Ashes 2025/6

I find this all really strange - as far as I can tell there's no misconduct here. It all just feels like pearl clutching (would anyone care if they were winning?)

I wish we had more in depth analysis of the actual individual performances (although in fairness, I'm not closely following this specific tour, so maybe there is elsewhere and it just doesn't generate clicks so I don't see it... Which is probably also part of the problem, but I'm inferring the quality of coverage from the cricket I follow more closely).

It seems wrong that the highest quality analysis now are the commentators doing it live. Obviously they're good thinkers and I expect them to provide good analysis as the game goes on (another bugbear of mine with some comms), but after the match when you've had time to go through everything, I'd expect it to be even more in depth rather than just 'player X averaged 34.43 a middling tour' followed by a description of the most notable innings, which is often about the most in depth you see these days.

all this shit does is reinforce that the only thing that matters is winning.

If the poms had held a couple of catches and played one or two more discreet shots, they would be lauded for escaping the pressure cooker of an Australian summer.

On the other hand, in October the narrative around the Australian coaches and selectors was one of conservatism so extreme it was actively holding back the team. The top order was in complete disarray, and there was no depth to Australian cricket. Now Andrew MacDonald and co are winners because they are so good at backing the playing group.

Win, and everything else fades away. lose and everything you do is wrong.

Joffra Archer has been ruled out of the rest of the tour with a side strain.

England XI for fourth Ashes Test: Zak Crawley, Ben "Uber to the nets" Duckett, Jacob "YMCA" Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue.

@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:

Joffra Archer has been ruled out of the rest of the tour with a side strain.

I am surprised he lasted this long.

@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:

Joffra Archer has been ruled out of the rest of the tour with a side strain.

England XI for fourth Ashes Test: Zak Crawley, Ben "Uber to the nets" Duckett, Jacob "YMCA" Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue.

Creepy ?

@Crazy-Horse said in Ashes 2025/6:

@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:

Joffra Archer has been ruled out of the rest of the tour with a side strain.

I am surprised he lasted this long.

He was superb in the last test, basically carried them. But then in the 2nd innings Aus did to him what England should have done to Starc in the first test and blunted him for 20 runs from 13 overs with just the wicket of Boland. Talentwise this English side could have won this Ashes, or at least been SO much more competitive, but the difference between the sides has been IQ.

It's a real shame Archer has had such bad injury problems though, he really could have been an all time great for England.

@No-Quarter

The Aussies are fighters. It's the DNA of their Cricket. If you're not a fighter you can fuck off out of their system. The whole focus of the Australian Cricket system is about fighting and ultimately winning.

By contrast, the ECB is an organisation about chasing easy money. The England players are developed to flog maize and potato snacks. In the pressure cooker of an Australia tour they get exposed again and again and again.

@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.

I'll just leave this here.

@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:

Joffra Archer has been ruled out of the rest of the tour with a side strain.

England XI for fourth Ashes Test: Zak Crawley, Ben "Uber to the nets" Duckett, Jacob "YMCA" Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue.

As seen on Reddit, problem for England losing Archer isn’t just they lost a bowler but also their 2nd best batsman….

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 Michael Neser, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Jhye Richardson, 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 Gus Atkinson, 10 Brydon Carse, 11 Josh Tongue

England choose to bowl

Apparently there’s a lot more grass left on the pitch than normal. Even Smith said if they had won the toss they would have bowled too
Can’t help feel England are toothless without Archer

Beefy and Merv have definitely eaten well since they've retired by the looks of things.

Looks freezing in Melbourne, England should feel at home at least.

Always cool seeing a massive crowd at the Boxing Day test. Puts anything NZ can do to shame.

BIg call putting Bethel in for England but they needed to change that top three.

Crawley and Duckett probably lucky there aren't a host of alternatives.

@MN5 said in Ashes 2025/6:

Beefy and Merv have definitely eaten well since they've retired by the looks of things.

Looks freezing in Melbourne, England should feel at home at least.

Always cool seeing a massive crowd at the Boxing Day test. Puts anything NZ can do to shame.

BIg call putting Bethel in for England but they needed to change that top three.

Crawley and Duckett probably lucky there aren't a host of alternatives.

My sister lives in Melbourne. Apparently the temps will be in the high twenties by the weekend

Atkinson has taken three wickets at 78 this season. That's "Mid 90s Black Caps" bad.

Ouch.

Smith bowled by a beauty.
51/4 opps I mean 4/51

Very telling that Steve Smith would have bowled had Australia won the toss.

Khawaja once again with a chance to ride to the rescue

@Virgil said in Ashes 2025/6:

Smith bowled by a beauty.
51/4 opps I mean 4/51

No, right the first time.

Now Green's chance to take charge after being dropped down the order.

He'll need to now for Australia with Carey falling for the Obvious Trap.

Magnificent run out from Carse.

The kind that should go on someone’s stats, Green disappoints again

Green and Narse were going well, put on a fifty partnership, then Green gets run out by Carse.

I'd be worried if I had third or fourth day tickets.

Now Starc gone too, England looking likely to be getting a bat before the close of play

Tongue on a hat trick for the next innings. Took a Michelle. Excellent stuff young fella.

Gonna make my standard "Brook to get a massive score" prediction. Like the old broken clock I'm sure I'll be right at some stage.

152 from Australia, probably 40-50 runs short on this. Can England's batsmen take advantage?

@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:

152 from Australia, probably 40-50 runs short on this. Can England's batsmen take advantage?

Like clockwork one of their openers goes early.

Duckett still pissed perhaps ?

Bethel hasn't got a first class century.

Falls 99 short today. Neser gets him

Root in. 8-2.

Commentators just referred to Root as the best English batsman of all time.

Comforting to know we have one even better than that

#lovekw

Creepy Crawley caught at second slip off Starc.

8/3.

The wheels fall off England's top order batting again.

Theee wickets inside the first 26 balls of the innings.

@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:

The wheels fall off England's top order batting again.

Do they what ?

Top three gone with eight on the board. What the fuck is up with these guys ?

Brook trying to hit the first ball out of the park too.

Lowest England score of all time is 45. That could be under threat.

fuck that bullshit score 26 is where its at

@MN5 said in Ashes 2025/6:

@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:

The wheels fall off England's top order batting again.

What the fuck is up with these guys ?

Spending July and August playing the Mickey Mouse Hundred has destroyed these batsmen's technique and ability to cope with pressure.

No way Harry Brook wants to own 26 will singlehandedly take them to safety

Root's duck will do nothing to convince Australians that he is any sort of goat.

@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:

Root's duck will do nothing to convince Australians that he is any sort of goat.

Walter Hammond is. Averaging 58 in Bradmans era will do for me.

@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:

The wheels fall off England's top order batting again.

Theee wickets inside the first 26 balls of the innings.

The same as Baz's team at the MCG in the CWC final

Australia are going to bat again today aren’t they

Don't understand why teams get the opposition 9 down, then revert to bowling half track rubbish in the name of trying to bounce out the tail. Neser the latest after taking four wickets.