Are England big game chokers?

There's a great photo at Pommy Tragics of a Sydney bus ad that simply says "The Poms are going to choke" (thanks to Tom for the link). Sage words, indeed! And it begs the question - are England big game chokers?

Pressure is a funny thing. Before the series, England claimed the underdog tag, said Australia were under pressure and they have nothing to lose. But they do have something to lose - the Ashes. The anticipation for the hyped series deflated like a burst balloon when Harmison's first delivery in Brisbane sprayed to second slip (with a trajectory much like a burst balloon). It set the tone for the next two and a half days as England's wayward bowling was only matched by its insipid first innings batting. They snapped out of it by the second innings but the damage was done. The magnitude of the 1st Test failure was dwarved by their collective brain explosion in the 2nd Test. Their huge total of 551 only went to prove that the bigger the first innings, the harder the fall.

It demonstrates the cruel truth of Test cricket - it can take just one bad session to lose a Test match. This is particularly the case when playing Australia who rarely let their opposition squirm out of their grasp once they get into a winning position. It took one morning of poor batting to wipe out 4 previous days in Adelaide. England's problem is while they can equal or better Australia for short periods, they fail to maintain it for the full length of a Test match.

What about 2005, you say? England won the Ashes - how can you maintain they choked? The truth is, England won the series in spite of themselves. They grossly outplayed us in all departments - batting, bowling and fielding. Even then, they couldn't help but offer us chances to win the Ashes back (unfortunately we declined the offer). In Edbaston, we were dead and buried but their bowlers just couldn't finish off our tailenders. At Trent Bridge, they had a whole day to chase a total smaller than what we polished off in 33 overs on Tuesday. In the end, they barely dragged themselves over the line with only Harmison and Simon Jones left in the shed. And once again at the Oval, their batsmen froze like a deer in headlights. Kevin Pietersen offered us multiple chances to put him back in the pavilion - any of those catches taken could've seen the Oval go the same way as the Adelaide Oval. England choked as per usual - the only difference was this one time, we failed to take advantage of it.

So what about the assertion that this is a young team unscarred by past defeats. Obviously, bunkem! Perhaps growing up watching their English heroes destroyed by past Australian greats (many of whom are still in the current team) was a vicarious form of scarring. Or my own personal theory - England's choking tendency is as much a case of nature as nurture.

Posted by JC on Fri 8 Dec

8 comments

I think psychological weakness is the bottom line with the English team. They are quite a few talented players in the side who are psychologically tough -- Flintoff, Pietersen, and Hoggard -- but mental weakness and doubt is infectious. How can England retain a bowler who is supposedly a strike / opening bowler but averaging 200+ and still remain positive? Averaging over 35 in Australian cricket as a strike bowler will get you the chop. The 2007 Macquarie Dictionary will no doubt contain the phrase "Do a Harmison". It's time England made some hard decisions in order to protect the spirit trying to be nurtured by its key players.

Posted by TA on 2006-12-08 11:25:00

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Posted by xiaobao on 2011-08-12 19:13:58

The Poms are going to choke" (thanks to Tom for the link). Sage words, indeed! And it begs the question - are England big game chokers?

