The British press have taken aim at England, criticizing their dismal display in the third Ashes Test at the WACA Ground in Perth, drawing parallels to the poor performances of past England teams.
The Sun – “England freeze, Aussies sledge”
In a scathing review of the team’s performance, Sun reporter John Etheridge compared the experience in Perth to the intimidation felt by earlier England cricketers. He described their defeat as a savage beating that highlighted their lack of resilience.
“England were eaten up and spat out. Bullied and battered, roughed up and roasted. And they could not even begin to cope,” Etheridge recounted.
In his harsh critique, Etheridge declared that no justifications for their performance would be tolerated.
“One can concoct various reasons for this defeat – complacency, the arrival of the Wags, Stuart Broad’s injury absence,” he wrote.
“However, the stark reality is that England faced a crushing defeat by 267 runs in the Third Test due to their capitulation under Australian physical and verbal pressure on a lively pitch.”
BBC – “England‘s performance on day four was somewhat predictable, reflecting their play throughout the match”
Following the defeat, BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew approached the situation with a bit more restraint, recommending a thorough evaluation of the England team’s lineup.
“England must undergo a complete reassessment of their squad – they need to carefully consider the balance and composition of the team,” Agnew indicated.
“Is it truly wise to pursue a strategy with four bowlers, especially when there is grass on the pitch and Graeme Swann may prove ineffective? I would argue that the answer is no.”
The Daily Telegraph (UK) – “England‘s Perth defeat felt like a journey back to historical Ashes defeats by Australia“
Derek Pringle appeared to resonate with the sentiments of Sun reporter John Etheridge, suggesting that the England team that lost in Perth resembled the teams from previous eras.
“Experiencing Perth over the past few days felt akin to a trip back in time to between 1994 and 2008, indicative of the vast disparity between the teams,” Pringle wrote.
Guardian – “Australia find the formula to dismantle England“
Guardian cricket writer Vic Marks acknowledged that England was thoroughly dominated by Ricky Ponting’s team in Perth, yet he expressed uncertainty whether the same Australian lineup could replicate this victory in Melbourne.
“Ponting’s team overwhelmed the visitors with four fast bowlers, but they might require a spinner at the MCG,” he commented.
“On this occasion, Ponting’s predictions were confirmed. He mentioned that England would find the conditions in Perth ‘alien’. The middle order looked as if they were from Mars.”
“Australia’s choice to field four fast bowlers and forgo a specialist spinner was undeniably justified.”
Buford Balony says: There might just be no other press in the world that turns against their teams as quickly as we do, indicating that they have finally excelled at something.
