The ashes

[Hesperus]

Good come back with bat and ball. Broad finally turning up and Cook and Root in the runs. England on top now. Too little too late though unfortunately, it would be good to try and get a couple of wins though to take a little of the wind out of the Aussie sails.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

England bowlers suddenly found a bit of verve, and the batsman slowly, but steadily worked themselves in. Root and Cook especially were very patient - but positive (the latter positive attitude has been conspicuous by its absence this series).

Good. this is a proper contest now, on a very flat track.

[Hesperus]

Glad that’s over. 4-0. A serious series trouncing.

Some proper head scratching required by Strauss on the way forward for England.

I see Bayliss has said he’s stepping down at the end of 2019.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

England definitely second best by the end.

By the time they got to Sydney the fight seemed to have gone out of the bowlers, with the notable exception of Anderson - who at least showed some pride and bowled a tidy line and length in difficult conditions. Moeen Ali has looked like a man who wanted to be anywhere but on the tour since Perth.

There's been some media criticism here in Aus about England's selection choices (too many left handers? Nathan Lyon loves getting out left handers...), perhaps with the benefit of too much hind-sight, but comments regarding England's poor preparation and lack of competitive warm-up matches prior to the 1st Test have some merit I think. There's also a belief here that England's County system is "broken".

Not saying it would have made any difference to the final result, but in the end England were devoid of luck. Almost everything went against them - from the weather, almost every wicket review (or failing to review!), the thickness of painted lines, to a late-night brawl outside a nightclub in Bristol.

[bluebrendan]

England definitely second best by the end.

By the time they got to Sydney the fight seemed to have gone out of the bowlers, with the notable exception of Anderson - who at least showed some pride and bowled a tidy line and length in difficult conditions. Moeen Ali has looked like a man who wanted to be anywhere but on the tour since Perth.

There's been some media criticism here in Aus about England's selection choices (too many left handers? Nathan Lyon loves getting out left handers...), perhaps with the benefit of too much hind-sight, but comments regarding England's poor preparation and lack of competitive warm-up matches prior to the 1st Test have some merit I think. There's also a belief here that England's County system is "broken".

Not saying it would have made any difference to the final result, but in the end England were devoid of luck. Almost everything went against them - from the weather, almost every wicket review (or failing to review!), the thickness of painted lines, to a late-night brawl outside a nightclub in Bristol.

I think it's been broken partly by the central contracts for established England players - who play hardly any County cricket nowadays - and partly by the reduced number of top class overseas players playing in County cricket so young English players get barely any first class cricket against top class opposition until they're tossed into the Test team, and then the ECB wonders why many of them struggle. It's only the outstanding natural talents such as Root and Stokes who flourish in those conditions and there aren't enough of them to make a top-notch Test team. A batsman like James Vince rarely comes up against 90mph+ bowlers on the County circuit and it showed in the Ashes series.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Broken then... 

[Hesperus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42590656

Interesting link from the BBC on how Cricket is becoming the most difficult sport to win away at. Some really good points i there on pre series preparations, types of ball and wickets.

I don’t so much think county cricket is broken (agree it isn’t great though) more that it just produces cricketers only suited to the wickets and conditions in England.