Pressure is a funny thing. Before the series, England claimed the underdog tag, said Australia were under pressure and they have nothing to lose. But they do have something to lose - the Ashes. The anticipation for the hyped series deflated like a burst balloon when Harmison's first delivery in Brisbane sprayed to second slip (with a trajectory much like a burst balloon). It set the tone for the next two and a half days as England's wayward bowling 高雄酒店經紀飯局小姐星座配對2011高雄酒店經紀威尼斯酒店高雄酒店經紀酒店上班高雄酒店高雄酒店2011星座運勢高雄酒店酒店經紀酒店經紀酒店小姐高雄便服店酒店工作鋼琴酒吧高雄酒店高雄便服店酒店經紀酒店小姐2011星座運勢少爺 高雄便服店利菁 酒店經紀高雄制服店酒店經紀高雄便服店少爺 酒店經紀利菁 2011星座運勢酒店經紀暑假打工酒店經紀高雄制服店酒店經紀利菁利菁 禮服酒店酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀人酒店工作酒店經紀酒店經紀利菁 酒店經紀酒家女酒店經紀2011星座運勢牛郎 酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀公司酒店上班利菁 高雄酒店經紀人高雄酒店經紀公司酒店經紀酒店兼差酒店工作酒店 酒店經紀寒假打工高雄酒店2011星座運勢牛郎 高雄酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀傳播公司台?高雄夜??金典酒店高雄酒店酒店經紀酒店應徵大高雄酒店經紀酒店手腕酒店經紀寒假打工台北酒店大高雄酒店經紀俐菁媽咪2011星座運勢酒店工作高雄酒店小吃部傳播 ktv酒店高雄酒店經紀公司傳播 小吃部舞廳傳播 制服酒店訪檯幹部高雄酒店經紀酒店打工高雄酒店應徵酒店高雄酒店經紀傳播高雄酒店經紀人制服酒店2011星座運勢訪檯幹部訪檯幹部便服酒店寒假打工高雄酒店經紀訪檯幹部高雄酒店經紀便服酒店KTV酒店經紀高雄酒店高雄酒店上班高雄酒店酒店工作指油壓按摩高雄酒店高雄酒店2011星座運勢高雄酒店高雄酒店高雄酒店2011年12星座運勢高雄酒店2011年12星座運勢經紀公司高雄酒店新富爺101高雄酒店經紀酒店經紀高雄酒店酒店經紀台北酒店酒店經紀台北酒店2011星座運勢酒店經紀2011星座運勢星座運勢2012星座配對2012牡羊座2012年星座運勢金牛座2012年星座運勢雙子座2012年星座運勢巨蟹座2012年星座運勢獅子座2012年星座運勢處女座2012年星座運勢天秤座2012年星座運勢天蠍座2012年星座運勢射手座2012年星座運勢魔羯座2012年星座運勢水瓶座2012年星座運勢雙魚座2012年星座運勢高雄酒店經紀 台?高雄夜??酒店工作知識庫酒店工作應該怎麼找？你確定要去酒店上班了嗎？酒店經紀人可以幫妳做什麼？酒店經紀人的出現有關酒店經紀人方面的問題做酒店是要找酒店經紀人？應徵酒店問答篇便服店跟制服店哪個比較適合我呢？酒店職務解說之「酒店小姐」酒店經紀小姐12個問答題酒店上班要先花很多治裝費？做酒店都要長的像明星？酒店上班注意事項酒店經紀跟酒店傳播？酒店職務解說~女少爺篇酒店上班、暑期打工為什麼要選擇來高雄？給想做酒店這行的男生酒店短期兼差工作？酒店工作要簽約？酒店小姐須知—製造感覺篇如何應付澳洲來的客人身段要軟、手腕要好！十個妙招讓你不容易喝醉酒店應對技巧酒店的手腕？酒店上班注意事項酒店訪檯幹部訪檯幹部如何培訓？酒店上班寒假打工暑期打工在酒店上的不好？酒店工作需要什麼條件？龍亨酒店 高雄酒店經紀12星座個性分析牡羊座2011年運勢金牛座2011年運勢雙子座2011年運勢巨蟹座2011年運勢獅子座2011年運勢處女座2011年運勢天秤座2011年運勢天蠍座2011年運勢射手座2011年運勢魔羯座2011年運勢水瓶座2011年運勢高雄酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀雙魚座2011年運勢星座運勢2011酒店 蛇夫座酒店 13星座蛇夫座酒店 13星座日期酒店 12星座日期酒店 酒店工作應該怎麼找？