Ashes 2015

[Colonial]

It absolutely matters how often it is played.

I'm not saying that I expect others to feel the same way I do. I am simply tired of England. There are so many other nations that could, should be playing cricket at a high standard right now, and here we are playing the old enemy for the millionth time in the past few years.

Millionth? Slight exageration.
Last time we played them in a test was jan 2014. Hardly multiple times a year.

Each to their own i guess. But nothing better than belting the old enemy at their own grounds.

 

[Power Raid]

how good was that!

 

[Colonial]

Nice

 

[Power Raid]

ambitious call

 

[1990crow]

I'm a bit bored with this. There's no bounce or pace in the pitch, we're not bowling that well and yet England sucks enough for us to be well on top.

 

[Colonial]

Pitch is terrible. Weather is terrible. Bowling terrible and yet England are woeful terrible and would struggle to bat against a shire team.
So still an enjoyable night.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Amen.

 

[1990crow]

Starc bringing none of the form I saw at the World Cup. Would like to see a few more Yorkers from him.

 

[Jak!x]

Starc bringing none of the form I saw at the World Cup. Would like to see a few more Yorkers from him.

We can always bring in Cummins next Test

 

[Shiv]

I cannot bring myself to be interested in this series. Can we go at least a year without playing England?

first and probably only person i've seen that isn't interested in this series. hope it somehow grabs your interest because it should be a cracker!

 

[Shiv]

The pitch is offering assistance to the bowlers yet our bowlers haven't been consistent enough to take advantage of it. Apart from hazelwood.

 

[PaddyO]

****ing Haddin. Shouldn't be there.

Dropping Root put England in a strong position. With that catch taken, by a competent keeper, we'd have bowled them out for about 200.

 

[Ashton Agar]

Starc bringing none of the form I saw at the World Cup. Would like to see a few more Yorkers from him.

A fair amount of his attempted yorkers were low full tosses.

 

[the_interloper]

A fair amount of his attempted yorkers were low full tosses.

They can be just as effective actually.

 

[Ashton Agar]

They can be just as effective actually.

Usually not when they are a metre wide of the off stump.

 

[the_interloper]

Usually not when they are a metre wide of the off stump.

Well he's probably not going to be able to get a bowled or LBW, I agree.

 

[Slax]

Starc bringing none of the form I saw at the World Cup. Would like to see a few more Yorkers from him.

Problem is he has a mental problem with the red ball for some reason. Boof needs to get a white ball, some red paint and sit down with start and paint it then send him to the nets with it. Because there is no reason why his form should differ so greatly from one to other.

 

[Colonial]

The fast bowlers last night were like Bing in his prime. Fast but no aim. Not even Haddin knew where they were going

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Starc bringing none of the form I saw at the World Cup. Would like to see a few more Yorkers from him.

I thought he tried to bowl too many in the sessions I saw.

 

[Slax]

Ok time to make my Ashes predictions

Series result - Australia 3-1
Most Runs -
Australia - Smith
England - Root

Most Wicket
Australia - Starc 29
England - Broad 23

Most improved performer
Australia - Starc, as he takes steps up and finally produces with the red ball and shows he is our #1 quick
England - Lyth, 2 centuries in excellent series showing he a test opener for the future.

Most disappointing
Austrlaia - Haddin, ordinary behind the stumps and terrible with the bat.
England - Ballance, fails with bat dropped after second test (given form against NZ could be after 1st test).

Got the Ballance call right, now to see how the rest of them go.
Could try and claim Haddin too, but that wasn't saying anything no-one didn't expect to see.

Lyth is looking like a complete fail unless he turns it around at Edgbaston he won't see out the series.

 

[ROOTA#6]

Got the Ballance call right, now to see how the rest of them go.
Could try and claim Haddin too, but that wasn't saying anything no-one didn't expect to see.

Lyth is looking like a complete fail unless he turns it around at Edgbaston he won't see out the series.

England really have struggled to find anyone to bat long term alongside Alistair Cook at the top

 

[the_interloper]

England really have struggled to find anyone to bat long term alongside Alistair Cook at the top

What happened to Compton? He opened didn't he?

 

[ROOTA#6]

What happened to Compton? He opened didn't he?

Read an article yesterday which seemed to imply that Cook isn't a fan of him therefore he doesn't play

 

[Slax]

England really have struggled to find anyone to bat long term alongside Alistair Cook at the top

I really feel that County cricket has a lot to do with this. The system is such that there are too many sides for the talent so it is spread thinner thus weakening the competition. You need a strong domestic competition to allow players to come in better prepared. The stronger counties also top up with elite foreign players which also stifles development of younger players.

What the ECB need to do is try and work out some sort of way of getting their elite young talent to player the English winter overseas. Think of the boost to a career that a 21 year-old would get from a season or two in Australia or South Africa playing FC, would be a massive boost. Even if you got some to NZ it would help as they'd get more cricket into them and the flow on would help NZ cricket as you'd more true FC players into the system there.

 

[happy_eagle]

Read an article yesterday which seemed to imply that Cook isn't a fan of him therefore he doesn't play

Certainly some rumours that what Cook says go's in the England camp. Sure the same could be said about Clarke though
It was suggested that Strauss banning KP was down to Cook laying down an ultimatum of "if he plays, i don't"