Ashes 2021/22 and other cricket through the winter of 2021 thread

[Mind the windows Tino.]

First topic message reminder :

James Bracey? Admittedly looked painfully bad vs NZ in the summer, but if we are wanting to give guys a chance then he shouldn’t be forgotten about so quickly. Especially as he was batting out of position. Better FC record than Hameed and made a half century for the Lions in Aus in 2020 and a ton this time. But he was flown home because English scoring runs just isn’t on!

Fair. Had forgotten about him actually and he was thrown a suicide pass in the summer against the best test team in the world. He probably does deserve another shot in the near future.

[Pal Joey]

If you’d told me Smith and Labu would only get one ton between them, I would have said England had a shot this series. But if you’d told me Travis Head would have two run a ball hundreds I would have said it’s 5-0. What a weird series.

Not just Head - Khawaja two in one match !  Smith Warner and Labuschagne were the ones I was concerned about : getting ambushed by those two was a bit of a blow.

Not to mention Boland

The bugler gives them away. Maybe less fanfare was needed?

[Gooseberry]

So happy for woakes to have gotten a wicket, his tour figures were starting to make mason crane look viable.

Suspect Englands top 3 will be glad they chose to bowl, but its not looking quite as smart a decision now as it must've at lunch. Still a decent day over all in context of whats gone before, but that really says more about Englands performances to date than the position in this game.

Still a chance to mop up the lower order relatively cheaply and put the onus of their own deeper batting line up to field a competitive total.

[VTR]

Let's take a big positive here, whatever happens this is all over in 4 days max. Probably closer to 2 the way England will likely bat on this!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Let's take a big positive here, whatever happens this is all over in 4 days max. Probably closer to 2 the way England will likely bat on this!

The ideal scenario in this last session is to get that final wicket in the last over or two of the day...England batting under lights on this is/would be a total massacre

[JDizzle]

If you’d told me Smith and Labu would only get one ton between them, I would have said England had a shot this series. But if you’d told me Travis Head would have two run a ball hundreds I would have said it’s 5-0. What a weird series.

Not just Head - Khawaja two in one match !  Smith Warner and Labuschagne were the ones I was concerned about : getting ambushed by those two was a bit of a blow.

Not to mention Boland

There has certainly been some ‘Pointless’ answers for Ashes cricketers added this series - to go with my bankers of Graham Manou, Peter Nevill and Scott Borthwick!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Robinson not on the field again now, seems highly doubtful he'll be taking any part in bowling for the rest of the day at least...

Wood continuing to bowl absolute pies. What a shambles of a performance so far from him in bowler friendly conditions.

Root must be wondering what he's done in a former life to have this luck...

Also, why on earth are they playing cricket at literally midnight Hobart time?!?!

[alfie]

Green looks set for a hundred here...after struggling early in the series he now looks right at home . Has played really well today .

Wonder if they can keep Australia under 400 ? Still got Mitch (average 75) Starc to follow...

[Gooseberry]

Also, why on earth are they playing cricket

People have been asking this about most of the England squad

[Pal Joey]

Green looks set for a hundred here...after struggling early in the series he now looks right at home . Has played really well today .

Wonder if they can keep Australia under 400 ?  Still got Mitch (average 75) Starc to follow...

Thanks alfie!

[Pal Joey]

Also, why on earth are they playing cricket at literally midnight Hobart time?!?!

Good question. Perhaps they were hoping for a few more penguins to show up later?

[alfie]

Ah...Green gets himself out. Crawley the outfield catch...so he's taken 3 out of 4 today

Green might feel he's thrown away a century there. Wicket for Wood at last. Bit late.

236/6

Starc in ahead of the skipper ...I guess he's earned promotion !

[alfie]

Green looks set for a hundred here...after struggling early in the series he now looks right at home . Has played really well today .

Wonder if they can keep Australia under 400 ?  Still got Mitch (average 75) Starc to follow...

Thanks alfie!

Well I'm doing my best to stay in the contest ! Though I picked Green for the Tipping Contest...

[Pal Joey]

Green looks set for a hundred here...after struggling early in the series he now looks right at home . Has played really well today .

Wonder if they can keep Australia under 400 ?  Still got Mitch (average 75) Starc to follow...

Thanks alfie!

