👀 "You've got to make a change!" - Steve Harmison & Valkerie Baynes DISSECT England's Ashes defeat

[@alangeorge3876]

A couple of points - the best players in all The Hundred teams were generally Australian. You could see the difference. Good point re professionalism - has the standards improved? Have players advanced - score more runs, taken more wickets, taken more catches, developed skills and techniques? I guess the responsibility for improvement rests with each individual player - are they surrounded by personal coaches and trainers?

[@paulrichardson5892]

that 8 -8 in the last ashes was an abberation, beaumont hit a one off 200 and schriver brunt was in top form plus home grounds.

[@IANREA]

Steve is right, some are picked for appearance numbers not the recent form, almost favouring some players. How many of the England players have improved, runs, wickets, etc. Sarah Glenn is playing in NZ in the T20 Super smash, getting wickets. Some will play if picked in the WPL in India. The Hubdred is a good idea, but thrives on the appearance of overseas world class players.

[@bobburroughs6241]

Dunkley bats well in middle order then gets shoved in to open, same with Capsey. 3 spin bowlers who can't bat and Sciver-Brunt out of runs. Go Tammy in the test! The Super Smash in NZ, played for weeks, has highlighted a batch of talented youngsters. English cricket needs to do the same.

[@markgladman2789]

Australia have performed very well this series, probably above expectations.. Most of their big performers have several years of experience. And they have several big performers. Only Voll made her Ashes debut. England have relied on Sciver and Ecclestone, and to a slightly lesser extent, Knight. Sciver has not performed to her usual high level, and whilst Ecclestone has perform, no one else has really stood up. In fact several England players have significantly underperformed. This has caused the gap to grow, and grow quite large. That said, England have had a few opportunities, and 2 wjns/4 points were close, but they got away. So Lewis' point about missing the big moments is fair, but it would still have been resounding failure.

[@gavbr210]

The batters have never all fired together and the runs from 7 down have been non-existent. We've been in a couple 3 or 4 of the games until the last quarter of the match, but tailed away badly at the end. This series has sort of been a 90's mens ashes throwback where Australia are an excellent side and England don't have the fire power to cope, especially in the big moments.

[@louquay]

Just a warm up for what England's men can expect next summer

[@anandmikkili609]

Absolutely 😂😂😂😂

[@shaunrobson4278]

Woo hoo ! And on this the commencement of the historic ASHES Day/Night Test at the G may I present ... AN ODE TO OUR ALL-CONQUERING, TRAIL-BLAZING AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S CRICKET TEAM It's not often a person is gifted With the chance to see paradigms shifted To see history created And legends restated As national spirits are lifted It's not often so seize on those moments To freeze-frame the finest exponents Of technique and fitness To be there to witness The clinical crush of opponents The climax of talents outrageous Whose feats will be sung of in pages With generations to coo You were right there to view A cricketing team for the ages ~~ The Versed Responder

[@richardtaylor6412]

Not a lot of consistency among the England cricketers. DWH gets a good score every so often, same for Dunkley. NSB, recently rated as one of the best all rounders in the world had had a poor series other than her Test 50. Bouchier - Test ton on debut, nothing since. DVN got dropped for not meeting the fitness standards for SA. Does England not have fitness standards to meet?

[@mondotv4216]

Judging from England's performance in the field yesterday in the Test match, they just aren't doing the fundamentals well enough. I lost count of the dropped catches, misfields and missed chances. If Lewis wants to keep his job he's going to have to work on their fielding and yes, fitness is part of that. Australia missed two or three as well but were good enough to also take some "speckies". Australia's attitude to fielding is just more professional.

[@dansharp2860]

They also leave runs on the pitch because they are not fit enough to turn 1's into 2's and 2's into 3's the way the Aussies do.

[@stevenorthwick2480]

The Aussie climate and lifestyle has been the same since the beginning of time.....How can Jon Lewis use that as an excuse all of a sudden?? Australia are clearly better than us, but England to me are a bit clique-y and stale in their thinking. Lewis needs to go.

[@ads2686]

I think lewis has some nerve to say he isn't going anywhere. surely that's up to the ECB and getting beat 16 nil should be a resignation job.

