Ashes 25/26

[Pistol Night]

Hey, hey. I’ve got a Welsh father.

My best days are behind me, but I’ll help the Poms out if they need it.

Like when Roy Draige helped out the Poms on the 12th man

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Hey, hey. I’ve got a Welsh father.

My best days are behind me, but I’ll help the Poms out if they need it.

I have one also, well, grandfather. Might actually look into travel to lilac hill, you never know. “Alright Boyo’s, I hear you might be looking for a bowler’

 

[western royboy]

Like when Roy Draige helped out the Poms on the 12th man

Very soon there will be a generation of folk who will have no idea who the 12th Man was or what he was on about…

 

[Gough]

Hey, hey. I’ve got a Welsh father.

My best days are behind me, but I’ll help the Poms out if they need it.

I've got Welsh kin, they'd help us out before the English.

 

[western royboy]

I've got Welsh kin, they'd help us out before the English.

There’s a young Welshman about my town…there’s no way he’s supporting England I can assure you

 

[Jim Prideaux]

I've got Welsh kin, they'd help us out before the English.

And make a mean cheese toastie

 

[Borisdog]

I've got Welsh kin, they'd help us out before the English.

I’m sure Gough, but I think you miss my intent.

 

[Around the Wicket]

Embarrassing loss for NSW, they had pretty much our bowling attack and Smith lol.

 

[western royboy]

Embarrassing loss for NSW, they had pretty much our bowling attack and Smith lol.

Wicket was awful today

 

[Jim Prideaux]

There’s a young Welshman about my town…there’s no way he’s supporting England I can assure you

I dunno, been a few Jones’s in the England team. Simon and Geraint most recently

 

[sabso]

England and wales cricket team as the taffs seem to have forgotten.

 

[Gough]

I dunno, been a few Jones’s in the England team. Simon and Geraint most recently

Geraint Jones was a failed Australian plant imo.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Might have a welsh grandma

Maybe his pet cat is English

 

[Sydney Kicker]

Welcome to the Guardian’s 100 best players in the history of the men’s Ashes

This week we will be publishing a run-down of our judges’ greatest Ashes cricketers in the buildup to this year’s series opener on 21 November. Here’s how we did it

www.theguardian.com

Taking a punt at the top 10

10 Botham - probably not deserving of top 10 but the 1981 test was the Pommies greatest moment in the last 50 years
9 Hammond
8 Hutton
7 Grace - gets in as the token pre World war 1 selection given his historical role in growing the sport
6 McGrath
5 Lillee
4 Smith
3 Hobbs
2 Warne
1 Bradman

No English bowlers in that lot (bar Botham as an all rounder) which I think is fair enough if you look back at the history of the Ashes. I think Rhodes, Trueman, Willis and Barnes would all be good candidates for the 11-20 range. Hard to find a place for Gilchrist or Knott but I'd have them in the 11-15 range. Gilly's batting against the Poms was possibly a touch below what he did against other nations. Steve Waugh and AB also a lock in positions 11-20.

11-20 in no order. Trumper, Willis, SF Barnes, Gilchrist, Knott, Sutcliffe, S Waugh, Border, Lindwall, Miller

 

[the_interloper]

Geez Green just crucified Cooper Connolly, great fielding by Marnus it must be said but Green sent him back going for a second, looked a bit rough to me. I really wonder if he was thinking about his Test spot.

EDIT: Scratch that haha, saw a replay, I think Green saw Marnus fielded it and Cooper turned blind, Connolly's fault.

 

[melanChronic]

Welcome to the Guardian’s 100 best players in the history of the men’s Ashes

This week we will be publishing a run-down of our judges’ greatest Ashes cricketers in the buildup to this year’s series opener on 21 November. Here’s how we did it

www.theguardian.com

Taking a punt at the top 10

10 Botham - probably not deserving of top 10 but the 1981 test was the Pommies greatest moment in the last 50 years
9 Hammond
8 Hutton
7 Grace - gets in as the token pre World war 1 selection given his historical role in growing the sport
6 McGrath
5 Lillee
4 Smith
3 Hobbs
2 Warne
1 Bradman

No English bowlers in that lot (bar Botham as an all rounder) which I think is fair enough if you look back at the history of the Ashes. I think Rhodes, Trueman, Willis and Barnes would all be good candidates for the 11-20 range. Hard to find a place for Gilchrist or Knott but I'd have them in the 11-15 range. Gilly's batting against the Poms was possibly a touch below what he did against other nations. Steve Waugh and AB also a lock in positions 11-20.

