Cricket Thread: Aus vs Bangladesh test series... just 4 months away

[Kane McGoodwin]

Check out the viaion of Broad in the commentary box.

Five quick hits: Broad can't watch and old Aussies turn to ashes

Stuart Broad hangs his head as England is torn apart by Scott Boland again, while Usman Khawaja and Nathan Lyon can't make it through a day in the field. Here are the quick hits from the frantic conclusion of the first Ashes Test.

www.abc.net.au

 

[spenze]

Reading the British mail, not very kind at all to the Poms

 

[Vader]

Head averages over 40 with a destructive strike rate.

He is our biggest matchwinner & most important player who usually scores big when it matters.

You can keep talking him down, but there are other problems in the batting line-up than Head who would be the 1st picked.

I'm not talking him down. On his day, he's absolutely a brilliant match winner. Head is not 1st picked - Smith still holds that honour - but nowhere have I suggested that he would ever be dropped.

More importantly, he's also our best opener. Arguably, the only decent opener in the entire country at present. Australia gains far more by having him open, with Webster in the middle order, than they do with Head in the middle order and a potato opening.

 

[spenze]

I'm not talking him down. On his day, he's absolutely a brilliant match winner. Head is not 1st picked - Smith still holds that honour - but nowhere have I suggested that he would ever be dropped.

More importantly, he's also our best opener. Arguably, the only decent opener in the entire country at present. Australia gains far more by having him open, with Webster in the middle order, than they do with Head in the middle order and a potato opening.

Give you your due and even though I still disagree with you, you are adamant Head should open and have been for a while

 

[Vader]

I agree that we should keep Head as opener.

But your comments on him being inconsistent is crazy. He's consistently the player that steps up for us, and has been for years.

Talking about "so far this season" is ridiculous - the season started yesterday. Everything else is just preseason, and Trav can't be bothered with that

Are you seriously ignoring all the conversations that were being had before today's innings, about him averaging less than 20 across his last 10 innings at all levels & in all formats of the game?

Head's innings today was outstanding, but let's not pretend that he had any form behind him coming into the game.

When I talk about his inconsistency, I'm thinking of the form he showed in the 2023/24 season (only 2 years ago). He achieved the 2nd highest score of any Australian batsman that summer (119 vs Windies). He also achieved the lowest average across the summer of all our top-6 batsmen to have played all 5 tests.

When it comes to Head, you have to take the good with the bad, because you're going to get both in equal doses across the Summer. Today was not just good, it was astoundingly good!

 

[Vader]

You know who Head reminds me of?

Doug Walters.

I get your call about inconsistent, but when stuff has to happen, he will make everyone else look inept whilst he takes attacks apart.

Everyone loves a Steve Waugh who was consistent as but you need a player like Head who can come in and win the big games...and he has enough times to be given a lot , a lot of rope.

That's very fair.

Head has a history of being prepared to take the game on, while everyone else is playing it safe. I'm sure everyone also remembers his innings against the Saffies on a raging green monster at the Gabba a few years ago. The pitch was horrendous, and the batsmen all knew that it was just a matter of time before they got an unplayable delivery which would knock them over. Most went into their shells, playing defensively. Head attacked, figuring that at the very least he'd make as many runs as possible before his number came up. Head's decision to roll the dice, rather than playing it safe, ended up winning the game.

Just as the England batsmen found out today - sometimes chancing your arm makes you look like a fool. At other times, again as Head found today, you can get away with it and win the game for your team.

 

[Vader]

Fair is fair, we have been given out when that has happened.

Still think that hit glove

The replays showed that it never went anywhere near Smith's glove. It sailed 3-4 inches below his glove. It either hit the bottom edge of the bat, or nothing at all. The lateness and small size of the "spike" suggests to me that he missed it, and the noise came from some other source. It could have been just a audio/video synch problem, though the spike seemed at least 1 frame too late for even this explanation.

I think Smith was very unlucky to be given out - but I also have memories of Australian batsmen being given out in similar circumstances, so I have very limited sympathy for him.

 

[spenze]

If you can, read the English press on the loss, fun reading

 

[Gtowncrow]

Marnus looks to be playing a cross between tennis and baseball.

I like the intent.

Better than his recent season's form where he lost the ability to score at all.

 

[FR0GGY]

If you can, read the English press on the loss, fun reading

Probably take longer than the test match

 

[ABAB]

Reading the British mail, not very kind at all to the Poms

Because they've previously choke this big in the last few years. It's has been a trend, "Bazball" is playing with freedom and having fun like Stokes said "we are here to entertain" and didn't they at the expense of their fans lol.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I like the intent.

Better than his recent season's form where he lost the ability to score at all.

