Ashes 2025/6

[Andy]

My impression of the pre bazball era was that the team was scared to play positively. Once this regime took over there is a fear of being seen as negative. Teams often absorb the neuroses of the captain and coach. Sadly that is what has happened here. Brook and Root are being destroyed by the leadership.

Mike Brearley would have a field day probing the mind of Baz and Ben.

We are making a fairly ordinary Aussie team that has selection and fitness issues look world beaters.

The sport in this country has systemic issues that could be offset by a sensible national side.  I am almost worried that this team will bounce back in the next test and forget about all this we will lose the series but the same idiots will be in charge until the next Ashes.

The warnings were there in 2023 when we threw away the first two tests when we could have ground down the Aussies.

[JasonP]

My impression of the pre bazball era was that the team was scared to play positively. Once this regime took over there is a fear of being seen as negative. Teams often absorb the neuroses of the captain and coach. Sadly that is what has happened here. Brook and Root are being destroyed by the leadership.

Mike Brearley would have a field day probing the mind of Baz and Ben.

We are making a fairly ordinary Aussie team that has selection and fitness issues look world beaters.

The sport in this country has systemic issues that could be offset by a sensible national side.  I am almost worried that this team will bounce back in the next test and forget about all this we will lose the series but the same idiots will be in charge until the next Ashes.

The warnings were there in 2023 when we threw away the first two tests when we could have ground down the Aussies.

They're ranked numbers one and two in the World for their performances under this leadership!  I'm not sure they're being destroyed too much!
https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/batting/mens/test

They're just an incredibly one dimensional team.  The batsmen are all told to play one way, which is in 4th or 5th gear all of the time and Key and McCullum seem to think the only way to take wickets is to find the quickest bowlers they have, rather than the best ones.  They're never going to be consistant as a team playing this way, it's always going to be peaks and troughs.  On these pitches it's going to be a lot more troughs than peaks.  On flatter wickets probably the opposite.
Robert Key comes across terribly when trying to talk cricket.  Like he's the smart one and that everyone who disagrees with him is some kind of dinosaur.

[vim]

No action will be taken to resolve the issues before the next test. The ground is now free for three days. That would be ideal to practice getting used to the conditions.

The Test Match Special scorer, in line with an Essex T20 game. Was chipping in, with yet another record England had broken with their ineptitude.

[JasonP]

No action will be taken to resolve the issues before the next test. The ground is now free for three days. That would be ideal to practice getting used to the conditions.

The Test Match Special scorer, in line with an Essex T20 game. Was chipping in, with yet another record England had broken with their ineptitude.

Perth tends to have more pace and bounce than the other pitches in Australia so I'm not if that would be the case or not.

[vim]

It is said in Australia that the ball moves a little quicker. Taking a catch, before you have adjusted. Is catching it next to your ear.

[Andy]

They're ranked numbers one and two in the World for their performances under this leadership!  I'm not sure they're being destroyed too much!
https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/batting/mens/test

They're just an incredibly one dimensional team.  The batsmen are all told to play one way, which is in 4th or 5th gear all of the time and Key and McCullum seem to think the only way to take wickets is to find the quickest bowlers they have, rather than the best ones.  They're never going to be consistant as a team playing this way, it's always going to be peaks and troughs.  On these pitches it's going to be a lot more troughs than peaks.  On flatter wickets probably the opposite.
Robert Key comes across terribly when trying to talk cricket.  Like he's the smart one and that everyone who disagrees with him is some kind of dinosaur.

Well throwing statistics around is OK but who are they scoring against and the state of play in the match as well as pitch and atmospheric conditions.  As Sir Jack Hobbs said, I am paid to score runs when conditions are tough.

It is NOT the speed you score in Test cricket it is how many. Essex used to follow a similar approach in three day cricket back in the 1950s and 60s because we had a poor top order and played on dodgy wickets. If Tonker or Barry Knight could slog a few we might force a win and there was no punishment for losing.

Be positive in what you do even if it is letting the ball go early on.  I actually don?t disagree with the need to put in bowlers who are faster and hit the deck, but the brainless way in which they bowled in the second innings contrasts with Boland who responded to his poor bowling first dig.

Root tried to play bazball when Stokes took over then wised up. I fear he has been got at and regressed. 

[bobw]

This team do not know the difference between being positive and aggressive.

[JasonP]

They're ranked numbers one and two in the World for their performances under this leadership!  I'm not sure they're being destroyed too much!
https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/batting/mens/test

They're just an incredibly one dimensional team.  The batsmen are all told to play one way, which is in 4th or 5th gear all of the time and Key and McCullum seem to think the only way to take wickets is to find the quickest bowlers they have, rather than the best ones.  They're never going to be consistant as a team playing this way, it's always going to be peaks and troughs.  On these pitches it's going to be a lot more troughs than peaks.  On flatter wickets probably the opposite.
Robert Key comes across terribly when trying to talk cricket.  Like he's the smart one and that everyone who disagrees with him is some kind of dinosaur.

