Yesterday during the dinner interval at the MCG we were entertained by Melburnian pop sensation G Flip. Today it was the turn of Loughborough-based English rap collective “O Flip”, who made multiple appearances throughout Day 2 of this Test match.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge drops a catch, and… O Flip!
Maia Bouchier drops a catch, and… O Flip!
Sophie Ecclestone drops a catch, and… O Flip!
Sophie Ecclestone drops another catch, and… would you believe it… it’s Deja O Flip all over again!
At one stage in the afternoon, after yet another fielding mishap, the TV cameras caught Heather Knight just shaking her head in disbelief and muttering to herself. I’m not sure exactly what she was muttering, but “O Flip” probably wasn’t too far from it.
England (170) v Australia (422-5) #Ashes 🏏
Two dropped catches in particular cost England. Danni Wyatt-Hodge dropped Annabel Sutherland on 29, diving to her right. It was not an easy chance, but was one of those chances that you’ve got to take to compete at this level, and the kind of chance Australia have been holding on to all tour. Sutherland went on to score 163, with the cost to England 134 runs.
Then Sophie Ecclestone dropped Beth Mooney at slip on 11. Mooney finished the day on 98 not out, with the cost to England 87 runs… and counting! Ecclestone’s hopelessness at slip has been noted before – last summer TV replays showed that she appeared to close her eyes whilst shelling a pretty straightforward chance against Pakistan at Taunton. I don’t blame her for being ball-scared – I’d be absolutely terrified if that thing was coming at me at the better part of 70mph! But if you are going to field at slip in international cricket, that’s not acceptable; as even Heather Knight has now realised – moving Ecclestone away from slip after the second dolly-drop of the day.
It wasn’t just the dropped catches. Off the final ball of the 41st over, Annabel Sutherland pulled Sophie Ecclestone towards the deep midwicket boundary. Lauren Filer chased diligently after it, but everyone else just stood and watched, so when Filer pulled it back with a dive just inside the rope, there was no one to clean-up, and the Aussies were able to run a 3rd, turning two runs into three. Lazy was the only word for it – these players are paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to play for England. They can’t win every game or every series; but can they please at least try to look like they are trying?
The one exception was Tammy Beaumont, who gave it everything. She’s not a natural outfielder – she was originally a wicket-keeper, playing her first games for England behind the stumps – but she has worked incredibly hard to excel at this part of her game and I think genuinely acted as a bit of an inspiration, as England did improve later in the day by following her example. If England are going to seek a new captain from within the group, perhaps Beaumont has given them the answer here today?
But I digress…
The fact that England made enough fielding errors to fill a Sears Catalog shouldn’t detract from some wonderful performances by the Australians, in particular Annabel Sutherland, who played with class and confidence, becoming just the 3rd woman ever to score 150+ runs on two occasions, following her 210 against South Africa last summer. She looked nailed-on to go one further and become the first to score two double-hundreds, but tiredness got to her and she let one from Ryana MacDonald-Gay slide through her defences in the final session.
Sutherland played assertively but nonetheless patiently to take Australia past England’s total, in partnership with Alyssa Healy. Once Healy was dismissed, freeing Sutherland up to run the singles she clearly wanted to run but couldn’t risk with her one-legged captain at the other end, and Australia passed England’s 170, she began to open up and play some shots, allowing Australia to notch up over 350 runs in the day.
The only disappointment for the 11,000-strong crowd at the MCG was that they didn’t get to see Beth Mooney join Sutherland on the honours board this evening, as she finished unbeaten on 98. An extra incentive for them perhaps to come back tomorrow and in all likelihood see Australia put this game… and this series… out of its misery for England.
CRICKETher 
On a human level I am prepared to forgive England their lapses today. Brains are fried, minds and bodies are already on the plane home. They are only human and they are cooked.
However, on a cricketing level it’s a symptom, not a cause. So many chickens have come home to roost on this tour, and it’s hard to cite a single facet of the game in which Australia have nor shown themselves to be markedly superior.
Change the coach, change the captain, chuck out any number of the squad, none of that tackles the inherent shortcomings that have lead to this.
From Jones failing to realise it was the final ball of the over at the Junction, to nobody backing up Filer’s chase to the ropes today, and all points in between, there really has been some incredibly dopey cricket. I think it’s that lack of “awareness” that has staggered me most. How do players progress through the domestic structure and gain international recognition, yet still exhibit the most glaring shortcomings?
Losing to Australia is no surprise, nor even necessarily a disgrace, but failing to fulfill some of the game’s basics at international level is certainly the former, and arguably the latter too.
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Every cloud has a silver lining ……………………..
BUT
(a) I’ve run out of my supply
(b) No clouds in Melbourne just a forecast of glorious sunshine on Sat (33c) and Sun (38c)
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Good grief. This must truly be the nadir for England. Absolutely hopeless performance, following several previously, and it pains me to say that. The tour can’t end soon enough and they’ll come home with tails between their legs. One iota of positivity would be the fight shown by one young RMG, who did not seem so badly affected by the mental malaise.
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