Test was an absolute classic a v narrow NZ win. Pak evened it up with a comprehensive victory and the 3rd Test is keeping me entertained now.
Anyone else here watching this series?

I must admit NZ have long been my 2nd fav team, they play proper cricket and always punch above their theoretical weight.

[Roger]

Andrew Strauss' wife dies at 46 after battle with lung cancer - R.I.P.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2018/12/29/andrew-strauss-wife-dies-46-battle-lung-cancer/

[Roger]

England produced another batting collapse, out of nowhere, under accurate bowling from the West Indies - all out 77    It already looks impossible to save this match . .

I listened to the Test Match Special podcast - they interviewed dear ole' Geoffrey Boycott and his comments were 'frank' as usual. England's first three batsman have a very unreliable record and when Geoffrey was questioned as to who might replace them from the County Cricket ranks, Geoffrey commented that there was no-one - they're all crap   

Nice one Geoffrey - how to offend 27% of all English cricketers in one swipe !

I love him     https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06z1c3f

[Roger]

The West Indies show England how it's done    setting 628 to win after a 6th wicket stand of 295 yes 295   

BUT IMO the West Indies have made their second major error of this game ! I never understand why a 'follow on' is not enforced and after all, England have plenty of time left to get these runs    Windies may rue those 4 wasted wickets 

Two whole days left and 56 in the bag already . . .  Watch out Windies 

[Teessider]

Enforcing the follow on would have been a foolish decision and could have granted England a route back into the game. Imagine if we had followed on and made 415-6. We could then have had WI batting last chasing a target of 250 plus. This way England bat last and must either bat for 2 more days or acheive the greatest ever winning target.