Ashes 2025/6

@Catogrande said in Ashes 2025/6:

@NTA We've got the pace attack to do the job IF both Wood and Archer stay fit. After those two I struggle to see how we will take 20 wickets unless Bashir has one of his moments, but even then he won't run through your line up cheaply.

> Our batting looks good but with question marks over Crawley and Pope. I'm less concerned about Pope as we have Bethell waiting in the wings who, though unproven, has shown that he has the skills and more importantly the minerals to succeed. Crawley though is a problem. I can't see a suitable replacement if he turns to custard.

How Crawley still has a test career is beyond me.

Hope Brook continues to get the runs. What an excitement machine.

As a neutral the Ashes is great to watch, always awesome cricket and controversy.

@MN5

On Crawley, I think it is a mix of two things.

Firstly he has the temperament and the skills to succeed and has shown that in the past. The current set up encourages an aggressive outlook and I'm not sure that is his strength but maybe he is being rewarded for doing what is asked rather than what is required?

Secondly: Lack of choice.

@Catogrande said in Ashes 2025/6:

@MN5

On Crawley, I think it is a mix of two things.

Firstly he has the temperament and the skills to succeed and has shown that in the past. The current set up encourages an aggressive outlook and I'm not sure that is his strength but maybe he is being rewarded for doing what is asked rather than what is required?

Secondly: Lack of choice.

I suppose Bazball ( I still hate that term ) does encourage guys to have a go and to your second point there obviously isn't a whole lot of options playing their trade in County Cricket.

But obviously if he can lay a foundation at least then Root and Brook will be required to get the bulk of the runs.

England also seem a lot younger on the whole than the rapidly ageing Aussie team ( Konstas brings the average down to be fair )

@MN5

I too hate the term Bazball and apparently the England team do as well - not to mention McCollum. It is simply aggressive cricket and that has been missing for England for most of my living memory - so keep it going boys. I have to say though the optics are not helped by some of the quotes coming from the England camp sometimes.

We do need an anchor in the batting and I'd rather that wasn't Root's job. Duckett, Pope/Bethell, Brook, Stokes and Smith can all accumulate very quickly and Root is not far behind although a bit more classical in his approach. So maybe that should be Crawley's role.

@Catogrande said in Ashes 2025/6:

@MN5

I too hate the term Bazball and apparently the England team do as well - not to mention McCollum. It is simply aggressive cricket and that has been missing for England for most of my living memory - so keep it going boys. I have to say though the optics are not helped by some of the quotes coming from the England camp sometimes.

We do need an anchor in the batting and I'd rather that wasn't Root's job. Duckett, Pope/Bethell, Brook, Stokes and Smith can all accumulate very quickly and Root is not far behind although a bit more classical in his approach. So maybe that should be Crawley's role.

There'll also be quite a bit of interest as to whether Root can get substantial runs in Australia, pretty much the only yardstick that he hasn't measured up to as one of the absolute modern batting greats. He's also at that age where things start to slow and the greats become the goods.....( same with Smith )

I will laugh if they pick Konstas, a player they are trying to make happen rather than a rational selection (a lot like Cam Green really). One 60 against India and that's it for his whole career. No technique. No bulk runs to fall back on. I do get the impression that MacDonald and the selectors are trying to prove how clever they are some times.

Recent history suggests that while England will rely on a couple for the bulk of the runs, Australia will likewise rely on Smith and Head, with a lot of contributions from the lower middle order. Then the quicks to take 20 cheap wickets.

It's on paper the closest the Ashes in Australia has looked since 2011.

The vibes are bad around Cummins. Back 'hot spots' seem like really nasty injuries and by the sounds of it he might not play at all. He's so talismanic that I wonder if that should make the series almost 50/50.

England are $3 with the bookies right now which is probably about right. We've got fast bowlers out the wazoo so I don't think Cummins injury will impact us there specifically, it's more a spiritual thing.

You could tell me England fall in a heap and lose 5-0, and I wouldn't be shocked. But I do think that's a lot less likely than it's been previously.

