The Ashes 2021-22

Strumms · 19-12-2021 2:26pm

Well going into the final day Australia will be sleeping easily … England 82/4 and needing another 386 for victory, no level of Ben Stokes heroics will get England a victory and the probability of weather intervening in their favour to help enable a draw is so low it ain’t worth talking about…

the England tail is far too long to scrape through a full days play intact…. Four down, no chance whatsoever..only Pope and Butler to come before the bowlers…nahhhh not doable.

only having five batsmen is somewhat unbelievable in these conditions…hoping bits and pieces all rounders make up a decent score is a folly of a selection….

Perseverance The Second · 19-12-2021 2:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118341402#Comment_118341402

The ECB's problems are much larger than just neglecting the long forms of the game.

DAZN will be looking to offload those rights once BT sells up.

The ECB have been digging their own grave since 2005 when they decided to remove cricket from England's public eye and then failing to the get game out to state schools

They might actually benefit if they stop chasing the short term money by putting more games on free to air.

Although i do agree with the ECB in the sense that Twenty20 will need to become the overwhelming primary form of the game if the ECB have any hope of encouraging new people to get into the sport. People simply don't have the time in this day and age to spend time + money to watch the long forms of the game.

It would not surprise me if the Ashes moves to a Twenty20 format at some point.

Tom Mann Centuria · 19-12-2021 4:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118346531#Comment_118346531

Well the women's ashes is already multi-format, so it's not beyond the realms of possiblity.

ECB have moved on from T20, they've gone all in on the Hundred, but that's for another thread, this is about the misery of inept England getting their arses kicked.

Strumms · 20-12-2021 12:38am

You’ll never see the ashes be competed over the shorter formats…there have been 71 Ashes series, test format, you wouldn’t buy a ticket for love nor money pre covid… I tried and failed the last two series in England….. limited overs games are ok for a quick fire evenings entertainment but in terms of the spectrums of skill, patience, endeavour and overall ability, tests are THE test, the barometer of proving oneself and abilities as individuals and teams over 5 days…

Richard Hillman · 20-12-2021 12:43am

Didn't get to see today's play but hearing Ollie Robinson was bowling spin made me howl. The 2 tests in and it's beyond farcical. The ECB won't be able to do their usual thing of hanging somebody out to dry by sacking a captain or coach. The coach is new and they have nobody else to captain the team.

Richard Hillman · 20-12-2021 12:52am

The 3rd test they need to do something madly different.

I would go Buttler and Bairstow to open. Tell them try and get 50-60 odd off 30 balls. Play T20.

Buttler

Bairstow

Malan

Root

Lawrence

Stokes

Foakes (wk) (he's on the A Tour)

Parkinson/Crane (A Tour)

Broad

Wood

Anderson

Strumms · 20-12-2021 12:55am

Need to get their selection right…

four batsmen

four all rounders

three bowlers

So lower middle order is made up of bits and pieces cricketers… Pope needs to be dropped… give Crawley a shot at 6… at least he’s a batsman.

20-12-2021 1:03am

Hilarious how bad their leadership is. Whatever about Root the player, he’s a hopeless captain. A comedy of errors this tour.

Play the spinner on a practical dust bowl to batters who favour his type of spin. Let him get tonked, drop him. Then end up with 3 part timers bowling spin (including a medium pacer!) while Aus will expect to win tomorrow with a major contribution from their spinner. (As an aside, I’d pick Root’s offies over Leach but surely can’t be relying on your captains part timers)

Picking his mates too. Love Buttler the one day player but he is probably England’s 3rd best Keeper at this level and wouldn’t be warranting a place with the bat (unless you go ODI mode as above).

Management (and Stokes himself) will drive Stokes into the ground, possibly to the point he takes a recovery or injury break again. Probably happen to Wood too, might sneak 3 tests out of him. They ruined Archer too.

I used to laugh at them a few years back when their team was practically all rounders, I remember Moeen at 3 even. But beats this shambles, they may as well go back to that. Bring Livingstone in, Woakes at 8/9 and bat to 9/10 in the hope of getting 300.

