The surprise over England’s regular batting collapses has all but disappeared, but that hasn’t made the UK reaction to another Ashes humiliation any less brutal.
On Sunday, the Ashes came to a close as England lost 10-56 in the space of 23 overs to be bowled out for 124, losing the fifth Test against Australia in Hobart by 146 runs.
It was a fitting end to what has been a disastrous tour on all fronts.
Former Ashes winning captain Michael Vaughan said he could accept another defeat, but simply couldn’t accept the fashion in which it happened.
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“Australia just too good for England, but I have to say this is embarrassing … they’ve just thrown the towel in,” Vaughan said on Fox Cricket.
“I just can’t accept when I see an England side throw the towel in.
“That’s not the way to finish a Test match, the way they’ve played in that last hour or so.
“It’s just not good enough. As much as bubble life, a lack of preparation, when you see a team throw the towel in like that, that’s when you know there’s real problems in English cricket that need to be ironed out.
“I think there’s real hard questions this team have to answer after this.”
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England great Geoffrey Boycott in his column for the Telegraph said Joe Root’s side were
“This whole series has been about the poor standard of batting technique, lack of footwork, judgement around off stump about what to play and what to leave,” he wrote.
“They have lacked patience and sheer bloody-minded determination to make the opposition bowlers bowl you out with good balls.
Boycott then ran his eye over the England squad and declared Zac Crawley and Mark Wood were the only players to enhance their reputations.
He then singled out Jos Buttler, Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns as the big series flops.
“Jos Buttler dropped catches and his batting was dreadful. Jos is great against ordinary bowlers but against top class bowling he was found out,” he wrote
“Rory Burns is ugly to watch. If that is the best of what English cricket has to offer then God help England, his technique you would not give to a friend.
“The guy has tremendous determination and guts. I take my hat off to him and full credit for everything he gets out of his batting but England need to find something better.”
Michael Atherton, writing for The Times, called for heads to roll.
“Any notion that there should be no overhaul to the make-up and management of the England cricket team — as you are, Ashley Giles, Chris Silverwood and Joe Root according to some — has been demolished by the nature of this latest defeat in the Ashes,” he wrote.
“Another utterly abject, humiliating collapse, devoid of any technical competence or fighting spirit, saw the series surrendered by a frightening margin in Hobart.
Atherton said the hammering capped off a horror year for Joe Root’s side, one that should be the catalyst for change.
“Forget structural change in English domestic cricket for a moment. There is time for that. But a cohort of English first-class cricketers cannot be held accountable for the mistakes made on this tour, for mistakes in selection and strategy, and the way there has been such a meek surrender.
“Root is an outstanding man, brilliant batsman and a captain who has run his race. Beforehand, he said this tour would define his captaincy and here we are. There is no way, surely, that Silverwood can continue as coach and head selector after this, and no way that Giles should continue, either, given the decisions he has made.
“The manner of defeat suggested a lack of respect for those in charge. It was embarrassing.
The Telegraph’s Nick Hoult also turned the blowtorch on the England leadership.
“The brutal truth is they were one wicket away from a whitewash thanks to collapses in the series of 8 for 86 (Adelaide), 8 for 74 (Brisbane), 10 for 61 (MCG) and 10 for 56 here,” he wrote.
“Heads will no doubt roll with Chris Silverwood, the coach, and team director, Ashley Giles, the two likely victims of another Ashes mauling in Australia.
“Silverwood was out of his depth and floundered over strategy and selection. Giles gave him the power and created the system that has not worked. Both knew they would be judged on this series and were in Hobart to see its horrible end.
Hoult said Root needed to accept some responsibility for the miserable tour.
“Root said this tour would define his captaincy. He wants to carry on, and will give the ECB a blueprint for change but it was worrying he pushed the blame on the county system and backed everyone in the group to carry on,” he wrote.
“It is not all the fault of county cricket. He was culpable for most of the decisions made here too and clings on because there is nobody else to do the job. It is a sorry state of affairs.”