Ashes / Proteas vs India

[JM2K6]

Someone who has achieved a world record number of ducks in Tests in a single year (for any recognised batsman) just might not be suited to the role of opener?

Given that the previous record holder was Mike Atherton, I don't think it says that at all...

Even with all of those ducks and obviously poor form, he's still managed to average 30 with 3 50s and a hundred in 2021. He's not particularly good, but he's far from the worst problem in the side. His Test average of 32.7 as an opener is pretty decent with compared with most of his colleagues: Bairstow (33.7, not an opener), Zak Crawley (28.3), Jos Buttler (33.3), Haseeb Hameed (35.9 - not bad but small sample size), Dan Lawrence (27.2), Dawid Malan (28.6), Ollie Pope (32.16), and Chris Woakes (27.78). Stokes (37) and Root (50) are obviously miles better.

What bothers me here is not so much that the guy with the weird technique gets out when he shouldn't, because he also does score tons and 50s and is clearly one of the best options we have (like it or not), but more that guys like Crawley, Pope, and Lawrence - all extremely talented players with more solid techniques - have such shit records. Lawrence I had pegged as a Test star as soon as I saw him play. Pope looks like he could be a world beater. Crawley's given us some huge innings already. But they seem to be going backwards.

Burns, for all his faults, has a lot of dog in him.

[Grandpa]

I was lying in bed with lights off listening to cricket on the radio and laughed out loud when Burns was skittled first ball. After all the build up and expectation it was entirely predictable and fairly took the wind out of the commentators. Must have fell asleep soon thereafter ...

I love listening to cricket in bed... but last night, I'd have never have got to sleep with the number of wickets going down... I'd wake up every time... now Australia batting tonight and tomorrow night.. should be two good sleeps...

[Lemoentjie]

[JM2K6]

Nothing funnier than police banter.

[Big D]

England bowlers battling hard but just not enough runs on the board. Certainly not enough to take wickets off a no ball.

[fishfoodie]

Deja vu all over again; to quote Yogi.

Again it's a Test Match prepared team; against one that just isn't .....

[Paddington Bear]

Barring a major collapse this is looking already over.

[Paddington Bear]

Men against boys out there. No plan, no penetration. Could be a very very long tour.

[Insane_Homer]

HTF does Stokes bowl 14 no balls but only get called for one?

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/men- ... re-1292852

[Sandstorm]

Sympathy for England?

[Thor Sedan]

I thought England were clawing that back. 1-166 to 5-195....but then Travis 'my moustache is better than yours' Head played one of the best Ashes innings ever.

How must Jack Leach feel?!?

[SaintK]

Men against boys out there. No plan, no penetration. Could be a very very long tour.

Did you really think otherwise?
We are a dreadful test side and have been for a while!

[JM2K6]

HTF does Stokes bowl 14 no balls but only get called for one?

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/men- ... re-1292852

Because they're used to getting called for no balls accurately these days, so if you do bowl them and they're not called, you keep doing it because you have no idea it's a no ball. If they are only checking wickets / replays...

[Insane_Homer]

Because they're used to getting called for no balls accurately these days, so if you do bowl them and they're not called, you keep doing it because you have no idea it's a no ball. If they are only checking wickets / replays...

HTF, was for umpiring standards, not Stokes. Had it been policed correctly he'd have adjusted and it would be newsworthy.

[handyman]

Day 2 of the tour, no Aussie scandal yet?

[Big Nipper]

Day 2 of the tour, no Aussie scandal yet?

Here comes Handyman to ruin another cricket thread

[Torquemada 1420]

Someone who has achieved a world record number of ducks in Tests in a single year (for any recognised batsman) just might not be suited to the role of opener?

Given that the previous record holder was Mike Atherton, I don't think it says that at all...

Even with all of those ducks and obviously poor form, he's still managed to average 30 with 3 50s and a hundred in 2021. He's not particularly good, but he's far from the worst problem in the side. His Test average of 32.7 as an opener is pretty decent with compared with most of his colleagues: Bairstow (33.7, not an opener), Zak Crawley (28.3), Jos Buttler (33.3), Haseeb Hameed (35.9 - not bad but small sample size), Dan Lawrence (27.2), Dawid Malan (28.6), Ollie Pope (32.16), and Chris Woakes (27.78). Stokes (37) and Root (50) are obviously miles better.

