fortunate win but it still papers over the cracks - at some point the dam wall will burst
Australia could do worse than training up Mitch Marsh to open when Warner becomes the liability - we know Harris will fall over he’s worse than Warner
expect England to come out wildly swinging the bat in the next one
Captain had ice in his veins and probably needs more respect for playing the match over 5 days than people are giving him credit forSome interesting things for you to all ponder over…both lost 18 wickets for the Test.
Australia scored 668 runs to England’s 666 but Australia faced 384 more balls for roughly the same amount of runs. Can England bowlers keep backing up if they are bowling an extra 60 overs per match?
Australia hit one more four (68 to 67) and four more sixes (11 to 7),
No English batter got above 50 in the second dig when the pitch was at its best to bat on.
Well played to Pat and the Aussies I say, I look forward to lords in a week’s time
Good points PH. I think though that this game would have been a dull draw without Ben Stokes creativity and out of the box decision making. The pitch was so docile and Stokes will be criticised for declaring at 393 in the first innings and not going on to 450 which would have been a far more formidable score. However it was an attacking move and Stokes was true to his values of entertainment as the key factor in test cricket.
Of course Australia have every right to play the way they choose and they are obviously playing the long game here, but there were times particularly when batting that the specialist batsmen could have played with more intent, not smashing boundaries but rotating the strike and putting pressure on the field. Ussie in the run chase yesterday was just in his own bubble blocking everything which must have made Head Carey and Green feel like they needed to score more than their fair share of runs.
It was only when Cummins and Lyon started attacking the bowlers that they started looking frazzled, and they were absolutely magnificent. My point is that is what the specialist batsmen should be doing. I don’t know maybe the Poms just subconciously relaxed when they got Carey out thinking the job was done but that was the best innings I have seen from Cummins for a long time. There were a few catches during the partnership that nearly went to hand but if you play with positive intent you tend to get away with that sort of stuff.
In relation to the Lords test which starts next Thursday, England have a few dilemmas, they will probably bring in Mark Wood but they may have to go in without a spinner as Moin Ali was obviously inconvenienced with his hurt finger. Do they go with Anderson and Broad again even though they bowled a lot of overs in the 1st test or pick Woakes who is a Lords specialist?
For Australia the only change they would be pondering would to bring in Starc at the expense of either Boland or Hazlewood, that will be a tough choice.
Great win well overdue to win a close one, especially against the Poms. Cummins and Lyon showed nerves of steel. I think where we’ve got the edge going into the second test is a couple of their key players are in doubt. Moeen Ali’s spin finger looks like it’s ready to throw on the barbecue and after Stokes bowled Kuwaja I noticed him limping favouring his right leg immediately. His left knee is causing him pain which is his front foot that takes all the weight.
Aussies on the other hand look fit and healthy.
Mikeh, I reckon folk are confusing Stokes creativity with stupidity mate. Aust were 0/14 at stumps on day 1…in that time Eng could of been 450 at stumps the way Root was batting. Yeah Stokes was hoping for Warner’s wicket before stumps, but they got it first thing in the morning on day 2 for fudge all anyway.
Not sure how folk can say it was a fortunate victory..it was one of Aust best 4th innings chases ever…Eng had plenty of opportunity to win this match, especially in the final session. Aust recognized batsmen duly saw to that with some of their dismissals.
New cherry, two bowlers with over 1200 test wickets between them, with two number 11’s on the park and another in the shed, with 50 runs to chase…and the skipper gets creative with multiple fielders patrolling the boundary?..think Stokes bottled it really…very unBazball like TBH.
Everyone knows Eng will come back hard and with the same match plan no doubt. One win doesn’t ensure series success, so plenty for both sides to play for. Rather be 1/0 up in a five match series, then 0/1 down. For Eng to win the Ashes back, they will need to win at least 2 of the next 4 tests…to do that risks will need to be taken…greater risks then what were taken in the 1st test…and especially what was seen in that last hour of Aust 4th innings.
Do feel for Stuart Broad.He bowled his heart out.82 to 85 MPH,as fast as he’s ever bowled.
Missed the Australian edge a number of times. Was easily the pick of the English bowlers. Looked devastated after the loss.
Must admit I found the outrage of some ex Australian players in the media about Ollie Robinsons sledging of Ussie quite hypocritical when you consider some of the history of personal abuse directed at the opposition by some of these same people when they were playing.
Remember the “get ready for a broken F***n arm” or Mitchell Johnson abusing every english batsman in 2013 or some of Pontings outbursts.
Robinsons outburst was really quite tame compared with some of this stuff and he ended up making himself look like an idiot anyway with his comment about Australias 3 number 11s who he couldnt dismiss in the 2nd innings
I hear what you are saying Mike but those you mentioned Ponting, Johnson, Clarke etc were some of the greats whereas Robinson bowls 125km/hr pies…when he is not eating them!
I also know Robinson has a past history with racist social media posts and bugger me dead his outburst was toward Usman Khawaja!
