Ashes 2025/6

@No-Quarter said in Ashes 2025/6:

Bazball has played it's part with England who was stuck in the old mindset for a long time, but the Aussies are the ones that have led the way with aggressive test match batting. They did used to have the lineup to do it though...

Yeah Chanderpaul is another, I always really liked him as a player, got the most out of his ability. I also agree that it's not necessarily a bad thing, far more tests get results these days and they are generally more entertaining to watch, but we do have to accept 2 - 3 day tests sometimes if the weather conditions lead to the pitch doing more than the groundsmen want. 2 - 3 day tests are great fun in themselves, but also means we don't have nearly as much test cricket on!

Yeah Oz kicked things off with Hayden, Ponting, GIlly ( especially ) capable of big ( and rapid ) scoring with others grafting somewhat in comparison around them.

England choose to bat

Australia
1 Jake Weatherald, 2 Travis Head, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Usman Khawaja, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Cameron Green, 8 Beau Webster, 9 Michael Neser, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Scott Boland

England
1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Will Jacks, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Matthew Potts, 11 Josh Tongue

Cam Green shouldn't buy a lotto ticket - he's now used up all his luck.

Interesting seeing Webster and Green shoehorned into the same team. With the series sewn up I guess there's room for experimentation.

Speaking of "all rounders" I see Jacob Bethel is listed as one in cricinfo ( 13 first class wickets at 70 )

They love throwing that term around these days.

Duckett out for 27 caught Carey bowled Starc.

....but at least he had a strike rate over 100%

#Bazball

The talk about bazball and shit pitches is rubbish.

Today the 3 English wickets have had fuck all to do with mindset, but techniques. Both openers played poorly to okay deliveries. Bad shape. No feet.
Bethel at least got an absolute peach.

Cam Green 0/45 off 6 so far. Not sure he's even making the 1990's Black Cap all rounders with that economy rate.

MCG was both shit batting (both sides) and an overly spicy pitch.

@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:

Cam Green 0/45 off 6 so far. Not sure he's even making the 1990's Black Cap all rounders with that economy rate.

MCG was both shit batting (both sides) and an overly spicy pitch.

Shades of Shane Thomson, Dipak Patel, Chris Harris and Justin Vaughan in his Ashes performances so far. Maybe this is the test he justifies that massive amount paid for him. Regardless of that a guy who has taken just over one wicket per test is not an all rounder.

Root and Brook looking to finally get that huge partnership guys of their abilities should have got when the series was still on the line. Both going great.

Not sure when Englands next test is but with their top three shitting the bed yet again I reckon these two need to move up a spot and they need to find someone to bat five. It's not often you see a guy as good as Brook there. Perhaps Stokes could fill the role or they could drop Bethell down a couple of spaces.

@MN5 said in Ashes 2025/6:

@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:

Cam Green 0/45 off 6 so far. Not sure he's even making the 1990's Black Cap all rounders with that economy rate.

MCG was both shit batting (both sides) and an overly spicy pitch.

Not sure when Englands next test is

It's against the BCs starting June 4th at Lord's.

@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:

@MN5 said in Ashes 2025/6:

@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:

Cam Green 0/45 off 6 so far. Not sure he's even making the 1990's Black Cap all rounders with that economy rate.

MCG was both shit batting (both sides) and an overly spicy pitch.

Not sure when Englands next test is

It's against the BCs starting June 4th at Lord's.

Thanks fella, I'm sure McCullum reads the fern and will take my advice on board. He could start in the second innings as a matter of fact.

But yeah, Bazball aside the two best batsmen in the team generally bat three and four. Having one at five seems odd.

Covers are on the field, looks like a storm might be on the way which sux for England.

I think England would be better with Root at 3 and Brook at 4, but I don't think it's totally crazy to have your best batters at 4 and 5. Steve Waugh spent most of his career at 5.

@Cyclops said in Ashes 2025/6:

I think England would be better with Root at 3 and Brook at 4, but I don't think it's totally crazy to have your best batters at 4 and 5. Steve Waugh spent most of his career at 5.

He batted six a lot too as if to totally disprove my theory ( obviously liked his bro protecting him ) but in general the two best are 3/4.

Viv Richards shifted to 5/6 towards the end of his career as did Allan Border.

Yeah I think it's a point in Kane's favour when your compare him to Smith, Root and Kohli that he has almost always batted at 3. Much tougher spot to bat than 4. Kohli and Smith always had a world class 3 in front of them that kind of justified it, but no such excuses for Root.

England's problem is a shortage of quality batting options beyond Root and Brook.

The top four performers in the Top Division of county cricket last year were Dom Sibley, Haseeb Hameed, Adam Lyth and Alex Lees all of whom have Test averages in the 20s.

James Wharton and James Coles are probably the best two young uncapped England batsmen, but both average in the high 30s in first class cricket. Neither look like world-beaters.

@Cyclops said in Ashes 2025/6:

Yeah I think it's a point in Kane's favour when your compare him to Smith, Root and Kohli that he has almost always batted at 3. Much tougher spot to bat than 4. Kohli and Smith always had a world class 3 in front of them that kind of justified it, but no such excuses for Root.

Historically the best 3/4 at the same time would be Dravid and Tendulkar.

Easier for the little master to dominate with the wall guarding him for so long.

Green scything through the Poms with 0/57 off 8 before bad light and rain had the final say.

