The Ashes 2021-22

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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