The Ashes 2023

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120887990#Comment_120887990

But if you bat for whatever it was, when you could have gambled safe in the knowledge you were unlikely to lose then why play it ultra safe?

Bowling extra 10 or so overs at Aus on Friday evening and who knows what might happen.

dohboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888012#Comment_120888012

It's BECAUSE of Stokes/McCullum's aggressive style of cricket that gave them the massive advantage they had in this test! They clobbered the Aussies for nearly 600 runs at nearly six runs an over. That has rarely, if ever, happened before in an Ashes test. That put them in the position that they had - a slim chance to force a win in a test that was going to lose two days to rain.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888246#Comment_120888246

The run rate gave them the advantage, yes. The batting for so long considering the match situation fûcked that advantage headlong into the ditch along with their chances of winnings the ashes. They HAD to be brave and gamble, they just got it wrong.

drawing the series is the same as loosing it…. Bye bye ashes.

so they needed to be tactically brave and attacking, no risk equals no reward … their leadership flunked out big time on them…. They get no reward…. Aussies will go back with the urn…. You get no prizes for a massive advantage. You do get a prize, for winning… they lost however.

coolshannagh28

I watched day 3 ,even the Aussie commentators were expecting a declaration at lunch and were perplexed at England continuing to bat on a flat track where overs were obviously needed to make any inroads and rain definitely forecast. In hindsight a draw was probably inevitabe but it looked a poor decision at the time and under the circumstances.

Trampas

From the early declare on day 1 of first test to trying to get Jonny a century to show he should be in the team there’s been some strange decisions in this ashes. Australia trying to play time in a game they appear to get caught in two minds and end up playing worse. Stokes I guess will look back and regret some of the decisions. English supporters are busy trying to rewrite or come up with new rules than look at their team’s mistakes.

Strumms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ie%2F&source_ve_path=MzY4NDIsMjg2NjQsMTY0NTA2&feature=emb_share&v=yIqFH_dsmCw

this interview shows more then a little arrogance. “ To get on the wrong side weather…. “. When asked about if he’d any regrets about the first test which England probably should have won… he just dead eyed Athers and says ‘NO’.. from 3.22 but the whole interview is interesting…

a lot of questionable captaincy decisions.

wassie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888056#Comment_120888056

I can never understand why there isn't a reserve day for every single test match.

Never going to happen in mordern cricket. Effectively you would be having a 6 day test match. ICC had been considering 4 day test matches over the last few years. Theres some interesting arguements for and against which I wont go into. Plenty of articles on the interwebs.

Pure nonsense that a result is decided by the weather just makes a mockery of the sport in my opinion.

England did well in the the third test on the back of the Aussies having pretty much the worst of the weather conditions for both batting and bowling in each innings. If the Aussies won that coin toss, the result could easily have been reversed.

Rain delays happen, but the weather, along with the deterioration of the pitch and ball, is what gives the game variation and challenges not experienced in most other sports. Dull light favouring bowlers vs bright sunshine for batters, swinging the ball in humid conditions, a pace bowler having the wind behind their back etc.

Strumms

A reserve day has to be paid for too…

grounds people, stewards, first aid, police, catering, cleaners, security….for starters… transport

can’t be paying all those people for an extra standby day if it’s not needed, and you have to..….. that’s a few hundred people easily..plus their schedules..are they available ?

what about the broadcasters / media , sky…. between, commentators, lighting people, camera operators, riggers, drivers, producers, directors, other production staff over one hundreds people easily…. On standby pay …?

if you require someone to be free to work, in case ….they clear their schedule to facilitate, you need to pay em. Regardless of whether they do diddly squat or not…..I doubt that makes logistical or financial good sense. I don’t see reserve days becoming a staple for that reason….

another thing that bugs the bejaysus out of me as regards that stokes interview… aside from the BS… his attitude… straight away the zips down, hands in his pockets and throwing shapes like he’s in a Q for a bag of chips and a battered sausage after a night out….then swamping Athers and the cricket watchers with disingenuous BS.

