The Ashes 2023

Lionel Fusco

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120722663#Comment_120722663

Looked a walking wicket the minute he came out.

dohboy

Stokes batting average as captain must be terrible, he's been poor for a stretch now. Add in that his knee looks banjaxed and it's debatable how much he can bowl, he's evolving into Mike Brearley.

Gillespy

Bairstow picking up where he left off.

Royale with Cheese

I thought giving Stokes the captaincy might be too much for him. He doesn't bowl anymore, can't seem to bat lately and now doesn't play ODIs either. This guy has been their best player for years.

His captaincy has been a big success to date but if that dries up too will they start asking questions about him?

dohboy

I can see him retiring after this series anyway. His body is breaking down.

iffandonlyif

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120722012#Comment_120722012

Morgan? Christ, you’re pathetic.

y0ssar1an22

Broad just gone for 16. 350 for 8

MFPM

Enthralling day so far, England started strongly, Australia were too defensive and leaving Starc out was a mistake. They fought back well but the partnership between Bairstow and Root was excellent. England should get 400 now, Australia will be under pressure but it's a good batting surface and you have to think Smith and Labuschagne should get be able to score big on this pitch.

Gillespy

Root is a pleasure to watch, particularly against spin. No one makes it look easier I think.

Xander10

Didn't expect the declaration

iffandonlyif

I really can’t understand that declaration on a historically flat pitch. Do they think their total is more imposing than it is? At least go out swinging and pick up another few runs.

Royale with Cheese

I'll never get these declarations. His best batsman was at the crease and scoring with ease, if he'd just said hit out how many could they have got before the close and possibly still been there tomorrow morning. He's given that up for what, 4 overs at Australia tonight on what is supposed to be a fairly placid pitch?

byronbay2

Bit of hubris by Stokes there: crazy declaration!

I hope the Aussies go out and score 600 tomorrow!

lbunnae

Can't understand that declaration at all.

Gillespy

It is what it is, Stokes said he was going to do it and he did. His calls haven’t been too wrong so far.

What will be more concerning for him is how easy that little session was. Gambling Broad getting Warner cheaply but having no pace to deal with the rest could bite them.

Lionel Fusco

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the declaration was insane. Why not bat out the last 4 overs???? What possible advantage did they get? Australia are 40 odd runs closer than they should be. Just bat out the day ffs

lbunnae

Just did it to be different and edgy.

Gillespy

Having a short spell before stumps is a well established tactic. Gives them two shots with the new ball. Didn’t work this evening, might work in the morning. On a flat pitch, it was worth a shot. Crowd going, Broad to Warner it would have been amazing cricket.

It’s very rare to be arguing about declaring too early. Nice change.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120723759#Comment_120723759

Nutsville. A sub 400 declaration…. Stokes acting like a billy big bôllocks is all that was. Literally nothing tangibly gained from doing it in the current match scenario …misplaced bravado is my thinking. Joe Root 118* and playing absolutely superbly, but no, declare. Literally zero logic to that declaration…

if he has 3 young 88-92mph quick bowlers and a wicket taking spinner on a bowler friendly pitch, you’ll say… “ ok, risky but have at it “. Some logic to that mindset, maybe. He doesn’t have that luxury. He has an aging, slow, predictable pace ‘attack’… on a pitch offering SFA.

his spinner IS a 36 year old not very prolific all rounder. 195 wickets in 64 tests… so that’s an average of 3 wickets per test, 1.5 wickets per innings . Coupled with a batting average of 28, it’s a peculiar selection . Almost like he was selected to chip in with the possibility of a bonus 25 runs down the order..

bat out the last 4, take the runs and get bowled out tomorrow.…440 all out is a lot better then 393/8d

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120723794#Comment_120723794

Seems the most likely explanation. If it works, he'll be hailed a genius. If it doesn't, then historically stupid!

lbunnae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120724020#Comment_120724020

It's not an established tactic when below 400 and 4 overs worth of it isn't an established tactic either.

Gillespy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120724258#Comment_120724258

So why have I seen it happen countless times? They got 393, if they got seven more runs it would have been fine? Oh 400 is a psychological milestone. Stokes has credit in the bank to make such a decision and after a great day I don’t feel it’s worth getting too angry about

Royale with Cheese

I wouldn't call 393 a great day. We'll see what the pitch is like tomorrow but I guess it's par at best.

lbunnae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120724765#Comment_120724765

I'm not angry about it at all , it's was a stupid decision. It's common sense. Root was literally hitting sixes at the end. And no 430 minimum on that flat. Sorry you have seen countless opening day sub 400 declarations have you?

Gillespy

Great day of cricket I mean. It was exciting and tense all day I thought. Root and Bairstow were great. I expect Australia to pile on the runs tomorrow and most of the following day too. Broad and Robinson offered no threat. They might improve and Anderson will be Anderson. Moeen might have to take the wickets. Lyon did get some turn.

Gillespy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120724893#Comment_120724893

Seen teams declaring to have a bowl before stumps. Stokes saw it as an opportunity to attack and was worth sacrificing runs for. Didn’t work this time. Oh well.

MFPM

Really enjoyable day of cricket. Hard to know the balance of play right now but I suspect at the end of day 2 things will be clearer. Given that England didn't take a wicket this evening means Stokes declaration was rather pointless, he gambled that a fresh Broad would take out a tired Warner and perhaps given Khwaja's form in England that the Aussies could have been 2 down, it didn't happen and only time will tell if the potential runs he sacrificed will come back to haunt him.

If the conditions stay as they were today Australia should have no problem building a score if there's more clouds around then perhaps Anderson comes into the game more. Lyon did well today but he went for a lot of runs, Moeen could take bigger punishment if the Aussies get going.

lbunnae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120724935#Comment_120724935

Yeah, no you see it often , I just don't think I've ever seen it that low score with their best man hitting 6s. But sure look it was a great days cricket.

Mr. Guappa

They want to take the aggressive, positive option at all times, but that felt like being aggressive for the sake of it rather than it being a positive decision. Big difference in declaring if it's Broad & Robinson out there compared to having an in-form Root at the crease.

Strumms

Seems the fast bowling stock is at an all time low over in England…. Brydon Carse and Sam Cook are the next tipped entrants into the test side. Neither are exactly putting batsmen under the hammer playing for their counties…

The leading English wicket taker in English county cricket this season is a soon to be 37 year old medium fast bowler, Chris Rushworth.

Then Joe Leach… 32 year old medium pacer…Then Ben Raine… 31 year old medium pacer

Matthew Potts… a quick, who hasn’t been quick to take wickets in the opportunity he’s had for England. 23 wickets in 6 tests, 11 innings ….poor.

Toby Roland-Jones & Lewis Gregory… 35 & 31 respectively. Forget it….

Where is the young talent ? Forever seeing on the ECB social media showing off of young quicks, darting in, bowling, at the state of the art centre’s of excellence, all sorts of gadgets, gizmos, fancy schmancy tech to monitor, film, evaluate, feedback, staticize and critique…

yet, for all that the English management don’t seem to be able to pull a couple of young international class quicks out from the county scene ? Strange.