The Ashes 2021-22

Richard Hillman · 27-12-2021 1:21am

Ian Chappell doesn't fancy Joe Root at all 😂

This is why it's important to have older guys in the commentary box. They don't give a ****, they are not looking for jobs within the system and they are removed from the players personally.

Strumms · 27-12-2021 2:22am

Yeah he went to town on him as a captain… saying what a lot of people have been thinking.

Strumms · 27-12-2021 4:17am

To say that Leech hadn’t looked threatening is an understatement but he almost takes a wicket but Jos Buttler can’t complete the stumping… not the easiest of takes but Buttler seemed to react late to the spin and line the ball took…. Feet looked anchored in the ground…

27-12-2021 9:28am

Australia bowled excellently but another collapse. 31/4. How do they do it? Their top order is shocking.

SeeMoreBut · 27-12-2021 10:22am

Root probably should stand down as captain but who replaces him. Only player who would play ever game is stokes. So really stuck with him.

2 years preparing for this and this is what they managed to do. Silverwood should be gone. He got all the power and done nothing. All sound bites. Sticking to plan instead of what’s in front of them

Gillespy · 27-12-2021 2:19pm

Malan is the only loss really, who got a poor lbw decision. Leach and the openers got as many as expected. The main thing for England is Root survived. But that was brutal stuff from the Australians.

England bowlers again did their job though. Jimmy Anderson since turning 35 has taken 158 wickets at 21. In Sri Lanka, India and Australia this year he is averaging 12.9. Only a moron would call him Clouderson these days.

Strumms · 27-12-2021 3:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118377052#Comment_118377052

Root has to be gone… he doesn’t look the part and in front of the media he doesn’t sound or act the part….he never looks or sounds like a leader… might be different behind the scenes but I’d doubt it. Just doesn’t inspire….it’s not only overseeing poor performances it’s overseeing dubious selections…

Ben Stokes might be worth a punt… hes 30 now so he has relevant experience and leadership experience of the limited overs side….would he want it however ?

the team desperately need three new batsmen sharpish….

31/4 after posting 185 is a joke of a performance. A fair chance this test is over before the end of day 3…

Strumms · 27-12-2021 3:28pm

Borland has had a debut he’ll never forget…

Bowled one over and taken two wickets…

Gillespy · 27-12-2021 3:35pm

Root would look a fine captain with a few batsmen that even average low 40s and a good spinner. It's as simple as that really.

Does Stokes want the job? I recall him saying he didn't enjoy the one off test he captained. Which he lost as well by the way.

The best part of the Ian Chappell rant was the piece of paper handed to them saying Wood wasn't eligible to bowl for 18 minutes. Just as he was about done. I did enjoy hearing him again though but as ever, a bit like Holding, it was all better back in his day.

Strumms · 27-12-2021 3:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118378023#Comment_118378023

he isn’t picking them…

he’s got a batsman opening with a first class average of 32 ! The fûck did he think was going to happen with a young mediocre player like Hameed who averages 32 domestically ? That he was going to Australia and come away averaging 40ish ? What kind of logic is that ?

best leaders are people who with limited resources get good results…

then there is Root and co.

Stokes doesn’t want it they are donald ducked.

Gillespy · 27-12-2021 4:08pm

He can't pick players that don't exist. Loads of the options were tried, given a good number of games and none were at the level required.

Stokes is vice captain and appears to have a lot of influence. If he had the magic words that will turn the likes of Burns and Hameed into prime Atherton and Cook he'd have tried it already. All Root's problems will still be the next captain's problems is my point. I don't expect him to survive but I don't see the next captain being any more successful.

27-12-2021 5:30pm

No idea who they could give the captaincy to. Buttler retired/dropped after this series. Stokes seemingly doesn’t want it, has enough pressure trying to carry their batting and bowling.

Who else is guaranteed a place at the moment? Malan, but only just. Foakes into keep and captain? Long shot. Ali might have been a shout until they dropped him and he retired. Can’t go Broad/Anderson as they only play 50% of games. They’ve no easy answers if root goes or is pushed.

Strumms · 28-12-2021 12:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118378126#Comment_118378126

True there is a dearth of talent really… but I’d rather see change and try something as opposed to pick somebody who by and large fails for 9 tests or whatever.