Well I'm doing my best to stay in the contest !  Though I picked Green for the Tipping Contest...

We all know you've given up on both!

[guildfordbat]

I don't suppose anyone is awake in England yet so will babble on with occasional bulletins for anyone interested to peruse later .

Ready to go now once the anthems are done...

Correct and always interested to peruse later. Thanks.

[Afro]

Also, why on earth are they playing cricket at literally midnight Hobart time?!?!

Because it's more like batting in September in England, when most of our red ball cricket is played

[Duty281]

Not a fan of day-night test cricket, but this was an entertaining start. Always been a fan of Travis Head, this may be his breakthrough series. A wonderful, enterprising counter-attacking innings that reminded me of Hussey or Gilchrist. And exactly the way to play in these conditions. England don't know how to bowl economically, either, so it's always sensible to take the attack to them.

Madness not to play Anderson on this. As I said at the time, he should have been rested for the fourth test and then played here. But dodgy selection is a hallmark.

Australia have probably got enough runs already and, despite the rain, the game is already well advanced. No threat of a draw.

[VTR]

Also, why on earth are they playing cricket at literally midnight Hobart time?!?!

Because it's more like batting in September in England, when most of our red ball cricket is played

Makes the non selection of Darren Stevens even more baffling!

[Gooseberry]

Any update on Robinsons back? Huge problem for England if he cant bowl with Wood at his worst and only 4 proper bowlers.

[alfie]

The bowling coach saying  "I think we sometimes try to keep going with the same plan a fraction too long".  Well yes. I'd suggest that is obvious.  But as you are the bowling coach , Jon , you probably should have communicated that to them before the game  - or perhaps the previous one...

Not all his fault , of course. And once again Root was handicapped by losing Robinson immediately after lunch when the key session was starting. But it showed , once again , that Root simply doesn't ever seem to realise that it is time to adapt the plan when it clearly isn't working. You'd have thought by now he might have learned better ; but I rather fear his captaincy style is set in concrete and is never going to fundamentally improve.

Hopefully he will get that Ashes hundred when England come to bat. They will need someone to go big , I think.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I'm not sure what Root should have told the bowlers to be doing differently today?

It's not his fault Wood was literally unusable when trying anything resembling a "pitch it up" strategy, going at 8 and 9 an over, when already down one bowler in Robinson. And then Woakes being as ineffective as ever overseas.

He's got plenty of deserved flak this tour, but he's done pretty ok with the rough hand dealt to him today by his team. He can't do everything for everyone!

[Mind the windows Tino.]

He's got plenty of deserved flak this tour, but he's done pretty ok with the rough hand dealt to him today by his team. He can't do everything for everyone!

Yep. He isn't an instinctive captain to my eyes anyway but he isn't as appalling as some will have you believe. A bit robotic (as was Cook until he loosened up a bit) but not a disaster.

Who of the recent England captains would have done much better with the hand Root has been dealt both on and off the pitch? It doesn't matter how inventive or proactive you are when your team can't score 300 runs in an innings. Vaughan and Strauss are lauded as very good captains, albeit with differing styles, but what would they have done hugely different playing with the same deck. Not much I would suggest.

Vaughan had a pretty strong team and a phenomenal pace bowling attack when all fit. Strauss had the best top 7 this country has ever produced. Root has neither of those things and is also hampered by a head coach who looks like he won a competition on the radio to get the job. I don't think the results would be any different with a different skipper. Maybe closer games but that is wild guess work.

[Afro]

I agree he takes some flak, but I do think his rigidly sticking to a plan that isn't working is an issue.

He might be hamstrung by their ability, but that doesn't stop you asking them to try something different. It might not work, but then you are no worse off than continuing a plan that also isn't working.

Unless his bowlers aren't capable of adapting to what he asking them to do of course, which is a worry for international bowlers.

[Duty281]

Root is comfortably the worst long-term England test captain I've seen. He is so out of his depth in that position it's embarrassing. His captaincy hit the lowest point when his decisions directly lost England two tests in the summer v India. Yes, he doesn't have the best deck of cards to work with overall (but still has incredible seamers), but every game you see the same clueless mismanagement of bowlers, wrong bowling choices, inept fielding placements. It's a car crash and it all adds up to a greater sum - the opposition score more runs, so the batsmen are under even more pressure, which means England lose, which again adds to the pressure in the next match and leads to doubts increasing which equals a less confident and more negative team on the field. It's a vicious cycle.

