Cricket - Matches & General Discussion Thread

[Tommygilf]

3 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

The Ashes: Mayors urge ECB to rethink venues for 2027 series - BBC Sport

You can't not play at Lords, so maybe The Oval should miss out occasionally. If not, maybe they should do it so that it's always at least one of Edgbaston/Trent Bridge (as that covers the midlands), and one of Old Trafford/Headingley (to cover the north).

Ultimately, somewhere is going to have to miss out. Perhaps if the women start playing three tests, that would give those grounds something to look forward to.

It is poor that 2 well loved and supported by fans grounds more than an hour and a half train ride away from London are being dropped. Ticket price increases inbound too? If Kent or Essex get larger grounds watch Edgebaston and Trent Bridge get dropped too.

Its poor too considering that so many of the cricket team are Northerners. I think people could understand if it was 1 ground or the other, that would still be a bit naff but at least it would include 1 northern ground. 

[bobbruce]

I still don’t get why Wood isn’t bowling. He bowled well in that over before lunch but not seen him since. 

[bobbruce]

1 minute ago, bobbruce said:

I still don’t get why Wood isn’t bowling. He bowled well in that over before lunch but not seen him since. 

Sorry before tea. 

[bobbruce]

Ah here we go. 

[Old Frightful]

40 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

Ah here we go. 

"Here we go again!"

As the mighty David Coverdale once bawled out...

(Rather than bowled out!).

[Old Frightful]

Woop woop...Wood strikes again!

[DavidM]

This would be funny if it wasn’t so unfunny

[17 stone giant]

Very disappointing two hours of cricket. Have to give Australia credit for the way they've played, but I thought England would be absolutely fired up for this - the crowd too - but it's just felt flat.

Desperately need something to spark things - either a bit of brilliance, or a bit of luck.

[17 stone giant]

That'll do nicely. Labuschagne out. Come on now boys!

[17 stone giant]

We're done, aren't we? The forecast is ###### for tomorrow. Those 2 hours or so today were our chance. There won't be enough play tomorrow (if there's any at all) to get them out. Please tell me I'm wrong.

[GeordieSaint]

17 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

We're done, aren't we? The forecast is ###### for tomorrow. Those 2 hours or so today were our chance. There won't be enough play tomorrow (if there's any at all) to get them out. Please tell me I'm wrong.

You are not wrong.

[gingerjon]

Your reminder, though, that we will lose or draw the series, and not win it, because of our failure to take routine chances in the first two matches in the series.

This rain in Manchester would be irrelevant if we'd fielded well when it mattered.

[DavidM]

33 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Your reminder, though, that we will lose or draw the series, and not win it, because of our failure to take routine chances in the first two matches in the series.

This rain in Manchester would be irrelevant if we'd fielded well when it mattered.

Yes we have driven a lot of the series but are 2-1 down . We should be at least 2-1 up . We definitely should have won at edgbaston and had full control at Lords , Lyon limped off and then we totally imploded 

[17 stone giant]

Massive missed opportunity for England this series. Ultimately, they only have themselves to blame. They had the luck of the toss four times, arguably the better of the weather conditions throughout, and yet they need to win at The Oval just to draw the series.

[Futtocks]

The Aussies should feel pretty relieved by a drawn series (if we can win the 5th test). Just hoping for a good game at the Oval.

[DavidM]

Still a big game . It’ll be a travesty of a mockery of a sham if they win 3-1

[phiggins]

19 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Your reminder, though, that we will lose or draw the series, and not win it, because of our failure to take routine chances in the first two matches in the series.

This rain in Manchester would be irrelevant if we'd fielded well when it mattered.

Yes. And a lot of that driven by the decision to give Bairstow the gloves. I found myself getting irritated with him again when he did his interview after his 99no, where he tried to defend himself against his critics with "I've not kept wicket for three years". That' precisely the point Jonny, you don't use the first three ashes tests to prepare for the last two! 

Specifically on the 4th test, I'm still struggling to understand the decision to bat on after lunch on day 3. We all knew the forecast, and that the bulk of the work would need to be done within 3 days. Declaring at lunch would've put the aussies under much more pressure and given England more time with a reverse swinging ball as well. Once the rain came and the outfield got wet, that was never going to happen in the brief play on Saturday.

[Wolford6]

Winning wouldbe nice, but England came much closer than they would have 2 years ago.

It's a work in progress for both teams to ponder.

England need to replace James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Olly Robinson is regularly injured, Archer is always injured, Olly Stone has hardly played since last season. Mark Wood is always one match away from layoff with  an ankle or back strain. For the hot grind in India, both Overtons might be the best choice to do the job.

Both sides need a back-up spinner. I think Stokes should give it a try in county games, like Botham did when fast bowling was putting too much strain on his body.

Australia need to replace Warner and need a better all-rounder than Green. All their fast bowlers are getting old together. Smith started out as a leg spinner but doesn't bowl much, if at all, these days; seems strange.

