The Ashes 2022

[Billy is the best]

Will Evostick look to sponsor England Cricket team? It certainly worked for Ben Stokes.

 

[Swiss Tony]

Some decent rear guard batting from Bairstow,Stokes and Wood,the top order goes missing in action again, this squad couldn't beat a carpet and the bottom of the barrel is in sight.

 

[Ricky Otto]

The domestic one day stuff was just right as it was. It's the cash cow called the 100 that the ECB have allowed which will not help the longer format... .and it was crap!

Totally disagree. I wasn't for the hundred, i'd have preferred a t20 tournament but did recognise the need for a franchise tournament. We got an exciting tournament with top overseas players and welcomed new fans to cricket. The matches were sell outs, I went to the 1st oval invincibles game and loved it, then I tried to get more tickets the next day and every game was sold out. You had BBC coverage opening it to a wider audience and in my work place alone I spoke to many people who were not cricket people who knew I was a cricket fan and wanted to talk about the hundred game last night, Liam Livingstones sixes, Imran Tahirs hattrick etc. To blame the hundred for the poor performances in the longer format after just one season doesn't wash with me. The best players have been prioritising white ball for years now as that is where the money is, I don't blame them. The lack of preparation and Bubble life for test cricketers is a much more likely cause for our woeful performance than the hundred IMO. IPL, Big bash, the hundred will all have a detrimental effect on test cricket but if test cricket could generate the interest and money the shorter format does then that wouldn't be a problem. Things change, the younger generations prefer t20 cricket. There will be a constant noise from the old men and traditionalists about the evils of the hundred but it is here to stay and will carry on eclipsing anything else in domestic cricket. Those that do watch the hundred in their droves will not care about the old men moaning on social media.

 

[Swiss Tony]

I'm lucky i love Test cricket and white ball,not keen on the 100 form just one step to far for me.

 

[ESG]

Totally disagree. I wasn't for the hundred, i'd have preferred a t20 tournament but did recognise the need for a franchise tournament. We got an exciting tournament with top overseas players and welcomed new fans to cricket. The matches were sell outs, I went to the 1st oval invincibles game and loved it, then I tried to get more tickets the next day and every game was sold out. You had BBC coverage opening it to a wider audience and in my work place alone I spoke to many people who were not cricket people who knew I was a cricket fan and wanted to talk about the hundred game last night, Liam Livingstones sixes, Imran Tahirs hattrick etc. To blame the hundred for the poor performances in the longer format after just one season doesn't wash with me. The best players have been prioritising white ball for years now as that is where the money is, I don't blame them. The lack of preparation and Bubble life for test cricketers is a much more likely cause for our woeful performance than the hundred IMO. IPL, Big bash, the hundred will all have a detrimental effect on test cricket but if test cricket could generate the interest and money the shorter format does then that wouldn't be a problem. Things change, the younger generations prefer t20 cricket. There will be a constant noise from the old men and traditionalists about the evils of the hundred but it is here to stay and will carry on eclipsing anything else in domestic cricket. Those that do watch the hundred in their droves will not care about the old men moaning on social media.

I was contemplating ECCC membership this season but would have to get a pipe and slippers to take along to the four day games then.

 

[Ricky Otto]

I was contemplating ECCC membership this season but would have to get a pipe and slippers to take along to the four day games then.

Not at all, you can like both. I do and will be an ECCC member this season. I just find most of the old hundred haters are all about tradition and don't actually care about the good of cricket and expanding it to a wider audience. I'll be getting an oval invincibles season ticket as well, both of those will still be less money than a southend united season ticket and give a lot more entertainment!
The hundred can actually be good for cricket, more interest from outside of private schools is needed. The work being done by the ACE programme in South London looks very exciting. It wasn't a dig at you personally but it would be great if some of the cricket "traditionalists" would look at what positives the hundred can bring and take their blinkers off. At the end of the day it is love of the game that connects us all.

 

[ESG]

Not at all, you can like both. I do and will be an ECCC member this season. I just find most of the old hundred haters are all about tradition and don't actually care about the good of cricket and expanding it to a wider audience. I'll be getting an oval invincibles season ticket as well, both of those will still be less money than a southend united season ticket and give a lot more entertainment!
The hundred can actually be good for cricket, more interest from outside of private schools is needed. The work being done by the ACE programme in South London looks very exciting. It wasn't a dig at you personally but it would be great if some of the cricket "traditionalists" would look at what positives the hundred can bring and take their blinkers off. At the end of the day it is love of the game that connects us all.

I know if wasn't a dig at me at all. Nobody more than me wants to preserve the best game in the world by encouraging the next generation to embrace it by playing and filling the grounds. I just feel that The Hundred was a competition too far maybe.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I know if wasn't a dig at me at all. Nobody more than me wants to preserve the best game in the world by encouraging the next generation to embrace it by playing and filling the grounds. I just feel that The Hundred was a competition too far maybe.

The competition too far would be the extra games v Australia crammed into an already saturated international schedule. The most egregious example was the 2018 ODI and T20I series in England, 6 months after we played them down under.

Get the international calendar under control and that will raise the standard of county cricket.

 

[cerbera45]

England celebrate a draw at the end of the 4th Test like it was a victory

 

[stewart]

England celebrate a draw at the end of the 4th Test like it was a victory

To them it was .and maybe a stepping stone for the 5th test Small steps ala SUFC.

 

[Southminster Shrimper]

We would have lost easily had it not been for the delay. Plus some solid tail ending batting.

Barely even papers over the large cracks.

Dreadful, dreadful series which I and many others predicted way before.

 

[Ricky Otto]

England celebrate a draw at the end of the 4th Test like it was a victory

Probably a weight off their shoulders more than anything, avoiding the 5-0! The performance has been very poor, especially when most would consider NZ and India better test sides than Australia. What I would say though is there are a fair few proven winners in this bunch and they won't be happy with the way things have gone, they have won Ashes series and world cups etc so will know this is the very smallest of victories.

 

[kaymac]

Yet another pathetic display, notably with the bat. Wonder why that is….

 

[Swiss Tony]

To be quiet honest my main concern was Burns hair what a tart.

 

[Southminster Shrimper]

The only plus is that it's over.

For now anyway.