Candidates

With Mick Newell putting his cards on the table last week, Mark Robinson (Sussex) has followed suit this.                                                                    
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/26154975

It was also announced yesterday that Paul Collingwood would help out with the trip to WI.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/26162900

The hand Picked and the discarded

Notts have appointed old boy Andy Pick as bowling coach.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/26039642



England have told Kevin Pietersen that he is no longer part of their plans.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/26040475

Surely removing one tricky question for Mick, should he be interviewed for that certain job.

Newell makes a bid

With Andy Flower leaving the role of England Technical Director, believing he isn't right man to set the National side onto the right course for recovery following the calamitous antipodean tour, the candidates are lining up.

Ashley the King of Spain Giles is favourite to succeed the throne but (at lunch time on 5 Live) former Nottinghamshire legend Clive Rice was pushing the name of Gary Kirsten forward and this evening of Radio Nottingham, Mick Newell has announced his own keen personal interest in the vacancy at the ECB.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25990274

3 Broad wickets help contain Australia BUT

England still manage to manufacture another defeat.

On Australia Day, Australia chose to bat having won the toss again. Stuart Broad took 2 wickets in the initial power play which knocked the Australians back for once. A mid-innings recovery was dashed by Ben Stokes, who else, Australia 217/9 at the Adelaide Oval. Broad 3/31 Stokes 3/43 Jordan 2/37

England lost regular wickets but kept in the hunt with Root 55, Cook 39, Morgan 39 and with the game going down to the wire, wickets falling, England lost by 5 runs.

In the midst of the bottle-less closing down of this everyday England farce of an ODI, Ravi Bopara given out stumped when Keeper Wade fumbled the ball, with Bopara in his ground but with his bat raised, or was it? Wade given the decision even then it was clear on repeated replays.  http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2013-14/engine/current/match/636163.html?CMP=chrome

His last ODI as captain?

Stoked England find victory at last

Jos Buttler (71 from 43) propelled England to 316/8 at the WACA in the dead rubber ODI after Ben Stokes had made a more pedestrian 70 (from 84 balls). Still wannabe ODI captain, Cook (44), had given a sound start of 87 with Ian Bell (55) but late on the innings it was Buttler and Morgan who boosted the total to its record proportion.

5 catches too

Australia batted with fluency, making most of the  loose bowling but lost regular wickets. Only Aaron Finch (108) remained keeping Australia in the hunt but once Bresnan 3/45 had knocked Finch off his perch, Stokes 4/39 and Broad 2/56 contributed to the long, long awaited win (by 57 runs).

Not good enough (England)

England being so far below par, effectively made the pivotal ODI, a walk through for Australia to go 3-0.

must be thinking of being Irish, again!

http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2013-14/engine/current/match/636161.html?CMP=chrome

You can only hope, come the (English) cricket season, the England team will be picked on form and not past reputations, including or not any of the current side.

Follow this extraordinarily poor showing, Captain Cook has hinted he could quit the ODI captaincy - perhaps 10 matches too late (discuss!).

Misery on top of misery

It's official England have forgotten how to win. Nine down, over 50 required at 9 an over and Australia still win with balls to spare.

Throw away the drawing board - more drastic action is required, a new attitude. Captain Cook was far too negative, setting defensive fields when England were on top needing to take wickets. Fair play to James Faulkner but if Root hadn't had dropped him it would have been all over.

A spot of optimism, Broady could return for the next thrashing, then England won't need to use poor Ben Stokes as a death bowler as Cook doesn't trust Rankin and doesn't know Jordan.

Get ready for the shock call-up of Jake Ball, he'd fair no worse than the current crop.
 ( yes o not a)!

Why?

http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2013-14/engine/match/636160.html

First Defeat

A lightweight England bowling unit failed to defend an adequate total set by an England line-up with only a few new faces from the usual suspects.

Solid fifties from Ballance and Morgan had enabled the tourists to reach 269/7 after a faltering start when both Cook and Root were back in hutch cheaply.

Australia had no difficulty running down their target however, England's bowling line-up offering little variety to the menu in the absence of Swann or any replacement for the former Notts legend. Australia winning by 6 wickets and with 26 balls not needed.Aaron Finch 121 David Warner 65 Michael Clarke 43.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2013-14/engine/current/match/636159.html?CMP=chrome