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

[THE A5]

So now that Ben Stokes series is over (won't bowl tomorrow), what's the assessment of him?

Bowling- Solid. 15 wickets with an average of 25, is a great return and he usually could find something when others struggled.

Batting- Flopped. 184 runs at an average of 18 and strike rate of just 36.58! Boycott nearly had a better strike rate!

Captaincy- Disastrous. Strange choices for opening bowlers, clueless when plans weren't working, not selecting Tongue earlier, looked completely cooked on-field and too many tantrums for my liking.

He's had his moments and been a aggressive captain in the past, but honestly he captained worse than Freddy Flintoff 06/07 this series. Would not be surprised if this is his last series as leader.

Stokes has some crazy big innings and kudos to him but those clutch innings cary his overall reputation

 

[sabso]

Poor ol' Pommies are going to be fuming "if only"

I wonder what they'll replace "Moral Victory" with that sums up their ability to grab defeat from the jaws of victory. The Aussies, good old Guts and Determination and never, ever give in

Going to be a headingley 81 style victory, Matty Bob Willis Potts to take 8 for

 

[Bedi]

The no feet batting drill is complete bullshit

The wanger and throw down theory I also found pretty interesting in terms of batsman being less attuned to watching the ball being released from the bowlers hand

 

[MarcMaverick]

The no feet batting drill is complete bullshit

Worked for Glenn Maxwell vs Afghanistan.

 

[to1994]

No but my point was there was no Cummins Hazelwood or Lyon all world class bowlers.

There's a non zero chance the latter two don't play any more Test matches so it's not like England got lucky and missed facing these guys at their peak.

Boland and Neser are still very good and would be first choice players in most countries right now including England.

 

[Tigerat2020]

I have been right about Green all along, he's not up to test level.

 

[to1994]

Averaged 27 FC prior to this 100... I hope he kicks on but I think he'll have a JP Duminy career... average abit over 30... Duminy smacked 166 in his 2nd Test against Australia then done nothing there after.

Lara and Sobers both vouched for him being one of the brightest talents they'd ever seen when he was a youngster.

He's not some left field bazball pick, the entire English cricket system sees him as the next big thing.

JP Duminy played some great innings against us, but it's no coincidence he succeeded here on pitches that were pretty similar to his South African pitches at home. He failed pretty much everywhere else.

Bethell did it on a pitch that most English batsmen would struggle with.

 

[240volt]

I'm neutral on most of them, but I can't stand Stokes, Crawley, Duckett and Brook.

I reckon Duckett gets on pretty well with most of the players because he played a bit of big bash here.
Brook to me has his head stuck up his own arse.

 

[240volt]

I have been right about Green all along, he's not up to test level.

I’ve been on that wagon for a long time and still can’t see how he got games in front of Webster.

 

[m0zza]

I have been right about Green all along, he's not up to test level.

More pies than Mrs Miggins

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Good article about a great spell - https://observer.co.uk/news/sport/a...e-becomes-beating-heart-of-australian-bowling

I often find Haigh a bit verbose, but full credit to him here - to the point.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

In this instance England have a fair claim to getting a rough review. Ball tracking clearly failed.

 

[Scholz Supremacy]

Jacob Bethell gives me so much hope for the future of Test cricket.

 

[HirdyLannister]

In this instance England have a fair claim to getting a rough review. Ball tracking clearly failed.

It's called Leg Before Wicket. Not Pad Before Wicket.

Correct call to piss off the pommy sooks.

 

[Jack Lord]

Is it a 10 AM local time start today?

 

[MarcMaverick]

Is it a 10 AM local time start today?

I think so.

 

[Bedi]

Same way Duckett and Crawley “looked alright” in that second innings. Hard to take anything away from that game.

Fact is he’s played his best two innings in the second dig with minimal pressure on (in comparison to a live match with Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins tearing in).

Still had to score them but it’s not as difficult to do. I reckon if we’d played one of our up and coming players they’d have scored a bunch of runs and be getting the same circlejerk Bethell is getting.

Compare his circumstances to the way Konstas was introduced to example. Poles apart.

Minimal pressure in the second innings? Spare me! Coming in number 3, twice he's come in to rescue his side when the game has been on the line and his side in seriously deep shit. Immense pressure more like it! Almost as moronic as your other posts, and am convinced you didnt actually see his innings. I missed maybe 20 mins before lunch but otherwise i saw every ball and was as flawless, elegant and patient century i've seen in a long time. And love how you discredit it on the basis of his team mates are crap, and Australia's bowling attack weak. A bizarre take and complete and utter nonsese.

 

[Bedi]

Easy. Look at his hair.

A mulleted perm with blonde tips is as bad as it gets. And hats off to him i say, not even AI is possible of generating a worse do than that.

 

[Gough]

A mulleted perm with blonde tips is as bad as it gets. And hats off to him i say, not even AI is possible of generating a worse do than that.

Bonus points for the zinc cream though. Rarely seen these days.

 

[Jane Doe]

Bethel reminds me of a young David Gower

 

[Bedi]

Bonus points for the zinc cream though. Rarely seen these days.

That is pretty old school come to think of it

 

[the_interloper]

Bethel reminds me of a young David Gower

Fair call, he looks very classy. I don't recall him giving any chances either, i could be wrong there, he looks very comfortable at this level.

 

[Andrew Mc]

A mulleted perm with blonde tips is as bad as it gets. And hats off to him i say, not even AI is possible of generating a worse do than that.

I think he responded to an ad from a hairdressers apprentice looking for "models".

Batted brilliantly though.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

Fair call, he looks very classy. I don't recall him giving any chances either, i could be wrong there, he looks very comfortable at this level.

Everything hit the middle. As good a knock as you will see.

 

[smasha]

CA got what they wanted a five day test they didnt want to lose more millions

Sydney due a great test match after the bad luck with rain.