Wood will come in for England and they might just have part-time spinners - all pace for Lords
Lords is the English ground where Australia has the best record so a real opportunity to go 2-0 up in the series which would be huge in the context of the ashes. Starc will come in for Boland I think and looks like Moin Ali will be retained in the England team subject to fitness. Wood may come in for Anderson or Robinson. McCullum has also said that Bairstow will still keep wicket in the 2nd test despite the mistakes he made which were highlighted by Careys flawless performance.
You would hope that Marnus and Smith will contribute a bit more than 35 in this test.
Agree Mikeh, expect Warner to be his usual below average , but Smith and Loosebuschange will be smarting from those failures, expect one or other to make a big contribution. Still astonished at the Poms 1st innings declaration. It’s nice to say “where here to entertain the crowd”, but I prefer Australia’s attitude of “where here to win tests.”
And as a past critic of Cummins, I take my hat off to the skipper, sensational performance with bat, ball and captaincy.
Agree BH there is a difference between Floginson sledging while bowling his pies and some of the greats - and he was just rude and abusive. If your going to sledge get into a person’s head.
I reckon they will just use root in the 2nd test and play 4 quicks - Stokes is cooked and can’t bowl much and its clear the Aussie strategy is to bat time and make them bowl lots of overs.
In regards to Warner, before you drop him ask yourself this one question - the reserve batters are Renshaw and Harris - I don’t think either of them will be any better than Warner as a batter and i definitely don’t think either of them will be a better fielder than him, so if we drop him will we be strengthening our side - if that answer is no or even if its yeah maybe then we can’t make a change.
Mitch Marsh as a name mentioned earlier in the thread - he can’t open against a swinging red ball.
Just my opinion, but when you have a team on the ropes don’t make changes unless they make your side better - selection rule #1
Renshaw is a sound slipper from memory, has played and scored runs in UK conditions…younger than Harris and should be first off the rank if Warner gets the flick.
I know McDonald isn’t liked on this thread by most posters here…but I reckon due to his unassuming character and test career. McDonalds lack of ego, may have played a big part in the way Aust refused to engage, in an ego fuelled battle, with Eng, over who has the better run rate.
Pretty sure JL, with his more competitive, never back down spirit, might of resulted in Aust getting sucked in and trying to fight fire with fire with Eng Bazball game plan.
Besides Head and an aging Warner, Aust simply doesn’t have the personnel to play Bazball…Uzzie, Smith, Labs, Carey and Green are all accumulaters…unlike Duckett, Crawley, Bairstow and Brooks.
I think Aust got their tactics pretty spot on from day 1, despite how defensive and un Australian like they looked. Pretty sure against other teams who don’t tonk from ball 1, Aust would revert back to more attacking fields…looked like Aust adopted Muhammed Ali’s rope a dope tactic, of absorbing a few blows through a defensive stance, to only then land the final blows, when their opponent were spent.
I think Robinson has hit a nerve with some of these ex players with both Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting having a crack at him in the media. Now Haydos didnt mind a bit of “mental disintegration” of the opposition as well. I’m sure he would have said its all part of getting into an opposing players mindset.
Robinson actually didnt bowl that badly in the test. He was certainly bowling pies in the 21-22 series.
Totally agree mikeh…Hayden apparently was one of Aust worst offenders with handing out “compliments” to the opposition.
i hope Aust don’t get sucked in by Robinson’s obvious BS baiting attempts…“surprised Australia didn’t go toe to toe with us etc” Let Eng provide the theatrics…pretty sure Uzzie’s 140 odd and Cummins / Lyons 8th wicket fightback were just as theatrical and entertaining as Eng Bazball antics.
Robinson is a renowned racist…hence his personal attack at only Khawaja!
Moeen Ali must feel uneasy sharing a changeroom with the flog!
I’ve always found sledging in cricket to be a cowardly act that only shows your own insecurity about your ability to win on merit of your playing ability. Nothing wrong with a bit of friendly on field chat and banter but when it crosses the line into sledging there is no place for it IMO.
DD, I tend to agree with you mate, I think sledging has its place in the game, when its a witty or funny comment, but i think its downright degrading to just stand there and abuse someone, and I think the umps are weak at not doing something about this when it happens.
Go to the haystreet mall and speak to people like that and see how long you have your teeth for, yet when its done on a cricket field we expect people to just walk away.
[quote=“premiership hangover post=228858 userid=1206”]DD, I tend to agree with you mate, I think sledging has its place in the game, when its a witty or funny comment, but i think its downright degrading to just stand there and abuse someone, and I think the umps are weak at not doing something about this when it happens.
Go to the haystreet mall and speak to people like that and see how long you have your teeth for, yet when its done on a cricket field we expect people to just walk away.
[/quote]
Yep spot on PH. I especially hate the close up in your face F#&K Off after they’ve got them out. There’s a lot of talk and focus on our AFL footballers about how they conduct themselves on and off the fieid about how that impacts on kids who mimmick their behaviours. Why don’t we hear that from cricket authorities?
Yes referring to Ussie, one of the nicest guys in cricket as a “fken prick" and telling him to Fk off” is more a reflection on the personality flaws of Robinson than anything else. Plus abusing Ussie after his ton shows this bloke is in the shallow end of the gene pool.