Brook finally comes to the party.

@Cyclops said in Ashes 2025/6:

Yeah I think it's a point in Kane's favour when your compare him to Smith, Root and Kohli that he has almost always batted at 3. Much tougher spot to bat than 4. Kohli and Smith always had a world class 3 in front of them that kind of justified it, but no such excuses for Root.

Would be an interesting stat to see how many times Kane had to come in within the first 5-10 overs of an innings. In effect being a 3rd opener
Of course that can happen for any top order batsman even at 4 or 5 but certainly more common when you only ever bat at 3.

@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:

Green

Robbed by the weather

They might have lost $10 million in Melbourne. But no one in Australia has spent a dime on their DRS technology.

@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:

They might have lost $10 million in Melbourne. But no one in Australia has spent a dime on their DRS technology.

Surprised they don’t have hot spot or something similar

@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:

They might have lost $10 million in Melbourne. But no one in Australia has spent a dime on their DRS technology.

I haven't seen it yet but I am surprised a small noise a frame after it passed the bat was enough to overturn the decision. Sounds like it should have stayed with the on field call, the same way they do if not enough of the ball is hitting the stumps for LBW reviews. On the flipside if it was given out it should have stayed out. Snicko is not accurate enough to overturn 50/50 calls.

England fucking suck at catching, a strong argument to be made that their poor catching has cost them the Ashes

Head passes 500 runs for the series. He, Starc and Carey have been the difference.

Earlier Joe Root got his second Test century in Australia. He's now within 2000 runs of Sachin Tendulkar's Test record and if he stays fit and in form for another four years, he'll probably have the most Test runs ever.

@mariner4life said in Ashes 2025/6:

Head passes 500 runs for the series. He, Starc and Carey have been the difference.

Yeah was thinking that before stumps
Best 3 in this series have been Starc, Head and Carey
With honourable mentions to Boland and Nesser.
Not much else from the Aussies bar excellent all round fielding and catching.

For the Poms I’d only rate Root and the Kiwi ginger to consistently stand out
Maybe Duckets drinking too

@Virgil said in Ashes 2025/6:

For the Poms I’d only rate Root and the Kiwi ginger to consistently stand out

Stokes has 15 wickets at 21 and has tried his guts out with the ball. Often he has been the one to get the vital breakthrough when the front line boys have done fuck all. Probably been below par with the bat though, one good knock aside, he's got out cheaply and, like so many of his compatriots, his technique has looked sup-standard

I actually think Tongue has looked pretty good since he's come in, 12 wickets at 22 and he has beaten the bat a lot.

This morning Head has got on his bike, gone past a hundred and upped the scoring rate.
And then gets dropped in a very average way in the deep. England are just a shit team really. The fact we will most probably capitulate to these clowns later in the year is embarrassing.

It’s the Australia effect, how often do teams head over to Oz (us included) thinking they have a chance only to get pumped.
Only really India and South Africa play there well
It’s like when certain teams come over to play the All Blacks and lose before they even get onto the field ( I mean when we were good and had a decent coach….)

oof, and now they have used all their reviews with Aus only 2 down.

@Virgil said in Ashes 2025/6:

It’s the Australia effect, how often do teams head over to Oz (us included) thinking they have a chance only to get pumped.
Only really India and South Africa play there well
It’s like when certain teams come over to play the All Blacks and lose before they even get onto the field ( I mean when we were good and had a decent coach….)

We've got no chance now that Doug Bracewell has retired.

Neser going ok in support of Head, I always love it when a nightwatchmen get runs.

Head to Potts "and fuck you in particular"

Potts brings up his hundred in a rollicking 91 deliveries

@Virgil said in Ashes 2025/6:

It’s the Australia effect, how often do teams head over to Oz (us included) thinking they have a chance only to get pumped.
Only really India and South Africa play there well
It’s like when certain teams come over to play the All Blacks and lose before they even get onto the field ( I mean when we were good and had a decent coach….)

Genuine question: when did SA last tour Aus?

@booboo 2022-23

@booboo said in Ashes 2025/6:

@Virgil said in Ashes 2025/6:

It’s the Australia effect, how often do teams head over to Oz (us included) thinking they have a chance only to get pumped.
Only really India and South Africa play there well
It’s like when certain teams come over to play the All Blacks and lose before they even get onto the field ( I mean when we were good and had a decent coach….)

Genuine question: when did SA last tour Aus?

i actually had to google it

only 3 years ago, and Australia flogged them (well ok 2-0 with the usual Sydney wash out)

Tour before that was 2016 and SA won.

@booboo said in Ashes 2025/6:

@Virgil said in Ashes 2025/6:

It’s the Australia effect, how often do teams head over to Oz (us included) thinking they have a chance only to get pumped.
Only really India and South Africa play there well
It’s like when certain teams come over to play the All Blacks and lose before they even get onto the field ( I mean when we were good and had a decent coach….)

Genuine question: when did SA last tour Aus?

2022/23
Oz won 2-0

Before that it was 2016/17
SA won 2-1

Edit
SA have a good record in Oz
They won another earlier series in 2008/09 as well
(Cricinfo app kept playing up while I was trying to find the results)
They def carry no fear playing over in Oz

Head finally goes.

Aus still behind, and Smith actually needs some runs to give his series some sort of legitimacy. His poor performance has been quietly overshadowed by England's, and guys like Green.