Well throwing statistics around is OK but who are they scoring against and the state of play in the match as well as pitch and atmospheric conditions.  As Sir Jack Hobbs said, I am paid to score runs when conditions are tough.

It is NOT the speed you score in Test cricket it is how many. Essex used to follow a similar approach in three day cricket back in the 1950s and 60s because we had a poor top order and played on dodgy wickets. If Tonker or Barry Knight could slog a few we might force a win and there was no punishment for losing.

Be positive in what you do even if it is letting the ball go early on.  I actually don?t disagree with the need to put in bowlers who are faster and hit the deck, but the brainless way in which they bowled in the second innings contrasts with Boland who responded to his poor bowling first dig.

Root tried to play bazball when Stokes took over then wised up. I fear he has been got at and regressed.

The world rankings take all this into account.  That?s the whole point of them.

[Andy]

They're ranked numbers one and two in the World for their performances under this leadership!  I'm not sure they're being destroyed too much!
https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/batting/mens/test

They're just an incredibly one dimensional team.  The batsmen are all told to play one way, which is in 4th or 5th gear all of the time and Key and McCullum seem to think the only way to take wickets is to find the quickest bowlers they have, rather than the best ones.  They're never going to be consistant as a team playing this way, it's always going to be peaks and troughs.  On these pitches it's going to be a lot more troughs than peaks.  On flatter wickets probably the opposite.
Robert Key comes across terribly when trying to talk cricket.  Like he's the smart one and that everyone who disagrees with him is some kind of dinosaur.

The world rankings take all this into account.  That?s the whole point of them.

There is only one thing that matters that is The Ashes. Root cannot score a century in Australia. If he does not break that statistic he will always be remembered for that. We will see by the New Year where Root and Brook are in the rankings.

[Bath Hammer]

The trouble is that performances like that bring test match cricket into disrepute & turn off many of their supporters. I now have little interest in the rest of the test series as I expect the same to happen again & again. I thought an element of pragmatism had started to emerge last season but clearly that?s been ditched & we?re back to utterly thoughtless cricket!

[Bath Hammer]

Starc , a different class to the rest , not going to face him in in house warm ups.
Well in this game at lunchtime second day,  that?s five sessions, and got blown away in the next two.
Easily got the required runs, on the chase Bradley Walsh would have said, on that performance to beat the chaser would have needed another 300.
Bowlers superb  first innings was the only positive on this performance, sadly with the bat could not get out easily enough.
Players walked off at the end shell shocked, like soldiers back from the Somme, well at least they did not lack moral fibre. Bowling no ball bumpers at the end was disgraceful.
Perhaps at the start of next season we will need to leave reef for England Red ball cricket .

You were clearly shell shocked when you attempted that post Bewildered!

[vim]

Although, there is a statement that the Test team will not play in the warm-up game. At a press conference, it was stated that options are open.

Found the panic button early, have you?

[nat]

Starc , a different class to the rest , not going to face him in in house warm ups.
Well in this game at lunchtime second day,  that?s five sessions, and got blown away in the next two.
Easily got the required runs, on the chase Bradley Walsh would have said, on that performance to beat the chaser would have needed another 300.
Bowlers superb  first innings was the only positive on this performance, sadly with the bat could not get out easily enough.
Players walked off at the end shell shocked, like soldiers back from the Somme, well at least they did not lack moral fibre. Bowling no ball bumpers at the end was disgraceful.
Perhaps at the start of next season we will need to leave reef for England Red ball cricket .

You were clearly shell shocked when you attempted that post Bewildered!

On the sauce...again.

[dazedpenguin]

Although, there is a statement that the Test team will not play in the warm-up game. At a press conference, it was stated that options are open.

Found the panic button early, have you?

It'll just be Bethell, Potts and Tongue, none of the current test top 7. Playing a warmup game with a pink ball under lights to prepare for a pink ball test under lights might have been a good idea, but they know best I guess...

[Andy]

Although, there is a statement that the Test team will not play in the warm-up game. At a press conference, it was stated that options are open.

Found the panic button early, have you?

It'll just be Bethell, Potts and Tongue, none of the current test top 7. Playing a warmup game with a pink ball under lights to prepare for a pink ball test under lights might have been a good idea, but they know best I guess...

Yes plenty of justification for not doing the obvious. Why not just select the Lions top order instead? They could not do any worse