Strumms · 28-12-2021 12:22am

Joe Clarke could be worth a look but he has been involved or close to involved in some unsavoury off the field stuff I’m reading..18 100’s and 23 50’s in the first class game, only 25.

28-12-2021 12:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118380253#Comment_118380253

Bashing it in the BBL at the moment. Probably seen as a white ball prospect too. Right route for him as doesn’t look like ECB would touch him over the text thing.

Strumms · 28-12-2021 12:53am

Stokes with a poor shot, zero footwork to a decent delivery from Starc… a lazy shot bereft of technique…and he’s gone.

28-12-2021 1:08am

I know stokes has had injury and personal issues; he hasn’t looked in anyway comfortable at all this series.

Should have been alarm bells when England were pinning their hopes on him.

Gillespy · 28-12-2021 1:30am

Neutral umpires should be back by now. It made sense at the time with more restrictive travel and playing in empty grounds.

Bairstow umpire's call on impact and on hitting. Shouldn't be given out when that marginal. Same umpire that did for Malan.

28-12-2021 1:36am

And goodnight. Only question now is will Aus have to bat again. A sorry batting effort once again.

(figures for Boland! 3-1-5-4)

28-12-2021 1:42am

Make that 5-5! Talk about dream debuts. And brilliant selection too.

28-12-2021 1:54am

Special achievement to lose by an innings to a score of 267.

Strumms · 28-12-2021 1:54am

Boland 6-7

id say heads will roll.. that has to the end of Silverwood and possibly Root as captain although he might hold the captaincy with Silverwood scapegoated as Root seems teflon …

England 68 all out.

Out of six batting innings in this series, England have scored 200 + only twice…

kind of regretted the BT sports subscription not close to competitive.

Royale with Cheese · 28-12-2021 1:59am

Decided to stay up and watch the first hour, at 12.30 I thought I might as well see the end. Didn't take long after that.

They can remove Root as captain and drop half the team but I don't see it making much difference, they just don't have the players at Test level anymore. Root, Stokes, Anderson (can't have long left now either) and Robinson probably the only 4 you'd think would definitely keep their places if there was another full 11 knocking on the door, there just isn't though.

Gillespy · 28-12-2021 2:13am

Fell asunder faster than usual. Ashes retained without really breaking sweat. Langer after being under pressure has won the T20 world cup and the Ashes in the space of a month.

Strumms · 28-12-2021 2:22am

So far from being competitive… a real damp squib of an Ashes..or shîte to be less diplomatic…

5 T20’s vs the West Indies and 3 tests now… be interesting to see who is at the helm there.

maybe it’s covid related but I hate the idea of 5 T20’s which is basically a swing fest ahead of another test.

StringerBell · 28-12-2021 2:37am

Embarrassing from England but full credit to Australia, in particular the bowlers who didn't take their foot off the batters necks at all. Gave them nothing, big inquest coming from England, reset needed without doubt and simply removing the coach or sacking the captain isn't going to get it done.

Richard Hillman · 28-12-2021 2:58am

England pretty muchplay their entire county season outside of their peak batting months of July and August. White ball cricket is their problem. It's blatantly obvious.

Who is a batsman rather going to face in April, May, September? 45 year old Darren Stevens or a young Steve Harmison? Outrageously, it's going to be a young Steve Harmison.

Strumms · 28-12-2021 3:10am

The problem is 20/20 puts bums on seats and tills ringing… and fills the pockets of players who are flying around the world to play it..shots, fireworks, cheerleaders… it’s cheap, accessible and entertaining, to a point…

4 day county cricket the longest form of the club game… the ultimate test of ability, patience, strategy and game management… the closest thing to tests but less accessible and suddenly less appealing….in some quarters..

SeeMoreBut · 28-12-2021 10:00am

Silverwood has to go. He was given all the power and came up with this.

Batters are just terrible. Apart from Root none of them can complain if dropped. I’d include Stokes in that.

Bowlers job is made much harder as nothing to bowl with. They’ve no spinner of note. Never mind world class who’ll take a bag full of wicket. Can’t even tie up an end to give the faster bowlers a rest.

Root probably stay on as skip as nobody else to take up the role even though he’s not a good captain.

