I'm not an expert or anything at all about Cricket, but have an interest in Sport. I caught a small bit on the news last night and it just looks like England are playing like it's a Hundred match not a 5 day epic.  I now understand what is meant by "Bazball" ,its crazy to swipe at every ball like that!

I despair about the state of English cricket.
It needs change and I don't just mean personnel.

The structure needs a complete and thorough review followed by a major overhaul.

I'm afraid that I fail to see this latest result as a glorious and historic  win.
It seems to me that it was more a case of let's get this over and done with in two days so that we get an extra three days off. Doesn't matter about the result - we'll thrash the ball to all sides of the ground and if we win that's great but if we lose - who cares.

Most of the England players are simply NOT up to Test Match standard. They're fine at T20 and 100, whatever that is supposed to be, but Test cricket - NO. Hardly any of them get the opportunity to play domestic 4 day cricket in the County Championship by way of preparation and education so what can we expect?
Rant over.

I think it's all to do with attention span. Today's public (and I'm not just talking about young people) need instant gratification because that's the way the media shoves it down our throats.

We get what we deserve.

One of the most barmy and bizarre test matches I've seen in years (I have TNT Sports)
Pride makes me say "They're not going down without a fight" but then again I just consider that to be jingoistic rubbish

Funny no one in these comments has mentioned the state of the deck which had a significant impact on this game.

10mm of the green stuff left on top made it a unfair competition and there was only going to be one result, the bowlers won, the batsmen of both sides  would have a very difficult game and so it proved to be.

Will the ICC take action?

Ironically it also gave England a win.

Yes Martin @port perran i totally agree with you about the state of English cricket in fact you rant sounded more like me.

Harry Brook is a very talented batsman, will probably be better than Root over time, he is very young and requires more experience in the long game, he for me is one who should be playing more county cricket grafting hard for his runs.

Cricket is a hard game mentally, concentrating all day whether batting or in the field, your only rest is when sat in the hut either out or waiting in anticipation to go out to bat.

The England set up basically only allows for preparation during practice / net sessions which it isn't important if you fail, they all need match practice on varying surfaces to allow them to know when to adapt to the conditions.

I am sure so called Bazball has changed since its inception. It is not never was about flashing at every ball, it was more about scoring quickly from ball 1, just look at a inform Root who looks to keep the scoreboard ticking over in low scoring shots, blink and he soon has a scored 50 that's without being aggressive.

I am not a fan of Stokes, for me he is hit and miss, yes he has had some winning scores with the bat whilst playing extravagant shots, take his match winning innings at Headingley with Leach, he was very lucky, Australia messed up on reviews and didn't have one left when it really counted else he was out. It was very entertaining day in the sun, yes I was there on that day as I had been on day 1.

Sorry rant over

Quote from: Nbodger on December 27, 2025, 01:32:08 PMFunny no one in these comments has mentioned the state of the deck which had a significant impact on this game.

10mm of the green stuff left on top made it a unfair competition and there was only going to be one result, the bowlers won, the batsmen of both sides  would have a very difficult game and so it proved to be.



Sorry rant over

And a merry Christmas to you too!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cly5397m30jo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cdxw1y79rnpo


Fair play to Michael Vaughan and Steve Smith

The pitch was poor and to have 36 wickets in 6 sessions less than two days will be scrutinised by the ICC no doubt.  Totally agree with Martin and Mike over their comments


Too many poor shots by the batsmen and line and length bowling . Makes you wonder where proper batting coaching and bowling coaching has gone. Remember when Sir Geoffrey said ' The Corridor of Uncertainty ' not now, get line lengths right. Play straight and each ball on merit and if its worth putting a bad ball away good. If you learn basics. Oh well

well well, the MCG are of course defending the groundman and his team.
Will there be a review, who knows.
Cricket Australia are now bemoaning what should have been a bumper summer of revenue is now looking very sorry financially, the 2 day MCG test resulted in a $10M loss of income for the 3 remaining days. Let alone similar stories from Perth and Brisbane.
The MCG will be in a similar state where they should have made a lot of money in catering and of course the bars.
At least England won. Roll on next week, lets see what happens in Sydney.

Quote from: Graham on December 28, 2025, 04:50:46 AMwell well, the MCG are of course defending the groundman and his team.
Will there be a review, who knows.

The evidence is there for all to see in the batting/bowling stats. Not for nothing were innings scores so low and wickets taken so high. The pitch favoured the bowlers - end of.
God bless the MCG for allowing England a win rather than continuing what could have been a whitewash

RIP Hugh Morris ex Glamorgan

2025 has seen the loss of

David Sid Lawrence
Wayne Larkins
Robin Smith
John Jameson ex Warwickshire
Harold Dickie Bird
Ken Shuttleworth 
Peter Lever

A good start from England. I have no issue with batsmen falling to great bowling, as in the case of Duckett and Bethell. What I dislike is the attitude of Crawley who 'padded away' (something rarely seen these days) a delivery in arrogant fashion so I thought it poetic justice he was out LBW and, even then, called for a review to what to the rest of the world was a plumb shout
I can only assume the state of the pitch was what caused the Aussies to not pick a decent spin bowler

Quote from: Newportnobby on December 26, 2025, 11:23:08 AMCarse at a length outside the off stump gets whacked through the covers for 4.
Next ball - repeat.
Next ball - repeat.
Why can't they learn?
 

This was driving me up the wall, the repeating of what doesn't work smacks of a real lack of game intelligence.
Then when you see the stats on the ball lengths that got wickets and the outliers are the wickets and the majority of the balls are runs it beggars belief

Quote from: Graham on December 28, 2025, 04:50:46 AMwell well, the MCG are of course defending the groundman and his team.
Will there be a review, who knows.
Cricket Australia are now bemoaning what should have been a bumper summer of revenue is now looking very sorry financially, the 2 day MCG test resulted in a $10M loss of income for the 3 remaining days. Let alone similar stories from Perth and Brisbane.
The MCG will be in a similar state where they should have made a lot of money in catering and of course the bars.
At least England won. Roll on next week, lets see what happens in Sydney.

Expect TNT are fuming having won the broadcast rights to find they are broadcasting half the expected days...

Joe Root 160
Wonderful Century

But what were Brook and especially Smith thinking especially the wicketkeeper Smith. Brainfade.

Atrocious

Jacks did enough to hang in there.



Not quite sure about the exchanges between Stokes and Labuschagne. Just need Head and Smith early. Hmmmm

England are missing a true fast strike bowler, having taken out with them a couple of injury prone crocks who, sure enough, broke down i.e. Mark Wood and Jofra Archer