Gillespy · 20-12-2021 1:43am

Day night from Australia doesn't suit me at all this time of year. I want to stay up rather than get up early. 4am start is fine for India and Sri Lanka in February and the spring.

Didn't watch a ball of day four either. I knew Robinson bowled some off spin. It was done for over rate reasons and apparently he got more turn than Leach. Bad look all around really that.

The Buttler experiment has failed and it cost Bairstow his test career. He's never going to be their Gilchrist. Time to give Foakes his turn next series.

Richard Hillman · 20-12-2021 11:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118349700#Comment_118349700

They were actually quite decent when the team was filled with all rounders. The likes of Ali, Curran, Woakes coming in late on and putting up quick runs was very demoralising for the opposition. They were putting together good partnerships and regularly got 300+ scores. But it was almost as if they felt guilty about it because they were starting off at 20/2 every test.

Their top order was failing and getting bailed out by the lower order. Then they basically just did what Sky Sports pundits told them to do and got rid of the all-rounders, put "specialist" batsmen/bowlers in and ended up regressing.

Your team score is the most important part of batting. Not the people or positions the runs come in. Can your team get 20 wickets and can you score around 600 odd runs in the test.

Strumms · 20-12-2021 1:46pm

The only thing that’s going to save England from a whitewash 5-0 might be the weather. 236 and 192 are not totals that would enable you to beat Sri Lanka never mind Australia…

Can’t pick the right side / squad

Can’t score enough runs

Cant take enough wickets

The problems are endemic… the leadership as always hide behind soundbites… they say absolutely nothing…. Root as great a batsman / cricketer… just isn’t a captain… it’s glaringly obvious.. his loyalty needs to be to enable winning… being loyal to underperforming and misfiring players is stupidity of the highest order, boneheaded captaincy… be loyal to obtaining results, to your country, supporters…but loyal to misfiring players ?

look at the averages of the English batsmen, poor in the main…. Look at the international wickets outside of Broad and Anderson… Mark Wood averages 3 wickets… PER TEST… so what’s he doing there ? Yeah he speaks well in interviews…

the great thing about cricket is it’s not like football where everything is subjective pretty much… statistics tell you everything in cricket… not enough runs or wickets or the ability or likelihood to change that…statistics tell us unless something changes dramatically this is going to get seriously ugly for Root and co.

Strumms · 20-12-2021 7:20pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_2cBdFlV_Y

excellent vodcast above…pretty spot on, very critical of Root, the team selection and tactical flaws.

Tom Mann Centuria · 20-12-2021 7:25pm

Good article in the Guardian too. Root and Silverwood company men who have let the ECB do as they wish and this is the result. Scathing stuff, he also mentioned on twitter he thought Root was good at blaming everyone else, when he was on the pitch and letting them do all the things he was critical of.

https://twitter.com/guardian_sport/status/1472990287224053767?t=OU3N_WX5o82lIx7Cus6wBg&s=19

Richard Hillman · 20-12-2021 10:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118351313#Comment_118351313

I'll always remember how Root became captain and it isn't a slight in Joe Root. They had just been hammered in India. Jennings and Hameed had a decent series in India and Sri Lanka. Cook was hung out to dry, he was the fall guy. That absolute slimeball Paul Farbrace went out and did an interview saying it was up to Cook to stand down and that they wouldn't remove him as captain. Which is basically your public vote of no confidence. They had these new opening young guns in Hameed and Jennings. Cook was dispensable.

Cook stood down for Joe Root who had never captained a team before. It wasn't that Joe Root could set better fields or make clever bowling changes, you know, that stuff that Captains do. They just needed a fall guy for that tour and it was Cook.

4-5 years later, Cook is probably still their best opening batsman and he's semi retired.

Somebody will be a fall guy for this series. They'll probably go back to old reliable of dropping Stuart Broad for no apparent reason. And sure throw Jimmy in there for good measure. Another new beginning. Anything to deflect from the fact that the team had been mismanaged for near 10 years since the KP debacle. Then reacting to whatever the media want them to do.

