Ashes 2025/6

@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.

Yep, about half the Aussie team has been generally carried by the rest.

Is it racist to say that was an incredibly shit and selfish review? Old mate wanting a last big innings. Watson-esque

Any criticism is racist.

Khawaja retiring before the door catches up to him on the way out.

Steve Smith is still going strong, as Australia move into the lead. He has his 27th 50+ Ashes score. He's level with Jack Hobbs and only Don Bradman (31) has more.

Beau Webster will be batting nine ( would be eight if not for the nightwatchman but still....) after bowling five overs.

Test Cricket is a pretty cruisy gig.

You could argue Uzzie actually won Australia this series. I mean, if he was honest about his fitness in the first test Head would never have opened, and that has been a resounding success.

Also Uzzie hasn't been the Aussie's worst batsman this summer.

If Green finally does something in this innings, could get very interesting for the Poms top order with Australia now 10 ahead.

there is actually a fair bit of batting to come (though Webster has been carrying gear all summer) so it could get seriously away from England if they don't watch out.

Another shit shot in a summer of them

Smith finally gets a 100 this series
Easy when the pressure is off and your mates already won you the ashes champ

The England bowlers look utterly exhausted as the Aussie lead nears 100.

4-1 is going to be a fair reflection in the gulf in quality between these two teams.

@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:

The England bowlers look utterly exhausted as the Aussie lead nears 100.

4-1 is going to be a fair reflection in the gulf in quality between these two teams.

Yeah a lead of near 100 is already looking tough. England could very easily be three or four down before they've even drawn level.

@MN5 England look so tired.

@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:

@MN5 England look so tired.

A month and a half on the piss in the Aussie summer will do that to a bloke

More pies than a bakery from the England bowlers.

Ruthless stuff from Australia who are in total control of this match.

Oz innings all over. England will need 183 just to get them to bat again which given the extremely hit or miss nature of their batting, Stokes being injured and the fact they look like they want to get on the first plane to Heathrow might be bloody tough for them.

Webster with some nice batting against tired bowlers this morning.

Tongue gets Smith and Starc to continue an underrated but solid tour, Jacks gets Boland. Webster proves once again that he is a test quality player.

Jeez the Aussie coms love making excuses for Green don’t they
Dropped a sitter in the slips worse it would have been swallowed by Smith who he dived in front off

Webster makes the selectors look a bit silly with a double breakthrough (off another incredibly poor shot option, some of the batting this summer....) and England are suddenly under huge pressure

Makes you wonder if Jacks was under instructions to attack Webster from the start.
I have nothing planned tomorrow so would be great if England can show some back bone and bat into day 5 please

Bethell looks pretty classy. Wonder how the series turns out if he'd been playing over Ollie Pope. Hell, even just the Adelaide test could have been a big difference.

The difference between his first and second innings performances are pretty stark. Probably just an early career quirk, but wonder if there's something psychological there.

Bethell nabs his first first class century in a test match at the SCG.

Shit DOES NOT get better than that in cricket. Well played lad. Name will be up on the board forever, wonderful stuff.