[@mafoomatty7494]

embrrasing excuse,,

[@markdowse3572]

The mighty Aussie Women 💪 proving how good they really are! Better Players, better trained, better discipline. Working as a Team for a goal. Come on, Aussies! 👍 16 - 0. M 🦘🏏😎

[@tonysambar]

They look and move like they enjoy too many pies and chips. The Aussies pick actual athletes.

[@vinodreddyyalla]

You didn't see this coming.😅 Aus leaps ahead of other teams,

[@ObeySenSei]

11:20 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Me-gy7yk]

Heather Knight is the best captain we've got and she's got the right attitude. Her press conferences don't do her any favours, but she has to toe the line a bit. She can't throw players under the bus for being unfit, even if she thinks they are. Sciver-Brunt is a poor captain. Great player but a poor captain who gave it away at the Rockets because the work load was too much! They need to start picking fringe players and giving them a go instead of constantly picking the likes of Amy Jones in meaningless games. Those Ireland games should have been for Bess Heath (or someone else like Threlkeld) but no. Jones is the golden girl so Jones plays. England's women are paid, but they ain't professionals in attitude. Steve is right when he says these players think they've made it. They're all profile and cash and they're not having to earn it.

[@goldboy150]

Don’t disagree with much but Knight may be a good in-game captain but clearly she hasn’t upheld standards in her team over many years - which is why it has got to such a dire point. Any time there’s any remote amount of pressure on, England folds. I agree that she shouldn’t throw individuals under the bus to the press - but if she was upholding standards she would insist certain players weren’t picked until such time as they’d proved their fitness was up to standards. All your gripes about selection can and should also be levelled against Knight. Just as an example of standards, when Beth mooney was younger she was dropped and then not selected by Aus for an extended period of time because of fitness standards. They didn’t throw her under the bus, they worked with her and developed programs and training to get her where she needed to be - but she didn’t play for Australia until she was where she needed to be. Not saying you, but lots of people have a visceral reaction to this idea as though dropping players is punitive. It isn’t. It’s not about embarrassing people or throwing them under the bus or making examples - it’s about raising standards and if you aren’t meeting them, then we help you meet them. But until such time as you do, you don’t play for England.

[@goldboy150]

Also, the last two England coaches were sacked because the players didn’t like their training and felt they were both too hard on them. That is part of this problem - any time someone from outside comes in wanting to work them harder, knight and her teammates get rid .

[@Shoddy127]

Too much of a girls club now, change needed to shake it up as it’s all become too complacent & friendly. Professional sport requires the foundations to be shaken when required, especially when you’re getting paid the big bucks like the team is now & getting all the support way more now than ever!

[@daviddavies5555]

I did the Bondi walk today. Now I’m immortal.

[@georgemacpherson1992]

It’s an embarrassment by the women. They could not bat. It was as even worse than the men’s side. You can’t take them seriously with this performance. It is time to scrap the hundred to save cricket.

[@Dr.AtiravKapoor]

And they actually did walk away with the test.

[@DavidMeikle-ei7fr]

Australia are an exceptional team but where was the fight from England ? Their heads dropped too many times and looked like they wanted to be somewhere else. Poor attitude and poor leadership

[@paulrichardson5892]

no one should be captain for ten years. full stop. looks like no succession plan at all. everyone in admin has been sitting on their hands .

[@RobertWalker-w1v]

Steve is right. It’s too easy. Contracts, money……… it all leads to complacency and a fear of those in charge to criticise. Just look at the response to Hartley comments. It was like girls in the schoolyard. It not all about fitness and l would not expect them to run for 90 minutes like Premier League footballers. I’ll do a fitness session with them and they would be trashed in 10 minutes. If you are physically fit you will be mentally fit too. I was in Durham in 2021 when the Indian men’s team were here. I watched Rishabh have ball smashed at him for a continuous half hour. He was diving everywhere and up straight away. After that session he literally had to be carried off because of exhaustion. That’s fitness. Get rid of Lewis.