You could tell me our batting is shot to pieces, we're 5/spit every innings and England win 3-1 and I'd also be unsurprised.

@barbarian said in Ashes 2025/6:

It's on paper the closest the Ashes in Australia has looked since 2011.

The vibes are bad around Cummins. Back 'hot spots' seem like really nasty injuries and by the sounds of it he might not play at all. He's so talismanic that I wonder if that should make the series almost 50/50.

England are $3 with the bookies right now which is probably about right. We've got fast bowlers out the wazoo so I don't think Cummins injury will impact us there specifically, it's more a spiritual thing.

You could tell me England fall in a heap and lose 5-0, and I wouldn't be shocked. But I do think that's a lot less likely than it's been previously.

You could tell me our batting is shot to pieces, we're 5/spit every innings and England win 3-1 and I'd also be unsurprised.

Highly unlikely. They have the two best batsmen in the world currently as well as Duckett who has quietly snuck into the top 10. They'll be relying on Stokes big match temperament to play some big innings too.

But then again the horribly inconsistent Bazball could play into Australias hands if things turn to shit from irresponsible batting.

@barbarian said in Ashes 2025/6:

It's on paper the closest the Ashes in Australia has looked since 2011.

The vibes are bad around Cummins. Back 'hot spots' seem like really nasty injuries and by the sounds of it he might not play at all. He's so talismanic that I wonder if that should make the series almost 50/50.

England are $3 with the bookies right now which is probably about right. We've got fast bowlers out the wazoo so I don't think Cummins injury will impact us there specifically, it's more a spiritual thing.

You could tell me England fall in a heap and lose 5-0, and I wouldn't be shocked. But I do think that's a lot less likely than it's been previously.

You could tell me our batting is shot to pieces, we're 5/spit every innings and England win 3-1 and I'd also be unsurprised.

Oz's bowling attack has been your constant and best weapon the past few years. The batting has really relied on Cummings, Hazelwood, Starc and Lyon (plus throw in Boland who keeps that amazing average going)

if they fall apart you're pretty fucked really.

Be interesting to see if Root can carry over his recent form and scoring too, he's yet to score a 100 in OZ.
Both the poms and aussies batting are the same in that they have a couple of freaks surrounded by mediocrity

The Root sub-plot will be fascinating. Darren Lehmann copped a bit of flak by broadly saying Root's career would be somewhat incomplete without a hundred in Australia, and I think he's right!

This will be a career defining series for Root, one way or another. If he can steer them to a series win then he has a credible case to be England's best cricketer of all time, or at least the modern age. If he fails to put a score on the board then I think it's a small asterisk next to what has still been an amazing career.

@barbarian said in Ashes 2025/6:

The Root sub-plot will be fascinating. Darren Lehmann copped a bit of flak by broadly saying Root's career would be somewhat incomplete without a hundred in Australia, and I think he's right!

This will be a career defining series for Root, one way or another. If he can steer them to a series win then he has a credible case to be England's best cricketer of all time, or at least the modern age. If he fails to put a score on the board then I think it's a small asterisk next to what has still been an amazing career.

That ole chestnut, you havent made it as a cricketer unless you have performed in Australia...

Im sure it does grate on Root, 3 previous tours without alot of success and no 100's.

Hasnt Hayden made a bet about running nude if Root does/doesnt score a 100?

I certainly think to be considered a truly all-time great batsman you have to demonstrate greatness in a variety of conditions. Runs on Indian dustbowls, runs on English green-tops and on hard, quick Aussie surfaces.

Root has 2/3 so far, though I do expect him to get to 3/3 this summer.

i would be astounded if he didn't get a ton on this tour. He seems so in control of his game

@Virgil said in Ashes 2025/6:

@barbarian said in Ashes 2025/6:

It's on paper the closest the Ashes in Australia has looked since 2011.

The vibes are bad around Cummins. Back 'hot spots' seem like really nasty injuries and by the sounds of it he might not play at all. He's so talismanic that I wonder if that should make the series almost 50/50.

England are $3 with the bookies right now which is probably about right. We've got fast bowlers out the wazoo so I don't think Cummins injury will impact us there specifically, it's more a spiritual thing.

