I'm afraid the issue is that we are simply not bringing on world class opening batsmen like a Cook, Gooch, Strauss, Boycott, Trescothick et al anymore. Until we can start doing that again, we are stuck with mediocre batsmen at the top of the order who flatter to deceive. I know Duckett has been very good for England (so far) and when he gets it right it looks amazing, but I'm not convinced by him. The way he plays so aggressively and without a strong defensive game, relies on so much luck and fortune that I firmly expect sooner, rather than later that luck will run out (also teams will work him out) and he will stop being an asset.
Alot of batters, except for a few...have no plan b....if they cant hit boundaries they throw the towel in as they havent a defensive game....blame it on coaching, technique modern playing conditions...
7:49 How much rope does Crawley have? None and he hasn’t for a while in normal times. My biggest criticism of the current England setup is that it’s an old boys club with favouritism influencing selection more than form or production. Yates and Bohannon both deserve an England call up (Yates as an opener and Bohannon at 3) yet Crawley is a mainstay and Bethell is called up without a first class hundred. Yes England openers aren’t as talented as they historically but there are options out there outside Crawley without a hundred since July 2023. His job as an opener is not just to be aggressive it is to protect the middle order from the new ball and swing - he does not do that.
True but all the previous opening batsmen since the likes of Trott retired have failed and had similar averages to Crawley so it's not easy to find openers, we've gone through a mountain of them trying to find a decent one... I took us decades to find one in Duckett and he was a white ball specialist who nobody expected or predicted would do well at test cricket who we took a punt on but worked out so don't expect somebody to replace Crawley and suddenly average over 40 anytime soon because the cupboard is pretty bare for international-class opening batsmen!
England are a weird team, almost like a white-ball team dressed in red-ball match clothing so I wouldn't discount winning a test or even two... They can really turn it on now and then but I don't expect us to win the Ashes or even draw the series... A few days ago after our last win, nobody would be saying we'd get battered in the Ashes so it's likely to be very competitive!
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The point of my Crawley question is more about how do England play Bethell, Pope, and Smith in the same XI?
Easy, replace Crawley with Smith... There's a chance that might happen too and Smith has played as an opener before.
I'm afraid the issue is that we are simply not bringing on world class opening batsmen like a Cook, Gooch, Strauss, Boycott, Trescothick et al anymore. Until we can start doing that again, we are stuck with mediocre batsmen at the top of the order who flatter to deceive. I know Duckett has been very good for England (so far) and when he gets it right it looks amazing, but I'm not convinced by him. The way he plays so aggressively and without a strong defensive game, relies on so much luck and fortune that I firmly expect sooner, rather than later that luck will run out (also teams will work him out) and he will stop being an asset.
Alot of batters, except for a few...have no plan b....if they cant hit boundaries they throw the towel in as they havent a defensive game....blame it on coaching, technique modern playing conditions...
7:49 How much rope does Crawley have? None and he hasn’t for a while in normal times. My biggest criticism of the current England setup is that it’s an old boys club with favouritism influencing selection more than form or production. Yates and Bohannon both deserve an England call up (Yates as an opener and Bohannon at 3) yet Crawley is a mainstay and Bethell is called up without a first class hundred. Yes England openers aren’t as talented as they historically but there are options out there outside Crawley without a hundred since July 2023. His job as an opener is not just to be aggressive it is to protect the middle order from the new ball and swing - he does not do that.
If New Zealand had taken their catches, we probably would've been looking at a different series altogether.
Sound is good
Bashir is killing England’s attack.
Crawley's record is not good enough. To average only 30 after 50 tests is not test standard. You cant protect players like this
True but all the previous opening batsmen since the likes of Trott retired have failed and had similar averages to Crawley so it's not easy to find openers, we've gone through a mountain of them trying to find a decent one... I took us decades to find one in Duckett and he was a white ball specialist who nobody expected or predicted would do well at test cricket who we took a punt on but worked out so don't expect somebody to replace Crawley and suddenly average over 40 anytime soon because the cupboard is pretty bare for international-class opening batsmen!
Because England not that talented
England will be lucky to win a game in Australia let alone the series
England are a weird team, almost like a white-ball team dressed in red-ball match clothing so I wouldn't discount winning a test or even two... They can really turn it on now and then but I don't expect us to win the Ashes or even draw the series... A few days ago after our last win, nobody would be saying we'd get battered in the Ashes so it's likely to be very competitive!