11-20 in no order. Trumper, Willis, SF Barnes, Gilchrist, Knott, Sutcliffe, S Waugh, Border, Lindwall, Miller

I hope the selectors have factored in big moments/performances in Ashes tests rather than focus too much on raw stats. Flintoff in 2005 and 2009 was godlike, never had such fear of an opposition player as a viewer. He's got to be top 10 for mine.

Likewise Stokes's innings in 2019 was the most ridiculous knock imaginable, and he almost repeated the dose in 2023. That's the Ashes folklore type stuff that this should be capturing.

On the same metric, Taylor for his 1989 series, Alderman for 1981 and 1989, should be over-indexed despite them not having the career record to match others.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Geez Green just crucified Cooper Connolly, great fielding by Marnus it must be said but Green sent him back going for a second, looked a bit rough to me. I really wonder if he was thinking about his Test spot.

Was never a run there unlucky but Cooper needs to watch the ball

 

[the_interloper]

Was never a run there unlucky but Cooper needs to watch the ball

You're correct, pls read my edited post haha

 

[LukeParkerno1]

You're correct, pls read my edited post haha

All good mate yeah just turned blind

 

[worbod]

Will England's three-day game against the England Lions be a first class fixture?

 

[cricketnut14]

Because Hazelwood is fine and Abbott is "injured" can we replace Abbott with Renshaw in the Ashes squad? Then play him as opener and Labs at 3, Green at 6??

we could, but wouldn't that just display how confused the selectors are ?

 

[western royboy]

Will England's three-day game against the England Lions be a first class fixture?

Would not have thought so

 

[Sydney Kicker]

I hope the selectors have factored in big moments/performances in Ashes tests rather than focus too much on raw stats. Flintoff in 2005 and 2009 was godlike, never had such fear of an opposition player as a viewer. He's got to be top 10 for mine.

Likewise Stokes's innings in 2019 was the most ridiculous knock imaginable, and he almost repeated the dose in 2023. That's the Ashes folklore type stuff that this should be capturing.

On the same metric, Taylor for his 1989 series, Alderman for 1981 and 1989, should be over-indexed despite them not having the career record to match others.

I agree big performances need to be over indexed. But you have to consider longevity and recency bias too. There's so many great players with great performances to consider. Was Flintoff in 2005 and 2009 (a very short career) better than Botham in 1981? Sutcliffe couldn't make my top 10 but his performances on sticky wickets partnering Hobbs were the stuff of legend. His batting and that of other greats in that era like Charlie Macartney and before him Victor Trumper were far superior Ashes performances than Stokes who should barely make the top 50.

Taylor is a fair shout with his 1989 series and has claims for being in that 10-20 range. Alderman in the 40-50 range. Just too may great bowlers to pick from.

After the top 6 or 7 there's not much splitting the next 90 odd. Really hard to find significant differences.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Welcome to the Guardian’s 100 best players in the history of the men’s Ashes

This week we will be publishing a run-down of our judges’ greatest Ashes cricketers in the buildup to this year’s series opener on 21 November. Here’s how we did it

www.theguardian.com

Taking a punt at the top 10

10 Botham - probably not deserving of top 10 but the 1981 test was the Pommies greatest moment in the last 50 years
9 Hammond
8 Hutton
7 Grace - gets in as the token pre World war 1 selection given his historical role in growing the sport
6 McGrath
5 Lillee
4 Smith
3 Hobbs
2 Warne
1 Bradman

No English bowlers in that lot (bar Botham as an all rounder) which I think is fair enough if you look back at the history of the Ashes. I think Rhodes, Trueman, Willis and Barnes would all be good candidates for the 11-20 range. Hard to find a place for Gilchrist or Knott but I'd have them in the 11-15 range. Gilly's batting against the Poms was possibly a touch below what he did against other nations. Steve Waugh and AB also a lock in positions 11-20.

11-20 in no order. Trumper, Willis, SF Barnes, Gilchrist, Knott, Sutcliffe, S Waugh, Border, Lindwall, Miller

How overrated do we reckon Jimmy Anderson will be?

117 wickets at 36 in the Ashes. They'll still find a way to put him top 50 despite his awful record against Australia.

 

[Grumpyshades]

Geez Green just crucified Cooper Connolly, great fielding by Marnus it must be said but Green sent him back going for a second, looked a bit rough to me. I really wonder if he was thinking about his Test spot.

EDIT: Scratch that haha, saw a replay, I think Green saw Marnus fielded it and Cooper turned blind, Connolly's fault.

brilliant fielding by Labs..Probably a 10% run out chance

Josh Inglis needs a serious kick in the backside if he wants to play test cricket again. All the talent but another lazy soft dismissal right on stumps