 

[DavidM]

5 hours ago, Wolford6 said:

Winning wouldbe nice, but England came much closer than they would have 2 years ago.

It's a work in progress for both teams to ponder.

England need to replace James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Olly Robinson is regularly injured, Archer is always injured, Olly Stone has hardly played since last season. Mark Wood is always one match away from layoff with  an ankle or back strain. For the hot grind in India, both Overtons might be the best choice to do the job.

Both sides need a back-up spinner. I think Stokes should give it a try in county games, like Botham did when fast bowling was putting too much strain on his body.

Australia need to replace Warner and need a better all-rounder than Green. All their fast bowlers are getting old together. Smith started out as a leg spinner but doesn't bowl much, if at all, these days; seems strange.

 

And i read Woakes has a ‘ niggle ‘

[DavidM]

5 hours ago, Wolford6 said:

Australia need to replace Warner and need a better all-rounder than Green. All their fast bowlers are getting old together. Smith started out as a leg spinner but doesn't bowl much, if at all, these days; seems strange.

 

And strap Labuschagne to a wing on the flight home

 

[ivans82]

Next time we have an ashes series , matches should be played north to south . Something like Old Trafford , Headingley , Edgbaston/Trent Bridge , Oval , Lords  or something similar . We all know in the north west come July the weather is pants , schools finish on comes the rain , so with a bit of luck no more washouts .

[Sports Prophet]

The next test is big. Reports in Australia of the English media and public opinion of the Australian team and their performances are scathing.

However, in most of my experiences, the English I know are more directing concern at their own team, rather than the Aussies.

The next test will be huge I think. There is a lot on the line (if not the Ashes) for both teams. England will be desperate for a draw to continue the narrative of being the better team and the moral victors.

Meanwhile with the Ashes safe in their clutches, Australia can now play with a little less conservatism and play like the worlds best team they have proven themselves to be. Winning the series 3-1 will be a closing score line which will put end to any feelings that England were the better team in the series.

Looking forward to it.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Just two points about the last test match

Firstly, If England had got the 4 hours beak in the rain on the Sunday, it would be no means certain that England would have won . Australia were only 61 behind and all (bar Josh Hazlewood) could bat. Remember England already had a bonus 2 and a bit hours on the Saturday in which only Marnus Labuschange was dismissed.

Secondly Manchester has the worst record of all test grounds when it comes to days lost for rain. Paul Allott complaining that southerners think at Old Trafford it is always raining . Well Walter we southerners did not choose the sobriquet Lancashire LIghtning for the T20 side. A title redolent of a different kind of thunder

I went for Australia 3-1 before a ball was bowled in the certain knowledge that the weather would intervene.

The Franchise impact on Test Cricket is alreasdy being seen with a potential South Africa B team travelling to New Zealand

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/black-caps/300932582/black-caps-set-to-host-depleted-proteas-due-to-clash-with-fresh-t20-competition

And If you look at England's 2024 Schedule you will see not only three back to back tests against a West Indies side likely to be depleted by Major League Cricket but also the same against Sri Lanka with the last Test ending the day before Englands First T20 against Australia.  Multi-Format players having a problem.

https://www.ecb.co.uk/england/men/fixtures

And then Ireland play England for a Three match ODI series in 2025 during a Test Match against India.

Big decisions need to be made in the off season about how to replace the and T20 Blast and you hope someone was listening to Glenn Maxwell during the Blast finals day when Maxi made it plain you structure your domestic white ball competitions around winning world cups which means you play the same format's 50 and 20 over as the rest of the world or people will be saying in 5 years time England used to have a good ODI side... PS The Big Show is giving the the big swerve this year.

Another big decision deferred is over the soon to be 41 year old James Anderson. He has been tidy but not penetrative this year with 3 wickets in three games at about 75 per wicket. England great he might be but in the words of the song by Janet Jackson What have you done for me lately.

As was the case with Nasser Hussain, someone should have had the cojones to knock on Jimmy's hotel room door and tell him we are moving on but we would like to give you the opportunity to retire on your own terms.  Instead the noises out of the England camp are similar to those made by Sir Alasdaair Cook after the second Test loss to India back in 2014 "Matt Prior will decide when he leaves the side" . Prior then left the team as he knew his time was up. Will that be the same with James Anderson or will reputation and mateship trump actual form..

[Wolford6]

As of 2023, there are 800+ cricket clubs in Yorkshire and 125,000 recreational players. (For a bit of context, there are 5,000 clubs in the whole of England and Wales)

Someone on the telly last week said that there are over a thousand games every weekend

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

On 21/07/2023 at 11:53, 17 stone giant said:

The Ashes: Mayors urge ECB to rethink venues for 2027 series - BBC Sport

Finally....there is some action to get the Southern Powerhouse going