England must change for the Ashes
How many times must the humble English cricket fan despair at the tactics used, in their attempts to wrestle the Ashes from the Aussies?
Due to hospital visiting here, I only managed to catch brief highlights and some of the final days play in Cardiff, during the first Ashes test match.
The fielding during Australia’s first innings was utter rubbish!
Why on earth play two spin bowlers, yet have no fielders around the wicket to pressure the batsmen?
With Vaughn as captain, we wrestled the Ashes back with exciting, challenging cricket, team selections varied only slightly and everyone of England’s players, played their part in winning the series.
If things were not working in the field, Vaughn changed or made subtle changes to them, listening to his bowlers and pressurising a great Aussie side into mistakes.
With Strauss as captain for the first test in Cardiff, I saw none of this. England lacked bite.
To win the Ashes, you have to deserve it!
England players looked to be on a casual warm up game… this is the Ashes – how much more incentive do they want?
Our bowling was weak and a good ball was too often the exception. Bowling too wide, to predictable and too often, easily read.
No surprises, no threat and no pressure!
Not good enough England. Bowlers set the field with a captain making small adjustments. Vary the pace, spin at one end – pace at the other.
Only by consistantly putting the ball in danger areas accurately can we turn the tide.
If our bowling lacked bite, our batting lacked common sense.
A simple message should be sent out to our batsmen, keep it simple, play percentages!
Stop trying to look like a hero, play cautiously and frustrate the Aussie bowlers, make them work at least!
Then once they start to change tactics to get your wicket, start playing them, with a controlled bat, picking your shots off their mistakes and start building a decent score.
If I see one more England batsman play a sweep shot against the spin I’ll scream!
Enough with the heroics, play with common sense and use your head!
At least in the next Ashes test at Lords on Thursday, we will have Graham Onions back in the attack and maybe some variety?
