The "Ashes" 2021/22

[BigHewer]

On 12/18/2021 at 8:06 PM, BigHewer said:

Australia will win by 200 runs.

Seems that was a touch optimistic from an England perspective

26 minutes ago, mickkotlarski said:

My pick for Melbourne is a draw or narrow Aussie victory. Feel for Joe Root though. A good captain that walked into the lions den.  Still though very happy to see our boys perform well.

Aussies go to Melbourne with their tails up. I guess I’m committed now, so I’ll go for England to pull one back.

[Rookiescot]

15 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

Seems that was a touch optimistic from an England perspective

Aussies go to Melbourne with their tails up. I guess I’m committed now, so I’ll go for England to pull one back.

I do hope so.

I still feel this England team has enough quality in it to pull out a good performance. Although I believe the test is now over with bar the shouting.

I also feel whoever came up with the idea of an all seam attack and the bowling profile on the first day of this match should be dragged out into the middle of the field and hit over the bare arse with a cricket bat.

[mickkotlarski]

42 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

I do hope so.

I still feel this England team has enough quality in it to pull out a good performance. Although I believe the test is now over with bar the shouting.

I also feel whoever came up with the idea of an all seam attack and the bowling profile on the first day of this match should be dragged out into the middle of the field and hit over the bare arse with a cricket bat.

That's what I was thinking also. How on earth did they discard Jack Leach is beyond my comprehension. If they do so in Sydney then psychiatric assessment will be the order of the day.

[Rookiescot]

5 minutes ago, mickkotlarski said:

That's what I was thinking also. How on earth did they discard Jack Leach is beyond my comprehension. If they do so in Sydney then psychiatric assessment will be the order of the day.

Or more bare arsed spankings 

[mickkotlarski]

On 12/20/2021 at 7:49 PM, BigHewer said:

Seems that was a touch optimistic from an England perspective

Aussies go to Melbourne with their tails up. I guess I’m committed now, so I’ll go for England to pull one back.

Joe root is going public about declaring he'll get a century next test match. After 8 50's he has a good chance.

Still think a draw or narrow Aussie victory i son the cards but if the English batsmen fire then anything could happen.

[BigHewer]

1 hour ago, mickkotlarski said:

Joe root is going public about declaring he'll get a century next test match. After 8 50's he has a good chance.

Still think a draw or narrow Aussie victory i son the cards but if the English batsmen fire then anything could happen.

Harris has been retained, which is good news for England. It’s often harder to get out of the Aussie side than get in it, as Harris is proving now.

Should be a tighter game, but then again it can’t be much more of a blowout.

[Smithydog]

2 hours ago, BigHewer said:

Harris has been retained, which is good news for England. It’s often harder to get out of the Aussie side than get in it, as Harris is proving now.

Should be a tighter game, but then again it can’t be much more of a blowout.

The lack of other quality openers sticking their hands up consistently is probably a saver for him. As is the fact that MCG is his home town and unlikely to change too much for a winning team!

[Smithydog]

Well. Looks like the selectors are looking to blood another new fast bowler with Scott Boland getting a call up for the MCG test. Bit of a surprise!

Boland is considered by some to be a MCG specialist and has been in good form in his 2 recent Sheffield Shield matches taking 15 wickets at around 10 apiece.

Did not see that coming! Assumed Cummins would return with Nesser dropping out. What does Richardson have to do, after he has taken a 5 wicket haul?

Perhaps they see it as a chance to bring a pool of bowlers on and rest some during the series due to how close each test match is to the next and with higher temperatures predicted.

All players want to play, but Just shows how hard it is for bowlers. A batsman like Harris fails repeatedly, gets to put his feet up, does less in the field and gets retained. But a bowler does multiple overs, does his job well, gets 5 wickets (equal to a century for a batsman), fields the same as batsmen do, yet gets dropped!

Australia XI: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

[mickkotlarski]

4 hours ago, Smithydog said:

Well. Looks like the selectors are looking to blood another new fast bowler with Scott Boland getting a call up for the MCG test. Bit of a surprise!

Boland is considered by some to be a MCG specialist and has been in good form in his 2 recent Sheffield Shield matches taking 15 wickets at around 10 apiece.

Did not see that coming! Assumed Cummins would return with Nesser dropping out. What does Richardson have to do, after he has taken a 5 wicket haul?

Perhaps they see it as a chance to bring a pool of bowlers on and rest some during the series due to how close each test match is to the next and with higher temperatures predicted.

All players want to play, but Just shows how hard it is for bowlers. A batsman like Harris fails repeatedly, gets to put his feet up, does less in the field and gets retained. But a bowler does multiple overs, does his job well, gets 5 wickets (equal to a century for a batsman), fields the same as batsmen do, yet gets dropped!

Australia XI: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

Rory Burns, Ollie Pope, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes have made way for Zac Crawley, Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood and Jack Leach for the third Ashes Test. So changes to both sides.

