The problem this year was the West Indies series and the T20 World Cup, if the Eng/Aus ODI's had been played before The Ashes, then the Final Test would not be until late September!. There should have been no Windies tour this year and the ODI's could hve been played earlier.

Australia set England 250 to win the 2nd ODI at Lords.

That was the case in 2005 I believe, one T20, a ODI series and then the big one started. Simply because it was a build-up to the Ashes, the ODI series was fantastic.

Eng 156/5

need 94 from 18 overs.

OJust about on target despite the usual middle order collapse.

160/6

Brett Lee ripping into England now.

Eng 204/9 almost over.

and Eng have not even used their powerplay

, very poor tactics from the captain.

England 210 all out.

Aus win by 39 runs.

Eng 0-2 Aus in the 7 match series.

Aussie tailenders ability to knock off a few runs wins them a match again. Nice little knock from Johnson - got more than the whole of our tail end did - and a bit of our middle order.

Not seen today's game but to have not taken the batting ppwerplay is absolutely criminal...they took it far far too late on Friday or else they'd have won that too - do we actually have any kind of batting plan or not???

Good job the Ashes aren't on the line during the ODIs.



Why do England find it impossible to play limited overs cricket?

Because there's some substandard players who get in the England ODI side, that everybody would recoil in horror if they were mentioned for the Tests. Strangely these players never contribute anything in the ODIs either.

I'll start the bidding with Ravi Bopara - simply because he managed to stamp his presence on both.

It was beyond belief the way we handled that last powerplay. Colly and Wright could have done well with it at a time when we needed some impetus, clueless springs to mind.

I still don't know how we lost a game that we were in control of all day!

Never underestimate England's gift of throwing away winning positions in ODI's.

ODI cricket is dead.

Someone should explain that to the crowds who keep packing out stadiums to come and watch it in that case...

Good work by England, managing to find a way to leave their two best all-rounders out of the ODI side having already gone one down in the series.

Denly for Bopara, Rashid for Morgan, Broad for Anderson next up for mine.

Agreed, would you keep Bresnan in?

I would if the choice was between him and Anderson who frankly looks jaded at the minute.

It's strange that Hoggard used to get left out for ODIs on the basis that he didn't have any variation and if it didn't swing his natural length made him an easy target, yet Anderson appears exempt from the same critique.

Thought Bresnan bowled very nicely yesterday and kept it tight while making the early breakthrough. He's not going to blast teams out with express pace, but he'll create mistakes through bowling straight and not allowing batsmen to get away from him.

I'd rest Anderson, he's had a good year but could do with a rest before the winter. Bresnan did bowl well but looks out of his depth when he comes in to bat. Hope he produces as I would like to see him do well.

How they came up with the decision to drop Rashid was ridiculous.

I'd rest Anderson as, has rightly been stated, he looks jaded and a little off the pace at the minute...where's super Harmy when you need him hey??? He un-retired himself ofr ODI's didnt he??? It was around the time of the Stanford game though so he may well have re-retired...



Unfathomable how Rashid was left out yesterday as well...bowled superbly on Friday and batted sensibly and almost got us over the line yet gets left out...does it matter if its not really a spinning pitch?? Everyone (apart from England it appears) knows that slower bowlers can, and usually do, slow the scoring rates down...its not as if Eoin Morgan has been getting runs galore and HAD to play either was it??? In fact, why is he in the squad ahead of Ed Joyce/Rob Key/Michael Yardy/Jonathan Trott/Michael Lumb/even Ian frigging Bell for crying out loud?? All those are in better form and have been all season...

Onions brought into the ODI squad for the rest of this series and for the Champions Trophy...a good move at long last from the selectors.

he would be a very good ODI bowler nice and tight with the swing he doesnt give a lot too put away. Anderson needs a rest before the winter deffo

Anderson is more of an all round package, his batting is useful and he's a great athlete in the field. Bowling wise he is a bit quicker than Hoggard. Hoggard was more likely to show up when times were tough though.

We're batting apparently.

Does anyone care?

Eng 67/3 (16)

3 wickets for 20 runs having reached 40/0.