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

[MC Extra Dollop]

Without a specialist spinner the test has been a borefest if you ask me
Would of been a lock for a result if there was specialist spinner in both teams

Each to their own, it's been a fascinating contest for me, especially given how the first four went, with two done inside two days.

 

[katana]

It is, but we'll see 40 wickets fall regardless.

you think? 17 wickets in 4 sessions from here? i think there's no way england get through australia again. either they collapse and aus make the runs or aus bat it for a draw.

 

[TigerCraig]

They don't have the bowlers to bowl us out

Famous last words

 

[grumbleguts]

This feels like a loss

 

[Linda Lovelace]

Curator's got this one spot on. Tricky first session on day 1, good batting days 2 and 3, pitch is still good but a few demons emerging day 4.

People really have lost their minds after Melbourne. This pitch is garbage and it would have been a guaranteed draw if both teams didn't have weak batting lineups with a propensity for spazzball.

23 wickets for 1125 at an average of just under 50 is not at all the sign of a pitch that is offering a fair contest between bat and ball.

The game has relied on some poor batting to (most likely) get a result.

 

[grumbleguts]

I really wish you'd post like this more often instead of the banter bullshit, Plugger.

Geeze, you made me look.

 

[TasSixer]

Was ambitious of the Sydney curator to give them a road given the usual rain issues Sydney has.

 

[Zach Package]

Break this partnership and they crumble, I reckon.

Feels to me like - at worst from an Australian perspective - we'll be chasing 150-200 with all the time in the world and facing Potts, Carse, Tongue and Jacks.

It just feels like a bridge too far unless we really roll them, feel like we will need 180-220 in give or take 2 sessions and we will shut up shop because we can, which is fine.

I genuinely reckon this Boland spell will decide whether there is a result or not, if he bowls 8 on the trot and rips 3 out, then absolutely game on.

 

[Bedi]

People really have lost their minds after Melbourne. This pitch is garbage and it would have been a guaranteed draw if both teams didn't have weak batting lineups with a propensity for spazzball.

23 wickets for 1125 at an average of just under 50 is not at all the sign of a pitch that is offering a fair contest between bat and ball.

The game has relied on some poor batting to (most likely) get a result.

Can you blame us

 

[Carn The Berries]

People really have lost their minds after Melbourne. This pitch is absolutely fine garbage and it would have been a guaranteed draw if both teams didn't have weak batting lineups with a propensity for spazzball. lower scoring if both teams had decent pace bowling attacks and a specialist spinner.

23 wickets for 1125 at an average of just under 50 is not at all the sign of a pitch that is offering a fair contest between bat and ball.

The game has relied on some poor batting to (most likely) get a result.

Fixed this for you

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Tongue is pretty good..

I know he's looked good at times, but just on the first innings here.

1. England (with Stokes) bowled four maidens, combined.

2. Pretty much every Australian first innings wicket could have been described as "he really threw that away", rather than "well he just copped a peach of a delivery, not much he could have done."

 

[Bedi]

fukn hell

 

[the_interloper]

People really have lost their minds after Melbourne. This pitch is garbage and it would have been a guaranteed draw if both teams didn't have weak batting lineups with a propensity for spazzball.

23 wickets for 1125 at an average of just under 50 is not at all the sign of a pitch that is offering a fair contest between bat and ball.

The game has relied on some poor batting to (most likely) get a result.

Much like Melbourne relied on some poor batting to finish in 2 days

 

[Linda Lovelace]

Was ambitious of the Sydney curator to give them a road given the usual rain issues Sydney has.

There's nothing ambitious about a curator following clear orders from CA.

We will get nothing but roads for the forseeable future.

 

[Kennedy Parker]

Bethel has potential to be a long term no.3 for england

 

[RookiePick]

Bronx Cheers for Green? Oh my!

 

[PhatBoy]

If anything that strengthens the broader point. Stokes gets spoken about in the media as though he is an all-time great due to a handful of memorable performances.

When those performances are averaged out he is generally on par with most contemporary pace bowling allrounders.

Here are a set of international batting and bowling averages. Which one is Shane Watson / Ben Stokes / Colin De Grandhomme?

Player	Batting Avg - Test	Bowling Avg - Test	Batting Avg - ODI	Bowling Avg - ODI	Batting Avg - T20I	Bowling Avg - T20I
A	38.70	32.95	26.50	41.00	15.78	38.41
B	35.19	33.68	40.54	31.79	29.24	24.72
C	35.19	31.11	41.22	42.39	21.66	32.92

Colin de Grandhomme averaged 1 five wicket haul every 29 Tests, 1.7 wickets per match, and a century every 14.5 Tests.

Shane Watson averaged 1 five wicket haul every 19.66 tests, 1.2 wickets per match, and a century every 14.75 tests.

Ben Stokes averages 1 five wicket haul every 20 tests, 2.04 wickets a match, and a century every 8.5 tests


Two of these things are not like the other.

But yeah. Just had one good test performance and a one day final.

Hell throw his 1-32 and his 53* in the World t20 final they won if you need to

 

[Jack Mundy]

Bethell gives KP vibes

 

[Rustin Cohle]

This is like watching overs 18-40 in a shit ODI on a road, where they aren't even trying to get a wicket. Just letting them go at a run a ball.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Garbage field placement.

 

[Jimthegreat]

Holes in the field everywhere.

 

[Daka]

I feel like it's going to be a draw, if we can't bowl them out today.

tomorrow in the sun they can just stall.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

WTF was that Labs.

 

[Jack Mundy]

Glad Australia played Starc and four right arm mediums

 

[GrumpyGoron]

I’m never happy with this team