Vaughan was a master of seizing the initiative, managing his charges well and instituting clever field placements. The 2005 Ashes win doesn't happen without his leadership. He was phenomenal, a brilliant man-manager too something I don't believe Root is, and would be getting far more out of this England side if he were captain. I'm not saying anything daft like he would lead England to victory in this series, but he wouldn't have lost to India in the summer.

Of course, England have troubles that run greater than who the captain is, but it is one issue.

[Mind the windows Tino.]

Root is comfortably the worst long-term England test captain I've seen. He is so out of his depth in that position it's embarrassing. His captaincy hit the lowest point when his decisions directly lost England two tests in the summer v India. Yes, he doesn't have the best deck of cards to work with overall (but still has incredible seamers), but every game you see the same clueless mismanagement of bowlers, wrong bowling choices, inept fielding placements. It's a car crash and it all adds up to a greater sum - the opposition score more runs, so the batsmen are under even more pressure, which means England lose, which again adds to the pressure in the next match and leads to doubts increasing which equals a less confident and more negative team on the field. It's a vicious cycle.

Vaughan was a master of seizing the initiative, managing his charges well and instituting clever field placements. The 2005 Ashes win doesn't happen without his leadership. He was phenomenal, a brilliant man-manager too something I don't believe Root is, and would be getting far more out of this England side if he were captain. I'm not saying anything daft like he would lead England to victory in this series, but he wouldn't have lost to India in the summer.

Of course, England have troubles that run greater than who the captain is, but it is one issue.

H

He has good seamers, not sure about "incredible" given where some of them are in their careers. Broad and Anderson are towards the end of their time and Robinson is green. They are certainly less than incredible in Aussie conditions. I could go and find examples of when Root has set a funky field and it's yielded a few wickets in a few overs and I could find examples when Vaughan made mistakes but I won't insult your intelligence by doing that, that isn't the bigger point.

We have had some success recently, it isn't all a disaster. Wins away in Sri Lanka and SA for starters. We also didn't lose to India at home (yet).

As for Vaughan, he was clearly a very good captain but Root doesn't have anything like the quality of players Vaughan had in 2005. I would argue not in the bowling attack, and definitely not in the batting line up. Not even close. It is ingrained in the British sporting psyche to focus on what people can't do, rather than what they can/have done. We all like to think we are different but we are not really. I don't think Vaughan would have got much more of a tune out of this particular side. He was good, but he isn't a magician. Maybe a bit but not enough to make that much of a difference. You can roll a turd in glitter but you can't polish it.

I'm not arguing that he is brilliant, he just isn't a disaster.

[Soul Requiem]

He's got plenty of deserved flak this tour, but he's done pretty ok with the rough hand dealt to him today by his team. He can't do everything for everyone!

Yep. He isn't an instinctive captain to my eyes anyway but he isn't as appalling as some will have you believe. A bit robotic (as was Cook until he loosened up a bit) but not a disaster.

Who of the recent England captains would have done much better with the hand Root has been dealt both on and off the pitch? It doesn't matter how inventive or proactive you are when your team can't score 300 runs in an innings. Vaughan and Strauss are lauded as very good captains, albeit with differing styles, but what would they have done hugely different playing with the same deck. Not much I would suggest.

Vaughan had a pretty strong team and a phenomenal pace bowling attack when all fit. Strauss had the best top 7 this country has ever produced. Root has neither of those things and is also hampered by a head coach who looks like he won a competition on the radio to get the job. I don't think the results would be any different with a different skipper. Maybe closer games but that is wild guess work.

I was never overly sold on Strauss as captain for the reasons you give. That top seven was routinely scoring 400+ runs a match with a fair few 500+ and 600+ scores thrown in, when you're bowling with that amount of runs on the board it suddenly becomes easier.

That doesn't take into account the spin option which plays a big part. Giles wasn't a devastating bowler but he was economical, he could tie down one end whilst the seamers rotated at the other end. You then have Swann who was a wicket taking option and capable of bowling economically if the pitch wasn't taking spin. Bridging the divide you had Panesar, who was again economical, less so in Australia granted.

[Mind the windows Tino.]

I agree he takes some flak, but I do think his rigidly sticking to a plan that isn't working is an issue.