Anyway, they have the hundred next summer. That will produce a top Opening Test Batsman.

Strumms · 20-12-2021 10:27pm

interview with Farbrace… interesting..not everyone’s cup of tea but he talks a decent amount of sense….as relates to this situation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibVTioAl4XM

21-12-2021 12:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118350604#Comment_118350604

Absolutely. I say I laughed as in it was so strange that they batted til number 10 in some tests and had 7/8 bowling options. It definitely works for them at home. Whereas now they’re guaranteed to go from 2 down to all out in the space of 100 runs

One thing they’ve probably got right it is picking Malan specifically for overseas tests. Certain players suit certain environments and other teams (NZ/India) use this regularly. Shocked at the Wood statistic above of 3 wickets per match, he’s just being picked on pace alone at this stage? Injury liability too

Funny how Harris has stank out the place opening for Aus too but will probably last the 5 tests.

VillaMad · 24-12-2021 3:32pm

The 3rd test begins on Saturday night/Sunday morning with the iconic MCG Boxing Day Test Match.

Australia will still be without Josh Hazlewood who didn't bowl in training today, but will welcome back Pat Cummins. Cummins will most likely replace Neser.

England look likely to drop Rory Burns and replace him with Zak Crawley, who will be playing his first match for 3 months. Mark Wood will return and Jack Leach is also looking good to feature, which means that Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes will probably miss out. The England selectors are said to be 50/50 with Pope being replaced by Bairstow.

I see that Joe Root is getting a good deal of criticism for his captaincy and that is correct, but the problem for England is that the captain has to be a nailed on starter for every test match and he really is the only certain starter in that England team apart from perhaps Ben Stokes and with his all issues recently, the last thing he would want or need is the test captaincy. It's his job for the forseeable future, simply because there is nobody else.

Strumms · 24-12-2021 3:49pm

Crawley I’m not so sure unless it’s at 6 … 15 tests and averaging 28.3….. bringing in Bairstow is a no brainer.

the only thing in Zak’s favour is that he is still just 23. If he is 25/26 with that average and misfiring performances he’s done Internationally.

Gillespy · 24-12-2021 5:12pm

Bairstow's output has fallen off a cliff and will be very fortunate to play I think. Give Lawrence a go instead. I read somewhere he scored a lot of runs in Australia on a Lions tour a few years ago.

Crawley is still young and his 267 against Pakistan was that special he is worth persisting with.

For Australia Hazelwood isn't ready yet. Cummins will be back.

Strumms · 24-12-2021 5:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118370344#Comment_118370344

27.23 is Lawrence’s average, top score of 81 and after 8 tests he’s taken only a single wicket…think you’d have to go with experience..

Richard Hillman · 24-12-2021 6:06pm

I think Crawley is suited to Australia. As somebody on TV said last week, he's very tall so will be able to handle the short ball better.

In reference to Bairstow or Lawrence. It think they have nothing to lose in terms of Lawrence. The series is a write off. He did alright in India, compared to the rest of the team. Give him a run out in Australia and see what he can do.

Plus they blatantly don't want to play Leach. You can share the spin overs with him, Root and Malan. Play Anderson, Broad, Wood and Stokes as your seamers. They'll be batting deep down to number 8, 3 main bowling options and Stokes, Root, Lawrence as the back up. With a bit of Malan if they are bowling for a couple of days.

VillaMad · 25-12-2021 12:55am

Big surprise by Australia with 32-year-old Scott Boland getting the nod ahead of Neser and Richardson who pulled up sore after the last test match.

Boland had initially been brought in as cover but will now play at a ground he knows well after taking 8-89 in the match for Victoria earlier this season off almost 50 overs bowled.

25-12-2021 1:03am

Boland seems a little left field but Australia quite good usually at selecting the right players in the right grounds.

Agree with above, England will/should do anything to avoid Leach starting. Lawrence would be a good spin option at 6 but I can’t see them not picking Bairstow. I don’t get Burns being dropped but not Hameed, both brittle, walking wickets. Obviously they’d have to bring Crawley, Lawrence & Bairstow in then.