[@roderickdunn3464]

You're looking for excuses. When the ACB had Mathew Mott ss coach, he developed a culture that has been carried through to yoday. Have s look at selections. Look at the changes that have been made in the Australian team. The coach has to go.

[@ianmontgomery7534]

All England needs to do is teach its layers to catch. Once they have that mastered then you can determine what else needs to be done. Look at what dropped catches cost them in this test - basically the game.

[@ashleysmith91]

I’m Australian, I watched almost every game. The difference in fitness and fielding levels between Australia and England has been massive in this series. England can’t even catch a cold let alone a cricket ball.

[@DB-sc2hg]

Start with the coach

[@rossmenzies1484]

Was that the women's team? I can't tell the difference - different title, same results.

[@malcolmmcdonald1885]

ONLY ONE SIDE PLAYED LIKE THE PROFESSIONAL CRICKETERS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE. SIMPLE.

[@chrishughes4521]

Heather Knight is a great captain, she's carried that team with that alone, she's also the only one with a batting brain.

[@wayneholness6090]

Poor tactically and has to go

[@vinceryan4131]

The game in Canberra knight had the control of the game in her hands. As wickets fell around her she didn't panic she needed someone to get her on strike instead of watching the weather and playing rash shots. As an Australian it was great to watch.

[@BradWaghorn]

A great captain. You’re dreaming. 😮

[@markbrenner7804]

If you picked a combined team only two English players would make it….Sophie Eccleston and Amy Jones (how good is she!). The Australians are far more athletic. The Poms have been thoroughly disappointing and outclassed. Writing this prior to the 4 day test….fingers crossed the English put up a better fight. I wonder if the funding of the teams might explain the huge gap?

[@chrishughes4521]

Eccleston doesn't get in because she's not fit enough, Australia are all athletic, skills aren't enough, you have to be fit.

[@ads2686]

I wonder how many of the English players would pass the south African women's fitness test & how many are picked on friendship with Heather Knight or because the coach doesn't have the guts to drop players.

[@mondotv4216]

FYI it's a 5 day test - finishes on Feb 3.

[@chrishughes4521]

@@mondotv4216 wrong, it was scheduled for 4 days, but because England can't bat, bowl or catch, Australia get a day off.

[@mondotv4216]

@@chrishughes4521 :) Actualy we're both wrong - apparently it was a 3 day test.

[@Grant_Ferstat]

I can't believe this lot have the gall to come back again after the delusional analysis prior to the series. The only thing that is more delusional was Lewis' pronoucements about the Australia life-style being an advantage. Absolute garbage.

[@SteveSkrobot]

Why is a Kiwi reviewing the Pommy womens team? What about the White Ferns? They got thrashed recently against Australia also. Its not only ENG womens team, its goes further.

[@Moamanly]

What kiwi are you talking about? An Australian, One Englishman and one South African.

[@SteveSkrobot]

@@Moamanly The chick is from NZ

[@Moamanly]

@@SteveSkrobot You clearly don't know your accents! Baynes is as 'Strine' as you can get.

[@SteveSkrobot]

@@Moamanly Apparently you dont. Shes a Kiwi. She used to play for NZ

[@Moamanly]

@@SteveSkrobot If that is true then my apologies. I may need hearing aids.

[@ajgill8360]

If ECB still don’t sack their captain coach and few top order batters not sure what else will it take them to do so!!!!! It’s prime time for England cricket to move on from old captain coach and few batters! English women team showed ZERO intent to win any of the games in fact they were hardly competing in any game RIDICULOUS mentality and body language they’re wasting people’s time and money! As a fan of cricket if they came out with same team and captain in next game we will be boycotting English cricket fans deserves better than watching these same old good for nothing players!

[@Rose-jf6qk]

"If they win the tests is it a good thing"- What a dumb comment! Oh, ok then, lets lose the teat that way we can actually say we were that bad. Great reasoning Valkerie.

[@Shoddy127]

Too much of a girls club now, change needed to shake it up as it’s all become too complacent & friendly. Professional sport requires the foundations to be shaken when required, especially when you’re getting paid the big bucks like the team is now & getting all the support way more now than ever!