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David Schout is a Melbourne-based freelance journalist covering (mostly) cricket. He has reported for The Guardian, the ICC, IPL, Yorkshire CCC and others. You can follow him on Twitter at @david_schout.
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In defeating Pakistan overnight, Australia notched their third win of the World Cup and appear on track for a semi-final berth.
In recent years, Australian captains visiting Trent Bridge have walked away open-mouthed and void of any answers.
England’s shock loss to Pakistan in the early hours of Tuesday morning gave Australian fans a certain satisfaction on their otherwise standard weekday commute.
It’s scary when a side barely gets out of second gear yet walk off 100-run victors. But that’s exactly what England did to South Africa in the World Cup opener.
With four players vying for the final bowler’s position in Australia’s preferred World Cup XI, Nathan Lyon has emerged as the obvious candidate.
It’s taken four years, and I’m still on the fence about Brendon McCullum’s third ball duck in the 2015 World Cup final.
In the 2015 World Cup the top seven wicket-takers were all quick bowlers.
The off-field wrangling between Australian and Indian cricket officials is further proof of Cricket Australia’s reliance on India’s riches, and a reminder of who holds all the cards in world cricket.
It’s taken some time and for his best mate to land the role, but finally Glenn Maxwell has a captain that understands his value to Australian cricket.
England’s white-ball revolution under Trevor Bayliss has been a stunning philosophical shift in tactics. Underpinned by relentless aggression at the crease, the World Cup hosts have blown away every side at one stage or another since their dismal group-stage knockout at the 2015 World Cup.
Just two months ago, Marcus Stoinis left the Allan Border Medal as Australia’s best one day player of the past year.
On a train to Nottingham for Day 2 of the fourth Test in the 2015 Ashes, I knew Michael Clarke’s Australian team was bracing for a day of ceaseless taunting.
The dormant volcano that is James Pattinson has erupted, and his case for selection in this year’s Ashes is becoming more compelling by the day.
With a jam-packed five-game UAE tour starting tonight, the purported ‘locks’ in Australia’s World Cup squad will be loosened should they fail to deliver.
At 2-0 down against a confident India, the trepidation that so characterised recent Australian ODI sides was noticeably absent last week.
When Australia tasted World Cup glory in 2015, Michael Clarke’s leadership was important without being pivotal.
Cameron Bancroft’s return to cricket has been decidedly emphatic.
While some of his contemporaries are still donning the whites, Andrew McDonald has achieved in four years what few coaches boast in an entire career.
Shane Warne made a career out of confusion. Armed with an array of deliveries that made even the most accomplished squirm, countless batsmen would end up befuddled, walking back to the rooms wondering just what had happened.
James, can you be my manager? I’ll give you 20% cut
On a dry Manchester pitch, Lyon holds key to Australia retaining the Ashes
As much as I hope you’re right, let’s not forget that Australia is historically terrible at extracting reverse swing. Hence the whole bring sandpaper onto the field tactic
On a dry Manchester pitch, Lyon holds key to Australia retaining the Ashes
Cheers Pete!
On a dry Manchester pitch, Lyon holds key to Australia retaining the Ashes
Agreed re: Labuschagne. Perhaps the biggest gem unearthed from this Ashes is that Australia now has a long-term no.3
On a dry Manchester pitch, Lyon holds key to Australia retaining the Ashes
I can’t predict the future, but I can very much predict that Archer’s bouncers will never, ever be ‘mid height balloons that are carted to the boundary’
England gathering steam, and not just via Archer
Not an insult Paul, value your input. Just think we should appreciate good cricketers either side of the fence
England gathering steam, and not just via Archer
Just don’t understand the reluctance to give Stokes credit. He’s a generational cricketer and to say he ‘struggles to score runs when England really need them’ sounds pretty silly given what he’s done in the last couple of months.
England gathering steam, and not just via Archer
I think you’ve somewhat missed my point, Paul. All I raised was that England’s best chance at success is likely with surfaces conducive to seam movement. I’m not suggesting they’ll force curators’ hands to produce a pitch they want.
Is it green decks or bust for England in the Ashes?
I never said they were toothless, but they were wicketless and expensive. My main point was the fact Denly was obviously encouraged to pitch it up into the footmarks, but had no cover fielder. This beggars belief
Root’s puzzling tactics leave him open for criticism
3/20 off 8. Man of the match. Yes, he destroyed Australia in the WC semi-final
Root’s puzzling tactics leave him open for criticism
As I mentioned, there wasn’t a reason re: Woakes. Journos at the ground said on Twitter that they asked England staff, who said there was nothing wrong with him.
Obviously losing Anderson didn’t help, but it still left him with three frontline quicks (I’m counting Stokes, because he essentially is) and a spinner, which is exactly what Paine had.
For me, the only player who could replace him is Jos Buttler.
Root’s puzzling tactics leave him open for criticism
Ha I haven’t – apologies! He’s so part of the furniture I’ve overlooked him. Make no mistake he’ll have a huge impact this series. The only quick that is likely to play all five
Familiar optimism, but does UK Ashes success finally beckon for Australia?
I believe they used a new ball (with a less pronounced seam) at the start of this county season to make life easier for batters. But once they saw that bowlers were struggling to garner as much movement (sort of obvious, no?) they ordered a batch of the previous balls for the Ashes
Lateral movement remains Australia’s overwhelming batting hurdle
It’s actually just a return to the old ball, rather than a new one
Lateral movement remains Australia’s overwhelming batting hurdle
Haha apologies! All fair points that you’ve expanded on there, btw. As a broader point I think if both teams are struggling with the Dukes it’s bound to be a great series from a viewer perspective. Far more so than the 2017/18 series – the Melbourne and Sydney tests were drab.
Lateral movement remains Australia’s overwhelming batting hurdle
I think the point is that Australia has struggled, and continued to struggle, more than any of the other top sides. There’s a huge body of evidence that backs that up.
And as much as I agree re: patience, I think it’s slightly reductionist to say it’s a generational thing.
Lateral movement remains Australia’s overwhelming batting hurdle
If you have a listen you’ll hear I didn’t actually offer my opinion. I said selectors will likely pick him (or Labuschagne, it seems) as it gives them flexibility. They almost always pick an all-rounder
REVEALED: The XI you voted for in last week's schoolyard pick-a-team
True Paul. Root has spent some time at 3 in the last three years though
Ashes shapes as survival of the fittest
I might touch on that next week actually, would be interesting to look at the players used
Ashes shapes as survival of the fittest
That’s England’s key weakness, isn’t it. They tried countless options to partner Cook the last few years, none of which has worked, and now with him gone they’re hugely vulnerable.
Ashes shapes as survival of the fittest
Yeah, absolutely I do Paul. He’s an immense talent, which was highlighted in the World Cup. Like Bumrah, I can see him transferring his skills fairly seamlessly onto the test arena.
Ashes shapes as survival of the fittest
I knew this final was missing one thing – conspiracy theories. Thanks for bringing it to my attention
Final outrage valid, but also a veneer for the bitter
Blind Freddie knows Smith’s influence on this Ashes has been immense. More than immense. This piece is about a newly instilled philosophy of adapting abroad, shelving the ‘play your game’ mentality that has contributed to so many defeats abroad.
Egos shelved, sleeves rolled up: Langer, Paine instil blueprint for success abroad