Comments on: Angry at the England cricket team http://blog.matthewcain.co.uk/angry-at-the-england-cricket-team/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:42:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: James Hulme http://blog.matthewcain.co.uk/angry-at-the-england-cricket-team/comment-page-1/#comment-336 James Hulme Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:36:55 +0000 http://blog.matthewcain.co.uk/?p=205#comment-336 England looked arrogant from day 1 and I hope that this scare has given them a kick up the arse (though the signs aren't good - Strauss preferred to smirk than admonish the team after the match). What I find astonishing is that prior to the First Test England had not played a five day match since May and the longest form of the game played by most England players has been one-day cricket. It's perhaps not suprising then that their batsmen weren't mentally prepared for batting at test match level, where concentration is required for hours and the challenge is as much about which balls to leave as to play. Australia warmed up with two tough four day games whilst England had one glorified three day net at Warwickshire. Why on earth were the team so undercooked? England looked arrogant from day 1 and I hope that this scare has given them a kick up the arse (though the signs aren’t good – Strauss preferred to smirk than admonish the team after the match).

What I find astonishing is that prior to the First Test England had not played a five day match since May and the longest form of the game played by most England players has been one-day cricket. It’s perhaps not suprising then that their batsmen weren’t mentally prepared for batting at test match level, where concentration is required for hours and the challenge is as much about which balls to leave as to play. Australia warmed up with two tough four day games whilst England had one glorified three day net at Warwickshire.

Why on earth were the team so undercooked?

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