Fuctifano Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 (edited) Kenya did lose to Afghanistan so Scotland finish 4th in the group by the bawhairest of margins. They'll now play Italy and if they beat them the loser of Netherlands vs UAE. Even if they win those 2 and actually get to go to Bangladesh next year then the 6 diddy qualifiers go into 2 preliminary groups of 4 with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe with only one from each group going through to join the "big boys". So the chances of Scotland actually playing against the top teams next year are pretty slim indeed. Edited November 24, 2013 by Fuctifano 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorlomin Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 Figuring Adelaide for a draw. Its always such a fetherbed. The WACA is not the pitch it used to be but at the moment, Australia's quicks seem one hell of a lot more threatening than Englands medium pacers. Harris's fitness and Mitchs mind are the two giant variables in all this, but England will have to work damn hard not to leave Perth 2 nil down. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raidernation Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 I, too expected the Aussies to win this one, knew they'd be very fired up for it after the last ashes. Also expected them to have a pitch that really suited their attack, England's not so much. I think winning the toss and batting 1st was a big bonus and contributed to the size of the win, but the biggest contribution came from England's total inability to bat. I can't remember who it was posted that England have been going backwards since they beat SA, but he's right. That batting line up looks fragile at best, and apart from Broad (so far) the bowling isn't anything special enough to frighten a good test attack like the Aussie's. From what I can tell they were pretty dismissive of Swann in this test, which doesn't bode well for England being able to set reachable totals. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearwithme Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 It's not looking good for England and I'm not convinced they have much in reserve. So it's surely odds-on that there will be no changes in the team for the second Test. There are quite a few players out of form (at best). Can they quickly improve? It's a big ask. Just two days out in Alice Springs before the next Test. Field all those who flopped in the first Test - so there won't be many changes there either. Maybe Broad could be rested and Finn given a run. Surely poor old Monty will get a game. Perhaps Prior's injury could stand a rest with Bairstow coming in? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlandmagyar Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 Gubbed at The Gabba! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorlomin Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 It's not looking good for England and I'm not convinced they have much in reserve. Cook, Pietersen and Bell will all likely get much bigger scores than they did today. Trott will either shape up or be replaced. Swanns figures were not that far from last time he was at the Gabba, other pitches will likely be to his liking. Tremlett can be replaced for as good or better. Only the WACA will really be as fast and bouncy, other pitches should be more England friendly. Swann is the biggest potential worry because without him the England attack is going to toil. Llyon got better figures, but bowling to a team being bounced out does tend to make your figures look good. Thats as bad as England are likely to play all series and as well as Australia can. Adelaide will be much closer, but I am favouring a draw (they do have a drop in pitch though hmmmmmmmm that soporific featherbed may not be there), struggling to see past Aus at the WACA, the highest temple to fast bowling on Earth, even more than the Wanderers (and by god thats a quick un). The series should be drawable at the very least come Sydney and Melbourne. By then Id be banking on either Harris or Mitch to have got an injury or gone of the boil. Long time yet. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Trott is leaving the tour and heading home, suffering from a "stress related illness." 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Skidmarks Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Trott is leaving the tour and heading home, suffering from a "stress related illness." Hopefully Trott can get a bit of respite, he hasnt been playing like himself in a while. Personally I would like to see Root moved to 3 and Eion Morgan given another chance at 6. But that's never going to happen. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Root to number 3 was the first thought I had tbh, number 6 is a different matter! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AberdeenBud Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 England in disarray. Great performance by the Aussies but they are coming across as incredibly classless sore winners. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorlomin Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 England in disarray. Great performance by the Aussies but they are coming across as incredibly classless sore winners. Pissed on a pitch, have they? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oht Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Pissed on a pitch, have they? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzyBear Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 England are in real trouble now. Stokes, Bairstow or Ballance at 6 makes a hell of a long tail. