Interesting article. The decline in playing numbers IMO starts from their time in School. 50 yrs ago teaching was mainly male dominated. Teachers promoted cricket and kids played in the schoolyard and at home, the old street cricket match. As teaching demographics changed so did “playground” participation, Simply cricket was too hard for a lot of women teachers to organise / promote. Easier to give the kids a soccer ball etc. So cricket started losing numbers, State Admins for a while ran some support for schools programmes in attempt to prop up game but these we lost to time. Will cricket survive current trend, in my view yes but a very different pathway will evolve. State Admins must support Junior Assoc via Grade Clubs, most of who unfortunately have cast aside their responsibility to Junior Cricket preferring to focus on their own kingdoms. IMO the whole GAME and how it is developed, coached, administered needs urgent review.

Does this mean KP wins?

Like most here I think Clarke’s “comment” to Anderson was fine. What is said on the field stays on the field.
Anderson is a known chatterer himself so if you live by the sword etc. I really liked that Bailey got into him and it obviously rankled.
What erks me most is Anderson allowing the umps to get involved…man up you pommie wimp.
As regards news that Trott is off home for some R&R, for a bloke with so called “issues” he is very happy to also dish it out, you would think if you were “mentally fragile” you would be taking a back seat and keeping a low profile,not Trott, just ask Watson after his dismissal in 2nd Innings.
And what about Andy Flower calling a Pommie Press only press conference to announce Trott’s departure, another weak attempt to use the Pommie press to mount pressure on CA to reign in the Aussie attacks. What would happen if Boof called a press conference and banned the Pommies…all hell would break loose. A joke call by a very weak and dare I say somewhat “shell shocked” team management.
Finally, lets not forget the role played by Channel 9 in all this…if they had followed their own rules and protocols none of this would reached “public ears”…once again “Buzzard” McNamara strikes a blow for ratings over rules.
He has no real regard for Cricket or the players, only 9’s ratings. No doubt 9’s management love him but maybe it is time he took a leaf out of his own book and think about where he would be if not for cricket and luckily Channel 9, probably picking up beers in a pub in Hurstville. Once a dope always a dope.

Watched highlights of this game on Fox, simply confirmed to me what a wasted space Maxwell, the big show, is. His “batting” was woeful. Did not bowl, took a catch. As a batter he’s got nothing and shows no smarts at all. Hopefully Aussies wake up and send him to the benches, like they did in the IPL. $1m to be a spectator, a joke.

I think in all this there is too much focus on “testy” decks and making the batsman work to survive.
We have to go the other way and produce decks that make the bowlers work and give the batsman the chance and opportunity to bat long term.
This is the only way we will improve our batters and develop bowlers who can work the ball both new and old. This will also bring spinners back into the game and give them opportunity to learn their art by doing the hard yards.
Blokes who can bat will shine and likewise bowlers with skill will come to the surface.
If Aussie cricket (Sheffield Shield in particular) is to rise again from the ashes it will literally be from the ground up and decks will need to encourage competitive cricket and not one sided bowling exhibitions.
Think of how England have produced their wickets this series, India last, Sri Lanka ( also rebuilding) will go same with their slow bowler strength.We simply do not handle slow turning decks, we have lost the ability.
So in my view we need better all round cricket friendly decks and by extension a lot more focus on better spin coaches. To have ex wicket keeper Steve Rixon as Aust spin bowling coach is a disgrace and shows how dysfunctional CA has become.

Sorry, but cannot see test salvation in either Warner or Hughes, neither up to it. Warner came into test squad on back of LO / T20 glory and rarely now delivers at Test level or long form of game and Hughes, well what do you say, protected by not playing against South Africa when here last, poor tour of India and very average against quality pace over top of off stump ( that is why now not opening) and now seems cannot play off spin around the wicket. Also challenges Haddin as best ball watcher when running between the wickets. Very poor runner. Has very strong in team support from M Clarke (from their club cricket days) but really going forward would prefer Ferguson from SA as longer term prospect, who also as a righty, breaks predominance of lefties in top order. Agree England have half dozen battle hardened players against somewhat rookie team but whose fault is that. CA rode on back of past glories way way too long, very poor succession planning and no idea of picking horses for courses across various forms of game. Please don’t get me started on why Haddin in side, is experienced is, also old and slow but believe if Clarke and Watson had been speaking etc Wade would have been first choice with Tim Paine as back up.

Point re Howard is the need for someone in that position ( if retained) that has the respect of the players. A lot of cred goes a long way in getting young players, in particular, to listen. I think with the new coach and a change in the HP role there is an opportunity to make a statement and drive home to players all are accountable. I think a “quiet word” from the likes of S. Waugh would go a lot deeper than one from P Howard. In crickets case at present, to me, it is all about changing player behaviour, at all levels and I don’t think Howard is up to it.

I think the issue with the Aussie batting is that for many years now it has been a “back yourself” approach. This worked fine when we had class bats backed by class bowlers, including a thinking spinner. This mindset is so entrenched the new breed of hitters can’t adapt back to a “leave and play on merits” approach. It is simply not part of their makeup.
Rogers is “old school” but all of the other top 7, including Clarke, prefer to play at rather than leave. This flows down thru at all levels including Shield cricket and will only get worse as T20 prospers and the next generation of kids come thru.
No easy answer re replacements as England have out played us in every facet, their game and bowling plans have been fantastic. Remember Andersons’ glee at Rogers dismissal previous test. Their batting based on the survive, wear down and then thrive model. Ours “wham bam thank you mam”. eg Warner, Watson, Hughes as “top order test players”
This said changes I would make, Wade for Haddin ( past it ), Lyon for Agar ( too soon), Cowan back to open, Watson drop down order ( for his bowling / allrounder role), Hughes out ( can’t bat ) Bird for Patterson ( rested?). Steve Waugh for Pat Howard, if we are going to have a so called high performance coach, get someone in the role who knows and understands the game, not some show pony.
CA have to look long and hard at reproducing the farm that was Shield Cricket…if not we should get prepared to cop plenty of hidings because reality is we are not producing the class of test cricketer we did in the past.