I’m surprised they haven’t picked Livingstone at some point tbh. They’ve generally taken one day form into account in selections until very recently.

VillaMad · 25-12-2021 1:16am

England confirmed their line-up just moments ago also with the four expected changes with Crawley, Bairstow, Wood and Leach replacing Burns, Pope, Woakes and Broad.

England: Hameed, Crawley, Malan, Root, Stokes, Bairstow, Buttler, Wood, Robinson, Leach, Anderson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118371542#Comment_118371542

Livingstone has only played 8 red ball matches in two years and has been disappointing with an average of just 14.75. The ECB's preference for the shorter form of the game and playing most of the first class cricket season in April/May and then concluding in August/September when the pitches are fairly poor is coming to roost now for the test side.

25-12-2021 1:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118371565#Comment_118371565

Surprised about Leach; though in fairness if they never played him after the first test they’d have finished his career practically.

I agree on his record etc, just kind of thinking out loud how he was the kind of X factor player they’d pluck from one day level. It got me thinking of how they thought Jason Roy could be a test opener..

Richard Hillman · 25-12-2021 3:09pm

It says a lot about what they think of Dom Bess if they are still going to persist with Leach.

They are playing Leach fully in the knowledge that he is going to get battered. They know that he's going to get battered. Joe Root knows that Leach will be battered. Jack Leach knows that he's going to be battered. He's literally only playing because some people in the media think they should have played a spinner in the last test.

They didn't play Leach in the last test because they knew he would be battered. So they thought screw it, we'll try and get the extra wickets with seam.

Gillespy · 25-12-2021 3:28pm

The rubbish Bess bowls might actually work better if the Australians want to take on the spinner so aggressively. Leach has be praying the seamers keep chipping away and he doesn't come on trying to break a big partnership.

Strumms · 25-12-2021 7:20pm

Be an interesting watch to see if these changes reinvigorate the England team… I think the right calls with maybe the Leach selection being the odd one… personally I’d have picked another batsman instead of Leach and tried to get a few overs out of Root about 12 overs an innings just to provide some relief for the quick men but hey…. It’s a must win match so brave and thorough changes were needed… that’s happened so let’s see if that can put an injection of impetus to the English 11…

weather looks very good for the entire test which is great.

25-12-2021 11:16pm

I suppose if you’re playing a fast like Wood who’s so fragile, you really need a spinner to make up the overs that your fast bowler can’t bowl. Saying that, Root is a better spinner at this rate.

They don’t fancy Bess at all. Most of his wickets have been gimmes or flukes, at one point he looked a better batter than bowler. They’ve struggled to get him game time too in the championship.

Richard Hillman · 26-12-2021 12:08am

Looking at the conditions, it's bowl first all day. The first 2 days are an England summer. Root needs to flip and play Broad.

Xander10 · 26-12-2021 12:10am

What time does it start

TrueDub · 26-12-2021 12:12am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118373303#Comment_118373303

2330 - toss delayed by rain though.

Strumms · 26-12-2021 12:13am

Covers are off so looking likely we’ll have an on time start or close to it

Gillespy · 26-12-2021 1:07am

Gower and Tubbs on commentary. Welcome upgrade.

Strumms · 26-12-2021 1:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118373306#Comment_118373306

23 minutes late starting but they still proceed with the Anthems, and cultural speech from herself…play cricket ffs.

Hameed got a good one but plays another horror shot to loose his wicket…Youth on his side but when you average 29 after 8 tests…

horror start Crawley gone now… nice catch but very poor shot.. had to work a ball on that line into leg.

26-12-2021 1:50am

Jokeworthy opening partnership again. They invite so much pressure onto themselves.

Cummins unplayable though, joy to watch. Let’s see if this is the game Root gets that 100 he’s talking about..

Gillespy · 26-12-2021 3:15am

It was looking a positive session for England after being inserted until the last minute when Malan fell. Cummins head and shoulders above the other bowlers.