He might be hamstrung by their ability, but that doesn't stop you asking them to try something different. It might not work, but then you are no worse off than continuing a plan that also isn't working.

Unless his bowlers aren't capable of adapting to what he asking them to do of course, which is a worry for international bowlers.

I think your last sentence is probably the correct observation. I can't believe for one minute that Root doesn't ask them to do different things out in the middle. Even at the village level I play at, our skipper will ask bowlers to try something different if we are struggling. I don't think he just goes out there with a play book and refuses to adapt at all.

In Australia, against a competent batting line up in their home conditions, our bowling attack is limp at best and maybe the adaptations just don't work. I also can't believe that characters like Broad and Anderson with a load of wickets between them aren't suggesting different things. I would be very surprised if the England captain wasn't listening to them at all.

We are just not very good overseas, especially in Australia.

[JDizzle]

He's got plenty of deserved flak this tour, but he's done pretty ok with the rough hand dealt to him today by his team. He can't do everything for everyone!

Yep. He isn't an instinctive captain to my eyes anyway but he isn't as appalling as some will have you believe. A bit robotic (as was Cook until he loosened up a bit) but not a disaster.

Who of the recent England captains would have done much better with the hand Root has been dealt both on and off the pitch? It doesn't matter how inventive or proactive you are when your team can't score 300 runs in an innings. Vaughan and Strauss are lauded as very good captains, albeit with differing styles, but what would they have done hugely different playing with the same deck. Not much I would suggest.

Vaughan had a pretty strong team and a phenomenal pace bowling attack when all fit. Strauss had the best top 7 this country has ever produced. Root has neither of those things and is also hampered by a head coach who looks like he won a competition on the radio to get the job. I don't think the results would be any different with a different skipper. Maybe closer games but that is wild guess work.

I was never overly sold on Strauss as captain for the reasons you give. That top seven was routinely scoring 400+ runs a match with a fair few 500+ and 600+ scores thrown in, when you're bowling with that amount of runs on the board it suddenly becomes easier.

That doesn't take into account the spin option which plays a big part. Giles wasn't a devastating bowler but he was economical, he could tie down one end whilst the seamers rotated at the other end. You then have Swann who was a wicket taking option and capable of bowling economically if the pitch wasn't taking spin. Bridging the divide you had Panesar, who was again economical, less so in Australia granted.

Someone posed the question on Twitter the other day - who was last good captain of a bad side? Stephen Fleming? Nasser even? Guys who captain bad teams just don’t get remembered regardless of their ability.

This side screams out as needing a strict disciplinarian (more Nasser/Strauss) and Root seems a more Vaughan style, no comment on their relative abilities, style of just letting guys play their game. Just a bad mix.

[Soul Requiem]

Someone posed the question on Twitter the other day - who was last good captain of a bad side? Stephen Fleming? Nasser even? Guys who captain bad teams just don’t get remembered regardless of their ability.

This side screams out as needing a strict disciplinarian (more Nasser/Strauss) and Root seems a more Vaughan style, no comment on their relative abilities, style of just letting guys play their game. Just a bad mix.

Nasser was a very good captain in fairness to him and laid the foundations for Vaughan, the increased focus on discipline and fitness was notable.

There have also been a fair few average to poor captains of successful teams. One that sticks out is Ricky Ponting, brilliant batsman and captain of a pretty successful Australia side but tactically I didn't think he was much cop whereas Mark Taylor was pretty decent.

[king_carlos]

As said many times I largely think the influence of captaincy in the modern game is massively overstated. It's not like previous eras where captains had to practically corral players onto the field, decide tactics with very limited information or analysis, coach players themselves where coaches were lacking, etc, etc.

I certainly think captaincy has far more influence in white ball cricket these days where limits on bowlers and field placements are in play.

I agree with Tino that England's seamers are good now rather than incredible as well. Most are very conditions reliant (Woakes, Curran, Overton, Wood), need a lot of management due to their bodies (Broad, Anderson, Wood, Stokes, Archer, Stone) or have the talent to be very good but are raw (Archer and Robinson).