Feel sorry for Jhye Richardson getting hurt but both himself and Joshy Hazelwood  should be healed up for the fourth test in Sydney. Harris given a chance but on thin ice just now.

[BigHewer]

I tuned in a bit late to the start of play. Ten minutes late. I should’ve known that would be long enough to miss the first England wicket. 

England 4/1 Starc stalking Crawley as I type…

[Rookiescot]

15 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

I tuned in a bit late to the start of play. Ten minutes late. I should’ve known that would be long enough to miss the first England wicket. 

England 4/1 Starc stalking Crawley as I type…

Reading the text coverage of the match on the guardian. They were slating Cummins for his line during his first couple of overs. He now has 2 wickets.

Wish my wayward line had been that effective.

[BigHewer]

4 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

Reading the text coverage of the match on the guardian. They were slating Cummins for his line during his first couple of overs. He now has 2 wickets.

Wish my wayward line had been that effective.

In the end it was Cummins that got Crawley, not Starc. One of them was bound to. He looked all at sea   

[Rookiescot]

Just now, BigHewer said:

In the end it was Cummins that got Crawley, not Starc. One of them was bound to. He looked all at sea   

Ah you are right. I misread that. It was Starc they were having a go at. Which is also a dodgy thing to do given his quality. 

[BigHewer]

1 minute ago, Rookiescot said:

Ah you are right. I misread that. It was Starc they were having a go at. Which is also a dodgy thing to do given his quality. 

This is the first time I’ve watched cricket with Aussie commentary for years. It’s like listening in on three fellas down the pub. We usually get Willow TV (Indian) on cable in Japan.

Michael Vaughan is having a guest stint in the commentary box, so everything has turned serious.

[Smithydog]

1 hour ago, BigHewer said:

This is the first time I’ve watched cricket with Aussie commentary for years. It’s like listening in on three fellas down the pub. We usually get Willow TV (Indian) on cable in Japan.

Michael Vaughan is having a guest stint in the commentary box, so everything has turned serious.

Watching the ICC feed which is thankfully using the Fox Cricket commentators which is what I think you are probably getting. They have a real sense of fun in the box and genuine excitement when things happen

[Smithydog]

Cummins strikes on lunch. Loosing Malan a bit of a body blow to take to the break as I thought they were once again rebuilding the innings after the early losses. Joe Root is simply having to come in and bat way too early consistently for a number 4. He might as well open!

3/61 at lunch.

[Smithydog]

1 hour ago, Rookiescot said:

Ah you are right. I misread that. It was Starc they were having a go at. Which is also a dodgy thing to do given his quality. 

But deserved. He was bowling way too wide of the stumps. Noticed he was feeling his lower back later in the session. Possible issue?

[BigHewer]

Just now, Smithydog said:

Watching the ICC feed which is thankfully using the Fox Cricket commentators which is what I think you are probably getting. They have a real sense of fun in the box and genuine excitement when things happen

Yes. I think Warnie makes a surprisingly good commentator. Hussey good too. Kerry O’Keefe is the pick of them though.

Mark Howard seems to be there to appeal to the yobbo segment, so they’ve covered all ends of the cricket-loving spectrum.

The Indian commentary is quite serious, light on humor and heavy on historical comparisons. A more mature, studious approach. Very interesting though. Harsha Bhogle front and center, Manjrekar, Gavaskar, Dravid, Ian Chappell and others. 

[Smithydog]

36 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

The Indian commentary is quite serious, light on humor and heavy on historical comparisons. A more mature, studious approach. Very interesting though. Harsha Bhogle front and center, Manjrekar, Gavaskar, Dravid, Ian Chappell and others. 

Ian Chappell has always been too serious. The rest are a serious mob as well. Perhaps that appeals more to the Indian audience whilst the Australians will associate with the larrikin style probably more.

[BigHewer]

8 minutes ago, Smithydog said:

Ian Chappell has always been too serious. The rest are a serious mob as well. Perhaps that appeals more to the Indian audience whilst the Australians will associate with the larrikin style probably more.

I totally agree. Can you imagine the meeting when they decided to recruit an Aussie commentator? All the nods of consensus when everyone agreed Chappelli was the man for the job 

[BigHewer]

Easy to tell that the Aussies have a fast bowler as captain.

2nd session, three slips and a gully to a recognised batsman (Bairstow). Love it!

[Rookiescot]

50 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

Easy to tell that the Aussies have a fast bowler as captain.

2nd session, three slips and a gully to a recognised batsman (Bairstow). Love it!

They appear to want this over with quickly. They have been going for the jugular all morning.

[Rookiescot]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FHgXgvmXsAUwaJ4?format=jpg&name=small

Dear oh dear.

[BigHewer]

14 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FHgXgvmXsAUwaJ4?format=jpg&name=small

Dear oh dear.

Joe Root 28% of all the runs. Wowzers.

[Rookiescot]

5 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

Joe Root 28% of all the runs. Wowzers.

How bad would it get if he was not there?