What bothers me here is not so much that the guy with the weird technique gets out when he shouldn't, because he also does score tons and 50s and is clearly one of the best options we have (like it or not), but more that guys like Crawley, Pope, and Lawrence - all extremely talented players with more solid techniques - have such shit records. Lawrence I had pegged as a Test star as soon as I saw him play. Pope looks like he could be a world beater. Crawley's given us some huge innings already. But they seem to be going backwards.

Burns, for all his faults, has a lot of dog in him.

Valid points. And who knows what the rationale is for Eng's batting issues? Clearly not the ECB. My own personal bias likes to blame the excessive amount of pyjama stuff being played.

[Torquemada 1420]

Men against boys out there. No plan, no penetration.

Unlike the priesthood.

[Torquemada 1420]

Anyway, one assumes that Root won't be using spin against set Aussie batsmen when the ball is old and so doing nothing. Leach's numbers would look bad in a T20 game.
{EDIT}

8.63 Jack Leach's economy rate during the 11 overs he bowled on the second day, costing 95 runs. Only one player has had a worse economy rate while bowling 60 or more balls in a Test innings - 8.85 by Yasir Shah against Australia in Sydney in 2017.

[GogLais]

Have Oz been playing domestic cricket in the run up to the Tests?

[OomStruisbaai]

Have Oz been playing domestic cricket in the run up to the Tests?

Sheffield shield.

[OomStruisbaai]

Sure England will fight back. To much class in their team. Listening to the commentators pronouncing Labuschagne make me sick.

Warner the doos was so lucky.

[Rinkals]

When I played cricket in Scotland (yes, I know), we had a young fast bowler in our team who was prone to deliberately bowling beamers at batsmen he considered too obdurate. Naturally, these were followed up by effuse apologies, but he would cheerfully admit over drinks with his team mates that he never bowled a beamer by accident.

I know that Wood duly apologised to Head and Head appeared to accept the apology, but I remain unconvinced.

I am reminded of Jofra Archer bowling consecutive beamers at the Proteas number 11 previously.

[GogLais]

Have Oz been playing domestic cricket in the run up to the Tests?

Sheffield shield.

I guess it’s all down to the tv companies not wanting to pay for them but going into a Test in Oz without a few warm-up matches seems a recipe for disaster. And of course few if any matches in between Tests means no chances for players to get back into form.

[OomStruisbaai]

Have Oz been playing domestic cricket in the run up to the Tests?

Sheffield shield.

I guess it’s all down to the tv companies not wanting to pay for them but going into a Test in Oz without a few warm-up matches seems a recipe for disaster. And of course few if any matches in between Tests means no chances for players to get back into form.

It's only day 2. England will fight back. To much class in that team.

[Happyhooker]

Sure England will fight back. To much class in their team. Listening to the commentators pronouncing Labuschagne make me sick.

Warner the doos was so lucky.

I still mentally pronounce his name the same way as that thuggish Saffa prop who tried to kill St Johnny at the lowest point ever in saffa rugby in 2002

[JM2K6]

When I played cricket in Scotland (yes, I know), we had a young fast bowler in our team who was prone to deliberately bowling beamers at batsmen he considered too obdurate. Naturally, these were followed up by effuse apologies, but he would cheerfully admit over drinks with his team mates that he never bowled a beamer by accident.

I know that Wood duly apologised to Head and Head appeared to accept the apology, but I remain unconvinced.

I am reminded of Jofra Archer bowling consecutive beamers at the Proteas number 11 previously.

As I recall, that was one full toss and one beamer. And if you're going so far as to accuse Mark fucking Wood - a player who's biggest problem is he's too nice - of doing it deliberately, then you'd be at odds with pretty much everyone who's played with or against him. But then you're a massive cunt when it comes to England, so big shock there.

[JM2K6]

Sheffield shield.