Robinson has a lot of talent but it's noticeable that he has tired quicker than you'd expect a Test bowler to. There are definitely improvements to be made in his fitness compared to top Test seamers. He also struggles coming around the wicket to lefties meaning he has one line of attack. I think that's a classic case of him just being so good over the wicket that he never really needed to vary the angle against F-C batters. On flatter tracks against better batters he will to be adept around the wicket to fulfill his clear talent.

Criticising Jimmy and Broad when our batting is so abysmal feels sacrosanct but they do have limitations they didn't used to due that their bodies need managing a lot more now. Plus Jimmy's second innings stats are well published and pretty stark reading for a while now.

The captaincy and bowling doesn't matter if we have one batter though.

[king_carlos]

Anyone else seen the footage of ambidextrous Aussie spinner Nivethan Radhakrishnan bowling off-spin and SLA for the U19s?

We've seen Kamindu Mendis doing it in international cricket. Shaila Sharmin and Jemma Barsby have both done it in women's cricket.

I wonder if it's something we might see more often as the game hopefully keeps evolving.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Taking “quick singles” in a match that lasts five days is monumentally stupid and nowhere near worth the risk of losing a wicket, this joins fast bowlers diving to save one run on the boundary as part of my stable of stop doing idiot things in tests cricketers

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Twice this innings the Aussies (and umpire) have missed a nick behind - I think Malan took all the batsmen’s luck pre tour and is using it selfishly

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Swear Dan Norcross spends the whole comms stint trying to jinx England batsmen out

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Cummins bowls enough good deliveries, I would advise not getting out to the bad ones he bowls Dawid

[VTR]

Just check the score for the first time to see the recalled opener run out for a duck. You can't actually make this stuff up!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Cummins bowls enough good deliveries, I would advise not getting out to the bad ones he bowls Dawid

Cummins bowls one of those good deliveries to get Root LBW

We’ll do well to get near 200 now

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Stokes noticeably wincing playing his shots so far - only 9 balls into his innings…
Oh and he’s out now.

Clearly not fit, ludicrous he’s playing

[Gooseberry]

Only question left for this series is who is going to be more embarrassed by how they got out, Labuschagne or Burns.

Absolute shambles from the batsmen once again, and allowing Stokes to play was ridiculous, if he was pushed into it then people need to be held to account.

[Pal Joey]

Only question left for this series is who is going to be more embarrassed by how they got out, Labuschagne or Burns.

Absolute shambles from the batsmen once again, and allowing Stokes to play was ridiculous, if he was pushed into it then people need to be held to account.

Marnus has probably already laughed it off. He can afford to. 330 runs averaging 47 versus 50 runs at 10.
I guess you could say Rory has had a slightly more embarrassing tour... starting from ball 1, day 1 of the 1st Test.

[VTR]

Swear Dan Norcross spends the whole comms stint trying to jinx England batsmen out

Every time I check the score a wicket seems to fall. Could be me jinxing it, or England being very, very **** at batting!

[alfie]

Back from our own game ...not unduly surprised to see the latest...

Burns run out for 0 not the start they wanted . Only saw the Pope dismissal - which will probably be his last in an England shirt for a while unless he can produce a second innings performance. (Please note I do not want to " close the file " on Pope. He has ability. But he needs to go back to his county right now and reset.)

AUstralia should be over the moon making 303 after being 12/3. How was the England bowling today ?

[alfie]

I'm not sure what Root should have told the bowlers to be doing differently today?

It's not his fault Wood was literally unusable when trying anything resembling a "pitch it up" strategy, going at 8 and 9 an over, when already down one bowler in Robinson. And then Woakes being as ineffective as ever overseas.

He's got plenty of deserved flak this tour, but he's done pretty ok with the rough hand dealt to him today by his team. He can't do everything for everyone!

Sorry , Olly : I don't mean to be a Root basher. Agree he's been dealt an unplayable hand.. But he just seems to me to fail to change strategy when it is needed , on a regular basis.
Yesterday Head was hammering anything remotely full and wide thorough covers with ease. Wood is adept at digging balls into the ribs - and wider , the way he's got Labuschagne three times. Just because Robinson and Broad had profited from full balls didn't mean Wood had to try the same trick , did it ? They just seem to me to
get locked in to a plan and don't change it for circumstances - and this has happened too often recently.

For the record : I don't want Root sacked (though I do fear he might walk) He is not a "good" captain ; but if you don't have the players , what can you do ? But he's a man respected by his troops and one they will follow . If they can get a decent XI together (more later !) he is the best current option.

