Test The Ashes Fourth Test December 26-30 1000hrs @ The MCG

[sr36]

I see you as the doyen on this board and cricket on bigfooty. And you are correct, the toothpaste is out of the tube.

However, how prevalent are t20 type strokes at junior level these days? Are they practicing reverse sweeps, ramps et al?

If I take a sport thats close to my heart in basketball, the accurate Steph Curry has transformed the game in the NBA into a 3pt shooting comp with fundamentals such as the mid range J and defensive pride a distant memory.

Is it the tiktok generation? Lack of will to grind it out, short attention span. Adrenaline rushes and dopamine hits. Doom scrolling and neck craning looking at smart devices regularly. Things that is widespread these days

Two of the best accumulators of runs the game has ever seen were playing in that match. Root was made to look like a hack by Neser bowling accurate medium pace.

 

[katana]

it seems like he made an oopsie. but i swear, some of the actions from cricket australia makes it appear formats other than t20 are designed for failure. they will knife the curator, while not even publicising an odi game.

curator isn't employed by CA.

 

[Some Idiot]

This isn't great reading for Marnus




I know he went back to Shield cricket and made some good runs, but maybe that's a better indication of the level he's now at in his career and that the step up to international test cricket is maybe just a step to far

He's got the mugs in the shield covered. Simply not enough mature top order talent in the country.

 

[Daka]

Modern batting is a disgrace, go watch the pitch the West Indies dished up it was way worse



That was a true minefield, this MCG pitch had movement in it, but it wasn't completely unplayable the way both batting line-ups made it look.

 

[big_e]

Not sure if already posted.

Shorter version here:

 

[Snarls Barkley]

This isn't great reading for Marnus




I know he went back to Shield cricket and made some good runs, but maybe that's a better indication of the level he's now at in his career and that the step up to international test cricket is maybe just a step to far

Some of his dismissals have been really bad for a guy who really needs a score

Was batting really well in Brisbane but then went out with a lazy cut shot to a ball that was too tight, then in Adelaide the first ball after lunch on a great batting pitch with one of the softest dismissals you’ll ever see

Was expecting a big series from him and that he’d go really big when he got in but a lot of almost scores again. Not sure what they do with him, fortunately his fielding has been otherworldly

 

[Around the Wicket]

This isn't great reading for Marnus




I know he went back to Shield cricket and made some good runs, but maybe that's a better indication of the level he's now at in his career and that the step up to international test cricket is maybe just a step to far

He was never a 60 average guy, I think he averaged mid 30s in FC cricket when first picked for Australia, he had charmed run, majority of those 100s he got a chance, he was the most dropped player in the world, that luck has dried up and he has had a long run against stronger opponents, the first 30 Tests he cashed in against Pakistan and Windies

 

[western royboy]

In four yrs, we wont have two of the 'big three', with hopefully Pat still be hanging on, ditto Smithy as being legends they are irreplaceable. But before we start with all the doom and gloom as we peek four yrs into the future, the Aussie U19s hammered England U19s twice in '23 in Youth Tests or the Junior Ashes as I prefer to call it, once on our shores and later on theirs. The best of our boys from those series have or are about to break into first class cricket, such as Joel Davies, Sam Konstas, Hugh Weibgen,Harjas Singh, Harry Dixon (bat), Charlie Anderson, Callum Vidler, Mahli Beardman, Raf MacMillan (ball). Ryan Hicks/Lachlan Aitken (w/k). I expect a majority of these guys to be wearing the baggy green in four yrs when the Poms next tour here, likely with some from the Junior Ashes class of '23. So we need to remind them that we bashed you guys back in '23, twice!

Davies, Konstas and Singh…all pretty ordinary techniques, future not as bright in my view

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

In Australia's golden period, Warne / McGrath and co did roll sides often but then Australia would come in and bat for 2 days, you know your got the pitches wrong when Australia can't even bat on them.. problem in India currently in that the Indian batsmen can't even bat on them consistently and we have gone the same direction.

Those same Australian sides would have batted for over a day on that pitch against that attack though (even if test pitches were generally flatter back then). Players like Ponting or S Waugh or Border, or even Clarke, grew up batting for hours and priding themselves on not getting out. Even natural attacking players like Hayden or Gilchrist knew when to pull it back a bit, get the pad near the bat for ones coming back in and not play hard at anything on the up when a pitch had a little going on.
Today's players are probably no less naturally talented, but the rewards and attitudes are different. Recklessness is regarded as "intent" and "that's the way he plays" an excuse for cheap early dismissals. And many of these players learned their styles pre-T20, so its probably not getting better any time soon.

 

[eddiesmith]

For those of us who grew up watching test cricket (in my case from as early as the 70s) to see what we've seen in the last couple of days is really dispiriting. Having watched two 2 days tests this series makes it doubly so.

If you're younger than me and have been fed a diet of express cricket, good luck to you. I can understand you guffawing at has-beens like me. But personally, I hate that a game can be done in two days. I hate the lack of application. The wild swinging of the bat. The dancing up the pitch from ball one.

I know there are many reasons for test cricket's decline. But I will never forgive people like Brendan McCullum who see themselves as the saviours of test cricket, and who will see today as some kind of victory. When in fact, I believe he is killing the game that I love so much.

I always wonder how different would cricket be today if India didn’t win the T20 World Cup back in the day that kickstarted their love of T20 and the creation of the IPL.

 

[richo's dodgy hammy]

Did Groundskeeper Willy apologise for the pitch in his press conference?

