Roar Rookie
Joined January 2017
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We seem to play India a lot these days, and we sulk about the suits, and the dollar chased, and roads, and rankings. Never…
Australia were in with a chance at the beginning of day five, as things panned out England finished the day stronger. Normal test cricket, no one robbed, no one saved.
Aussies should be disappointed with underwhelming Ashes
James I can resist no longer. I’m not interested in a slanging match but you’ve mentioned more than once Australia being saved by the weather at Lords. How, exactly?
Aussies should be disappointed with underwhelming Ashes
Yes, the much-vaunted bat-off has become supremely tiresome. Schoolyard garbage that rarely results in a clear winner, yet does lead to the slimmest of warranted test caps. Of course incumbents should be aware that there is competition for their spot, but outright fear is counterproductive. Confidence in your place in the team on the other hand leads to a freedom to play to your ability, and would serve well in the domestic lead-up. If it transforms to complacency then it can be called out by team management, but it will soon transform to poor output anyway.
Harris is a question mark in that top six, personally I still see Khawaja and Burns as proven performers with strong claims. But it’s not outrageous to persist with him.
Constantly reshuffling the batting order doesn’t work
I get your point George but if England aren’t gutted by not winning the Ashes, especially at home, then they shouldn’t be playing international cricket.
Aussies should be disappointed with underwhelming Ashes
We threw away this test with the selection of Warner, protection of whom caused Paine to make the odd decision to bowl first. And before you ask, yes, I have actually been inside Tim Paine’s brain and know this for a fact. The belief in Warner was moronic on the part of the selectors given no evidence whatsoever to suggest he would “come good”. Why? What was the plan to combat those early overs? Both the team and Warner himself would have been well served by sitting him out, better players than him have suffered the indignity of being dropped (and generally grown from it). And he may well be an automatic selection at home, but he gets one test to get it right, because his credits are up in my book.
England win despite stunning Matt Wade ton
I’m backing Warner to do a Bradman. That is, score a duck in his final innings in England. Down to Smith and Labs to do most of the hard work, though oddly I have a gut feel that Wade is on the verge of something good. I don’t like our chances but you have to believe.
Flat Australia blunted by Denly and Stokes
Oh no, you must be at rock bottom now…
Hang in there, we’re all in it together 😢 😂
We won the Ashes because our terrible selectors were less terrible than England's
Does this question have to be asked?
Obviously no one at this stage is the standout number three since Ponting, and the last thing Labuschagne needs is the pressure of being seen as such. But aside from that, to me the most significant point is that Ponting didn’t start his career at number three. He had a long and not trouble-free stint down the order before breaking through and realising the potential he was believed to have. Expectations on batters being thrust into the top order in the absence of better candidates, as Labuschagne and others have been, are completely different. When the next Ponting arrives, he’ll probably develop and creep up the order, rather than be an instant solution.
Is Marnus the best first drop since Ponting?
Steven I enjoy your pieces except when they mention Mitch Marsh. Sincerely, that whole situation is messing with your thinking and makes for muddled or biased writing, you gotta let it go mate.
We won the Ashes because our terrible selectors were less terrible than England's
Lehmann couldn’t discern the prevailing cricket environment from his own playing days, which involved him coming in routinely behind platforms laid by Hayden, Langer and Ponting. In that case, sure, play your natural game. But as a coach in a new world order he was short of answers, and his philosophy came across as a shrug of the shoulders.
Ditching Lehmann's pace obsession won Australia the Ashes
The team as a whole had to back it up with something, not Stokes individually. Stokes has been backing up for England all summer. I stand by it, harsh turn of phrase.
England fourth Ashes Test player ratings: No standouts for the hosts as the series goes begging
No gripes with the ratings, but this re Stokes, “which made his third Test match-saving innings mean virtually nothing”, is pretty harsh.
First of all it was a match-winning innings, and while yes, the great innings are made more significant in series wins (Stokes himself would be the first to admit it), it will always mean most definitely something to anybody who saw it.