Root doing his usual thing and making batting look easy. He hasn't a hundred in Australia yet, he's batting too well to not get one this time surely.

Strumms · 26-12-2021 3:16am

Yes, architects of their own downfall… putting themselves behind the 8 ball, yet again…Malan gone on the stroke of lunch.. never looked comfortable. 66 balls to score 14 runs…1 boundary…

openers are beyond hopeless yet again… there is batting to come but Root, Stokes, Bairstow and Buttler are going to have to put on the guts of 200 between them just to keep England in this…. That’s all the pressure on the middle order…

interesting to see what the English management do for the West Indies Tour and the home series vs New Zealand as regards the top of that batting order.

Strumms · 26-12-2021 4:17am

Root goes, he was playing pretty good then a terrible shot to an average delivery and he’s gone..

big hour for Bairstow…and England…

Aussies appealing for everything with gusto… putting pressure on batsmen and umpires… last delivery going over by about 18 inches but everyone up in unison enthusiastically looking for LBW .

BingCrosbee · 26-12-2021 4:38am

I’m here in Melbourne for Christmas and was bought a ticket for the Ashes today but have absolutely no interest in cricket and the ticket is going to waste unfortunately.

Strumms · 26-12-2021 5:12am

Stokes gone for 2 off Greens bowling … a number 11 would be a little annoyed getting out playing that shot.

green has bowled 8 overs, conceded 7 runs and taken a very important wicket.. seriously impressive by the young man.

Strumms · 26-12-2021 5:57am

just amazed again at Butler’s absolute ineptitude with the bat… 14 innings since Jos Buttler last scored a half century… out cheaply yet again…. To a delivery that never should have troubled him. Batting like a number 10…

Royale with Cheese · 26-12-2021 1:35pm

Couldn't sleep so much watched from just before Stokes wicket to the end of England's innings. Jos Buttler is a fine one day player but that shot he played to get out... I'd say his place must surely be under threat now but without any obvious replacement for him or Bairstow at 6 if he moves to 7 then maybe not. What's happened to Ben Foakes?

VillaMad · 26-12-2021 2:43pm

Went to bed when Crawley got out as we've seen it all before. Want to enjoy the Ashes but with it being so one-sided it's almost a chore to watch it now. Even the Australians must be starting to get bored with the lack of a challenge.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118374195#Comment_118374195

I'd imagine that Buttler will retire from Test Cricket at the very least, at the end of the series and Foakes will be the new number one from then on. Buttler's potential has always kept him ahead of Foakes but he is a busted fish at Test level.

Foakes really should have come into the team now and was with the England Lions, but they mostly all flown home with only 4 players from that squad still in Australia in Bess, Abell, Brook and Mahmood.

Perseverance The Second · 26-12-2021 4:12pm

I will be surprised if the Ashes remains in the Test Cricket format within 10 years time.

I just can't see how anyone would want to watch such a one sided series of games over and over again.

I bet the ECB will start to be worried about the TV rights as the level of interest in the Ashes continues to decline.

Gillespy · 26-12-2021 5:23pm

The Ashes in England are fine, seldom a bad game let alone series. Australia haven't won in England since 2001 but they've always been very competitive.

England can't cope at all out there. Worse its getting every time it seems. Players just aren't there. Revamping the system will take years to show on the field. Is the quick fix of a few South Africans gone now? Best bet in the medium term.

VillaMad · 26-12-2021 11:41pm

https://twitter.com/WisdenCricket/status/1475233126020485120

Would be one way to get out of playing the rest of the series.

Gillespy · 26-12-2021 11:56pm

England given the all clear to leave their hotel for the ground. Five nil is still on.

27-12-2021 1:00am

I’d say they’ll do well to see out this test. Australia been fairly strict with regards protocols even with professional sports so you’d have to worry about the rest of the series.

Strumms · 27-12-2021 1:18am

Much needed early wicket….. all be it just to dispatch the night watchman….

commentator laying into Joe Roots captaincy for the get go..

The Ashes 2021-22

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