Ashes: 'England's first-Test defeat in Perth one of their worst ever'

England missed a chance to turn fierce Ashes pressure on Australia with self-inflicted defeat in Perth, writes Stephan Shemilt.

www.bbc.com

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Boycott hits out at 'stupid things' England do after Ashes collapse

England had appeared in pole position at 59-1 at lunch on the second day, holding a lead of 99 runs and still having nine wickets still in hand, before collapsing to 164 all out in Perth.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

The Ashes Day 2 RECAP: England rally to set target of 205 to win Test

Nineteen wickets fell on a rollercoaster opening day of the first Ashes Test, with Australia going from the penthouse to the outhouse as their batting was left in complete disarray by the tourists.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Vader]

Ashes: 'England's first-Test defeat in Perth one of their worst ever'

England missed a chance to turn fierce Ashes pressure on Australia with self-inflicted defeat in Perth, writes Stephan Shemilt.

www.bbc.com

My favourite quote so far:

Four and a half hours later, England had lost by eight wickets. And that included 20 minutes for tea. Deckchairs show more resistance to folding.

 

[Vader]

Some interesting stats coming out of the Perth Test:

• It's the first time in Test history that a team has chased down a 200+ run total at better than a run a ball.
• It's the first time since 1904 that an Ashes Test has been won inside 2 days.
• Crawley's pair is only the 4th by an opener in Ashes history.

... and that's without mentioning all the records associated with Head's remarkable innings.

 

[GreyCrow]

Some interesting stats coming out of the Perth Test:

• It's the first time in Test history that a team has chased down a 200+ run total at better than a run a ball.
• It's the first time since 1904 that an Ashes Test has been won inside 2 days.
• Crawley's pair is only the 4th by an opener in Ashes history.

... and that's without mentioning all the records associated with Head's remarkable innings.

Graham Gooch is the one I always remember for twin ducks

The Aussies had figured out a weakness in his game so wanted him in the side - there was strong speculation he was next in line

So the Aussies let him get 100 against them in the tour match

 

[Doctor B]

Its been turned into a gif already

 

[Mostyn]

Are you seriously ignoring all the conversations that were being had before today's innings, about him averaging less than 20 across his last 10 innings at all levels & in all formats of the game?

Head's innings today was outstanding, but let's not pretend that he had any form behind him coming into the game.

When I talk about his inconsistency, I'm thinking of the form he showed in the 2023/24 season (only 2 years ago). He achieved the 2nd highest score of any Australian batsman that summer (119 vs Windies). He also achieved the lowest average across the summer of all our top-6 batsmen to have played all 5 tests.

When it comes to Head, you have to take the good with the bad, because you're going to get both in equal doses across the Summer. Today was not just good, it was astoundingly good!

"at all levels and in all formats"

This is all absolutely irrelevant for Head. He's proven that over and over again. It's like caring if Buddy gets a kick in preseason - it's just not a relevant measure. Trav has proven that he is our absolute most reliable talent WHEN IT MATTERS.

Does he get up for Sheffield Shield or series against the minnows? No, probably not. Does he win Ashes test matches or games of full stadiums against the Indians? Of course he does.

He CONSISTENTLY does it when it's important.

 

[Eagleboy2011]

I like the 2-day test concept. It might catch on.

 

[Billy Cart]

The replays showed that it never went anywhere near Smith's glove. It sailed 3-4 inches below his glove. It either hit the bottom edge of the bat, or nothing at all. The lateness and small size of the "spike" suggests to me that he missed it, and the noise came from some other source. It could have been just a audio/video synch problem, though the spike seemed at least 1 frame too late for even this explanation.

I think Smith was very unlucky to be given out - but I also have memories of Australian batsmen being given out in similar circumstances, so I have very limited sympathy for him.

What gave him away was he walked, he didn't go to the DRS. If he didn't think he hit it why walk?

 

[Billy Cart]

Its been turned into a gif already



View attachment 2483914

That's thanks to the worst Aussie team since 2011 eh Braod?

 

[Billy Cart]

Graham Gooch is the one I always remember for twin ducks

The Aussies had figured out a weakness in his game so wanted him in the side - there was strong speculation he was next in line

So the Aussies let him get 100 against them in the tour match

I still remember him getting out trying to knock the ball away with his hand.

 

[Vader]

What gave him away was he walked, he didn't go to the DRS. If he didn't think he hit it why walk?

I think we're talking about 2 different dismissals.

Brook walked in the 1st innings, as soon as the Australians sent the decision upstairs. He got a massive glove on the ball and knew that hanging around was just wasting people's time. There was no way his gloving of the ball was not going to show up on the replays. Kudos to him for forcing the umpire into making a decision, but walking as soon as the outcome became inevitable.

Smith was the batsman in the 2nd innings whose fate was decided by the 3rd umpire after reviewing the footage and snicko for a full 4 minutes. Smith didn't walk. To be fair to Smith, the faintness of the "spike" on snicko suggests that it was at best a VERY faint edge - and he may well not have realised that he'd made contact with the ball.

Smith's decision is the one which was controversial, given the faintness and lateness of the "spike" on snicko, which appeared to be well after the ball had passed the bat.

 

[Vader]

I'd also like to give Kudos to the sportsmanship shown by the Poms, after Head's dismissal yesterday. At least 4 of them made a point of shaking his hand as he was leaving the field, with Stokes chasing him half-way to the boundary in order to shake his hand. Well done to the Poms!