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[Lefty100]

I think the 3-0 scoreline in the series played in the English summer did not tell how close it was - the Lords test was the only flogging the Aussies got but in the 2nd dig England could have been 50-5 or so if Haddin had taken a regulation edge from Root and the Smith's catch off Bell had stood then the match in all likelihood would have been very close. I'm not saying the Aussies should have won the series as England were clearly better under pressure and that is why they won.

The big difference now is that Lehman has had a chance to really bring the team together and get them performing as a unit - Micky Arthur is no doubt a good technical coach but what he seemed to try and do to the Australian cricket team was build a team culture that was built on principles from strategic HR management consequently it didn't wash with a lot of the players. In my view it would be very difficult for Arthur to fully understand what cricket means in Australia and certainly what Ashes cricket means. Lehman does understand this and consequently has been able to build a stronger Australian side. Johnson has a been key but also the batting order has not capitulated completely as they had started to do in recent times. I appreciate that England has had a lot of success with foreign coaches and this would seem to undermine my argument but cricket in Australia is part of the marrow of the culture.

England are still a very good team and could possibly turn this series around as a result. I'm not convinced about Cook as captain, he looks seriously stressed when the pressure comes on and his batting now appears to be suffering and for the last number of years he has been a rock for the batting order. Bell is superb and is definitely able to cope with the pressure applied by the Australian team but remember he learned this as a result of going through hell out here when he was young and Warne told all he was his bunny. Broad is pretty fired up but Anderson seems to be a little low on zip and he is a fantastic bowler.

In short I think England are still good but the Aussies are starting to play with the intensity and belief of some of our more successful sides and England has not faced this for a few years.

[Bats_Entertainment]

Nah, don't think so. Happy to use anything and everything, just like everyone on here.

I just meant people are interested in kit.

Aren't some people very particular about grains, weights, edge sizes etc., though? Isn't that what they spend most of their time on here talking about?

[Buzz]

one of the important things the Aussies have done really well is keep eng bowling. this is massively demoralising and makes the batting collapses so hard to take.

I feel for them. eng need some luck and some brilliance to square this series...

[ppccopener]

Ive posted on here before 3-0 flattered us in the summer.Good to see a balanced view from lefty above.
Australia are playing good aggresive cricket,everything is going for the and rightly so-we are being outplayed.
Some people on here have short memories,these players with a huge influence from flower have dragged england up by their bootlaces in recent years.nasser started it,followed by vaughan and strauss,now cook
Any true England fan supports the team thru thick and thin.
Everyone has their own opinion of course and are free to express it.
I for one will be getting behind the team even more.
I was at Sydney and Melbourne in 94- where the aussies fans gave it to us large.
This tour is heading down the toilet but have some faith.
Well played australia so far

[Lefty100]

I remember watching england play pakistan in the uae - you got beaten but the team spirit was huge from what i saw on the tv - you need to find that again..unless you've been here during the ashes i think its hard to feel the intensity your boys are under. When australia are playing with this intensity the atmosphere is fever pitch. I mean if the papers reported that Steve Waugh walked on water yesterday 90%   of sydney-siders would believe without a second thought.

[Vic Nicholas]

I remember watching england play pakistan in the uae - you got beaten but the team spirit was huge from what i saw on the tv - you need to find that again..unless you've been here during the ashes i think its hard to feel the intensity your boys are under. When australia are playing with this intensity the atmosphere is fever pitch. I mean if the papers reported that Steve Waugh walked on water yesterday 90%   of sydney-siders would believe without a second thought.

Exactly right.

There is an all pervasive air of vengeance in Australia that is palpable.

Everyone from the old men waiting for busses and trams to the school kids in the play ground are talking about crushing England and regaining the Urn.

In my home suburb in Melbourne at the main intersection, there is a massive old style electronic scoreboard updating the scores sponsored by Victoria Bitter. No matter which direction you are driving in from, you can see it. Talk about ensuring everyone knows what the state of play is!

I will see if I take a photo of it at some point...it is incredible.

They say this is what it was like in 2005 in England. All I can say is that cricket is front and back page news (not that unusual in Oz admittedly) and every news bulletin of Mitch Johnson's latest wrecking ball spells has been reported with a barely concealed sadistic glee stirring up the blood lust in the masses.