You could tell me England fall in a heap and lose 5-0, and I wouldn't be shocked. But I do think that's a lot less likely than it's been previously.

You could tell me our batting is shot to pieces, we're 5/spit every innings and England win 3-1 and I'd also be unsurprised.

Oz's bowling attack has been your constant and best weapon the past few years. The batting has really relied on Cummings, Hazelwood, Starc and Lyon (plus throw in Boland who keeps that amazing average going)

if they fall apart you're pretty fucked really.

Be interesting to see if Root can carry over his recent form and scoring too, he's yet to score a 100 in OZ.
Both the poms and aussies batting are the same in that they have a couple of freaks surrounded by mediocrity

Who's the other Aussie freak ? ( Assuming for England it's Root and Brook and for Oz it's Smith )

Root is a great no matter what anyone says, a lot of great players have an asterix or two, check out Warnies record in India for example.

But yes, a possible ten inning to get a hundred, I suspect he'll nail it with aplomb.

Yeah to be fair I don't think anyone is saying he's not a great. We're debating status in the all-time pantheon, where these little things count against you.

@MN5 said in Ashes 2025/6:

@Virgil said in Ashes 2025/6:

@barbarian said in Ashes 2025/6:

It's on paper the closest the Ashes in Australia has looked since 2011.

The vibes are bad around Cummins. Back 'hot spots' seem like really nasty injuries and by the sounds of it he might not play at all. He's so talismanic that I wonder if that should make the series almost 50/50.

England are $3 with the bookies right now which is probably about right. We've got fast bowlers out the wazoo so I don't think Cummins injury will impact us there specifically, it's more a spiritual thing.

You could tell me England fall in a heap and lose 5-0, and I wouldn't be shocked. But I do think that's a lot less likely than it's been previously.

You could tell me our batting is shot to pieces, we're 5/spit every innings and England win 3-1 and I'd also be unsurprised.

Oz's bowling attack has been your constant and best weapon the past few years. The batting has really relied on Cummings, Hazelwood, Starc and Lyon (plus throw in Boland who keeps that amazing average going)

if they fall apart you're pretty fucked really.

Be interesting to see if Root can carry over his recent form and scoring too, he's yet to score a 100 in OZ.
Both the poms and aussies batting are the same in that they have a couple of freaks surrounded by mediocrity

Who's the other Aussie freak ? ( Assuming for England it's Root and Brook and for Oz it's Smith )

Root is a great no matter what anyone says, a lot of great players have an asterix or two, check out Warnies record in India for example.

Still a better average in India than Murali...

Joe Root is one of those players who i will recognise as being really fucking good and never go back and watch highlights.

@barbarian said in Ashes 2025/6:

Yeah to be fair I don't think anyone is saying he's not a great. We're debating status in the all-time pantheon, where these little things count against you.

Fair enough.

There is the argument Root plays more than others and has more chances to get scores ( ahem, KW ) but the counterargument is that he still has to actually achieve when he gets these chances.

An England all time great when you think of class/longevity ( although a lot of their old boys like Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Hammond, Hutton and Barrington all averaged a fair bit more ) so he doesn't absolutely stroll into an all time XI

@mariner4life said in Ashes 2025/6:

Joe Root is one of those players who i will recognise as being really fucking good and never go back and watch highlights.

He's no Lara.

Oz should just pick this bloke:

"Records went tumbling as Australian U19 star Harjas Singh wreaked unprecedented carnage in Sydney Grade Cricket blasting 314 off 141 balls including 35 sixes and 10 lost balls in a 50 over match on the weekend.

His white ball destruction broke a 123 year grade cricket record and he did it with some of the cleanest, purest, most consistent hitting you will ever see.

Singh's innings for Western Suburbs against Sydney Cricket Club had passers by at Pratten Park scurrying for cover, as he put on a display for the ages driving Wests to 5-483 and a 196 run win. "

The Ashes? Didn't we have one of those last week?