England fourth Ashes Test player ratings: No standouts for the hosts as the series goes begging
Can we win the series before this sort of piece please? An England win today is near impossible, but a draw isn’t out of the question, in which case the urn is still on the line in the fifth test. And as unlikely as it is that England would pull off a second miracle and make the runs (surely not), it will be their one day skills that get them there.
We got complacent at 9-down at Headingley, let’s get this done then enjoy analysing England’s problems.
Was the English World Cup win the best thing for Australian cricket?
I’ll start to believe when Stokes is out.
Actually, make that Leach.
Australia in box seat to retain Ashes today
Lyon’s fine. Expectations were set after running rampant on a fifth day turner in the first test, whereas since then he’s bowled on what has either effectively or actually been the third to fourth day. He’s created tons of chances in the circumstances, though certainly agree he needs to keep confidence in using his flight and loop.
Mentally he should have enough experience to get past the run out. Warner and Paine I’d suggest are the ones who’ll be most on edge the next few weeks, both facing unwanted legacies.
GOAT cheese: Have England worked Lyon out?
Great innings by Stokes, great result for the series, great advertisement for test cricket.
But after living through Melbourne 82-83, Adelaide 92-93 (v WI), and Edgbaston 2005, being on the right side of one of those thrillers might’ve been nice.
Stokes revives Ashes with extraordinary match-winning ton
We can now throw our burned DRS reviews into the Ashes urn.
Stokes revives Ashes with extraordinary match-winning ton
I don’t know if Will Smith would be a great choice at 3 😛
Warner's ugly but crucial Ashes innings
Only got to see the highlights reel but yeah those conditions looked about as tough as it could get for batting – rain delays, low light, hooping ball. Plus two particularly good bowlers. So maybe 179 isn’t far off par in the circumstances, problem is what does the weather have in store for England’s innings? Starting on a fresh new day, perhaps in uninterrupted sunshine, we’re unlikely to wreak the same havoc. Shame we couldn’t get a go at their top order last night.
Warner's ugly but crucial Ashes innings
Oh no, the line is back!
Poor form by those spectators certainly, ultimately they have to live with themselves. Knowing that something truly terrible could have come out of Smith being hit, relief seems a more logical response (opposition or otherwise), but you can’t account for everyone’s instincts.
UK public at risk of marring an Ashes series for the ages
Wow, those three pretty emphatically demand selection for this list. Out of interest Momin, did you go through all of test history or focus on recent decades? (No gripes with the selections, just curious about other contenders)
Three non-English bowlers with top stats at Lord's
Re mimicking Marshall, haha me too (and I was no fast bowler, it just felt cool to do). I can’t think of anyone else who has ever used that angled run-up either, it’s so uniquely his.
Three non-English bowlers with top stats at Lord's
Warner’s getting close to the precipice certainly. You don’t rashly drop a player with a proven record so he may be entitled to a third test even if he fails again in the second innings. But beyond that he’s back with the pack.
In Smith’s absence the middle order looked absolutely spineless, whereas the top order acquitted themselves pretty well. Warner is far from pivotal in that group, especially in our new era of more patient cricket.
Hazlewood fires in Ashes comeback
Hey Matt, I know I’m getting in late here but….
Nice set of articles, you’re probably on a new laptop after flinging the previous across the room in exasperation 😊
Like most I can’t fathom Hayden’s omission on any criteria, but no dramas. I’d have Rackemann in the first XI though, at the expense of Francke. An okay spinner is surplus to requirements with the pace options available. Big Carl absolutely bled for Queensland through a number of so-near-yet-so-far title misses, and to add the cherry on top of his stats, took the catch to seal the first title win. Burying him in the thirds is pretty harsh.
And no mention of Fat Cat? Not saying there should be, but wonder where his credentials place him.
Celebrating the Sheffield Shield: Best ever Queensland team