Well done lads

Congratulations on the England South Africa eleven beating Australia to retain the ashes

a few pics from some of my cricket mates who have gone out www.pitchero.com/clubs/yorkshire ... 91582.html

a few pics from some of my cricket mates who have gone out www.pitchero.com/clubs/yorkshire ... 91582.html

I wonder whether you'll get a life for 2011?

Of course it's fantastic that the team have humiliated Australia, but the truth is that this Australian side is a total embarrassment of a test team - they're absolutely shocking.

The real test comes in the Summer when the world's number one team India come these shores - then we'll see how good we really are though I'm hopeful of a series victory with a bit of luck.

I think a bit of perspective is neded here. Australia are only "shocking" by the high standards they've set for themsleves in the recent past. By "normal" standards they're an ordinary Test side and no worse than many of the England teams they've routinely humbled over the last 15-20 years. Furthermore, whilst they can no longer regain the Ashes they haven't actually lost the current series yet; they can still square the series by winning in Sydney, so England still have plenty to prove by making certain that doesn't happen.


Agreed. India are the new yardstick. They won their most recent home and away series against England, and they won their most recent home and away series against Australia. South Africa captain Graeme Smith publicly questioned their ability to win on foreign soil before the current SA v India series began, but India have just hit back to level the scores at one win apiece with one to play.

India look a powerful and well balanced unit, but three of their top batsmen (Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman) are now the wrong side of 35 and I don't think they have the strength in depth in fast bowling that England does. I'm really looking forward to this series, but we still haven't completed the job in Australia yet, and as usual our media are going into self-congratulatory overdrive at the first hint of success.

Ponting is out of the Sydney test, don't think the Aussies have another test series until late next year so that could be it for him.

Think it will take a change of coach for that to happen, as Neilsen has already said he thinks Ponting still has plenty to offer and will be back in the baggy green cap before long.

Well, considering the Aussie reaction to this Ashes result, its not out of the question that Nielsen will soon be out of a job.

Quote: Prince of Denmark "I think a bit of perspective is neded here. Australia are only "shocking" by the high standards they've set for themsleves in the recent past. By "normal" standards they're an ordinary Test side and no worse than many of the England teams they've routinely humbled over the last 15-20 years.'" Don't necessarily disagree, but don't forget that both England wins so far have been by an innings and a lot. Can't be bothered to look on cricinfo, but I suspect Australia don't suffer two innings defeats in a series very often. Perth was their first innings defeat since 1993. This Aussie newspaper article before the Brisbane test makes for fun reading. www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 5955985591

Quote: Prince of Denmark "I think a bit of perspective is neded here. Australia are only "shocking" by the high standards they've set for themsleves in the recent past. By "normal" standards they're an ordinary Test side and no worse than many of the England teams they've routinely humbled over the last 15-20 years.'" Don't necessarily disagree, but don't forget that both England wins so far have been by an innings and a lot. Can't be bothered to look on cricinfo, but I suspect Australia don't suffer two innings defeats in a series very often. Perth was their first innings defeat since 1993. This Aussie newspaper article before the Brisbane test makes for fun reading. www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 5955985591

Fantastic to retain the Ashes down under, I just hope we seal it with a series win!

Really enjoyed the India/SA test too, tough wicket to bat on.

i think it was widely interpreted as a move to just tighten things up a bit, he has a great strike rate, but was a little expensive, don't reckon he can be too down about how his international career has started, just a nice place for england to be that Tremlett and Bresnan can both step up. All gaining experience, all experiencing success, they seem like a fairly tight unit.

Really? First Test, the Aussies get a 260 odd run lead in the first innings and force us to bat for two days to save the game. We do, which is good credit to us.

Second Test great performance, innings win, comprehensive victory to us.

Third Test Aussies smashed us, twice out for less than 200. Up there with many of the other Ashes humiliations we have suffered.

Fourth Test great performance, dominant win and we smash them.

What if the Aussies smash us in the Fifth like they did the Third? They will deserve 2-2.

We need really to turn the screw and not let their 'new era' get off to a good start, like we did in 1987 when the start of the Aussie long climb to the top of the tree probably began with their final Test win over us in Sydney, soon to be followed by a win in the World Cup final.

I don't think that there has been as much of a gap as people have thought. I think if the Aussies still had one of McGrath or Warne, then it would have been a very tight series, they would have won the First test if they'd had Warne. I think if they still had both McGrath and Warne I would have fancied them to beat us. But then I also think if you had taken Warne and McGrath out of their all conquering side of the past few tours, then the Atherton/Stewart or Hussain led England sides would have recorded a few more wins against the Aussies.

It's good to beat the Aussies but we need to be careful that we don't get overexcited and start proclaiming a new era of dominance beckons for England. What we have is a side of good players, which is run very professionally by Flower and Strauss, we don't have a team of great players and I fear that we lack the penetration of a bowler like Flintoff or Gough.

Look beyond this team at the state of English cricket and it is not a happy tale. The quality of county cricketers IMO has slipped backwards since the 1980s and 1990s. The counties are full of South Africans on Kolpak rulings because there just isn't the talent available in England. I know people make jokes about Pietersen and Trott being South Africans, but its true, take them out and say how many English batsmen are there of genuine quality? The best two are not realistic Test options, Trescothick and Ramprakash, so you are left with basically Bell, Strauss, Cook and when he is in form Collingwood. They are good players but it's not as though there are loads of young guns knocking on the door. English cricket at the top end is being run very well at the moment but below that there are problems.

I know people don't like talk of RU on here but I remember hearing some doomsdayers in the press saying this after England won the World Cup in 2003, and they got drowned out as spoilsports, but once the big guns retired English RU went into a low ebb. I fear that below the surface of this, English cricket has got jack all.