MFPM

England have named an unchanged squad for the Oval, assuming everyone is fit, they'll probably go with the same team, Anderson is probably the most vulnerable.

wassie

I'd day it will be a swansong for Anderson given the series finale, given that there is less pressure on the team now. If anyone has ever been deserving of being entitled to a fitting send-off, he certainly fits the bill.

Strumms

If he’s not dropping Anderson he’s unlikely to be dropping Broad. My gut feeling is that both will play.

which is a shame. Yes England cannot do anything aside from tie the series but it would be a great opportunity as a captain to lay down a marker and tell people…” more then the individuals it’s about the team, we want to win the test, we’ve made changes we believe are appropriate in the hope of doing that… “ “ also it gives players xyz invaluable experience going forward “…

also, Moeen has done very little with the bat or ball since being brought back, one half century in the series and only from memory 3 wickets.

Stokes seems to place a huge emphasis on experience….and being loyal to that..

Anderson 41

Stuart Broad 37

Moeen Ali 36

Chris Woakes 34

Mark Wood 33

Only Robinson and Tongue can be considered youngsters in their prime ..

Dave0301

It is this kind of stuff that just makes the current "Bazball" stuff difficult to enjoy. You would swear that they were the saviours of cricket.

Richard Gould, chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, has told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that he will have talks with the International Cricket Council about the flexibility of Test match schedules.

"I will talk to Greg Barclay, the chair of the ICC for sure. Just in a sense of him understanding what England have done for Test cricket," Gould said.

"We've elevated that format and reinvented the way Test cricket is played now.

There's significantly more excitement and interest around Test cricket now, and this is part of that broader conversation to ensure that schedules can be more flexible to accommodate this type of strange eventuality."

MFPM

England unchanged as largely expected. Australia bring in Murphy for Green probably the simplest change to make.

Australia finally win a toss and bowl, looks like a bowling day. Weather seems broadly good until day 5..

dohboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120902518#Comment_120902518

There's always going to be a lot of guff around Bazball seeing as it's associated with England but as someone who has zero interest in the T20/franchise dross we've been served up with for years, I don't really care. Anything that elevates Test cricket is good in my eyes.

namloc1980

Crawley and Duckett gone quickly. Cummins looking good out there.

MFPM

England had got off to a flying start, Starc and Hazelwood were a bit erratic but there were a couple of chances put down Cummins has been excellent and deserved the wicket.

paulie21

Root gone now. Aussies will fancy their chances of bowling them out for a low score

MFPM

Root out for 5 bowled by Hazelwood, good comeback by Australia this morning.

paulie21

Brook survives, Carey should of had him

namloc1980

Very bad drop by Carey.

Strumms

England were cruising and had set the platform for a big score.

62/0 ———> 73/3 in double quick time. Lucky not to have lost a couple more, Australia have shelled some chances.

MFPM

Another dropped catch, the third of the day. Carey this time, really poor wicket keeping.

Mysterypunter

I didn't watch much of the Old Trafford test or this mornings play, but the better team are 97/3, clearly the better team, by far the better team, 2-2 would be a good result, they haven't lost the series, australia retained the ashes but haven't won the series, bazball uber alles, I appear to have been brainwashed by the English media, all hail Jonny Bairstow, better team, entertaining, better team, Jofra Archer would have bowled Australia out for 50, Jack Leach is a spin wizard, better team. Say it enough and you start to believe it

namloc1980

That drop by Carey costly now. Brook now on 45.

MFPM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120903200#Comment_120903200

50 up, yeah a costly drop. England scoring at not far off 5 per over.

Strumms

Must have been about 6 minutes between the end of that last over and the start of Murphys… chats, meetings,PPE being adjusted, field being moved

umpires…

Moeen in ODI mode, some good shots but a poor one sees him go.

MFPM

Good start by Murphy, Australia needed that. Brook and Ali have been brilliant.

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120903654#Comment_120903654

Poor captaincy. Ali injured and let stay out there and swing wildly

MFPM

Stokes bowled by Starc..Game in the balance here two quick wickets and England are behind, quick runs from Bairstow and a set Brook and England could be 300/5.

Furze99

If Bairstow goes cheaply now, it'll be gas! Games within games.