Ashes 15:44 - Jul 2 with 2191 views | Tractor_Boy_Tommy | This England team is great fun, but at the end of the day, it's going to be 2-0. They'll need a miracle to win the series from here. |  | | |  |
Ashes on 16:00 - Jul 2 with 2121 views | Ryorry | As some wit tweeted in to TMS on day 2 - "Bazball is about playing without fear, not about playing without brains"! Bazball is a wonderfully refreshing approach that's undoubtedly rejuvenated Test cricket in England, including re-awakening old fans & bringing in new ones, but it needs to be combined with old school wisdom & some patience to be a truly great thing. |  |
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Ashes on 16:01 - Jul 2 with 2117 views | Ftnfwest | With the credentials of each team at test level it’s amazing we’ve taken them this deep in both games tbh |  | |  |
Ashes on 16:15 - Jul 2 with 2068 views | Churchman | Some good individual performances but when it comes down to it Australia have too many better players, sadly. Bazball? Aggressive Test cricket is great and I hope they continue to evolve it and don’t lose their nerve if the series goes the way it’s looking. |  | |  |
Ashes on 16:24 - Jul 2 with 2016 views | Ftnfwest |
Ashes on 16:15 - Jul 2 by Churchman | Some good individual performances but when it comes down to it Australia have too many better players, sadly. Bazball? Aggressive Test cricket is great and I hope they continue to evolve it and don’t lose their nerve if the series goes the way it’s looking. |
Bazball is fine and covers up our deficiencies at test level but as with ‘normal’ test cricket you still have to make the right decisions at times. Have to say after the bairstow incident I almost felt like I wanted them to back off and let them have it if it really meant that much to them, but glad they fought to the end. |  | |  |
Ashes on 16:48 - Jul 2 with 1973 views | Herbivore | Australia have better players than us, their bowling attack is quicker and more dangerous and they have better batsman and an all rounder who can bat AND bowl. It's only our aggressive approach that is closing the gap in class between the two sides, imo. That said, in both games we've made crucial errors that have cost us and that's frustrating. First test, we wasted too many chances in the field and made a couple of poor decisions that gifted them the test. Second test, from 188-1 we made a string of poor decisions with the bat that cost us 9 wickets for around 140 runs on a fairly placid pitch. When you play risky cricket, these things are more likely to happen, if we can reduce the costly mistakes then we're not far off beating them, but if we go away from our approach significantly then I suspect they'll outplay us. |  |
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Ashes on 17:02 - Jul 2 with 1934 views | patrickswell | The aggravating thing is that England would possibly be 2-0 up had they not played sloppy cricket in Australia’s first innings at Edgbaston and brainless cricket in their own first innings here. |  | |  |
Ashes on 18:31 - Jul 2 with 1840 views | Churchman |
Ashes on 16:24 - Jul 2 by Ftnfwest | Bazball is fine and covers up our deficiencies at test level but as with ‘normal’ test cricket you still have to make the right decisions at times. Have to say after the bairstow incident I almost felt like I wanted them to back off and let them have it if it really meant that much to them, but glad they fought to the end. |
Absolutely you have to make the right decisions at the right time, as in any sport. Australia have in the main better players so were always likely to win. I didn’t like how they got Bairstow out. It was unnecessary, but I hope nobody hides England’s deficiencies behind this. The odd thing is that they didn't need to do it as they’d have probably won anyway. But that’s the Australian way. Play to the absolute limit in every way. |  | |  |
Ashes on 18:44 - Jul 2 with 1819 views | pennblue |
Ashes on 16:48 - Jul 2 by Herbivore | Australia have better players than us, their bowling attack is quicker and more dangerous and they have better batsman and an all rounder who can bat AND bowl. It's only our aggressive approach that is closing the gap in class between the two sides, imo. That said, in both games we've made crucial errors that have cost us and that's frustrating. First test, we wasted too many chances in the field and made a couple of poor decisions that gifted them the test. Second test, from 188-1 we made a string of poor decisions with the bat that cost us 9 wickets for around 140 runs on a fairly placid pitch. When you play risky cricket, these things are more likely to happen, if we can reduce the costly mistakes then we're not far off beating them, but if we go away from our approach significantly then I suspect they'll outplay us. |
Their desire to win is another level too. There are too many of ours not standing up and being counted, where is their backbone. Maybe this is due to too many private school peeps in there who do not know how to fight Went to the last one in Edgbaston, we were next to Gareth Southgate and that Finch bloke trumpet player. Interesting characters! |  |
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Ashes on 18:48 - Jul 2 with 1805 views | Ryorry |
Ashes on 18:44 - Jul 2 by pennblue | Their desire to win is another level too. There are too many of ours not standing up and being counted, where is their backbone. Maybe this is due to too many private school peeps in there who do not know how to fight Went to the last one in Edgbaston, we were next to Gareth Southgate and that Finch bloke trumpet player. Interesting characters! |
"Maybe this is due to too many private school peeps in there who do not know how to fight". Seriously what a load of old hooey |  |
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Ashes on 20:20 - Jul 2 with 1713 views | Enigma_Blue |