I just wish he would chat to the support staff and get a bit more of a set of options instead of seeming to start with plan. "A" and sticking to it until destruction...

[Gooseberry]

[quote="Pal Joey"]

Marnus has probably already laughed it off. He can afford to. 330 runs averaging 47

Actually makes it his worst series since he accidentally got a recall.

[Gooseberry]

Burns run out for 0 not the start they wanted . Only saw the Pope dismissal - which will probably be his last in an England shirt for a while unless he can produce a second innings performance. (Please note I do not want to " close the file " on Pope. He has ability. But he needs to go back to his county right now and reset.)

As a non white ball player he should be going to the west indies and resetting in some vaguely relevant cricket, he scored a bucket load of runs in county cricket (including his reset this summer) and hasnt ever translated that to tests. Playing at the Oval is clearly making him soft...he averages around 100 there, if anything more county cricket is going to hurt him when it comes to facing consistent quality pace bowling (or good spinners). Until the county game is vaguely replicating what they face in tests its going to continue to produce players who struggle to translate their method. He has the basic talent, just needs to be able to handle the pressure and adjust his risk taking.

[alfie]

Billings was playing quite well. But he's gone now caught hooking Green. At -152/7 at least they've avoided the follow on

[Pal Joey]

Australia should be over the moon making 303 after being 12/3. How was the England bowling today ?

Wood nabbed a couple of well-deserved wickets (Starc and Cummins) who got out to fairly rash shots.
Woakes... was nothing special but he did deceive Carey who was looking to push it along too. Missed it by a mile though.
Broad had a go at "the robot" (Fox rover), looked unsettled but worked his heart out. Must be so frustrating for him. Eventually got Lyon.
Lyon and Boland played nice little cameos... some beautiful shots during the best batting conditions of the day.

Marnus has probably already laughed it off. He can afford to. 330 runs averaging 47

Actually makes it his worst series since he accidentally got a recall.

Yeah, it's terrible isn't it, Goose? His test average has just dropped a fraction below 60 now!
Nothing wrong with a bit of comedy relief, scoring runs, taking catches and he's quite sharp at hitting the stumps with his brilliant run outs.
He should be around the team for a little while yet.  

[Gooseberry]

Remember how much we laughed a couple of years ago when Billings said he still hoped he could be a test player? He could end up being Englands top scorer in this test in spite of being the fourth choice keeper at best. Madness.

And hes out as I type that

Well at least SCW is repairing some of his reputation

[VTR]

Re Marnus, England would give anything to identify a player who can actually make 44, whether they then fall flat on their face or not

[alfie]

Burns run out for 0 not the start they wanted . Only saw the Pope dismissal - which will probably be his last in an England shirt for a while unless he can produce a second innings performance. (Please note I do not want to " close the file " on Pope. He has ability. But he needs to go back to his county right now and reset.)

As a non white ball player he should be going to the west indies and resetting in some vaguely relevant cricket, he scored a bucket load of runs in county cricket (including his reset this summer) and hasnt ever translated that to tests. Playing at the Oval is clearly making him soft...he averages around 100 there, if anything more county cricket is going to hurt him when it comes to facing consistent quality pace bowling (or good spinners). Until the county game is vaguely replicating what they face in tests its going to continue to produce players who struggle to translate their method. He has the basic talent, just needs to be able to handle the pressure and adjust his risk taking.

I do see your point , goose. But surely England's immediate task is to try to win the Next Game ? And I'm not sure that picking Pope right now is a smart move towards that objective... He has potential , sure. But can they afford to keep picking him for that while they're getting skittled regularly ? Getting ahead of ourselves : but if they were to try , say , Foakes with the gloves in West Indies : how could you possibly pick Pope ahead of Bairstow at six ?

Give him a break. He will be back. If he's learned he might crack it next time round. But right now you're bashing your head - or his - against a brick wall.

[alfie]

Thanks for the update , PJ

Marnus is a weird one , isn't he ? Average about 60 and TBH he isn't really quite that good : he's had an extraordinary run of good luck. But he is a damn good player albeit so annoying that if I had to play against him I think I would have found an excuse to whack him by now

Still can't get over the way Head played yesterday was brilliant to play that way against the run of the game when he came in...

[Sponsored content]