 

[Daka]

At least we can expect next year's MCG pitch to be an absolute lifeless road.

 

[Bombermania]

Bad batters blame the pitch.

Both sides were scoring over 3 an over, which for test cricket is good going, and only Head's dismissal, from a brilliant delivery that swung off the pitch to clean bowl him could be put down to the pitch, there might have been others.

Test wickets are meant to be challenging, batters were getting out playing aggressively, and to balls they were pushing at that could have been left, or they could have looked to drive or cut.

Had someone taken the Steve Waugh approach to batting, they could have made a 100 on that pitch. It was the sort of pitch that needed patients and good shot selection. The MCG, in my time of watching cricket has always been a lower scoring pitch compared to Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.

 

[Linda Lovelace]

This isn't great reading for Marnus




I know he went back to Shield cricket and made some good runs, but maybe that's a better indication of the level he's now at in his career and that the step up to international test cricket is maybe just a step to far

Marnus rode his luck more than any batsman we have seen when he was at his peak.

That is not to go too far and say he wasn't world class in his brief prime.

But the problem is that it inflated his record beyond his real level. So now the idea is that he was a former great batsman that we should keep persisting with because he may be great again. That initial false perception has given him more chances than he has earned.

 

[Cmarsh]

Marnus rode his luck more than any batsman we have seen when he was at his peak.

That is not to go too far and say he wasn't world class in his brief prime.

But the problem is that it inflated his record beyond his real level. So now the idea is that he was a former great batsman that we should keep persisting with because he may be great again. That initial false perception has given him more chances than he has earned.

In saying that, he had 4 seasons where he averaged more than 55. That's gotta be more than just riding your luck.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

At least we can expect next year's MCG pitch to be an absolute lifeless road.

And everyone will whinge about that as well.

 

[Lunchtime]

He was never a 60 average guy, I think he averaged mid 30s in FC cricket when first picked for Australia, he had charmed run, majority of those 100s he got a chance, he was the most dropped player in the world, that luck has dried up and he has had a long run against stronger opponents, the first 30 Tests he cashed in against Pakistan and Windies

He wouldn't have been picked for Australia in the 1990s or early to mid 2000s.

Australian cricket isnt strong currently or the past decade to 15 years.

 

[Stottzy]

Jeez the batsman from both sides are escaping so much scrutiny here. Feel sorry for Matt Page. Yeah ok, bowler friendly pitch, but unplayable? Come on!!

Australia in 1997 5th test made 194 all out at the WACCA against the West Indies, a pitch that is remembered for the cracks being a major factor and that "grubber ball" from Ambrose to Blewett. 194 all out, against Ambrose, Walsh and Bishop, bowling on cracks that wide Ian Healy put his glove in one of them! Batsman have had it easy with flat pitches for a very long time, so spare me when the pitch shows a bit a royal commission is getting called to explain why a bit of green was on the wicket!

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Bad batters blame the pitch.

I played cricket with a guy for years, he was a mate of mine, but whenever he got out it was always because it did something strange off the wicket, the pitch was 2 paced, or it was the greatest ball he ever faced, etc. It was never because he played the wrong shot to the wrong ball ... which he did on many occasions.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Beyond disappointed.
Had a ticket for today and was really looking forward to going to the G.

Does anyone know what the process is to get my refund processed?

NRMA Insurance Boxing Day Test concludes on Day 2 | MCC

The 2025 NRMA Insurance Boxing Day Test between Australia and England has concluded after Day 2.

www.mcc.org.au

Automatically apprantly

 

[dumb]

curator isn't employed by CA.

thank you, you are correct. haven't had a chance to see the presser to see if the curator is the escape goat.

 

[HoldMyBeer]

Bazball especially, plus the wickets, have diminished the best global sporting rivalry, The Ashes as we knew it ---- It's dead and buried, this generation will move on to something else or stick around if it's still a T20 style of game.

 

[Linda Lovelace]

In saying that, he had 4 seasons where he averaged more than 55. That's gotta be more than just riding your luck.

Those averages must be seen in the context that he was objectively lucky - you can look up the stats on how often he was dropped etc.

He obviously batted well too. But he was never quite the player those inflated yearly averages suggested he was.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Around the 2.30 min mark onwards it looks legitimately like some cricket fans have turned up. Surely not...

Theres an event in Yarra Park with the players

 

[western royboy]

I played cricket with a guy for years, he was a mate of mine, but whenever he got out it was always because it did something strange off the wicket, the pitch was 2 paced, or it was the greatest ball he ever faced, etc. It was never because he played the wrong shot to the wrong ball ... which he did on many occasions.

A wise man who I had the fortune to play with (played a Test) had this to say;

“We play 12 games per year, allowing for wash outs and second innings you will get about 12 hits per year.

On average you will get 1-2 good balls a year that will be a bit to good for you.

You will have one piece of shit luck, either a run out or a freak catch.

You will get fired by the Ump once, that’s cricket, it happens.

That leaves you with 8-9 times where the main person responsible for your dismissal is you.

If you think that you’re getting 5/6 good balls a year or fired by the umpire, you are either delusional or playing a level of cricket above your ability”

Never known it not to be correct.

What is the lesson? 85% of the time you will get yourself out so if you can minimise that you’ll improve your runs.

Bowlers, you just have to be consistent and perfect your stock ball, most batsmen get themselves out so don’t worry about bowling 6 different balls an over, just get it in the right spot consistently.