Ashes on 16:48 - Jul 2 by Herbivore | Australia have better players than us, their bowling attack is quicker and more dangerous and they have better batsman and an all rounder who can bat AND bowl. It's only our aggressive approach that is closing the gap in class between the two sides, imo. That said, in both games we've made crucial errors that have cost us and that's frustrating. First test, we wasted too many chances in the field and made a couple of poor decisions that gifted them the test. Second test, from 188-1 we made a string of poor decisions with the bat that cost us 9 wickets for around 140 runs on a fairly placid pitch. When you play risky cricket, these things are more likely to happen, if we can reduce the costly mistakes then we're not far off beating them, but if we go away from our approach significantly then I suspect they'll outplay us. |
'an all rounder who can bat AND bowl' If that is a dig at Stokes it is quite an ill-informed one. Stokes has nearly 200 test wickets. Also so far in the series he has taken the same number of wickets as Cameron Green, at a far better average and has only bowled one over less. [Post edited 2 Jul 2023 20:23]
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Ashes on 20:33 - Jul 2 with 1672 views | Ftnfwest |
Ashes on 18:31 - Jul 2 by Churchman | Absolutely you have to make the right decisions at the right time, as in any sport. Australia have in the main better players so were always likely to win. I didn’t like how they got Bairstow out. It was unnecessary, but I hope nobody hides England’s deficiencies behind this. The odd thing is that they didn't need to do it as they’d have probably won anyway. But that’s the Australian way. Play to the absolute limit in every way. |
I never quite get the Australian psyche over the ashes, they didn’t like it much last time when we put up the white flag rather in the covid series (playing ‘conventionally’) and equally aren’t keen on us putting up a fight this time via bazball. Always seems that as they clearly have the better players we should be expected to roll over and lose by an innings for them. I think the starc’catch’ last night was also interesting in that almost to a man it seems like their view was it was a catch without question and their man was being put down etc whereas if broad or Robinson had done that we’d have been thinking ‘you idiot’ as soon as we saw the replay. [Post edited 2 Jul 2023 20:35]
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Ashes on 20:42 - Jul 2 with 1623 views | Herbivore |
Ashes on 20:20 - Jul 2 by Enigma_Blue | 'an all rounder who can bat AND bowl' If that is a dig at Stokes it is quite an ill-informed one. Stokes has nearly 200 test wickets. Also so far in the series he has taken the same number of wickets as Cameron Green, at a far better average and has only bowled one over less. [Post edited 2 Jul 2023 20:23]
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He managed a long spell in the second innings in this test but prior to that his knee issues have limited how many overs he's been able to contribute. It's not a dig, it's a comment on the fact he's not really in physical condition to bowl as much as he or the rest of us would like and it leaves us a little unbalanced. It likely contributed to us going with four seamers and a long tail in this test. |  |
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Ashes on 20:42 - Jul 2 with 1622 views | Coastalblue | It might yet come back to bite them. They have clearly looked very rattled when under the cosh but thus far we've been sloppy and let the pressure off. They now have to contend with not only that, but very hostile crowds that aren't the Lords murmur of discontent. I think the next Test is fascinating, and we've all seen what Broad can do when the Aussies rile him, he's due a 'session' |  |
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Ashes on 21:46 - Jul 2 with 1528 views | Enigma_Blue |
Ashes on 20:42 - Jul 2 by Herbivore | He managed a long spell in the second innings in this test but prior to that his knee issues have limited how many overs he's been able to contribute. It's not a dig, it's a comment on the fact he's not really in physical condition to bowl as much as he or the rest of us would like and it leaves us a little unbalanced. It likely contributed to us going with four seamers and a long tail in this test. |
Fair point. Maybe England should consider dropping Crawley, move each batsman up one place in the order and bring in Woakes to bat at number seven. That way they would still have four seam bowlers in the side but could also include Ali. [Post edited 2 Jul 2023 21:48]
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Ashes on 21:55 - Jul 2 with 1478 views | Ftnfwest |
Ashes on 21:46 - Jul 2 by Enigma_Blue | Fair point. Maybe England should consider dropping Crawley, move each batsman up one place in the order and bring in Woakes to bat at number seven. That way they would still have four seam bowlers in the side but could also include Ali. [Post edited 2 Jul 2023 21:48]
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Suspect if we’re going to use wood at all he’ll come in for jimmy at headingly. If he’s finally fit. If not mooen. |  | |  |
Ashes on 22:14 - Jul 2 with 1446 views | Herbivore |
Ashes on 21:46 - Jul 2 by Enigma_Blue | Fair point. Maybe England should consider dropping Crawley, move each batsman up one place in the order and bring in Woakes to bat at number seven. That way they would still have four seam bowlers in the side but could also include Ali. [Post edited 2 Jul 2023 21:48]
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Anderson looks in need of a rest and Robinson doesn't look 100% either so wouldn't be too surprised to see Woakes come into the side at Headingly, which gives us a bit more batting. Pope might not be fit potentially and will be interesting to see how we respond to that if he is out. There's a few options, such as Foakes coming in and Bairstow moving up the order, or Ali comes in and others move up the order with Stokes just batting other than in an emergency. |  |
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