I guess it’s all down to the tv companies not wanting to pay for them but going into a Test in Oz without a few warm-up matches seems a recipe for disaster. And of course few if any matches in between Tests means no chances for players to get back into form.

It's only day 2. England will fight back. To much class in that team.

No there isn't. There's a couple of class players, a couple of worthy triers, and a handful of guys who might be good enough with enough time and coaching but who are currently out of their depth. Our results don't lie: we are absolute shit.

[OomStruisbaai]

I guess it’s all down to the tv companies not wanting to pay for them but going into a Test in Oz without a few warm-up matches seems a recipe for disaster. And of course few if any matches in between Tests means no chances for players to get back into form.

It's only day 2. England will fight back. To much class in that team.

No there isn't. There's a couple of class players, a couple of worthy triers, and a handful of guys who might be good enough with enough time and coaching but who are currently out of their depth. Our results don't lie: we are absolute shit.

If there isn't enough class in that team, you'll never get enough.

[OomStruisbaai]

Dawid show Paarl guts.

[Thor Sedan]

Hmmmmm.....well it is getting interesting.

Root doing a Root and Malan having the rub of the green.

England only need to get another 250 to make Aussie chase a tricky 150+. Apparently some of their best batsmen are still to come......don't think this Test is over just yet.

[OomStruisbaai]

Yep This pitch is playing nicely now.

[OomStruisbaai]

Lots of Malans playing cricket. Janneman and Pieter for Boland and SA. Dawid played all his youth cricket for Boland. Don't know if they are family. Dawids dad played County cricket in England.

[FalseBayFC]

They'll face the new ball early in the morning session tomorrow. With Starc and Cummins rested its going to be interesting. A bit of rain forecast for the morning but clearing for the rest of days 4 and 5. England still deep in the hole.

[Thor Sedan]

They'll face the new ball early in the morning session tomorrow. With Starc and Cummins rested its going to be interesting. A bit of rain forecast for the morning but clearing for the rest of days 4 and 5. England still deep in the hole.

In a hole yes....but not deep anymore. They'll finish their innings with a lead. They are now in a position where the question isn't 'if' they'll have a lead - it is now 'how big' will their lead be.

An England win is unlikely.....but a draw is now very much on the cards.

[Big Nipper]

Lots of Malans playing cricket. Janneman and Pieter for Boland and SA. Dawid played all his youth cricket for Boland. Don't know if they are family. Dawids dad played County cricket in England.

Is this all you are obsessed about? Whether they played cricket in Paarl? Get a life

[FalseBayFC]

They'll face the new ball early in the morning session tomorrow. With Starc and Cummins rested its going to be interesting. A bit of rain forecast for the morning but clearing for the rest of days 4 and 5. England still deep in the hole.

In a hole yes....but not deep anymore. They'll finish their innings with a lead. They are now in a position where the question isn't 'if' they'll have a lead - it is now 'how big' will their lead be.

An England win is unlikely.....but a draw is now very much on the cards.

England need to bat for another 300 runs to set Aus 230 odd on the last day. I think odds are still heavily in favour of Australia winning. Unless rain takes out more than a session tomorrow.

[OomStruisbaai]

Lots of Malans playing cricket. Janneman and Pieter for Boland and SA. Dawid played all his youth cricket for Boland. Don't know if they are family. Dawids dad played County cricket in England.

Is this all you are obsessed about? Whether they played cricket in Paarl? Get a life

Ja. you getting frustrated? Backing the Aussies?

[OomStruisbaai]

They'll face the new ball early in the morning session tomorrow. With Starc and Cummins rested its going to be interesting. A bit of rain forecast for the morning but clearing for the rest of days 4 and 5. England still deep in the hole.

In a hole yes....but not deep anymore. They'll finish their innings with a lead. They are now in a position where the question isn't 'if' they'll have a lead - it is now 'how big' will their lead be.

An England win is unlikely.....but a draw is now very much on the cards.

England need to bat for another 300 runs to set Aus 230 odd on the last day. I think odds are still heavily in favour of Australia winning. Unless rain takes out more than a session tomorrow.

They need to bat out day 4.

[handyman]

I prefer 5 draws tbh.