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

[HoldMyBeer]

Head or Starc Man of the Series?

If Head tons up tomorrow I reckon I'd have to have him in front. Starc started great but has faded as the series has gone on

Starc

He’s devoted himself to this series without other distractions, reportedly costing him a fair bit of coin too and it’s showed in the first two tests when he carried the bowling, then batted amazingly well.

Starc may be the last of the players who really prioritises The Ashes.

 

[010203]

Alex Hartley ''you cannot get out to this filth''.

 

[Peter Bixley]

Starc

He’s devoted himself to this series without other distractions, reportedly costing him a fair bit of coin too and it’s showed in the first two tests when he carried the bowling, then batted amazingly well.

Starc may be the last of the players who really prioritises The Ashes.

And he'll be one who is still getting free beers and public love when he's sixty-years-old. To put his country first when it would have been so easy to take the coin is a life worth leading and a legacy worth leaving. Man of the series, for me.

 

[Grumpyshades]

Alex Hartley ''you cannot get out to this filth''.

the premise is still the same with every single pommy commentator

thinking they are way better than they actually are

 

[010203]

the premise is still the same with every single pommy commentator

thinking they are way better than they actually are

I think it's a reasonable comment to make if a top 7 batsman gets out to Marnus's medium paceers.

 

[sabso]

Drop Jamie smith for that bullshit. Make him move counties too, there’s no way him and Ollie pope should continue to be bad influences on each other.

 

[Grumpyshades]

I think it's a reasonable comment to make if a top 7 batsman gets out to Marnus's medium paceers.

most predictable wicket of the summer

 

[Peter Bixley]

the premise is still the same with every single pommy commentator

thinking they are way better than they actually are

If Cam Green got out to Harry Brook that way whilst on 20 then I'd genuinely fear for his life.

 

[icyflakes]

Alex Hartley ''you cannot get out to this filth''.

Grade Cricketer were saying he'd probably get a pat on the back after that.

 

[PhatBoy]

the premise is still the same with every single pommy commentator

thinking they are way better than they actually are

So when Australian commentators Maxwell and Gillespie blew up on Grandstand about Labuschagne even being given the ball today, and then about the dismissal, that was because they’re better than they are?

What should they be saying? ‘Great bowling from Wasim Akram’s greatest rival as modern cricket’s most subtle magician.’
It was a f**king horrible shot to some big ordinary bowling

 

[kenneje]

Ooh feisty

View attachment 2505533

Like McGills, this is an absurd statement if in relation to picking no spinner.

We're not yet half way through the test. What has he not been able to tell McDonald, Smith or Cummins to do that is SO egregious?

 

[Bob Neil]

Neser (and Boland) could and possibly should have played a lot more cricket over the past five years. In hindsight I think we could have rotated our three quicks more often and proactively to maximise their performance and longevity. Neser and Boland have both shown they’re more than capable at the level and we wouldn’t have lost much if anything by having more of a rotation policy.

 

[Neese]

It's cute that you think that you're funny.

 

[Cainozz]

Pretty good day, Marnus late dismissal stopped it from being a very good day

I don’t know what you do with Marnus, seems to think it’s job done after he gets a start and gets complacent. I know he had more than his fair share of luck when he was really dominating but he seemed to have a much higher desire to score and score big. He’s our third leading runscorer for the series but don’t think I can give him a passing grade for his batting in the series

They are reluctant to make a change at the best of times. Ussie is already retiring, Green has been five times worse, Weatherald doesn’t look up to the grade and Inglis didn’t really set the world alight in the chances he got. I don’t know how they fix these batting issues, there is legit three guys in the country we can trust. God forbid Travis Head has a poor run of form. He looked good for most of his innings today, you know they’ll keep giving him games but it’s hard to see where or how he turns things around again

It’s good to see Marnus atleast somewhat in the runs and not completely at sea. He’s getting starts, just not going on with it which probably indicates a mental or confidence barrier. Once he does eventually reach three figures again, I feel like the flood gates will open and he will add a few more to his tally. With the likelihood of a few more retirements around the corner, I think we just need to keep persisting with him until it turns as he and Head are essential to guide this team for the next 4-5 years.

