Re: Adelaide Test

and show more positive intent. And that doesn't mean going out and trying to play hit and giggle, it just means trying to keep the scoreboard moving with the bat and being a bit busier, and trying to be more attacking with fields and bowling.

Those are all great things to aim for but we need to be doing them against the weaker sides first rather than flailing about trying to counter this decent Aussie side. It is why having several pre-series warm up matches and matches against first class opposition between the 2nd and 3rd tests were so vital so at least when Atherton's sides of the 1990's got hammered in series it did at least look like the players knew how to play the game (they were all too often just not as good as the Aussies). It gets you up to speed with some of the local conditions and the flavour of the pitches. There are several mitigations for England this year 2021 they have gone into this series off the back of several very tough series India twice and New Zealand where previously they'd have had at least some opportunity to work up an alternative game plan.

Also in previous seasons players in and around the England side would have played plenty of county cricket wheras now they flit in and out for the occasional game. The rhythms of a county season (albeit rigorous and hard work) at least for batsmen would enable the contenders for places in the England side to experiment with several approaches to their game literally in the middle if they played 9 or 10 or more county matches in addition to their England duties rather than the handful they get to play now and up until 2010 they'e be batting against quality bowling from around the world. That has disappeared from the county game these days overseas players of a certain quality are only about for 1/2 months.

All they get now is time in the nets and it doesn't really cut it they should play for their counties more IMHO and several counties should get funding to go and tour some of these places England find it tricky to win in every winter maybe the Champions