Lets hope the fielding is up to scratch as Lehmann expects but if we do “drop a few” particularly early and give a few away in the field by being sloppy it will be the price we pay for having an ex wicket keeper in Rixon as the fielding coach. He might be a NSW mate of Clarkes’ and Haddin but is he really the best man for this role? More like a job for the boys I think.

Super effort by a very good team. Batting was excellent and bowling / fielding streets ahead of other sides.

all involved should be very proud.

By years end their effort will stand out like a beacon…..our mens’ side are really going to struggle.

I am a Sharks fan and was very glad to see the back of Stuart. Best thing the club did in years and look at the players who have come to club AFTER he left.
Reading his comments now about the Eels and their “issues” there is a real feeling of deja vu.
If you went back and looked at some articles from his time with the Sharks and others you would find the same old crap and excuses.
The Great Pretender and I bet it will not be too long before he brings up lack of “depth” and the need for a big clean out and a new 3 year plan.
Do yourselves a favour Eels,tell him to shut up and just get on with it.

Agree, it looked like he intended to “have a go” at all players in hope it threw Sixers off game and gave Thunder some chance. He simply needs to produce runs….not have an extended holiday at expense of Thunder, BBL and his “team mates”.

This is a due and fitting acknowledgement to an outstanding cricketer, sportsman and person.

Agree 110%. Unfortunately just another example of “shoot the messager”.

Personally I think Brett Lee deserves a medal for raising these issues. About time somebody did. CNSW, it’s structure and function is a mess, built more on nepotism and old boy network than needs and required outcomes. Management are a mob dinosaurs so set and narrow in their views ( a lot built around their own club background) that there is a huge gap between them and the players, who want leadership, expertise and quite simply a “fair go”. Player dissatisfaction has been a huge issue for a number of years now, hence the ongoing drain to other States, yes some under banner of ” game improvement” but a lot more out of frustration at internal selection process, lack of direction etc. Quite simply the other States do it a lot better than CNSW with player / ability recognition not based on cronyism . This latest debacle with Anthony Stuart / Bayliss / Gilbert is simply putting out there some ( and only some ) of the player concerns of just what CNSW is really about. Contracted players or those close to one are too frightened to raise issues or question “the boss” because of what the outcome may be for not following the party line. Well Lee has broken ranks and hopefully it will lead some serious soul searching. If CNSW is to retain its place as the leading State (in cricketing terms ) then change is a must and Lees’ point is this must come from the top down. Take a minute and look at CNSW Strategic Plan to 2015, it is a joke, as are a lot of what CNSW do, take as an example the so called age based development squads ( Academy ) and subsequent selection of ” State Junior Teams”. Without any disrespect to those kids named reality is, these are based on a “fair ” distribution basis across Statewide Junior development areas ( to appease respective Junior Associations) and not on ability / potential of the kids themselves.( CNSW will argue “team balance” to in some way validate ) .So what happens, the better kids miss out to less talented players ( the joke is the kids themselves know themselves who are the better players ) and they in turn look elsewhere, maybe not there and then but in time they remember how CNSW do things, and move on. If the kids don’t remember the parents certainly do. From the ground up CNSW needs a rethink and please do not get me started on “Dr Harry”, who is actually pivotal to a lot of the said issues involving Stuart / Gilbert, that is a subject for another day. But back to the primary point….good on you Brett Lee and go into your meeting with CA “guns blazing” for the good of CNSW and all those that love the game not just the glory.

Agree 100%

I think the point with this run out was Hughes “ball watching” and not going on the call….personally did not see it as Cowans fault. .it is not the first time and will not be the last Hughes is run out because of this trait…it is a flaw in his running.

In all the hype around win against SL couple of observations
Lyon, again, not up to bowling Australia to victory. Herath takes 5 for in Aust 2nd innings, class tells. Maybe he needs better guidance than he is getting.( but if you have an ex wicket keeper as spin bowling coach, who do you turn to?)
Watson bowled one tellling spell in mid / high 130’s but other wise pace well down ( maybe get him angry and having a few verbals the secret).
Fielding, overall it is a worry when some kid from club cricket is the shining light. Watson again looked like he is protecting injury and moves in the field like a Clydesdale. Wades’ keeping, especially to spinners, poor, again, who is working with him. Is Paine / Haddin a better option? Cannot afford to miss simple stumpings. You can forgive once but not once every innings. Does he watch the ball?
Starc 90% of his stuff crap but last session spell did the job.
Siddle, inspiring
Overall, a win is a win but CA and High Performance group still have a lot of work to do to make sure we finish each game eleven on eleven otherwise Siddle, in particular, and others WILL not last. Remember Siddle himself has been part of casualty ward. Could you say with any confidence this is the team to beat England, it couldn’t beat SA and SL are a looooong way down in the test rankings…..so lets not get too excited.