酒店經紀人可以幫妳做什麼？什麼是酒店經紀人有關酒店經紀人方面的問題做酒店是要找酒店經紀人？台南酒店經紀便服店跟制服店？酒店職務解說之「酒店小姐」酒店上班要先花很多治裝費？做酒店都要長的像明星？酒店上班注意事項酒店經紀跟酒店傳播？酒店工作的注意事項酒店工作需什麼條件？酒店 女少、女服務生、公主？給想做酒店這行的男生高雄酒店經紀酒店上班可以馬上拿現金嗎？酒店短期工作？酒店工作要簽約？如何應付「澳洲來的客人」？高雄酒店經紀酒店應對技巧上檯注意事項訪檯幹部訪檯幹部如何培訓？酒店 寒假打工酒店 暑期工讀便服店上的不好…飯局小姐高雄酒店一覽台北酒店一覽龍亨酒店高雄酒店經紀2011年兔年十二生肖運程高雄酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀2011星座運勢12星座變1313星座蛇夫座2011星座運勢高雄酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀13星座蛇夫座高雄酒店經紀2011年兔年十二生肖運程2010年運勢酒店經紀利菁媽咪2011年12星座運勢應徵酒店高雄酒店高雄酒店高雄酒店2011星座運勢高雄酒店高雄酒店台?高雄夜??2011星座運勢傳播妹高雄酒店酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀酒店工作高雄酒店酒店工作高雄酒店亞曼時尚會館酒店經紀高雄酒店酒店上班酒店公關高雄酒店假日兼職酒店經紀高雄酒店寒假打工台北酒店2011星座運勢台?高雄夜??高雄酒店少爺 酒店工作酒店經紀利菁 酒店上班台南酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀酒店經紀暑假打工酒店小姐酒店經紀酒店上班酒店經紀酒店 酒店經紀酒店 酒店經紀2011星座運勢出國工作酒店經紀酒店 酒店經紀キャバ嬢酒店經紀酒店上班2011星座運勢酒店經紀女服務生酒店經紀業績幹部酒店經紀公主 酒店經紀常董 酒店經紀飯局小姐酒店經紀酒店工作酒店經紀台北酒店經紀桃園酒店經紀台中酒店經紀台南2011星座運勢酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀新北市宜蘭酒店經紀基隆酒店經紀花蓮2011星座運勢酒店經紀嘉義酒店經紀星座運勢2011牡羊座金牛座雙子座巨蟹座獅子座處女座天秤座天蠍座射手座暑期打工魔羯座暑期打工台南酒店經紀水瓶座暑期打工雙魚座12星座星座血型13星座蛇夫座星座配對暑期打工星座運勢暑假打工酒店 台北酒店酒店 高雄酒店酒店 桃園酒店酒店 台南酒店台?高雄夜??酒店 高雄酒店酒店酒店酒店酒店酒店酒店 台北酒店台中酒店台南酒店台南酒店台南酒店高雄酒店高雄酒店高雄酒店高雄酒店台北酒店經紀台中酒店經紀台南酒店經紀高雄酒店經紀台南酒店經紀台?夜??龍亨酒店酒店 酒店經紀暑期打工業績幹部訪檯幹部酒店上班酒店經紀金典酒店高雄便服酒店高雄義大世界高雄酒店高雄酒店經紀高雄金典酒店文化知識制服酒店VS便服酒店酒店小姐的手腕高雄酒店應徵高雄傳播小姐酒店上班招財法高雄酒店工作高雄酒店經紀人高雄酒店兼差酒拳 業績幹部高雄酒店少爺酒店管理高雄新富爺101酒店,便服酒店,酒店經紀,制服酒店,酒店上班,高雄酒店經紀,高雄酒店,酒店經紀,酒店上班,高雄酒店經紀,高雄新富爺101酒店,高雄凱撒帝苑酒店,高雄威尼斯酒店,高雄香格里拉酒店,台北酒店,台中酒店,ktv酒店,高雄酒店經紀,傳播公司,高雄酒店經紀,經紀公司,高雄酒店經紀,便服酒店,高雄酒店經紀,台南酒店,台南酒店經紀,高雄酒店經紀 台南酒店經紀,高雄酒店經紀高雄高登酒店經紀公司便服酒店傳播小姐公主制服酒店台北酒店國外打工奧客女服務生威尼斯酒店寒假打工小吃部少爺常董新富爺101酒店暑期打工業績幹部治裝費禮服酒店訪檯副總訪檯幹部酒家女酒店上班酒店公關酒店兼差酒店小姐酒店工作酒店應徵酒店經紀飯局小姐高雄酒店高雄酒店經紀龍亨酒店酒店經紀高雄酒店高雄酒店經紀便服酒店酒店上班閃酒酒店S 酒店上班酒店店家小姐酒店文化鋼琴酒吧酒店經紀大台北區域酒店小姐酒店經紀酒店上班想當酒店小姐 27歲做酒店
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Posted by wts30286 on 2011-11-16 17:22:25

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Are England big game chokers?

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