The Ashes - official thread

[Soul Requiem]

First topic message reminder :

I don't understand why Buttler isn't hogging the strike here.

[Duty281]

I'm not too sure about that. But what a horrible series for Warner. Almost cruel Australia haven't dropped him by this point.

[eirebilly]

I guess that was a very good referral by Root?

[Afro]

Warner didn't hit that. I'll take it, but looks a very lucky one IMO, and makes me question the reliability of snicko, not for the first time this series

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Warner's constant failures have been a real highlight of the summer

[Soul Requiem]

Vaughan says it was not out whilst Maxwell seems pretty adamant that Warner knew he'd hit it, i'll have to wait for the replay.

[Afro]

Warner's constant failures have been a real highlight of the summer

Agreed. Couldn't happen to a more deserving person

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Warner didn’t look too annoyed

[Duty281]

Why do you need a 3rd umpire for that?! England barely appealed.

[robbo277]

Warner didn’t look too annoyed

Probably just glad to be almost home, the summer he's had.

[Duty281]

Warner's constant failures have been a real highlight of the summer

Currently averaging 9 for the series. In total he's scored 84 runs from 9 innings, though 61 of those were from one knock!

[king_carlos]

https://crickettimes.com/2019/09/warner-admitted-to-using-substances-to-deteriorate-condition-of-ball-alastair-cook/

Chef just adding some more joy to Warner's series.

In fairness his slip catching has been a notch above the others in this series. Not what he's picked for but still...

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Warner's constant failures have been a real highlight of the summer

Currently averaging 9 for the series. In total he's scored 84 runs from 9 innings, though 61 of those were from one knock!

And I've genuinely no idea how he made 61 in that knock either!

[Soul Requiem]

https://crickettimes.com/2019/09/warner-admitted-to-using-substances-to-deteriorate-condition-of-ball-alastair-cook/

Chef just adding some more joy to Warner's series.

In fairness his slip catching has been a notch above the others in this series. Not what he's picked for but still...

The unfortunate thing in all this is that there will always be question marks over the exploits of Cummins and Hazelwood.

[compelling and rich]

archer bowling well here, rubbishing the woakes should open love in on here

[Duty281]

Blimey, Australia are two down for not very much. Who could have predicted that?!

Now time for the main battle.

[compelling and rich]

Blimey, Australia are two down for not very much. Who could have predicted that?!

Now time for the main battle.

its ok duty, ive had a bet on him he's bound to fail now with my recent track record

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

archer bowling well here, rubbishing the woakes should open love in on here

I love me some Sir Chris, but Jofra has been dynamite with the new rock this series, and ultimately Woakes has bowled pretty meh all series (he is still allowed to be effective first change.)

Now lets see how many Smith racks up today!

[robbo277]

archer bowling well here, rubbishing the woakes should open love in on here

I love me some Sir Chris, but Jofra has been dynamite with the new rock this series, and ultimately Woakes has bowled pretty meh all series (he is still allowed to be effective first change.)

Now lets see how many Smith racks up today!

It's not just the older ball, but the batsman you face. When 1 and 2 are going cheaply, your new ball bowlers are going to get something in the wicket column. Then they bowl to Labuschagne and Smith as they see themselves in. Then you bring Woakes on and you have the world's best batsman set and bowling is a lot harder, despite the ball.

[Duty281]

Labuschagne apparently out caught down the leg side, but England didn't even appeal. Oh well.

[compelling and rich]

archer bowling well here, rubbishing the woakes should open love in on here

I love me some Sir Chris, but Jofra has been dynamite with the new rock this series, and ultimately Woakes has bowled pretty meh all series (he is still allowed to be effective first change.)

Now lets see how many Smith racks up today!

It's not just the older ball, but the batsman you face. When 1 and 2 are going cheaply, your new ball bowlers are going to get something in the wicket column. Then they bowl to Labuschagne and Smith as they see themselves in. Then you bring Woakes on and you have the world's best batsman set and bowling is a lot harder, despite the ball.

short spells for all, id bring woakes on for archer soon. the new ball is still fresh as are the two batsmen so no excuses. soon as woakes and curran bowl some pies at these im sure people will blame the opening two for getting the openers out too early and letting the two best aus batsmen get in

[Duty281]

Curran bowling some loopy dross. Smith loving it.

[Soul Requiem]

Why is Archer still bowling?

[compelling and rich]

Why is Archer still bowling?

id guess because he's bowling very well against their two best batsmen while they are still new to the crease

[Gooseberry]

Hes only done a spell of 7 overs with the last one being a maiden with a genuine miss SR....the real question should be why is Sam Curran bowling.

[Soul Requiem]

Why is Archer still bowling?

id guess because he's bowling very well against their two best batsmen while they are still new to the crease

So we do the same thing we've done all season and bowl him into the ground, he's a fast bowler that should be bowling short spells.

