Force Majuere: who is responsible?

Uncategorized July 12, 2015 Leave a comment
It is difficult to beat the other lot when they bat, bowl and field better than you. It’s even worse when they cherish and enjoy the contest and your lot turn up looking like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.

Australians lay in bed all over the continent this morning contemplating another loss in England. Or is this the Australian players struggling to motivate ahead of the Test? Both are possible, it seems.
Australians lay in bed all over the continent this morning contemplating another loss in England. Or is this the Australian players struggling to motivate ahead of the Test? Both are possible, it seems. Bill Murray in Groundhog Day

England comprehensively punished Australia and deserved their victory. They played better than form suggested and Australia – who are still a better team than England for now – were poor and repeated two glaring mistakes of past England tours. They bowled too short and too wide for too long, expecting their quicks to blast people out as they do in Brisbane and Perth, and their batsmen went hard at the ball instead of playing later as the swinging conditions require.

Poor preparation?

Australia has a problem with slow pitches; they lost seven Test matches in India and England in 2013, and the following year they lost at Port Elizabeth in South Africa and twice in the Gulf against Pakistan. Now they’ve been utterly embarrassed in Wales. Has Australia recognised this weakness or ignored it?

Poor execution?

Few expected Australia could chase down the 411 set by England but with two days to play (the fifth with rain predicted), many more expected a demonstration of resilience. Perhaps a decent fight that might take them close, at least to 300, and if inclement weather arrived – as it did today in Cardiff – then a draw was possible. But they rolled over and died.

As day broke today in Cardiff Australian captain Michael Clarke was last seen running down the street to beg England for one more chance.
As day broke today in Cardiff Australian captain Michael Clarke was last seen running down the street to beg England for one more chance.

At one for 97 going into the last over before lunch, there were clear nerves and anxiety beginning to show among both England’s players. The huge wicket of Warner on the last ball before the break eased the tension and triggered a force majuere.

Within 5 overs the Aussies were 5/106. When Watson departed, perhaps for the last time ever in a Test match, Australia had lost all of their batsmen and were 7/151. It was a disgrace and none of the Australian batsmen took responsibility to resist the superior fight and attitude England brought to the contest. Shane Watson summed up Australia’s approach, he looked encumbered by the world’s problems, trudged about about grimacing and completely failed to lead by example when opportunities arose. His bowling was ineffective and his career looks over.

It was a tough gig watching that collapse. Bill, here again, sums it up nicely.
It was a tough gig watching that collapse.

Although their bowling was erratic on day one Australia actually bowled well in the second innings. Starc was in agony with an ankle injury but steamed in and bowled 145km regularly. He was accused by Shane Warne and others of lacking heart when he left the field on a hot day in Brisbane last summer against India. It seemed this was in the back of his mind and his contribution was admirable. But the damage done is likely to exclude him from the second Test at Lords. Another huge loss for Australia.

Suddenly the two men who England’s batters will have studied the most – Starc and Ryan Harris – aren’t playing and Australia will have to go to Peter Siddle. Pat Cummins is the other man on tour but talented as he may be, Cummins is likely to bang it in shorter than any other. The concern with Siddle is that he’s a bit similar to Hazlewood. At least Johnson is still fit. He bowled very well without luck in Cardiff and Cricket Forth predicts that he will lift on the slope in London.

There’s a direct correlation between Johnson’s form with the bat and him taking wickets and he scored more (77) than Rogers, Smith, Clarke, Voges, Watson and Haddin combined in Australia’s second innings capitulation.

Let’s get back to discussing England though

The ICC needs to take action against the ECB because there are clearly different rules for Jimmy Anderson; why is he allowed to use a taped up tennis ball and swing it 2 metres? This guy is a legitimate superstar and must be nearing par with other great swingers like Wasim Akram (and your best mate’s parents, didn’t you know?). The Aussies haven’t got a clue. He was backed up well by Stuart Broad who was quick, extracted bounce where others could not and built the pressure that provided the lesser Moeen Ali and Mark Wood with wickets.

Wood is a great find. He has not taken a backwards step against Australia in his third Test and looks a great character and competitor. Ian Bell played himself back into form in the second innings and Ben Stokes has showed Shane Watson what an all-rounder looks like.

The series is not over yet though. Now let’s get some sleep before the second Test.

https://cricketfroth.wordpress.com/2015/07/12/force-majuere-who-is-responsible/

There's every reason. The wicket is a nightmare to bat on. It would take players like Bradman, Dravid, Steve Waugh, etc. to do it. Unfortunately it's proving to be the case.

Edited by quickflick: 12/7/2015 12:39:06 AM

to be fair, 400+ is a hard ask on the fourth innings, but the Aussies were crap. No hope if you play like that. For a long time the English batting collapses were made much of in the media, guess what, same crap different team. Play out of form dinosaurs on a slow pitch, conclusion the pitch was sharper so was the opposition. Watson has to go, been a boat anchor for years, dont know why they persist with this out of form player, mentally soft jibes on previous series seem on the money. Mitch Marsh, what does he need to do to get a gig? (besides smashing multiple centuries in lead up games)

Neville in!

EDIT: Watto dropped!

-PB

Edited by paulbagzFC: 15/7/2015 08:13:41 AM

Keen beans for 8pm tonight.

-PB

Friggin' stupid shot from Warner. He was destined for a hundred with the start he made

Love this. Its great to see a dominant response after the first test.