This thread should be a cracker over the coming months. It's not going to be ruined and sidetracked with tedious frathouse-esque banter. A nice and early pre-emptive heads-up for some of you so you don't have to wonder aloud what happened to some of your posts.

England might win a Test (or even two) on the back of some individual brilliance by Root, Brooks, Stokes, Wood or Archer. But their overall batting and bowling line-ups are not deep enough and too fragile at the moment to win a series in Australia.

Australia are the overwhelming favourites for this one.

If you subscribe to the view that the top of the Aussie order is still open, then today is a pretty big day.

South Australia are hosting Queensland and Victoria are playing NSW. Most of the key players will bat in these games.

@mariner4life said in Ashes 2025/6:

If you subscribe to the view that the top of the Aussie order is still open, then today is a pretty big day.

South Australia are hosting Queensland and Victoria are playing NSW. Most of the key players will bat in these games.

Had a quick look at the teams and clicked on a few players
I know its only 4 of their FC sides but you can see why OZ are struggling with top order batsmen. Looking at their FC records all you see are guys averaging 25-35. Either really young or already in their 30's tried and discarded like Handscomb and Harris

As i type this Victoria have already lost one of their openers early.

@Virgil said in Ashes 2025/6:

@mariner4life said in Ashes 2025/6:

If you subscribe to the view that the top of the Aussie order is still open, then today is a pretty big day.

South Australia are hosting Queensland and Victoria are playing NSW. Most of the key players will bat in these games.

Had a quick look at the teams and clicked on a few players
I know its only 4 of their FC sides but you can see why OZ are struggling with top order batsmen. Looking at their FC records all you see are guys averaging 25-35. Either really young or already in their 30's tried and discarded like Handscomb and Harris

As i type this Victoria have already lost one of their openers early.

Like you said previously. Both teams will be reliant on a few legends with varying degrees of average to very good backing them up.

But this is hardly a new thing in Cricket ( or indeed any sport )

The problems Aus have are a build up of:

One guy in the top order getting a score on a rotation basis, with middle order runs setting a defendable total, and
An all-time attack rolling the opposition, resulting in a succession of test wins.
No one behind them stating a serious case to go in, allowing the boys club to allow old players to dictate when they go, and dumb shit like Green at 3.

There are guys who have had hot seasons that get them nowhere and then they have a down season allowing the selectors to ignore them.

@mariner4life said in Ashes 2025/6:

There are guys who have had hot seasons that get them nowhere and then they have a down season allowing the selectors to ignore them.

are we talking about Akira again?

/takes cover

Handscomb (who they will not pick) got runs. Every other hope has so far shat the bed

@NTA said in Ashes 2025/6:

Bledisloe? What the fk is that?! It's cricket season, you Polish harlots.

News is Cummins is out for the forseeable - back issues. Probably from carrying the entire nation the last few years.

I know he's only one person, but given how important the bowling attack in for Australia now their batsmen are inconsistent donkeys, this is a massive loss.

All it takes is a drop in form from one of the other mainstays and this is a remarkably open series.

@antipodean said in Ashes 2025/6:

@NTA said in Ashes 2025/6:

Bledisloe? What the fk is that?! It's cricket season, you Polish harlots.

News is Cummins is out for the forseeable - back issues. Probably from carrying the entire nation the last few years.

I know he's only one person, but given how important the bowling attack in for Australia now their batsmen are inconsistent donkeys, this is a massive loss.

All it takes is a drop in form from one of the other mainstays and this is a remarkably open series.

yep, Australia's huge advantage was not only their four main bowlers, but the safety net of someone as good as Boland waiting to come in. Well now they are using the safety new right from the get go.

Cummins also provided a few of those valuable middle-order runs we talked about earlier. Boland ain't doing that.

@mariner4life said in Ashes 2025/6:

Cummins also provided a few of those valuable middle-order runs we talked about earlier.

some match saving/winning knocks. He was bloody good.

What are the chances of another round of the battle of the Ians this Summer ?

For what it’s worth I give this one to Beefy for being slightly less childish and petty and admitting Chappell was a good player.

Marnus hits 159 and puts himself in to the first test