I'd agree with Kirky.
Smith is up there amongst the very best. I suppose we'll only discover if he's really up there amongst the True greats over time.
As for today, I doubt we'll get much beyond lunch but.......there's always hope.

Different sport I know but in the most unlikely end to a football match I've seen, Bristol City won 5-4 at Mansfield in about 1999 despite entering the 90th minute 2-4 down.
There is always hope.

Indeed! 

I shy away from the media as I'm only able to see the highlights at 7pm on Ch5.
Sadly the inconsistency of our bowling, batting and fielding let us down again
The team have their moments e.g Broad v Warner, the erratic brilliance of Stokes and the emergence of Joffra Archer but, until they can produce the goods match after match, they will always struggle. It's so damned frustrating.

Another page from my local rag, 9/9/19, just for you, Mick! 

Well, at least we gave it a good go on the last day.
The difference between the two sides is Smith and hats off to him.
Mind you.....Leach is pretty hard to get out!

Smith, maybe labuschagne, pattinson, aussies played better. Moments from england archer, stokes. Ok just back to the drawing board - basics

Agree. Jack leach is more capable as the nightwatchman. Would like to see s curran at the oval

Easier said than done I know, but get the top 3 sorted and we'd be a very decent team

Good luck at the Oval. 

I'm not being sarcastic. Looking forward to good sporting cricket. May the best team win! 

Quote from: Philip. on September 09, 2019, 07:47:44 AM
Easier said than done I know, but get the top 3 sorted and we'd be a very decent team

Totally agree with this comment.

Just been having the very same discussion with a work colleague, our problem is that we don't have any Test Match specialist Batsmen anymore, far too much 1 day cricket and by that I mean 20-20.

In my ageing eyes we should have 1,2 & 3 as Specialist Test Match Batsmen, 4 onwards can be picked from the Short Format of the game as by the time they come in, hopefully, the Openers have seen off the best bowlers and taken the edge off of the ball, the Bowlers pretty much pick themselves because there isn't a great deal of difference between bowling in a Test Match and bowling in a 20, 50 or 60 over game, only real differences are more bouncers and wider balls before a Wide is called.

I understand the reasoning behind the 20-20 game but we're losing Test matches because of it and the concentration on the short form of the game, I mean they're even introducing the new 100 Format, which again is designed just to put bums on seats at Cricket grounds, will this format bring more people into the enjoying Championship Cricket over 4 days?? Doubtful in my humble opinion.

Right of my Soapbox regarding Cricket, but I do agree that Smith was the real difference between the 2 sides as the rest of the Aussie Batting is just as fragile as ours.

Cheers

Neal.

I agree with Neal's thoughts.
20-20 cricket has its place and is probably vital to the survival of cricket.
However, especially in England, Test Cricket is still huge (just see the crowd totals at each match) and we need to address that importance.
The World Cup was great but just take Root and Roy as examples. Apart from tests how many first class matches have they played?
Test cricket requires a different approach and different application by the players so they need time to prepare properly. They need to play, I'd say, at least 6 county championship matches before playing in tests.
With hindsight, maybe playing the World Cup and the Ashes in the same season was a mistake.
We can only hope that the authorities are prepared to consider changes.

The thinking processes in test match cricket are hugely different and what Martin says makes enormous sense.

Quote from: port perran on September 09, 2019, 12:59:00 PM

Test cricket requires a different approach and different application by the players so they need time to prepare properly. They need to play, I'd say, at least 6 county championship matches before playing in tests.
With hindsight, maybe playing the World Cup and the Ashes in the same season was a mistake.
We can only hope that the authorities are prepared to consider changes.

In no way would I want to go back to the the Geoff Boycott 'stay in and score 4 runs in 2 days' method but the guy does speak a lot of sense though some don't like his Yorkshire 'shoot from the hip' attitude. I was almost hoarse after just 1 hour of highlights from yelling at the TV as yet another English batsman waved his bat at a wide ball or left his bat high whilst ducking a bouncer. Obviously Stokes innings at Headingley was outstanding but no one seemed to learn from it. Some effort at restraint was made in the 2nd innings at Old Trafford but, overall, the English team have not covered themselves in glory at all this series. Just my two penn'orth

I was about to say I agree with everything that has been said regarding the English batsmen. Except Mick went and said he wouldnt want to return to Boycott type batting! I beg to differ - exactly what England needed yesterday was an impossibly slow player who doesnt play shots and stays in. Geoff fits that bill perfectly.
The lack of concentration and patience is astounding at this level. A case in point - Jason Roy's longest innings - in his entire first class career - lasted only three and half hours. And that was in 2016. He plainly is not cut out for test cricket. Test cricket is about knowing when to leave shots alone and when to defend. The batsman has to wait for the bad ball to play a shot. Its a game of the mind.

cheers

Quote from: kirky on September 09, 2019, 06:39:55 PM
I was about to say I agree with everything that has been said regarding the English batsmen. Except Mick went and said he wouldnt want to return to Boycott type batting! I beg to differ - exactly what England needed yesterday was an impossibly slow player who doesnt play shots and stays in. Geoff fits that bill perfectly.
The lack of concentration and patience is astounding at this level. A case in point - Jason Roy's longest innings - in his entire first class career - lasted only three and half hours. And that was in 2016. He plainly is not cut out for test cricket. Test cricket is about knowing when to leave shots alone and when to defend. The batsman has to wait for the bad ball to play a shot. Its a game of the mind.

cheers

Bring back Chris Tavare and David Steele.

Hi all,

Well played Australia; I think most neutrals would agree that over the course of the summer they've been the better side though England have played their part in what has been a thrilling series so far.

For me Steve Smith has been the difference; England have a match winner in Ben Stokes but it's unrealistic to expect him to be able to win every match for England; for me it was telling that when Smith was injured the player who came in (Marus Lambuchagne) was able to provide such effective cover and then keep his place.

The top order is clearly where the problem for England lies however I am not sure we can entirely blame ODIs or T20; after all Australia play these too and are hosting the 2020 T20 World Cup.

cheers

Ben A.