England Continue to Disappoint
I held off writing about the first test for a day in the hope that my disgust at England’s ineptitude would subside, and I think it has a bit. I already don’t care that much as it is gone and there is nothing we can do about it but accept the fact that we are rubbish!
After four days it looked like the test was finely poised thanks to Sideshow Ryan, but a draw was still the favourite outcome. However, as we sat in the pub on Saturday night and we looked at the latest score to see us 13-1, we all had that sinking feeling that we were about to get rolled over. And not wanting to disappoint, the team did just that. 110 was an embarrassment on a pitch that was still batsman friendly, with only Ian Bell coming out with any sense of satisfaction with an unbeaten half century. The rest of the batsman got out playing soft shots (or not playing a shot at all in KP’s case), and watching the highlights last night there was never any sense that we were going to battle it out.
The most worrying thing is that I’m not surprised. We’ve done this before and we’ll do it again, it must be in the English mentality. The commentators out there were pretty damning, but had different views on what to do for the next match, which starts this week, luckily I think. Broad MUST come in for Harmison, who was given just four overs in the second innings, and Botham said he would shake things up in the batting order to give everyone something to think about instead of dwelling on a horrible defeat.
Following England is never dull…
Cheap England Replica Kit
I got an e-mail through this afternoon from Kitbag, who have got some proper bargains in their cricket sale at the moment, and thought a few readers may want to take advantage of these prices! 
Blue England Training top for £2.99
Red/White/Blue Training Top £9.99
There are also rain jackets and fleeces for 15 quid, or some shorts for just a fiver. All well worth a look for some cheap practice gear! Take a look at the whole range here
Stop Disapointing Us
I nearly wrote this post last night but I thought I’d give him another night to prove his worth, for something in me thought it couldn’t be quite so bad. But it was, so here it is:
I said last week that I would have chosen Harmison for the team, but I reserved the right to change my mind – and here is that change of mind… Harmison… get out of the England side and back on a plane to England. You arrive un-prepared because you don’t “like” playing one-day cricket, and then when you are thrown the ball, you bowl slower than Collingwood and with about as much penetration as a blunt spoon.
“Fast” bowlers prepare well, warm up and are ready to hit their straps from the off. Sidebottom nearly got an LBW with the first ball of the test match as he was ready - Harmy threw down a medium paced dobbler which bounced a couple of times on the way through to the keeper. Over the two days so far he has been seen rehearsing bits of his action when walking back to his mark like a junior might, as the best players are prepared and know their action when the game comes around. I know the pitch is slow, but does that excuse the ball coming out of the hand at under 80mph regularly? Not for someone who is supposed to be the fast strike bowler.
Get Stuart Broad in the side for the next game, and don’t play Harmy again until he has played multiple games for Durham in the summer and shown that he is bowling well, and quick. So that may not be for a long time..
England’s Selectors Ignoring Me!
Well despite my stunning test XI team I said I would chose in my last post, it looks like the selectors have some common sense and ignored the armchair fan! Strauss bagged himself a ton in the warm up game so is now nailed on for the no 3 spot by the looks of things, which means Shah will miss out. You have to wonder if this century made a difference anyway as it seemed that Strauss was always going to play listening to the vibes from the camp – so at this point you find the decision of leaving him out of the Sri Lankan tour all the more bewildering. Why drop a guy if you are going to bring him back in no matter what?
Ambrose will get the keeper spot – and you really just think that they don’t know which keeper to play. I guess seeing as no one keeper has stamped his authority on the spot there will always be speculation about this spot, and I don’t expect that to change overnight. I have one concern with Ambrose, and its one which is looking to the future, and specifically the next Ashes series. Ambrose left Australia back in 2001 I think, and I just hope that he is mentally strong enough to cope with everything that will come his way if he is the keeper in charge at that point. Playing against your “home” country isn’t an easy thing, as KP will no doubt tell him, and it will be a real test of his character if he is in possession then. Ok, maybe I’m getting too ahead of myself now but anyway..
Luckily for England, Tremlett injured himself and will play no part in the tour. I don’t wish injury on any player, let lone an English one but this is a blessing and we’ll go in with Harmy, Hoggard and a fit Sidebottom.
So, bring on the test series and let see how much we can watch starting tomorrow night before we fall asleep!!