[Gooseberry]

Curran batting and bowling ahead of Woakes further raises my suspicion that theres some kind of issue between Root and Woakes. Its very much a pert conspiracy theory but I just cant understand why they are so reluctant to trust a player who has such a ridiculous record at home. The below par performances with the ball came after he had already been pushed down the pecking order. How anyone thinks Curran was a better bet to steady the batting than SCW I just dont know (not that he did anything but in theory hes far closer to being a proper batsman)
The new ball partnership with Broad had been every bit as successful as Broad Anderson and Broad Archer have been.

OK so Woakes is rubbish

[Gooseberry]

Why is Archer still bowling?

id guess because he's bowling very well against their two best batsmen while they are still new to the crease

So we do the same thing we've done all season and bowl him into the ground, he's a fast bowler that should be bowling short spells.

7 overs is a short spell. The openers often do 11.

[GSC]

Woakes isn't exactly proving he was hard done by in the 4th test

[compelling and rich]

Why is Archer still bowling?

id guess because he's bowling very well against their two best batsmen while they are still new to the crease

So we do the same thing we've done all season and bowl him into the ground, he's a fast bowler that should be bowling short spells.

7 overs is a short spell. The openers often do 11.

lunch shortly aswell to give him a proper rest, he could easily come out and do the first 5 after lunch and still be fresh

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Curran has been interesting. He isn’t consistent but I don’t think he’s looked ineffective. Woakes has, and god knows what’s happened. Is it that when it’s not swinging, he’s not a test bowler?

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Jof versus Australia

[compelling and rich]

Jof versus Australia

yeah head and shoulders above the rest today. broads been pretty flat

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Broad has been excellent this series, but Archer has now matched his wicket output having played one less game. Ridiculous talent

[compelling and rich]

today really isn't doing much aswell, shows how much of a threat he can be anywhere in the world

[compelling and rich]

imagine if we had wasted the new ball on woakes

[Dolphin Ziggler]

He’s been quite atrocious. He could be looking at a rest in New Zealand.

[Gooseberry]

Imagine if we'd wasted Archer bowling at the hopeless Australian openers rather than getting a proper spell at Smith and Labuschange before they were settled *shrug*

[Dolphin Ziggler]

The boy Sam gets Wade for 19!

[Duty281]

Biggest barrier to Steve Smith getting 150+ - his teammates and their ineptitude.

[Soul Requiem]

What speeds is Curran bowling at today?

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

What speeds is Curran bowling at today?

around 82-83mph from what i've seen

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Time for Marsh to get a century and show Australia he’s the best all rounder in the world

[Soul Requiem]

What speeds is Curran bowling at today?

around 82-83mph from what i've seen

Gained a couple of mph from last year then, if he can get that up to 85-86 consistently he'll be a more penetrative bowler.

[Gooseberry]

Broad and Anderson got their first proper start leading the England being ahead of hoggard and harmison in a new Zealand tour way back when. There was a bit of an assumption that we would see things go full circle and them be replaced by a new pairing (woakes archer) this winter.
But despite running out of steam today broad has proved hes still a force, and Anderson has been all over the media talking up his desire to keep playing tests. It's quite possible we could see Broad Anderson Archer Curran and with Stokes and others rested /dropped/rotated. It's certainly a given that the three format players will all be given time off over the winter either for rest or because England need to look elsewhere.

Woakes really has been off his game this series. As with Bairstow we know hes capable of much better. This isn't a case like Denly of a player who just isn't good enough being picked.

[Gooseberry]

It's a mark of just how badly this england side is performing that Marsh got a fiver

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

What speeds is Curran bowling at today?

around 82-83mph from what i've seen

Gained a couple of mph from last year then, if he can get that up to 85-86 consistently he'll be a more penetrative bowler.

Yeah I think a few at Surrey have commented he seems a tad quicker this year - easy to forget he is only 21, so plenty of room to grow and put on that extra yard.

[Nathaniel Jacobs]

Smith 10 consecutive 50+ scores against England...when's it gonna end ...

[Afro]

Smith 10 consecutive 50+ scores against England...when's it gonna end ...

When are the next 3-4 Ashes series planned for? We can probably work out approximately when he is going to retire from that

[Dolphin Ziggler]

He’s got possible bans in there too when they start playing good teams and things get hard. Granted, they’re never banning him to miss an Ashes

[robbo277]

Why do I feel like I've seen this test before? Poised is the word I'd use.

If England can go bang-bang after tea, ESPECIALLY if one of those is Steve Smith then we'll be right in the driver's seat.

But if Smith can grind out a 60 run partnership here before Marsh goes, a 50 run partnership with Paine and a couple of 30s with the tail then all of a sudden Australia have a lead without anyone but Smith actually batting particularly well. Again. And if someone does stick around with him for a 100 stand, then we're in real trouble.

England scored 294 in their first innings and if we can rely on getting that again we'd need to get Australia out for under 350 to have any scoreboard pressure with Smith un-get-out-able. In reality, we probably can't rely on getting that again so we need to bowl them out for at worst parity so we can play a 1 innings game batting first.

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