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AberdeenBud Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 England are in real trouble now. Stokes, Bairstow or Ballance at 6 makes a hell of a long tail. And the Australian team is pretty settled. Compete turnaround from the summer. Be interesting who they select. Root up to three I imagine, but they could push Bell up instead. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorlomin Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 10 years ago he would have been sent home to "score some first class runs in the counties and regain form". I suspect more than one player sent back from tour over the years has had a similar problem but unacknowledged. I also suspect more than a few greats have played through their mental demons. Even Mr Hard man himself, Boycott took some time out of test level cricket. What was once covered by a catchall like 'the yips' or 'bad technique creeping in' can in some cases be more honestly put down to mental stress conditions. Not that the yips and bad technique dont exist, but they are no longer being used as an excuse to cover other problems. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorlomin Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 England are in real trouble now. Stokes, Bairstow or Ballance at 6 makes a hell of a long tail. Bigger worry is the oldest of current Englands woes, no 3. Trott had finally fixed that after many years of being a pain. The differences between the Duke and the Kookaburra mean you really only need to see off about 30 overs then cash in with runs. England use 123 to protect their run machines, Bell and Pietersen at 4 and 5. Trotts slow but steady accumulation was meant to take the shine off the ball and push the quicks for some hard yakka, leaving them hot, tiring and with an aging ball as their stars came to the crease. Moving Bell up the order negates that and Root has already been dropped out of the top 3 with the Duke and English wickets so I am doubtful about his ability to fit the tactic. Should be Comptons turn off the plane but he is persona non grata with the bosses. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endieinreekie Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Hopefully Trott can get a bit of respite, he hasnt been playing like himself in a while. Personally I would like to see Root moved to 3 and Eion Morgan given another chance at 6. But that's never going to happen. Surely if the team management/selectors had known about his condition (which by all accounts they did) for a while then he shouldn't have made the trip to Australia. if there is one team that will target people they know to be struggling, it's Australia, and the selectors have put him in a really bad position and now have to re-arrange the team. Prior should be dropped, but as to who replaces him..... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Skidmarks Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Surely if the team management/selectors had known about his condition (which by all accounts they did) for a while then he shouldn't have made the trip to Australia. if there is one team that will target people they know to be struggling, it's Australia, and the selectors have put him in a really bad position and now have to re-arrange the team. Prior should be dropped, but as to who replaces him..... Possibly, however he is in charge of himself and might have deemed himself fit. His condition seems to be mild in comparison to how Trescothick was. Trott faced Australia only a few months ago and has played against them in Oz before so he knew what to expect. It looks a case of burnout both mentally and physically. Prior shouldn't be dropped, he is too good with the gloves and despite being off form he is the best recognised batsman/wicketkeeper we have. It was only a year ago he was the England player of the year. Root moved to 3 and Bairstow in at 6 is how England will line up in Adelaide, i would like them to have done something less predictable though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Jazz Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 I've got zero confidence in Bairstow, the selectors have made an arse of it taking him as back up to Prior when Kieswetter was hammering runs for Somerset. Bell should be moved up to three and get some positivity at the top of the order, something Carberry was picked for unfortunately he went completely into his shell like others before him. Ballance likes to attack the bowling so hopefully he gets the nod either at five or six. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearwithme Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Possibly, however he is in charge of himself and might have deemed himself fit. His condition seems to be mild in comparison to how Trescothick was. Trott faced Australia only a few months ago and has played against them in Oz before so he knew what to expect. It looks a case of burnout both mentally and physically. Prior shouldn't be dropped, he is too good with the gloves and despite being off form he is the best recognised batsman/wicketkeeper we have. It was only a year ago he was the England player of the year. Root moved to 3 and Bairstow in at 6 is how England will line up in Adelaide, i would like them to have done something less predictable though. Something less predictable would be to bring in the all-rounder Stokes and at the same time replace Tremlett with Monty. Giving you two seamers, two spinners and a seaming all-rounder. Obviously the pitch would play a part in whether to do this. Doubt if it will happen but it would be interesting! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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