Test The Ashes Fifth Test January 4-8 1000hrs @ The SCG

[Sea fog]

Yep, we have the Kiwi's. Don't have the bowlers they once did. Still be 90,000 on Boxing Day and sell out day 1 of the Pink Test in Sydney as they are occasions but crowds will be certainly lower. Hopefully we have quite a newer side too in preparation for the 2027 Ashes. Then again we have idiot Bailey selecting the side.

A pity South Africa not coming out next summer as they're usually competitive regardless of how strong their team is regarded in the lead-up and Hayden has said they're the toughest combatants onfield in terms of how they withstand our sledging etc. We need a close, tough series, though they don't usually attract the crowds which watch England and Inda.

 

[ABAB]

Ok so the theory seems to be we keep playing Green until he finds his groove in test cricket.
Could be the luckiest 100 test player ever at this rate.

Backed themselves into a corner, if the pitch stays flat and he can't even make runs on it then what???

 

[Snarls Barkley]

Backed themselves into a corner, if the pitch stays flat and he can't even make runs on it then what???

There’s 8 months until the next Test. Regardless of how Webster and Green perform this match, Green will back to the front of the queue by August

 

[icyflakes]

A pity South Africa not coming out next summer as they're usually competitive regardless of how strong their team is regarded in the lead-up and Hayden has said they're the toughest combatants onfield in terms of how they withstand our sledging etc. We need a close, tough series, though they don't usually attract the crowds which watch England and Inda.

The Saffas campaignering us at home would honestly be the best thing that could happen to the team. Losing overseas never has the same anger as losing at home, so when it happens in 8 months we won't care. Then we'll tonk NZ around and pretend all is well.

 

[PhatBoy]

One confrontation? He bowled 284 balls at him in that series. Never even looked like getting him out, but you paint your idiotic rhetoric memory how ever you like.

In that innings. You made out like he hit him once and that was it.

You’re right, he didn’t get him out: a tribute to the fact that Smith at that point was perhaps the best batsman since Bradman.

He also did everything I just mentioned in one innings. Saying he troubled him for ‘one ball’ when he clearly didn’t, having beaten him multiple times, found his edge multiple times, and hit him 4 times in one innings, is, as most of your posts generally are, a complete and total display of bullshit

Even in this post you can’t avoid bullshitting for two sentences: ‘never looked like getting him out.’

In the innings where he hit him Smith tried to hook him twice and had one fall short of fine leg and had another that he edged just over the keeper, and whacked him on the glove for it to fall just short of short-leg.
If that was Jamie Smith and not Stephen, you’d come waltzing in here saying he should go to Guantanamo Bay for stealing some long-dead Australian’s rightful place in international cricket.

Go and put together another biomechanics lesson for us all.

 

[Crankyhawk]

The ICC needs to crack down harder on over rates. Fine everything that moves until they get within the required range.

Need run penalties. Only way things change

 

[Around the Wicket]

No spinner again.. wtf

 

[peternorth]

No spinner again.. wtf

Same as yesterday

 

[Borisdog]

Need run penalties. Only way things change

There needs to be well written rules about what delays are within the Captains' control. Of both sides. Then the umpires need to enforce those rules. If a bowler can be warned and rubbed out for running on the pitch, why can't the serial batting offenders who are NEVER ready to take strike face the same sanction? 3 times - you're timed out mate - off you go. The third umpire can look at that easily enough, the field umpire doesn't have eyes in the back of his head.

There are plenty of batsmen who don't look at the bowler until they're halfway through their run-up, act surprised, and pull away. This is just one example. It's all fine to be "in your bubble" but how about you watch what's going on? It's not as if the average fast bowler sprints back to his mark 24m away between balls just to catch you unawares. That's after said fast bowler stands at the bowling crease watching the ball gently drift down to fine leg, get returned to the keeper and only THEN do they deign to dawdle back to their mark.

Slow over rates are not the sole fault of the bowling sides, Changing gloves every 3 overs anyone?

Third umpire decisions are often another factor. We've all seen lbw replays where they've spent inordinate time trying to work out whether the batsmen's got a feather when the thing has pitched 4 inches outside leg.