It’s also why I’d be picking McSweeney to replace Khawaja and give him a good solid run of 10 tests to see what’s he’s got. Need someone like him to take the captaincy reigns after Pat in a few years.

 

[FreoRicci]

Really in the end England not making 400 when Root made 160 and Brook 80+ is pretty bad considering the position they were in

It’s a collapse yet again.
Flirt with form, then this happens. No way they shouldn’t missed out on 450+.

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Can we please for goodness sakes settle Green in one position? Give the guy a bunch of tests in one area he’s batted 3-7 in basically the last 10 tests! Too much disruption.

Not sure on Webster but not the worst shout

Green was moved around because he failed after a sustained stint in one spot, leaving him in one position is not the solution.

 

[HoldMyBeer]

And he'll be one who is still getting free beers and public love when he's sixty-years-old. To put his country first when it would have been so easy to take the coin is a life worth leading and a legacy worth leaving. Man of the series, for me.

Very well said

 

[Topkent]

Like McGills, this is an absurd statement if in relation to picking no spinner.

We're not yet half way through the test. What has he not been able to tell McDonald, Smith or Cummins to do that is SO egregious?

Lol what? Webster not being picked, Green being picked, no spinner picked.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Head or Starc Man of the Series?

If Head tons up tomorrow I reckon I'd have to have him in front. Starc started great but has faded as the series has gone on

Not that head hasn’t performed but starc did his work when the series was there to be won.

Amazing bowling numbers and was averaging 50 with that bat not long ago.

 

[HugeJohnson]

Not that head hasn’t performed but starc did his work when the series was there to be won.

Amazing bowling numbers and was averaging 50 with that bat not long ago.

You're right, I forgot to even consider his batting efforts

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Green was moved around because he failed after a sustained stint in one spot, leaving him in one position is not the solution.

It can’t hurt. Leave him at 7 for 10 tests and then make a call one way or the other. They aren’t in a rush to make a change there and rightly so. You may disagree but that’s what the selectors will do. Performed a good relief load yesterday for quicks day 1 wasn’t great but much better yesterday

 

[FreddyTwoShoes]

passive aggressive sooky macho crap

Yep. Stokes gives off very strong FIGJAM vibes. Everything he does (including that bs yesterday) is so painfully performative.
Good cricketer but just so up himself.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Yep. Stokes gives off very strong FIGJAM vibes. Everything he does (including that bs yesterday) is so painfully performative.
Good cricketer but just so up himself.

We’d bite anyone’s hand off for Stokes the cricketer. Deserves to be “up himself”

 

[Stax on the mill]

We’d bite anyone’s hand off for Stokes the cricketer. Deserves to be “up himself”

I don’t think anyone deserves to be “up themselves”, no matter how good they may be. I prefer more modest champions, such as a Joe Root or a Nick Daicos.

I agree though, that we could certainly do with an allrounder with the ability of Ben Stokes.

 

[RedEffingBull]

We’d bite anyone’s hand off for Stokes the cricketer. Deserves to be “up himself”

He's living off ancient performances. His later career has been average (Cam Green levels) at best. Definitely turned into an old man FIGJAM.

Swokes vs Green over their last respective 42 innings (at bat):

100s = 1 vs 2
50s = 8 vs 3
Not outs = 2 vs 4
Dismissed for less than 10 = 17 vs 12
Average = 27.4 vs 28.4
Strike Rate = 48.2 vs 50.1
Average mins per innings = 73 vs 83

Most of Swokes runs have come at home whilst most of Greens when playing away. And yet Green is on the cusp of being dropped and we would "bite anyone's hand off for Swokes"? Turn it up. The dude is an English Virat.