Richard Hillman · 28-12-2021 2:13pm

ECB took test cricket off TV 16 years ago, just after the 2005 Ashes. They said the deal was too good to turn down, that the money will go to investing in youth cricket. Which will make them better at Test Cricket.

16 years later, kids don't play cricket anymore, participation levels have fallen through the floor, the extra money "invested" doesn't seem to have been apparent anywhere.

So they have invented The Hundred to raise money and gets into cricket. But have also completed decimated the county season by putting it in April, May and September.

How is any of this making them better at Test Cricket?

The big wigs at the ECB have had this coming. They have ruined their cricketing predigee. Did absolutely nothing to build long term on 2005, apart from cash in once on a TV deal. Prioritized white ball Cricket. Created a nonsense new form of the game. All for quick cash but with no heritage.

Their world cup win will be forgotten about in a couple of years, if they don't win the next one. Their hundred champions will be forgotten about a day or 2 later. T20 blast finals forgotten about a day or 2 later. T20 World Cup Final forgotten about a month or two later. I remember Australia winning, I can't remember a job about the final.

Things that do get remembered:

Getting battered in Australia

Stokes singled handedly beating Australia

Beating Australia in Australia

The 2005 Ashes

Butcher v Australia

Atherton v Donald

Botham's Ashes

Nasser Hussain's toss decision in Brisbane. Jesus, one bad toss in Test Cricket is still talked about 20 years later. Nobody can remember them winning the T20 World Cup back in 201*.

They have completely abandoned the stuff that actually matters. And the same can be said about the Cowboys running Cricket Ireland.

Richard Hillman · 28-12-2021 2:31pm

Also there will be sacrificial lambs for this.

Silverwood will be sacked. Thorpe will be sacked for the batting failures. Broad will be retired and they'll tell Anderson to quit at the end of the summer. They are "focusing on youth", you know pretending to be doing something about it. A "root and branch review" will take place. A madey up job will be created. The marketing buzz words like "improving diversity" will be used a lot to keep the media happy. You know, because having "diversity" at board level improves a players ability to block a ball.

Essentially nothing will change and Test cricket will still suffer.

Gillespy · 28-12-2021 5:18pm

Similar to the FIA setting up a commission to look into the what happened at the Abu Dhabi grand prix. Nothing meaningful will come of it. One thing is very noticeable is the stark contrast between the cricket media and F1 media. F1 just accepted it and shrugged their shoulders. No outrage at all really. Cricket media is out for blood at all levels. So that's good at least they'll keep the pressure on.

The diversity stuff was inevitable after the Yorkshire scandal. Low hanging fruit and will be celebrated like it really matters.

Strumms · 28-12-2021 8:16pm

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

a good watch

Strumms · 28-12-2021 8:20pm

Looking at the Aussie team…just won the ashes.. if it was in England some of the comments or even the headlines would probably be critical of their selectors for not having a more ‘diverse’ squad…

won a major competition in double quick time , the English nowhere near getting a look in but a team full of white lads…. A disgrace !

Richard Hillman · 29-12-2021 4:22pm

https://twitter.com/thecompdog/status/1476121029202305034?t=H5LlfBB_djEnwBdRFONl4A&s=19

Ouch

Strumms · 30-12-2021 7:09am

Nick Compton (@thecompdog) Tweeted: Gary Kirsten was offered the England Job but was usurped by Silverwood in final hour because of a better PP presentation. It was a set up to appease Giles who didn’t want to be challenged. Since then he’s employed his mates to take on significant roles. Change is needed

https://twitter.com/thecompdog/status/1476121029202305034?s=20

Compton is a fairly reliable cricket observer / commentator / recently enough retired international….

i wouldn’t have much time for Giles, anytime he opens his mouth it’s clear and obvious that it’s just a party political broadcast on behalf the ECB as opposed to the truth of the subject..

VillaMad · 04-01-2022 5:49pm

Fourth Test begins tonight at 11:30 in Sydney as Australia look to go 4-0 up in the series.

One change for both sides. Khawaja replaces Head and Broad is in for Robinson. Hazlewood isn't available to return so Scott Boland retains his place. The pitch at the SCG has known to be pretty flat but the only Sheffield Shield game played there this season, no side scored above 300.

Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Marcus Harris, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Usman Khawaja, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Scott Boland

England: 1 Haseeb Hameed, 2 Zak Crawley, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Joe Root, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Mark Wood, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson

Hopefully, this match may last a bit longer but I wouldn't bet on it.

Gillespy · 04-01-2022 7:48pm

Weather isn't looking great for it.

Very uninspiring team by England. If Robinson has to miss out, why not get Mahmood in. No changes in the batting after losing by an innings.

Strumms · 05-01-2022 12:13am

yep, that’s the level of thinking…it’s either…

A - we don’t believe we have been picking the wrong team

or

B - we’ve picked the wrong squad because we don’t trust the players in reserve to come in and perform..

Strumms · 05-01-2022 2:05am

About to resume after the rain delay, the ashes… and David Warner and Stuart Broad laughing and joking together…. Warner has plenty to laugh about being 3-0 up and having won the Ashes but if I’m Stuart Broad I’d be a little more aware as to how that could be translated back home… I’d be more of a mind to be wanting to tickle Warners throat with that Kookaburra then tickle his funny bone…

only 8 runs scored off the first 6…

VillaMad · 05-01-2022 4:47pm

Rain affected the play all day with only half the overs bowled and that may appear England's only hope of avoiding 5-0 as it seems to be forecast for the whole 5 days.

As for action itself, Australia dominated for most of it until 2 wickets later on gave England some respectability.

Gillespy · 05-01-2022 5:17pm

Just seen that Mark Wood average speed was 92.5 mph. Got the number one batsman out cheaply again. Deserves a few more wickets for how he's bowled.

Strumms · 05-01-2022 10:59pm

always think Wood bowls a couple of feet shorter then he ought to… I’d like to see him find a better fuller length and at that speed the line to induce the outside edge…too many of his deliveries are not challenging the outside edge, the pad and stumps… lots of what he bowls is hard enough to score off but easy to leave…

Strumms · 06-01-2022 2:15am

What the thundering fûck is Root at…. Stokes and Wood bowling to a field with zero slips. England need wickets I hate idiot conservative people and conservativeness like that… then Root drops a dolly off Leach… an armless gorilla would have caught that…

just as well he can bat a bit.. now Leach has a slip while the quicks still have none.

Aussies have been let of the hook by incompetent captaincy….

Gillespy · 06-01-2022 4:29pm

Broad spitting facts saying it doesn't matter what bowlers are played if you're bowled out for 140. Doesn't say much for the morale and team spirit saying that to the media though.

Sensing a bit of doubt about how much longer Broad will play on for. Just a few comments from the likes of Dobell and Wisden. Sky have two commentary slots to fill and he has worked there and might fancy it.

Strumms · 07-01-2022 1:40am

Good drying weather..26kmh winds plus 25 degrees over there.. no more rain until about 19.00

Strumms · 07-01-2022 2:41am

13 runs off 57 deliveries

then Hameed again, bowled ! 6 runs off 26 deliveries… eventually goes to a terrible shot to a straight-ish delivery hitting middle stump two thirds way up. Nowhere near the ball and nowhere near good enough… his technique nowhere, being recognised by both Butcher and co-commentator … tail-ender-esque unfortunately…. Nothing he’s done in his intercounty career or his early test career suggest that he’s an international test cricketer… he’s done a lot to suggest he’s nowhere near international class… continues to do so… his sixth single figure score in a row…jeeez… must be a host of openers back in England scratching their heads shouting at the TV…

36% of the overs bowled by Australia, 21.5 have been maidens.

Cook trying to excuse the lack of warm up games because of covid…. Did Australia have warm up games ? If they did, why didn’t England ? if they didn’t either how come England if my memory is correct haven’t scored more then 300 in an innings ? Australia have on 3 occasions.

Edit :

England just went 70 balls without scoring a single run…fukkkkkkkk

Xander10 · 08-01-2022 12:47am

all out 294, still not reached the 300.

Australia to score fast to add to 122 lead.

Strumms · 08-01-2022 1:05am

And Root needing wickets and…two slips and and edge goes to where 3rd would be….

Xander10 · 08-01-2022 1:11am

A waste of a review by root. All feels a bit desperate

The Ashes 2021-22

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