If nobody quantifies and enforces what constitutes time wasting then this will just get worse. This is the worst over rate series I can recall in Australia. We've usually seen both teams manage to get through the allocation in 6½ Hours ( Hah! ), but this series there's been several occasions where neither side has even got close.

Either that or just make the day 7 hours and be done with it. That'll be easier for the administrators rather than having to actually think. That will certainly help kill spin bowling off a lot quicker.

 

[kickthething]

There’s 8 months until the next Test. Regardless of how Webster and Green perform this match, Green will back to the front of the queue by August

Selectors love affair w Green is bewildering. To select both Green and Webster for this test has me thinking we will be masters of our demise.

This alone suggests we put the cue in the rack regarding this series.

 

[MisterMarcus]

If nobody quantifies and enforces what constitutes time wasting then this will just get worse. This is the worst over rate series I can recall in Australia. We've usually seen both teams manage to get through the allocation in 6½ Hours ( Hah! ), but this series there's been several occasions where neither side has even got close.

This is mostly due to the fact that spin has played such a minimal role in most games. No 'quick' overs being pushed through when everyone is playing 4 or 5 man pace attacks.

 

[Bedi]

Well, yes, that might well be true but it's an inane comment because history is littered with hypotheticals.

If Billy Bowden sees Kasprowicz's hand off the bat and if Warne holds Pietersen at The Oval in 2005 then we take the urn home.

If Mitchell Johnson just bowled a bit better at Cardiff then England don't finish 9 down and we take the urn home in 2009.

If Australia sees out day 4 at Cardiff then we take the urn home in 2015 because the fifth day was a washout.

If Stokes is given out stonewall LBW at Leeds in 2019 then we take the urn home.

If England don't get a ball change at The Oval in 2023......

So he's not wrong. But if my auntie had a dick she'd be my uncle.

Should have....
Could have....
Would have....
DIDN'T.

Precisely. 'Coulda woulda shoulda' the catchprase of losers: England.
Otherwise if we want to play that game it should be us 4-0. We had England on the ropes bowling them out for 100 and would have won Boxing Day if our batsman hadnt choked in the second dig -- just like England's in Perth

 

[Borisdog]

This is mostly due to the fact that spin has played such a minimal role in most games. No 'quick' overs being pushed through when everyone is playing 4 or 5 man pace attacks.

It's a factor. But it's far from the primary cause.

 

[Pollywaffle]

A pity South Africa not coming out next summer as they're usually competitive regardless of how strong their team is regarded in the lead-up and Hayden has said they're the toughest combatants onfield in terms of how they withstand our sledging etc. We need a close, tough series, though they don't usually attract the crowds which watch England and Inda.

Probably better suited to our conditions as well?
I read somewhere that it is harder to get them out here because our peak season coincides with theirs- both want home tests

 

[Drakescoffeecake]

They starting earlier today to make up for lost overs?

 

[Pollywaffle]

Half hour early I think

 

[Kenny Dee]

Is the SCG as ugly a ground in person as it appears on tv?

 

[Gough]

Is the SCG as ugly a ground in person as it appears on tv?

The problem imo with the SCG is it's been renovated piecemeal over the years without any thought for the overall look of the ground.

 

[Borisdog]

Is the SCG as ugly a ground in person as it appears on tv?

No, but I think it looks great on TV anyway.

 

[JimmyBC]

So hows today looking in the overcrowded hellhole? Light issues & rain by 11am?

 

[Snake Charmer]

Steve Smith looks better with no Jofra and Wood too champion.

Smiths made more tons in England then any other Pom. But yeah champ

 

[Bedi]

Looking forward to today's cricket. Finally we have a game on our hands.

 

[MarcMaverick]

I think the SCG is ugly. And its horribly misshapen.

 

[MarcMaverick]

Looking forward to today's cricket. Finally we have a game on our hands.

Or maybe the Aussies DGAF.

 

[Bedi]

Or maybe the Aussies DGAF.

Other than Head, Smith, Carey and Starc, the entire team is playing for their future – so they GAF alright.