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The good, the bad, the worst: Hobart edition

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Roar Rookie
3rd February, 2022
5

More than two weeks ago, the Ashes were wrapped up in just 20 days. Australia recorded another dominant victory against their old enemy England and retained the Ashes at home once again.

The second three-day Test of the series was eventful from start to finish, with both teams in winning positions at different stages.

Ultimately the home team turned out too strong, taking out the fifth match by 147 runs. England took all 20 Aussies wickets for the first time this series but couldn’t buy a run and Australia’s middle order proved impressive once again.

This is the fifth instalment of the good, the bad, the worst, featuring three moments from each team that defined the match.

The good
Cameron Green, take a bow. In just his second Test series, Green’s impact with bat, ball and in the field exemplifies the all-rounder status placed on his young shoulders.

An impressive 74 runs saved the Australian first innings and his three wickets late on Day 3 triggered the catastrophic English collapse.

Four catches at gully, 228 runs with two half centuries and 13 wickets is an excellent series return from an all-rounder and it’s just the beginning for the 22-year-old.

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Cameron Green celebrates.

(Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

England bowled well in this match. A tremendous opening spell from Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson had the home team reduced to 3-12 on a pitch perfectly suited to seam bowling.

Mark Wood’s short-pitched barrage in the third innings of the game destroyed the Aussie batting line-up and he finished with a six-wicket haul.

Bowling Australia out for 155 was the attack’s best effort this series and gave England their first realistic chance of winning, with the away team needing only 271 runs in over two days.

The bad
David Warner and Steve Smith were not their usual selves this series. Neither scored a century, and with averages of 34 and 30 respectively, the most experienced players on the team really performed poorly.

Smith dominated England in the last Ashes series and Warner normally scores plenty of runs in Australia so their low output was surprising.

It didn’t matter in this series as everyone else picked up the slack but against stiffer opponents Australia will be expecting more out of two of their top batsmen.

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David Warner of Australia bats during day one of the Second Test match in the Ashes series between Australia and England at the Adelaide Oval on December 16, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

It was another lacklustre performance in the field by England in Hobart. After the momentum turned against them courtesy of Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head, the players seemed to drop their heads and go through the motions.

Labuschagne had to fall over his own feet for any chance of a wicket and then Green came out and piled on even more pain.

Joe Root didn’t set his fields well, following the ball far too often, and only the debutant Sam Billings was lively for most of the match, chatting plenty behind the stumps.

It was the final Test of a seriously disastrous tour for the visitors, and they’d been away from home for a long time, but it would have been nice to see some energy from England.

The worst
The stroll in the park is over for the men in the baggy greens, with England sadly (if you are Australian) departing the country.

With a Test series away from home in Pakistan, the Aussies will have some challenging games ahead of them.

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With bat and ball, they’ve been great all over in the Ashes, and fans will be hoping that the Aussie men can continue their form against tougher opposition.

Australia celebrates winning the the Fifth Test in the Ashes series between Australia and England at Blundstone Arena on January 16, 2022 in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

(Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

The tour from hell is over for England but where to now? They had nine Test match defeats in 2021 and they’ve already added one to the tally for 2022.

It was one of the poorest series with the bat you’ll ever see, featuring a single century and no scores above 300.

They only got their bowler selection right in the final Test and still conceded plenty of runs.

Surely the only way is up now, but with their two veteran quicks retiring soon and Joe Root looking like the only guy capable of wielding the willow, how will England manage to go up?

What were your moments that defined the Hobart Test?

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