The Pommy pundits have rounded on Australia after another day in the dirt for Pat Cummins’ men, with columnists lining up to take shots at the Aussie captain.
His captaincy, in particular, was the main bruise to be punched, with Nick Hoult in The Telegraph describing Cummins as having been bullied by Jonny Bairstow.
“Cummins was battered by England, losing control in the field and constantly chasing the game with his tactics,” he wrote.
“The last man stand between James Anderson and Bairstow of 66 in 8.1 overs was ruthless bossing of the alpha males of Test cricket.
“Bairstow’s bullying delayed England’s declaration and there was a touch of sentiment as Ben Stokes held back and enjoyed the view as every Australia fielder was posted on the boundary in damage limitation mode.”
Oliver Holt in the Daily Mail said that, should the weather intervene, it would only be to reward their poor play.
“Not for the first time in this series, the Australians were reduced to ringing the boundary with all of their outfielders,” he wrote.
“Their attitude screamed defeatism and bewilderment. England toyed with them, running quick singles even when the ball went through to the wicketkeeper.
“Alex Carey might have ‘stumped’ Bairstow at Lord’s but he couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo at Old Trafford. Bairstow must have enjoyed that, too. The crowd certainly did.
“The rain will come on Saturday and give Australia respite. Maybe the bad weather will linger on Sunday and deliver them from their torture.
“Maybe Pat Cummins’s team will crawl over the line on bloodied hands and knees, giving thanks for Manchester’s dark clouds and dark mills, and retain the Ashes with a Test to spare, making the Oval an irrelevance.”
“If the Australians survive, it will be a victory for pragmatism and conservatism. That will not change the way it looks in the history books but it will not steal away our memories of days like these, either.
“Days when England did things with style and with a flourish, days when they thrilled us with their determination to prove that the game is about glory.”
With only rain able to save the tourists from a one-sided defeat, Barney Ronay in The Guardian began a victory lap for Bazball, the frenetic English style that has conjured the chance for a result from a game likely to lose five sessions to rain.
“There is a sense the Bazball stuff has become a genuine weapon if only through sheer repetition,” he wrote.
“England are sick of hearing that word. Imagine how Australia must feel as their northern summer threatens to turn horribly cold.
“It has been an amazing feat to insert a third entity into the centre of England v Australia, the oldest two-hander in Test history. But here it is, dear old Bazball, shunting itself into the middle of things, hogging the duvet, monopolising the pillow chat.
“How maddening for Australia, a place of grizzled truisms, points of red ball honour handed down like a tear-stained baggy green, to find themselves being chased around the set by blokes in bucket hats who feel they’ve won when they’ve lost, who are basically doing this for the vibes, who even have the gall in the middle of it all to preach about doing the right thing.”
Former England captain Nasser Hussain heaped praise on the much-maligned Bairstow, declaring that the keeper-batsman was at his best when under pressure.
“I love cricketers like Jonny Bairstow,” he told Sky Sports. “He is passionate, cares deeply and wants to show what he can do. He came out like he had a point to prove. He has read everything, listened to everything and it has wound him up.
“Whatever he says, Jonny Bairstow with a point to prove is a very dangerous Jonny Bairstow. He is ticking, has been ticking for weeks, and he wanted that day. If you wind him up enough he will go out there like a bull and deliver.”
jimmy jones
Roar Rookie
haha.. i hear ya!
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I suppose you'll reneg on the chance to start that book. The invitation's there...
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
Cheers. What you don't know about cricket could fill a book. A very big book.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
There's a lot you don't know...and even more you make up.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
Gee Don. I don't know. Maybe look in the mirror and you'll catch on.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
"Default - the two sweetest words in the English language." - Homer Simpson
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You could get a forensic accountant to do it and it wouldn't appear. You know you are making that up. How you've chosen to respond reflects a fairly unreliable character. Why would you choose to establish that kind of persona?
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
(Hey that last line was quite poetic of you.) Yeah, Don, I’m going to trawl through 26,000 comments – gees, Tolkien didn’t knock out that many; I’ve got hopes and dreams. Your personal comments are everywhere in relation to Cummins. And let’s be honest, if I did post the exact comment after hours of searching, the chance of Don saying, “I was wrong,” are as likely as Kim Hughes opening in the next test.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You're the one that slandered, then lied. Post again where you think I called him "pathetic" and you'll retrieve some dignity. Until then, Barb Dwyer is a liar.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
I now annoint thee, "Don the Deflector". Seriously, if your hand was caught in the cookie jar, you'd say 'what cookies?' I wonder if you've ever muttered the phrase 'Gee ... maybe I got that one wrong' in your life.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
It’s you who’s worried about my opinion…and now you’ve run out of puff because you caught yourself making things up.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
Eh ... I never mentioned Cummins in this post, Don: you assumed it - perhaps a guilty conscience? You have completely played yourself.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
No mockery from me. You have heard me praising our boys regularly. You are all caught up in this Cummins thing. That's not mockery and the captaincy doesn't deserve praise. That is comment. Even the subject matter is different, Barb. The conversation is about the English press. English supporters are responding the way they should; praising their own. Your anger is hindering your ability to converse. Breathe!
Wes P
Roar Rookie
Gee. People are quick to jump on you when you're down. Cummins hasn't had a good test at all. But me thinks the spotlight should be on Warner. Bairstow has responded well to criticism and good on him. Whilst Warner continues his poor showing. It is the difference.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
"Rather than praise their own boys, their emphasis is to mock the team in front." Hilarious from you, Don. Oh, the irony.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
I've absolutely no issues with the press giving us plenty because for the first time in a very long time, we've been outperformed by England with both bat and ball, Bairstow's even managed to hold a catch or two, which is simply amazing. What I find a tough read is the extremes these guys go to when they're trying to outdo each other with praise or criticism. I much prefer accurate reporting to this adjectival nonsense.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
Yeah, I'm not a fan but it's a tactic that works. The ICC has also recently almost condoned this approach too. They changed the penalties for slow overs, so if a team bowls out the opposition in less than 80 overs(?), they aren't penalized at all. Gives plenty of incentive to do what I've suggested - as long as you take the 10 wickets of course :happy:
GC Red
Roar Rookie
For all the negative press for Cummins, he is pretty close to securing the ashes with a shot of going 3-1 and a draw. What to say if that happens.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
I agree with the bowling plans . English sides have come to Australia in the past with their second plan being, bowl wider & wider . Whether it’s very wide outside of off stump or very wide outside of leg . Give nothing for the batsman to actually hit & keep it up . It’s hard to hit runs quickly, when you can’t hit the ball & it becomes very frustrating. If the batsman then decides to stand wider , it’s time for the odd Yorker . Negative tactics, can bring about positive results. Just without lots of runs , that short bowling may bring. Mike Brearley was a champion of such ideas.
Rob Porter
Roar Rookie
Dog bites man as a news story does not sell newspapers. Man bites dog, now that's a story. It's doesn't matter whether it's an aussie paper or English, their scribes write what sells to their readership. Hype is hyperbole. And then you take quotes of the extreme kind and put it into an article, and then portray that as the English view of the test action? Yeah, that's balanced and thoughtful reporting.