Fee fye foe fum I smell the blood of an Englisman, be he alive or be he dead, Mitch Johnson will break their bones and skewer their head...

It is all happening down here at the moment!

[ProCricketer1982]

Exactly right.

There is an all pervasive air of vengeance in Australia that is palpable.

Everyone from the old men waiting for busses and trams to the school kids in the play ground are talking about crushing England and regaining the Urn.

In my home suburb in Melbourne at the main intersection, there is a massive old style electronic scoreboard updating the scores sponsored by Victoria Bitter. No matter which direction you are driving in from, you can see it. Talk about ensuring everyone knows what the state of play is!

I will see if I take a photo of it at some point...it is incredible.

They say this is what it was like in 2005 in England. All I can say is that cricket is front and back page news (not that unusual in Oz admittedly) and every news bulletin of Mitch Johnson's latest wrecking ball spells has been reported with a barely concealed sadistic glee stirring up the blood lust in the masses.

Fee fye foe fum I smell the blood of an Englisman, be he alive or be he dead, Mitch Johnson will break their bones and skewer their head...

It is all happening down here at the moment!

Of it's like 2005 for the Aussies then that's brilliant for cricket !

[tim2000s]

Oh and another stupid shot from carberry. What were we saying earlier?

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[ProCricketer1982]

Oh and another stupid shot from carberry. What were we saying earlier?

Sent from my HTC One mini using Tapatalk

KP with a bit of a lazy shot
Bell... What the frigging hell was that shot ??

Broad- get back in your box you over hyped turnip and concentrate on batting please and not the big I am!!

[FattusCattus]

Oh well, at least a little more stickability at the crease today. I hope we can hang on in there and make it hard for the Aussies tomorrow.

It's a mixture of belief and form surely?

England need a decent injection of belief, and a few old hands need to stand up and be counted and drag the rest of the touring party up to a positive place. It's up to these guys to turn this around now. Whether this test is lost or drawn, you've got to pick the best 11 for Perth based on their current form and their confidence levels.

This is the Ashes, England v Australia - you pick the best side to win for your country and bugger reputation or what history individuals have.

Cook
kP
Prior
Anderson
Swann

Have you got the balls and desire to stand up and be counted, and play out of your skins?

[Johng]

A combination of all three I think Tim.

Putting aside the playing, back-to-back Ashes must be so intense and we all know that England's players are the only ones who play year round, year on year.  The bowlers look tired, the batsmen making poor decisions.  They all look mentally tired.

Australia have the adrenaline rush of playing at home, are used to the conditions and are not 12,000 miles from familiar surroundings.  That and Johnson is terrifying them!

Australia don't play all year round?? When Australia played great cricket when they won 8 Ashes series in a row then on the other hand played like crap when they lost 3 in a row. England right now are playing like crap and are a beaten team, don't over analyse or look for excuses that are not there.

[FattusCattus]

Quite right G-dog, It's like the circle of life.

England were once the mighty predator, now they are the prey.

They are the escaped Gerbil to Australia's urban fox!

[Vic Nicholas]

This giant old style test ground scoreboard is situated at the main traffic intersection of my suburb!



You can see that Ashes cricket interest is at a fever pitch around Oz at the moment!

[awp]

A pommie mate of mine, a very annoyed one at the moment mind, is wondering that when the pressure gets really turned up,  as it has been so far this series, whether theres real bottom of the gut determination in this England side, or, in his words," theres a voice in the back of their heads saying, sod this, not fun anymore and im not  a pom anyway, just a cricket pro, im out of here....." I hadnt thought of thst before he mentioned it.

[joeljonno]

A pommie mate of mine, a very annoyed one at the moment mind, is wondering that when the pressure gets really turned up,  as it has been so far this series, whether theres real bottom of the gut determination in this England side, or, in his words," theres a voice in the back of their heads saying, sod this, not fun anymore and im not  a pom anyway, just a cricket pro, im out of here....." I hadnt thought of thst before he mentioned it.

The only one to not make even a small mark on this series is Cook, who is very English.