BAYLISS’S BATSMEN GET A TON OF ADVICE
TREVOR BAYLISS is a man of few words so when he speaks, players listen.
England’s Australian coach is a laid-back character but there is a no-nonsense quality to him and he made it clear what he expects from a batting line-up with plenty to prove.
As Joe Root’s men prepare for their next warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI with less than two weeks to the Ashes, Bayliss (below) came as close as he ever has to giving his batsmen a kick up the backside.
No hundreds so far in three completed innings on the tour against a couple of pretty cuddly attacks is not the stuff of Ashes winners, and Eddie Jones is not the only England coach insisting his team must do better.
There was a familiar collapse in Adelaide and as the team arrived in Townsville for the final warm-up starting on Wednesday, the demand is for big numbers.
“It’s been a concern for us for a little while,” said Bayliss. “We have games like that, where we lose wickets like that. It would be great if we could have some hundreds, that’s for sure. Obviously once the Test series comes around, the intensity of that competition, hopefully that really kicks our batters into gear.
“We’ve a reasonably inexperienced line-up when it comes to international cricket but they are learning all the time. It’s not for want of trying.
“They realise they have to do better and are working hard to do that. It was good to see a number of guys spend time in the middle, but the number one thing for us is 60s are not enough. We need 160s.”
The pink ball that is hard to time and lush outfield at Adelaide did not help batsmen, so a return to red-ball cricket should be welcome in Townsville – about 700 miles north of first Test venue Brisbane – where England have not played since the 1962-63 tour.
At least the batsmen who have batted longest so far include the newer faces, Mark Stoneman (above), James Vince and Dawid Malan, with Alastair Cook appearing the most rusty of the lot.